DAILY ENCOUNTER

THE SACRIFICE OF CHRIST

"And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: but this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God." Hebrews 10:11-12

Glory to God! The sacrifice of Christ is at the very heart of our redemption. From the beginning, God revealed through the Scriptures that the problem of sin could not be solved by human effort or the repeated offering of the blood of animals. Sin required a perfect sacrifice, and that sacrifice was ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ. When the children of Israel were in Egypt, God instructed each household to take a lamb without blemish and apply its blood to the doorposts of their houses. When the Lord passed through the land to execute judgement, He said concerning the houses marked with blood, "When I see the blood, I will pass over you” (Exodus 12:13). The blood of the lamb became the distinguishing mark that separated them from the judgement coming upon Egypt. The Passover lamb was a picture of something greater that was to come. It pointed to Jesus Christ, “the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Their deliverance from Egypt was a physical expression of the greater redemption God would accomplish through Christ for mankind. The sacrifices offered under the Old Testament were repeated because they could not permanently remove sin. But Christ came as the perfect sacrifice. He offered Himself once and for all, and after completing His redemptive work, He sat down at the right hand of God.

Our salvation is not founded on the strength of our works but on the sufficiency of Christ's finished work. The sacrifice of Christ dealt with the root problem of mankind. Sin brought humanity under the dominion of darkness, but Christ gave Himself to redeem us from that dominion. Therefore, our confidence is not in ourselves but in what Christ has done. The believer does not fight for redemption; we live from the redemption Christ has already accomplished. We do not struggle to become accepted by God; in Christ, we have been brought near through His blood. Consider someone who has been imprisoned for years and suddenly receives a legal declaration that the sentence has been completely paid. The person's freedom does not depend on how strong they feel that day. The basis of their freedom is the completed payment. In the same way, our freedom from the dominion of sin and darkness is rooted in the finished work of Christ. This is why the understanding of Christ's sacrifice is so important. What we understand about His finished work determines how confidently we establish what He has accomplished for us in our lives. His blood speaks of forgiveness. His sacrifice speaks of redemption. His resurrection speaks of new life. His victory speaks of our triumph over the power of darkness. The sacrifice of Christ is God's declaration that the price for our redemption has been paid. Therefore, we can walk in the liberty and victory that His sacrifice has provided. Hallelujah!!!

FURTHER STUDY

Isaiah 53:4–6; Colossians 1:13–14; 1 Peter 1:18–19

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

1. What does Christ's once-for-all sacrifice mean for my relationship with God?
2. How should my understanding of Christ's finished work affect the way we respond to sin, fear, and the pressures of darkness?

PRAYERS

Father, thank You for the sacrifice of Christ and the redemption we have through His blood. Help us to continually walk in the freedom, righteousness, and victory Christ has purchased for us in Jesus's name