September 1
The Blood of the Lamb
My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. ––1 John 2:1-2
If I had to boil down the message of the Old Testament in one word, I’d choose atonement. After the Fall, when sin entered the world, the Lord demanded atonement through the sacrifice of animals.
After Adam and Eve ate the apple and suddenly realized they were naked, God made “garments of skin” for them (Genesis 3:21), meaning He butchered a beast or two to fashion clothing for Adam and Eve. It was the first animal sacrifice, and God did it for Adam and Eve—who had just messed up big time. It’s really important to note here that God didn’t curse Adam and Eve—He saved that act for the serpent. Instead, His first act was to clothe them in the skins of sacrificed animals.
The symbolism here is thick: animals were sacrificed so that mankind could be clothed, just as Jesus was sacrificed so that we might be “clothed in righteousness.” If you grew up in church, you’ve heard it a thousand times if you’ve heard it once: It’s all about the blood.
We know Jesus suffered horribly in those fateful hours leading up to and during His crucifixion, and that He had lost a great deal of blood even before He was hoisted high above Golgotha. But beyond the expressions we have all heard, such as “washed in the blood,” what is the relevance for us living in America in the 21st century? I’ve heard it put like this:
The blood was a physical representation of the spiritual transformation that Jesus was orchestrating on our behalf.
His death for our life. His taking on the sins of the world so we would no longer have to carry their burden. The blood wasn’t steeped in magic; it was more powerful than that. It was the liquid that sweated through His pores in the Garden—the ink that God dipped His finger in to write across our foreheads, “Washed, Cleansed, Redeemed.” The blood of Christ holds power because of what it doesn’t do: wash off. It is indelible and everlasting. We bring our filthy rags before Him and He transforms them into garments white as snow.
Man of God, the blood of Christ is powerful because it defeated the enemy and sealed our place in eternity. When speaking to the Hebrews, Paul put it in context so they would understand as devout, practicing Jews:
[Jesus] did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. ––Hebrews 9:12
In today’s world, the blood of animals isn’t something most people see. In Jesus’ day? All the time, both in daily life and in their religious life. The practical implication for us is to remember where it all started: God sacrificing blood to clothe Adam and Eve. As the Second Adam, Jesus came to reverse Adam’s curse, and stand up for us as the Lamb that atones for all mankind, for all time.
Atonement = At – One – Ment. We are made at-one with God through the blood of Christ. That is something to ponder and celebrate.
Father, thank You that I did not have to atone for my own sins, because my offerings could never be enough. Instead, I am forever grateful for Jesus’ atonement on my behalf.