Jesus: Our Sacrifice

John 19:28-37; Hebrews 9:22-26
Related Sunday School Lesson, Family Bible Series, March 20

Have you ever tried to pay your grocery bill with Monopoly money? Why not? I know it may be a stupid question, but it makes a good point. Our debts must be paid in official, acceptable currency. The lesson this week causes us to understand why Jesus had to pay for our sins.

Jesus, through His shed blood, was the only one who had the holy, sinless, righteous currency of heaven to pay our sin debt! This should help us to understand God's view of sin. While many today joke about sin and others don't even mention sin at all, Jesus' death as our sacrifice should cause us to understand the horrific penalty of sin.

Outside of Christ and His sacrifice for our sin, the only acceptable payment for sin is an eternity in a place of torment called hell. Consider with me the following aspects of Jesus' death and you will understand (and appreciate) more fully why Jesus' death on the cross is the only sacrifice for sin that God would (or could) accept.

Jesus' Perfect Work, John 19:28-30

Jesus was in full control of what was going on in the events of His crucifixion "knowing that all things were now accomplished." Jesus statement "I thirst" reminds us of the intense physical suffering Jesus was enduring while on the cross. In one of the few acts of pity shown the Savior, a soldier moistened His lips enabling Jesus to make one final statement before He died.

Jesus' final statement was, "It is finished." This is a translation of one word from the original Greek, the word tetelestai. The most meaningful and insightful use of the word for us comes from the way the word was used by a merchant during this period.

A merchant would write this word over an account that had been paid. It meant "paid in full." And in the tense (third person, passive, perfect) of the verb in our text it would be translated, "it is finished, it stands finished and it will always be finished." The complex sacrificial system was fulfilled because Jesus took all sin upon himself.

Now we have free access to God through Jesus. Those who accept Jesus' death as payment for their sin debt can be forgiven and live eternally with God and escape the penalty that comes from sin. Jesus' work was perfect in that it completely and fully met redemption's standard for Divine currency to pay sins' debt.

Jesus the Perfect Lamb, John 19:31-37

We are told that these things were going on during the days of preparation to celebrate the Passover (the event that marked God's deliverance of Israel out of Egypt). While the Passover lambs are being killed, Jesus is being crucified!

It was not lawful in the Jewish law to leave a man on the cross during a holy day. This required measures to be taken to hasten the death of those crucified so they could be buried before they defiled the holy day. The two thieves who had been crucified with Jesus had their legs broken so that the weight of their body would be on the torso, causing the lungs to fill and result in quick suffocation.

However, we are told that in Jesus' case it was obvious that He was already dead and His legs were not broken. This is significant to John because it fulfilled the imagery of the Passover (Paschal) Lamb who was to not have any bone broken (Exodus 12:46; Numbers 9:12; Psalm 34:20).

However, the soldier pierced Jesus' side with his spear. John testifies that "blood and water came out." This is significant to John primarily because by the time he is writing this gospel two groups (Gnostics and Docetics) were already teaching that Jesus didn't have a physical body but was merely an apparition.

The blood and water testify to the reality of Jesus physical, human body. We may also see a symbolic meaning in the blood and water. The blood provides for our justification from sin while the water pictures our sanctification and cleansing. These two should always go together. We need to be reminded by the water and blood from Jesus' side that those who have trusted Christ to save them should live clean lives. Jesus is the perfect lamb in His character and in the deliverance from judgment His sacrifice provides.

Jesus the Perfect Substitute, Hebrews 9:22-26

The lamb that was to be slain for the Passover had to meet high standards and be without blemish. These spotless lambs were offered as a sacrifice, the innocent's death being substituted for the guilty (the sinning person). "Without shedding of blood there is no remission" demonstrates a fundamental principle for forgiveness of sin.

Since life is in the blood there is no greater symbol for life than blood. Jesus had to shed His innocent blood for the sins of the guilty (all mankind) if there was to be any hope of forgiveness of sin. The High Priest of Israel would enter the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) and sprinkle the blood of another as a substitutionary sacrifice.

Jesus entered the Holy of Holies not made with hands, i.e. the throne room of God, and entered there as our High Priest offering His own blood as substitute for our sin! The payment has been made in full! The Lamb has been slain! The substitute is available!

Have you by faith accepted Christ as your sacrifice and substitute? Forgiveness is available, but in order for His sacrifice to be applied to your sin you must by faith turn from sin and accept Christ personally. Will you do so today? If you already have accepted Christ as your sacrifice, are you living clean in the blood-bought life Christ has provided?