There is a tension between two natures inside us. One is the righteous, who desires to become right with God through good deeds (see Ephesians 2:4-9). This attitude was placed in people when they forgot the purpose of sacrifice. The bulls and lambs that were placed on altar was not for God, as if He needed "more blood." Rather the sacrifice of a cherish lamb or animal was meant to teach us three facts: number one we need a covering of blood, we are sinners and stained with a nature (Original Sin, see Genesis 3:1-24) that wants to rebel. The sacrifice offering was meant to remind the Jews every year and even multiple times a year that they are not perfect or righteous, but rather they are corrupted by sin and need God's forgiveness, and a blood stained altar. The second reason for sacrifices was to assuage the guilt of the sinner, to give them some tangible way of making amends with God, sadly this would evolve into pride and a sense of perfection through works that the Apostle Paul unravels (Ephesians 2:4-6). Thirdly the sacrifice of animals was to feed the Priesthood, the Levite priests had no land of their own or livestock (Joshua 18:7), so the LORD decided to have the other tribes tithe grain and give the meat of sacrifices for the priests and their families, yes unlike priests in Catholic Church, Levites married and had children, Zachariah being an example (Luke 1:5-25). The Sacrifices were suppose to remind the Israelites of their sin, and their need for forgiveness, but like Sacramental system of Roman Church, it turned into methods that made people hardened to their fallen condition and less attuned to the need for the Savior; in point of fact they became their own saviors.
While many having hardened their hearts with men's traditions (Mark 7:7), there were the few (hundreds) who harkened to the voice of the One foretold, the Sacrifice promised by the Prophet Isaiah, "Yet it was our weaknesses he carried;
it was our sorrows that weighed him down.
And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God,
a punishment for his own sins!
5 But he was pierced for our rebellion,
it was our sorrows that weighed him down.
And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God,
a punishment for his own sins!
5 But he was pierced for our rebellion,
He was beaten so we could be whole.
He was whipped so we could be healed.
6 All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.
We have left God’s paths to follow our own.
Yet the Lord laid on him
the sins of us all.
He was whipped so we could be healed.
6 All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.
We have left God’s paths to follow our own.
Yet the Lord laid on him
the sins of us all.
He was oppressed and treated harshly,
yet he never said a word.
He was led like a lamb to the slaughter.
And as a sheep is silent before the shearers,
he did not open his mouth.
8 Unjustly condemned,
he was led away.
No one cared that he died without descendants,
that his life was cut short in midstream.
But he was struck down
for the rebellion of my people.
9 He had done no wrong
and had never deceived anyone.
But he was buried like a criminal;
he was put in a rich man’s grave.
yet he never said a word.
He was led like a lamb to the slaughter.
And as a sheep is silent before the shearers,
he did not open his mouth.
8 Unjustly condemned,
he was led away.
No one cared that he died without descendants,
that his life was cut short in midstream.
But he was struck down
for the rebellion of my people.
9 He had done no wrong
and had never deceived anyone.
But he was buried like a criminal;
he was put in a rich man’s grave.
But it was the Lord’s good plan to crush him
and cause him grief.
Yet when his life is made an offering for sin,
he will have many descendants.
He will enjoy a long life,
and the Lord’s good plan will prosper in his hands.
11 When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish,
he will be satisfied.
And because of his experience,
my righteous servant will make it possible
for many to be counted righteous,
for he will bear all their sins.
12 I will give him the honors of a victorious soldier,
because he exposed himself to death.
He was counted among the rebels.
He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels.
crushed for our sins" (Isaiah 53:10-12). The words of the Prophet were fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Every line of this prophecy is fulfilled in the Gospel of John, particularly John 18, 19, and 20.
and cause him grief.
Yet when his life is made an offering for sin,
he will have many descendants.
He will enjoy a long life,
and the Lord’s good plan will prosper in his hands.
11 When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish,
he will be satisfied.
And because of his experience,
my righteous servant will make it possible
for many to be counted righteous,
for he will bear all their sins.
12 I will give him the honors of a victorious soldier,
because he exposed himself to death.
He was counted among the rebels.
He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels.
crushed for our sins" (Isaiah 53:10-12). The words of the Prophet were fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Every line of this prophecy is fulfilled in the Gospel of John, particularly John 18, 19, and 20.
