2nd Corinthians 5:21
INTRO: Good morning church. Our text today is taken from 2nd Corinthians 5:21 where we read, – “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”[NKJV]
Why is the cross so important? Why did Jesus have to die?… In a word, “sacrifice”. I have no doubt that our modern, western minds probably struggle at times with the idea of sacrifice for sin. Were we citizens of the 1st century, however, we would be very familiar with such sacrifices as atonement, or propitiation. But you and I are far removed from the religious observances of the 1st century and of the old covenant, we are far removed from the pagan sacrifices which were often to appease angry gods. So perhaps it is fitting that we think just a bit about those sin offerings which preceded the perfect offering in the form of the sacrifice of the sinless Son of God. It is difficult to preach of the cross of Christ, without thinking of the sacrifice. I would like to go back with you for a few minutes into the Old Testament, and trace a little bit of both the history and the significance of sin offerings. I invite you to turn in your bibles to the 4th chapter of the book of Genesis where I’m going to read beginning at verse 3.
I. SOME THOUGHTS FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT
A. Genesis 4:3-5 – “3. And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. 4. Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, 5. But He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.” This in our bibles is the first recorded occasion of sacrifice. We notice in the text before us that Able brought of the firstlings of the flock.
1. Able brought to God a “blood sacrifice”. We may wonder about the reasoning for such an offering as this, and we may wonder why it was that God rejected the offering of Cain. I have read, and perhaps you have also, a number of explanations for the acceptance of one offering and the rejection of the other. Often times the explanations are focused on the character of the two individuals, – which may not be altogether out of place. Note though that Able brought a “blood sacrifice”.
2. I suggest to you that this was an atonement for sin – In the book of Hebrews, chapter 9, verse 22, in the last part of the verse, there is something said that is deeply significant with reference to sacrifice. Hebrews 9:22 - “...without shedding of blood is no remission.” Why the shedding of blood, why a “blood sacrifice” in order to obtain remission?
3. Something else we learn here about this offering. Look with me at - Hebrews 11:4 - “By faith (those are significant words) Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, …” is this offering that Able brought the response of specific instructions from God? Or did he just decide that because he was the one raising the animals that for him an offering was a “blood sacrifice”? It says By faith, Able offered. Understanding that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God, I reach my conclusion that yes, the sacrifice that Able offered, not only was a “blood offering”, not only was a sin offering, but it was an offering at the instruction of God. Now then, turn in your bibles with me to Leviticus chapter 1. In verse 4 we read of sacrifice and the mosaic covenant.
B. Leviticus 1:4 – “Then he shall put his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him.” – These are the sin offerings of the mosaic covenant.
1. Notice in verse 5 “He shall kill the bull before the Lord; and the priests, Aaron's sons, shall bring the blood and sprinkle the blood all around on the altar”. These are “blood sacrifices”.
2. Without shedding of blood there is no remission, Hebrews 9:22. These sacrifices are brought by the individual, to the priests, to the altar, and they are offered there as an atonement for sins. Notice the word “atonement” in verse 4. Atonement is the idea of making one again, one with God. Binding together again, that which was once broken.
3. There is something else in Leviticus 1:4. Notice it was not just enough for the one making the offering to bring his sacrifice to the priests and say there it is.
a. The text specifically says he was to put his hands upon the head of that which he was offering as a sacrifice. I wonder; why he was to put his hands on the head of the sacrifice? Is he simply saying “goodbye”?
b. Of course not. Putting his hands upon the head of the offering was identification between the person offering and that which he offered. The offering became a substitution for the one who offered. In place of himself he offers the bullock or lamb or whatever.
C. Now let’s go to Leviticus, chapter 16. We read here concerning the great annual Day of Atonement, these are exercises which are interesting historically. Look for the significance of what is being done. At verse 7 we find there are two goats involved in the Day of Atonement. “He shall take the two goats and present them before the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.” Verse 15 tells us about one of them.
1. Leviticus 16:15,20-22 – “Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering, which is for the people, bring its blood inside the veil, do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat and before the mercy seat.” This is the first goat. It is killed; its blood is shed, why? For the sins of the people. A substitution.
