Jesus' Sacrifice(s)
Do you know that Jesus continues to give sacrifices to God? I know this may seem like a bit of a stretch but hear me out on this thought.
Hebrews 8:1-3 describes Jesus as a minister and the High Priest of the true tabernacle of God. These passages go on to say that as the High Priest He must have an offering to give. Many people would say that He gave the ultimate offering (His life) and therefore He no others are necessary. I understand this point but I think there is more going on here in these verses.
The picture the writer of Hebrews gives us of Christ is that of a public servant who is currently serving in the true tabernacle. According to the Law as a High Priest He must be giving up sacrifices to God. The passage does not say exactly what sacrifices He must be giving. So may say that if we are following the pattern of sacrifice found in the Old Testament then there are a variety of different things He would be required to do. The text though seems to make it clear that there is a definite distinction between the earthly tabernacle and the Heavenly. This would then mean that the sacrificial system would be different. I personally believe that Jesus' public servanthood (Greek meaning of the word used for minister in verse 2) is His sacrifice. Think about it. He is God! He does not have to serve anyone or anything yet He choses to humble Himself, even in the realm of Heaven, to serve others. Wow! What an amazing thought!
1 comments:
Patrick,
Do a word study on "sat" in Hebrews (also a few times in Revelation) and how it applies to the Work & Sacrifice of Christ compared to the High Priests here on earth. It's a fun comparison.
Kelly
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