7 Sermons Tagged "Sacrifice"

When Jesus died on the cross, the temple curtain, which was the barrier to the most sacred part of the temple, was torn apart. Through the tearing of the curtain we see that Jesus is the High Priest and we are priests, so we have direct access to God and Christ is our intercessor. Jesus' death also got rid of the Old Covenant and brought us into the New Covenant.

Jesus' words and actions from when he first cleansed the temple are often misunderstood. It may seem like he was being excessive, or that he was being elusive when answering those who questioned him. However, we should use this account to remind ourselves that God is serious about sin and will not have the church distracted from his saving purpose. We should also remember that the true temple is the invisible church of all believers.

When God told Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac, it was not for God's knowledge or benefit, but for Abraham's. While the tests and hardships we encounter may not be as intense as Abraham's, we know that God uses them for our good to strengthen our faith and demonstrate to us just how strong our faith is.

We know from scriptures that the sacrifices given in the times of the Old Testament did not live; the animals were killed either just before or during the sacrifice. So how can we offer our bodies and our lives as sacrifices to God and still remain alive?

Jesus explains to the disciples that he came to serve, not to be served. His death and resurrection set us free from our sinful nature. Because we have been set free, we serve others our of love and thankfulness, and we share with them the joy of salvation.

Christ's sacrifice abolishes all of the sin offerings established in the Old Testament, and His sacrifice has also sanctified you once for all time.