2. What about the second goat? We begin reading in verse 20. “And when he has made an end of atoning for the Holy Place, the tabernacle of meeting, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat;” Remember the first goat was killed. This is the second one; he shall bring the live goat. “and Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, confess over it all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, concerning all their sins,” Look at these next words. I wondered; why Aaron has to put his hands upon the head of that which was being offered? It says, “putting them,” putting what? The transgressions. “on the head of the goat, and shall send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a suitable man. "The goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to an uninhabited land; and he shall release the goat in the wilderness.” Ok, here is what happens on the day of atonement for the Israelites
3. The High Priest received from the people two he-goats for a sin-offering. Note that the two goats were but one offering, a sin-offering. The two goats were presented before the Lord, in other words both goats were presented to God. Verse 8 says, “Then Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats:…”
4. The first goat, which had been selected by lot for this purpose, is killed; its blood is shed as a substitution for the people.
5. The second goat, this part is so interesting to me, the second goat, is brought alive, and the high priest confesses all the sins of the nation of Israel over this goat, then he puts his hands upon the goat transferring to the goat in a symbol, all the peoples sins. Then they send him away and the goat carries all of those sins away into the wilderness. Takes them away from God’s people.
6. This then is the annual Day of Atonement where there is a sacrifice made, in which one goat is killed and shed its blood and the other goat carries off the sins of the people.
7. Look now in, Leviticus 17:11- Here we see an explanation of the significance of the blood. “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.” – Why the blood? It is explained, the life is in the blood. What is more significant, what is a more valuable thing that can one give, then the blood, in which is the life? The annual Day of Atonement.
D. Now let us turn in our bibles to Hebrews 10:1-4 - With all of this in our minds about the sacrifices of the old covenant, I’ll paraphrase what we read; “1. The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. 2 Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. 3 But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins. 4 It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.”[para]
1. All those offerings, starting at Genesis 4 and all the way through the Old Testament, could not take away sin. They could not make the people perfect so that they had no more conscience of sin.
2. Now in Hebrews 10 at verse 1, we see that “…the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things…”. [NKJV] Those “good things to come” must certainly have encompassed that perfect offering, which could accomplish what those offerings of the Old Covenant could not accomplish. All of those offerings were a shadow. To have a shadow, something must cast it.
3. The point is, that there must be a perfect sacrifice which casts the shadow. Those offerings were but a shadow of the perfect offering to come. Not the very image the bible says, but a shadow. Shadows are similar, but not the image of the objects casting them. It is a distortion if you will. Did you ever look at your shadow and think how poorly it represents what you look like? The shadow is just an imperfect representation.
4. All of those sin offerings of animals pointed ahead to something beyond them. That something we discover as we go beyond the Old Testament into the New.
II. WE LOOK TO THE NEW TESTAMENT FOR OUR INFORMATION
A. Turn in your bibles to read at Matthew 1:21 - Here we start to get an idea of that perfect offering that was casting that imperfect shadow. The announcement to Joseph. “And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” Next we go to the gospel of Luke 1:31 Once again an announcement, this one is to Mary. Luke 1:31 – “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus.” – Jesus, that is to be His name. Why is it His name? Because He will save His people from their sins we are told. That is the meaning of the name Jesus, savior.
1. Now read with me in Luke 2:11 - “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”– Let’s look a few verses later to what Simeon says in verse 29.
2. Luke 2:29-30 - “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation”
3. We have read several passages and not a thing yet about sacrifice ... but there are words like savior, and salvation. I begin to get a hint that maybe this Jesus of whom these passages speak, is that perfect offering casting the shadow which was imperfect.
B. Let’s go to John 1:29 – “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”– Behold the Lamb. What about all of those lambs in the Old Covenant, why were they killed, why was their blood pored on the altar and sprinkled at the mercy seat? As an atonement, a sin offering. Behold “...the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world”
1. With this reference to a lamb, we begin to have a better picture of the idea of Jesus as a sacrifice.
2. Clearly, this would have been John the Baptist’s intent in the statement. To convey to the people the idea, the fact, that Jesus Christ is the sacrifice for sins which can take away the sin of the world. All of those sacrifices of the Old Testament would not and could not do that. But here is a sacrifice which can take away the sins of the world.
3. John the Baptist was a part of that old culture, and understood the purpose of sacrifice for sin. So when he refers to Jesus as the Lamb of God taking away the sin of the world, the identification of the lamb and Jesus and sin could mean nothing else but that Jesus Christ is going to be the great sacrifice, the perfect sacrifice, the substitutionary sacrifice, which will take away the sins of the world.
