Tabernacle and Temple
The Sacrificial System
The One Perfect Sacrifice
Description
The entire sacrificial system of the Old Testament was a shadow of the good things to come. The burnt offering pointed to Christ's total consecration. The sin offering pictured Christ bearing our sins. The trespass offering showed Christ paying for specific transgressions. The peace offering anticipated fellowship restored through Christ. Yet all these sacrifices could never take away sins—they were offered year after year, continually reminding of sin. Christ offered one sacrifice for sins forever, then sat down, His work complete. The blood of bulls and goats could not take away sins; the blood of Christ can.
Key Verses
For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 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.
But now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.