Even His name, Jesus, meant The LORD Saves, the promise to all mankind that had been foretold by Kings, Prophets, and even the Law Giver Moses. And yet, many did not accept Him (John 10:22-42), for they were content with Rosaries in form of rules for righteousness (Talmudic Law, and Torah). The religious experts, leaders, and Pharisees persecuted the Lamb of God (John 1:29), putting Him to the test, even when Christ was among the least reputable, they decried, "When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"When Jesus heard this, he said, "Healthy people don't need a doctor-sick people do." Then he added, "Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: 'I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.' For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners." (Matthew 9:11-13). These words not only offer us comfort when we find ourselves battling sin, but rather this is a picture, Jesus is the Lamb of God (John 1:29), and so the Sacrifice foretold by Isaiah (see Isaiah 53:10-12), which means He was mingling amongst those whom He would be slain for, to cover them in His blood. Was it not common for the sinner in Judea to bring a lamb, dove, or other beast to offer it for sin at the Temple? In fact, the Law prescribes the animal was suppose to be one of your own livestock, oen you nursed, and loved, so to infuse bitter pang of your sin, but the religious leaders instead allow buying and selling of animals at the Temple (Matthew 21:12-17), and this was one of reasons Jesus turned over tables. Thus we see Jesus was mingling, and getting to know the ones He would be sacrificed for, just as Shepherd was known by the Lamb he would sacrifice for Himself at Passover, and thus a worse pain would fall on Christ's Sheep, His Disciples, but glory be to God, the grave and death could not hold Jesus Christ, and He rose on Third Day! (John 20:1-30). Let that sink in a bit, Jesus hung with sinners, not to say sin was ok, but to say I am Sacrifice for the sin and I love sinners so much I died for them (Romans 5:8).
Even though many had hardened their hearts, and forgot their need for forgiveness and blood covering for sin to allow them to enter God's presence (see Exodus 24:8-11), God hadn't forgotten (wanting to be close to man but unable because of sin) and so by His own blood made it possible for us to approach His throne (Hebrews 4:16, Ephesians 3:12), and be in His presence (Colossians 1:22), but even more so He now enters into a new tabernacle, a new tent, and temple, not made of stone or wood, but of our very bodies! (Colossians 1:27, 1 Corinthians 3:9, 2 Corinthians 3:16, Ephesians 2:22, Hebrews 3:4-6, Romans 8:10-20, Hebrews 10:21). The Lamb, the Sacrifice, The Savior, and Shepherd does not only stain us with His blood and say "It is finished, it is accomplished," (John 19:30) He enters into us and resides in us the New Temple, just as Prophet Jeremiah foretold (see Jeremiah 30:1-38:22).We thus no longer must offer bulls, goats, sheep, lambs, and doves, but the Sacrifice of Jesus on the cross is all sufficient, propitiation, and covering for all our sins, "Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit, " (1 Peter 3:18), and "so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him." (Hebrews 9:28). Christ told us He was the Good Shepherd (John 10:11-18), and He referred to us a sheep (John 21:17), and yet He became a Lamb among us (Revelation 5:12, John 1:29) and was sacrificed. This was major parable symbolism for that God became one of us, a Man (Philippians 2:1-18), and yet He was still God (Colossians 2;8, John 17:20-23, Titus 2:13, John 1:14) and the Shepherd of all! He could have left us in our sin, let the bulls and sheep be taken in to be slaughtered, but those could not forgive sin, "It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. That is why, when Christ came into the world, he said to God, "You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings. But you have given me a body to offer. You were not pleased with burnt offerings or other offerings for sin. Then I said, 'Here I am--it is written about me in the scroll-- I have come to do your will, my God.'" First, Christ said, "You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings or burnt offerings or other offerings for sin, nor were you pleased with them" (though they are required by the law of Moses). Then he said, "Look, I have come to do your will." He cancels the first covenant in order to put the second into effect. For God's will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time/And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honor at God's right hand/But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, There he waits until his enemies are humbled and made a footstool under his feet. For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says: "This is the new covenant I will make with my people on that day, says the LORD: I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds." Then he adds: "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more." And when sins have been forgiven, there is no need to offer any more sacrifices. And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven's Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus/Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God's house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ's blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water." (Hebrews 10:4-21). For even King David said, "Sacrifices you do not want, but broken and contrite heart," (Psalm 51:15-16).