C. What other connection between a lamb and sins could one find? Matthew 20:28 – “just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, now listen, and to give His life a ransom for many.” - “...to give His life a ransom for many.”
1. Here is another passage indicating a purpose, a ransom. Notice this time the idea of “sacrifice” is there. To “give His life” a ransom for many.
2. Notice further, this is a substitutionary sacrifice. By that I simply mean that I did not have to pay the price. Some one paid it for me. Jesus is the substitution for me. He gave His life as a ransom (purpose) for many (substitution).
3. Look at the reference about “the just for the unjust” in 1 Peter 3:18 – “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit,” The just, that is Jesus, the perfect offering, for the unjust, that is me. Why did He die for my sins? As a substitution for the price I should have paid; so that I might be brought to God. All of this goes back to a passage from the Old Testament, Isaiah 53:11 – “He shall see the travail of His soul, and be satisfied. by His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, for He shall bear their iniquities.” - “for he shall bear their iniquities” There is substitution. Jesus the perfect offering, taking my place, by going to the cross.
D. Hebrews 10:5-10 - Let us read here of this perfect offering. “Therefore, when He came into the world, He said: "Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You have prepared for Me.” A body You have prepared for me. What was that body? What was accomplished by that body? The embodiment of Jesus Christ, the incarnation, that body was the sacrifice. “6. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin you had no pleasure. 7. Then I said, `Behold, I have come in the volume of the book it is written of Me to do Your will, O God.' '' 8. Previously saying, "Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them'' (which are offered according to the law), 9. then He said, "Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.'' He takes away the first that He may establish the second. 10. By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”– the body has been prepared. That body is Jesus Christ, and we have been sanctified, we have been cleansed, we have been set apart by the offering of that body. It was an offering that was made once and for all time. Verse 12
1. Hebrews 10:12 – “But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God,” - One sacrifice. Accomplishing what all of those bulls, all of those lambs and all of those goats could never accomplish. They could not take away sin.
2. This man, in the offering of His body, the perfect, sinless, sacrifice of Jesus Christ; this man, at the cross, accomplished once and for all time the taking away of sin.
3. Folks, there is no more sacrifice for sin. This was the one prefect sacrifice, which completely satisfied once and for all time, the law of God and the love of God.
4. In Hebrews 10:26 - “For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,” There was just one. If you are not happy with the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, there isn’t going to be another one. This is the only sacrifice we need. It is the only sacrifice there is going to be to accomplish the forgiveness of sin.
E. What does that mean to me? Colossians 1:13-14 – “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.”
1. The apostle explains the perfect sin offering was given for you and me.
2. These are the present possibilities folks. We can be forgiven, completely forgiven of all our sins, through His blood.
3. That forgiveness is accomplished for you and for me in our obedient baptism as we find in Colossians 2:12-13 - “buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses,”
4. Here we see the whole reason for the cross and the sacrifice. That you being dead in sin, could claim the benefits of the sacrifice of the cross and be alive again. These verses tell us exactly when and how this all takes place. This person, who is dead in sin, needing the atonement, is buried with Christ in baptism. By reason of their obedient faith all of their sins are forgiven. Never to be remembered again. That is the good news! Going back to the 10th chapter of Hebrews one more time. Hebrews 10:16-18 – “"This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days", says the Lord: "I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them", then He adds, "Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.'' Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.” So when a person is buried with Christ in baptism, believing that God will do what He promised to do, all of their sins are forgiven. Why is the preaching of the cross so important? So that we can understand the significance of the sacrifice for our sins.
CLOSE: It may be difficult for our modern western minds to wrap themselves around this entire subject. But here is something we can understand. Because Jesus died, you can live. It does not take much to understand that. Because Jesus died, your sins can be forgiven. That forgiveness comes when a person in their faith and obedience is lowered into the waters of baptism, in the likeness of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, to be raised clean, cleansed of all their sins to walk in newness of life.
If you are here this morning and you have never been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ, there is just one way, just one way, and that is by your being baptized, immersed in water, and raised to walk, clean and forgiven, in a new life. And if your desire this morning is to lay hold on the benefits of the cross of Jesus Christ, the benefits of that blood which washes away your sins, then we invite you to come forward while we sing this song. If we can assist you in any way we invite you to come as we stand and sing.
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Adopted from Sermon by: Cecil A. Hutson
