Day 6: A Victim and a Priest

Dear friend,

The sweet atmosphere of Christmas makes it easy to forget God’s holiness. Jesus Christ, depicted in His weakness as a little baby, makes God seem so easy to approach. However, all through the Bible, it is made clear that because of God’s holiness, we cannot approach Him in our sin, in our guilt, without a sacrifice.

The New Testament makes clear what is really already applied in the Old, that no animal sacrifice could ever atone, really, for man’s sin. This is stated very clearly in Hebrews chapter 10, verses 3 and 4. The writer is speaking about all the animal sacrifices offered in the Old Testament, and he says:

“But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.” (NKJV)

So those sacrifices never actually resolved the sin question. They were merely a continual reminder of the fact of sin and of the need of a sacrifice. Only God could provide the ultimate offering.

The Bible further reveals in this context that a sacrifice requires two things: A victim and a priest. The victim is that which is offered in sacrifice. The priest is the one who offers the sacrifice. In the ultimate provision, God, Himself, provided both – both the victim and the priest – in one person, in Jesus Christ.

In John chapter 1, verse 29, John the Baptist says about Jesus Christ:

“Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (NKJV)

By the revelation of the Holy Spirit, John the Baptist saw in Jesus the one who was to be the true, final, all-sufficient sacrifice. The entire world’s sin was covered by the one sacrifice. Holiness required it, love provided it in one person – Jesus.

But Jesus was not only the victim, He was also the priest. It’s very important to understand this. This is stated, for one place, in Hebrews 9:14:

“How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (NKJV)

You see, Christ offered Himself. The word there translated "offered" is the specific word for a 'priestly offering'. Christ was not only the victim, He was the priest.

And so we see here the divine resolution of the tension between love and light, between God’s holiness and God’s love. Jesus provided both the victim and the priest. How important it is that we see the absolute all-sufficiency of Jesus Christ. Through the eternal Spirit He comprehended in Himself the sins of all men of all ages – past, present and future. The one all-sufficient sin offering provided by God’s love to meet the requirements of God’s holiness

For reflection and prayer

All your sins – past, present and future – are covered by the unique offering of Jesus Christ.