The biggest stumbling block between God's forgiveness and blood covering once and for all is pride. So many join the stubborn Jews who wouldn't believe, and who trust in being sons of Abraham to save them (Matthew 3:9, John 8;39) or worse many have become Sacramental, believing by a multitude of good works they can appease God on their own merit and effort, something that is impossible for the Apostle says, "God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. " (Ephesians 2:8-9) and even a Roman Catholic said, ""Now listen well, for what I have to say contains the doctrine of important truths. Because for his own good, he would not let his will be curbed, the man who knew no birth, damming himself, dammed all his progeny, therefore, the human race lay sick below within their error for long centuries, until the Word of God chose to descend: there, moved by His unselfish Love alone, He took unto Himself, in His own Being, that nature which had wandered from its maker. Now listen to my reasoning, once joined with its First Cause, this nature was (as it had been when first created) pure and good; but by itself alone, by its own act, having abandoned truth, and the true life, out of God's holy garden it was chased. Then, if the Crucifixion can be judged as punishment of that nature assumed, no penalty could bite with greater justice, just as none could be judged as more unjust, considering the Person who endured it with whom
that other nature was combined. Thus, one event produced different effects; God and the Jews both pleased by this one death for which earth shook and Haven opened wide. Now it should not be difficult for you to understand the concept of just vengeance being avenged in time by just decree. You say: I clearly understand your words, but why God did not choose some other way for our redemption still remains unclear. The reason. brother, for that choice lies buried from all men's eyes until their inner sight has grown to ripeness in the warmth of love, nevertheless, sicne men have always aimed their arrows at this mark they rarely strike, I shall explain why this choice is bvest. Divine goodness, which from itself rejects all envy, sparkles so, that It reveals the eternal beauties burning in Itself. That which derives directly from His Being from then on is eternal, for His sewal, once it is stamped, can never be effaced. That which derives directly from His Being is wholly free, not subject to the law of secondary things. Created thus, it most resembles Him, most pleases Him; the Sacred Flame which lights all of creation burns brightest in what is most like Himself. These are the gifts with which humanity was privileged, and if it fails in one of these, it must fall from its noble state. Sin is the only power that takes away man's freedom and his likeness to True Good, and makes him shine less brightly in Its light; nor can he win back his lost dignity unless the void left by tha sin be filled by just amends paid for illicit joy. Your nature, when it sinned once and for all in its first root, was exiled from these honors, as it was dispossessed of Paradise; nor could mankind recover what was lost, as you will see if you think carefully, except by crossing one of these two fords: either that God, simply through clemency, should give remission, or that man himself, to pay his debt of folly, should atone. Now fix your eyes on the infinity of the Eternal Counsel; listen well, as well as you are able, to my words. Given his limits, man could never make amends, never in his humility could man, obedient too late, descend as far as once, in disobedience, he tried to climb, and this is why mankind alone could not make his amends to God. Thus, it remained for God, in His own ways (his ways, I mean, in one of them or both) to bring man back to his integrity. But since the deed gratifies more the doer, the more it manifests the innate goodness of the good heart from which it springs--so, then, that Everlasting Goodness which has set its imprint on the world was pleased to use all of its means to raise you up once more. Between the final night and the first day no act so lofty, so magnificent was there, or shall there be, by either way, for God, Who gave Himself, gave even more so that mankind might raise itself again, than if He simply had annulled the debt; and any other means would have been less than Justice, if God's only Son had not humbled Himself to take on mortal flesh. " (Paradise, Canto 7, The Portable Dante, pages 429-432). There is a sin that has impacted us all, and tainted us all, the Original Sin in the Garden of Eden, in this way Adam and Eve have made all children cursed (Romans and etc), but there was One who bore the Curse on our behalf, "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole (tree)." (Galatians 3:13). So you must decide, do you want to keep trying to earn your salvation through good works or will you surrender your filthy wrags, "We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind." (Isaiah 64:6), and trust only in Jesus Christ to save you and give you eternal life (John 3:16, John 6:40, Romans 10:9-10). For Jesus is both the Good Shepherd in charge of Gate to eternal life (John 10:9), He is that Gate (John 10:1-4), and He is the Lamb and Sacrifice for all sin (Hebrews 10). God has made it easy, believe in Emmanuel who is Jesus Christ. All you have to do is trust that Jesus did enough, to love Him, and let Him be Sacrifice for you and your sin, to cover all your wrong deeds in the Word of God's Blood. It's simple, and yet so many resist, their pride afflicted by God doing the favor (Grace, unmerited favor), they can't let go of their filthy wrags, when the Christ has given them a white robe (Revelation 6:11). Do not be like those who could not see or hear (Matthew 13:15), but instead turn to Jesus Christ, recognize you are a sinner in need of a Savior, that while you were sinner Christ died for you out of love (Romans 5:8), and if you love Him back, trust His sacrifice on the cross, and abide in Him, following Him all days of your life because He followed you and formed you in womb (Jeremiah 1:5), and loved you first (1 John 4:19).
