In the Old Testament each year a spotless lamb was sacrificed to purify the people. The sins of the people were washed clean by the sacrifice of blood.
This lamb is a visual representation of the Messiah Jesus who was to come. It is no surprise then John the Baptist a messenger appointed by God to pave the way for the Messiah exclaimed:
"Look the Lamb of God who comes to take away the sins of the world."
You see Jesus is the fulfillment of the old covenant. Many people see Jesus as issuing a new covenant and it is partly right but his new covenant is more a permanent fulfillment of the old.
Since he has fulfilled the covenant perfectly much of the old covenant is modified and looks very different. But really the covenant is more of a continuity than a separation.
It is simply that Jesus fulfilled everything once and for all so a large number of repetitive elements are ended. The discontinuity is because of the efficacy of the sacrifice making parts of the old covenant obsolete.
The continuity is far greater than most people see. At first the discontinuity seems greater but as you look you can see the continuity far out ways the discontinuity and the discontinuity is based on the efficacy of Jesus' work.
Showing posts with label Lamb of God. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lamb of God. Show all posts
Monday, March 10, 2014
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Old Testament Sacrificial System
There is a great importance to the Sacrificial System in the Old Testament. One importance that comes up immediately is that there is a guilt which man possesses.
This guilt must be paid by a price. The price is the sacrifices that were brought before God. These were to be animals which were without blemish.
The most interesting thing about the sacrificial system is that it was futile. One brought a sacrifice one was forgive and made clean. One sinned and was unclean necessitating a future sacrifice.
The sacrificial system is interesting because it could bring no ultimate peace with God. In the opening scene of Jesus’ ministry John the Baptist filled with the Holy Spirit cried out “Look the Lamb of God who comes to take away the sins of the word.”
In the first moments of Jesus’ ministry he is pictured as a sin offering for the world. The Lamb reference is about the essential aspect of Jesus’ ministry, he is here to pay the price of sin.
Jesus did pay the price for sin after fulfilling all the righteousness that is expected of men. And his death was vindicated in his resurrection in that the powers of the grave could not hold him.
Really the ministry of Jesus is not separate from the Old Testament law but a fulfillment of it, once and for all since his sacrifice was so great that no other sacrifice was needed.
This guilt must be paid by a price. The price is the sacrifices that were brought before God. These were to be animals which were without blemish.
The most interesting thing about the sacrificial system is that it was futile. One brought a sacrifice one was forgive and made clean. One sinned and was unclean necessitating a future sacrifice.
The sacrificial system is interesting because it could bring no ultimate peace with God. In the opening scene of Jesus’ ministry John the Baptist filled with the Holy Spirit cried out “Look the Lamb of God who comes to take away the sins of the word.”
In the first moments of Jesus’ ministry he is pictured as a sin offering for the world. The Lamb reference is about the essential aspect of Jesus’ ministry, he is here to pay the price of sin.
Jesus did pay the price for sin after fulfilling all the righteousness that is expected of men. And his death was vindicated in his resurrection in that the powers of the grave could not hold him.
Really the ministry of Jesus is not separate from the Old Testament law but a fulfillment of it, once and for all since his sacrifice was so great that no other sacrifice was needed.
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