The Ultimate Sacrifice
In order to live a full, authentic life marked by love, we have to sacrifice ourselves for others. We can open our homes to the needy, give financially, and invest our talent and energy for people who need what we have. Recently I read about a man who was on his way to a garage sale when he heard Christian music. He followed the sound of the music and found himself in a church where the choir was rehearsing with the pastor. The man loved to sing gospel and was invited him to join the choir. Shortly afterwards, the stranger needed a kidney transplant. Even in families, a perfect match for a kidney is very difficult to find. But the pastor felt led to be tested and discovered he was a perfect match! Without the two men realizing it, God had arranged this divine appointment. The pastor sacrificed his kidney to save a stranger’s life.
As Easter approaches, we are reminded of the sacrifice Jesus made for us. Before Christ walked on this earth, God designated sacrifices and offerings for the Israelites to make. These offerings represented the Israelite’s efforts to move closer to God and atone for their sins. God wanted a relationship with His chosen people, and the way for them to have a right relationship with a holy God was through obedience. In the morning and evening of each day, the High Priest offered a one-year-old male lamb without blemish (Exodus 29:38). These sacrificies foreshadowed the coming of Christ, who became the sacrificial Lamb of God. Jesus took the ultimate penalty for our sin, once and for all.
The life-saving gift of Christ’s sacrifice for our sins can easily get lost in the shuffle of our daily lives. Without realizing it, we can take for granted the sacrifice Jesus made on our behalf, yet we must never forget the magnitude of the Cross. When we walk with Christ, we give up our old way of life and follow in His footsteps. As we accept and appreciate His sacrifice for us, we are still called to make sacrificies. The Old Testament scriptures foreshadow our sacrifices of praise, thanksgiving, and the offerings we still make with our time, talents, and treasure.
“Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name “(Hebrews 13:15 NIV).
Today, we make the sacrifice to praise Him daily, read His Word, and glorify Him. When we choose His will over our own, we sacrifice our desire to do things according to the flesh. When we sacrifice our time and comfort to give to others, we mimic His servanthood. When we confess our sins and ask for accountability and forgiveness, we sacrifice our pride. All of this results in our spiritual and physical healing. As James 5:16 says:
“Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (NKJV).
Every time we sacrifice ourselves for the cause of His kingdom, we bring glory to God and we are blessed.
I am so grateful we do not have to follow all of the dos and don’ts of the Old Testament. Jesus came to give us life and give it abundantly. Because He suffered and died on our behalf, we are awarded a life filled with love, wisdom, strength, faith, forgiveness, grace, mercy, patience, joy, and freedom. Hallelujah.
Easter reminds us to celebrate our spiritual freedom granted to us because of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. Let’s continue from this day forward celebrating Him in word and deed.
Let’s pray:
Lord I know I am a sinner, yet You volunteered to be the sacrificial Lamb for me. You took my past, present, and future sins, and all my illnesses to the cross. You also know my pain and my joy. My heart is overwhelmed by Your love for me. Your faithfulness never waivers and You truly want what is best for me. Thank You for willingly going to the cross, knowing the pain You would endure. My sacrifices to You are an honor as I surrender my life to you daily. I love You, Lord. Thank You for your sacrifice on my behalf. Amen.