that other nature was combined. Thus, one event produced different effects; God and the Jews both pleased by this one death for which earth shook and Haven opened wide. Now it should not be difficult for you to understand the concept of just vengeance being avenged in time by just decree. You say: I clearly understand your words, but why God did not choose some other way for our redemption still remains unclear. The reason. brother, for that choice lies buried from all men's eyes until their inner sight has grown to ripeness in the warmth of love, nevertheless, sicne men have always aimed their arrows at this mark they rarely strike, I shall explain why this choice is bvest. Divine goodness, which from itself rejects all envy, sparkles so, that It reveals the eternal beauties burning in Itself. That which derives directly from His Being from then on is eternal, for His sewal, once it is stamped, can never be effaced. That which derives directly from His Being is wholly free, not subject to the law of secondary things. Created thus, it most resembles Him, most pleases Him; the Sacred Flame which lights all of creation burns brightest in what is most like Himself. These are the gifts with which humanity was privileged, and if it fails in one of these, it must fall from its noble state. Sin is the only power that takes away man's freedom and his likeness to True Good, and makes him shine less brightly in Its light; nor can he win back his lost dignity unless the void left by tha sin be filled by just amends paid for illicit joy. Your nature, when it sinned once and for all in its first root, was exiled from these honors, as it was dispossessed of Paradise; nor could mankind recover what was lost, as you will see if you think carefully, except by crossing one of these two fords: either that God, simply through clemency, should give remission, or that man himself, to pay his debt of folly, should atone. Now fix your eyes on the infinity of the Eternal Counsel; listen well, as well as you are able, to my words. Given his limits, man could never make amends, never in his humility could man, obedient too late, descend as far as once, in disobedience, he tried to climb, and this is why mankind alone could not make his amends to God. Thus, it remained for God, in His own ways (his ways, I mean, in one of them or both) to bring man back to his integrity. But since the deed gratifies more the doer, the more it manifests the innate goodness of the good heart from which it springs--so, then, that Everlasting Goodness which has set its imprint on the world was pleased to use all of its means to raise you up once more. Between the final night and the first day no act so lofty, so magnificent was there, or shall there be, by either way, for God, Who gave Himself, gave even more so that mankind might raise itself again, than if He simply had annulled the debt; and any other means would have been less than Justice, if God's only Son had not humbled Himself to take on mortal flesh. " (Paradise, Canto 7, The Portable Dante, pages 429-432). There is a sin that has impacted us all, and tainted us all, the Original Sin in the Garden of Eden, in this way Adam and Eve have made all children cursed (Romans and etc), but there was One who bore the Curse on our behalf, "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole (tree)." (Galatians 3:13). So you must decide, do you want to keep trying to earn your salvation through good works or will you surrender your filthy wrags, "We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind." (Isaiah 64:6), and trust only in Jesus Christ to save you and give you eternal life (John 3:16, John 6:40, Romans 10:9-10). For Jesus is both the Good Shepherd in charge of Gate to eternal life (John 10:9), He is that Gate (John 10:1-4), and He is the Lamb and Sacrifice for all sin (Hebrews 10). God has made it easy, believe in Emmanuel who is Jesus Christ. All you have to do is trust that Jesus did enough, to love Him, and let Him be Sacrifice for you and your sin, to cover all your wrong deeds in the Word of God's Blood. It's simple, and yet so many resist, their pride afflicted by God doing the favor (Grace, unmerited favor), they can't let go of their filthy wrags, when the Christ has given them a white robe (Revelation 6:11). Do not be like those who could not see or hear (Matthew 13:15), but instead turn to Jesus Christ, recognize you are a sinner in need of a Savior, that while you were sinner Christ died for you out of love (Romans 5:8), and if you love Him back, trust His sacrifice on the cross, and abide in Him, following Him all days of your life because He followed you and formed you in womb (Jeremiah 1:5), and loved you first (1 John 4:19).
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