The Sacrifice

Exodus 35:10-36:38 Matthew 27:32-66 Psalm 34:1-10 Proverbs 9:7-8

And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. – Matthew 27:50-51 TNIV

At Mt. Sinai, God gave His people His covenant law. The law that revealed His love and character. The law that shows His people their sin—how they do not love like God does, how their character is not like His. The Israelites had been slaves in Egypt for 450 years and as time went by, the promise God had made Adam and Eve to rescue His people from the slavery to sin had been forgotten. Now that His people see their sin, He gives Moses instructions to build a Tabernacle. This is God’s house, designed to illustrate God’s plan to rescue His people, to forgive them of their sin and to clean them of that sin.

Jesus is the promised Messiah. Not to free them from being ruled by the Romans as they believed at Jesus’ time, but to free them from the rule of sin. They didn’t realize that the lamb they sacrificed to celebrate the Passover Feast represented Jesus. They didn’t realize that everything about the Temple represented what Jesus would do to rescue His people from the rule of sin.

Now the impossible happens. Jesus, God’s Son, who has always been dies. At that very moment, the curtain going into the Most Holy is torn in two. The One the Temple pointed to had come and accomplished His mission here on earth. From here on out, His people will remember what He has done rather than look forward to it. The Sacrifice to forgive all people, to cover all sins had been made. And this is the evidence that we can be forgiven and rescued from sin eternally.

Lord Jesus, thank You for having a plan to rescue us even before any of us needed to be rescued. Thank You for giving Your people an illustration to help us understand all that You have and will do for us. Thank You for offering Yourself as the perfect sacrifice for us and offering Your life in exchange for ours. Forgive us our sins today and clean our lives of all sin. Amen.