It is impossible for animal sacrifice to take away sins.
This is what Jesus taught. The Jews believed and practiced this cruelty of sacrificing animals for thousands of years which they incorrectly believed to be according to the laws of Moses. God never did want animal sacrifices for the forgiveness of sins, in fact he hated it.
The Jews believed that animal sacrifice would get God’s forgiveness of sins, and (according to the Bible) God wanted to get rid of that horrible practice, he had to give them something that would substitute that practice and end it once and for all and would be the last and final sacrifice that would put an end to it forever. (that’s the theory, at least)
The main takeaways of this article:
1. Jesus came to end the sacrifices of animals and replace it with love, kindness mercy and forgiveness.
2. Sacrificial blood can not take away sins.
Hebrews 10
1. “is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins… which can never take away sins” (vs 4, 12)
2. “Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin Thou didst not will” (vs 5)
3. “In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure… Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law” (vs 6 & 8 )
4. He taketh away the first (animal sacrifice), that he may establish the second (the sacrifice of Jesus). (vs 9)
5. “through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (vs 10)
6. “after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever” (vs 12)
How is it that Jesus’ death is considered a sacrifice that can take away sins?
What I could never understand is, how is it that if God hates the pagan ritual of animal sacrifice and according to God no sacrifice can take away sins, then how is it that Jesus’ death is considered a sacrifice that can take away sins? Could it be that this teaching that Jesus’ death was a literal sacrifice to take away the sins of the world is an invention by Paul or the roman church?
Answer: His sacrifice wasn’t to wash away sins, it was to put an end to animal sacrifice.
One thing for sure is that Jesus gave his life so that the horrible practice of sacrificing poor innocent animals would end.
“He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man.”
Killing animals in God’s eyes is a bad as killing a man. If killing an animal can not take away sins, how could killing a just man, take away sins? — especially since the bible lists so many other ways that sins are taken away, specifically: through confession, and repentance.
Why do you suppose Jesus was so angry at those who sold animals in the temple? What were those animals used for? They were used for the sacrifices that were supposed to take away sins. God hated the cruelty that was done to animals and the fact that the temple which was supposed to be a house of prayer, became a place of commerce and a den of thieves”, (according to Jesus who made a big mess of their commerce one day.) “…they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations.” (And, I might add, it made them rich!)
“He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man” (Isaiah 66:3)
Jesus declared:
“I have come to end the sacrifices and feasts of blood.” (Gospel of the Hebrews)
“I came to end the animal sacrifices and if you do not stop making sacrifices, the wrath of God will not leave you alone.” (Jesus, cited from Epiphanius, Panarion 3:16)
And that is mainly what he did by giving his life — not ONLY to save the world (according to the Bible), but also to save the animals from inhumane slaughter by religionists! It’s interesting to note that after Jesus’ sacrifice, animal sacrifice nearly disappeared from Judaism and never was practiced in Christianity. For sure, Jesus was successful in accomplishing this.
God HATED animal sacrifice and he NEVER commanded it.
> “He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog’s neck, he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine’s blood; he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations.” (Isaiah 66:3)
For I spake not unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices:
But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you. (Jer 7:22-23)
God wanted mercy and NOT sacrifice:
But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. (Mat 9:13)
Jesus declared: “I have come to end the sacrifices and feasts of blood.”
In fact, God’s way of forgiveness of sins was not through sacrifice at all. John preached forgiveness of sins through repentance as did Jesus.
John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. (Mar 1:4)
I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. (Luk 5:32)
God’s way of forgiveness is forgiving others:
For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (Mat 6:14-15)
Jesus can forgive sins:
But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. (Mat 9:6)
But so also can we forgive sins:
And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him. (Luk 17:4)
But forgiving from the heart:
So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses. (Mat 18:35)
The truth is that God forgives those that confess their sins:
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1Jn 1:9)
He desired mercy and not animal sacrifice:
For I desired mercy, and not [animal] sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. (Hos 6:6)
To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats. (Isa 1:11)
“Though they offer choice sacrifices, though they eat flesh, the Lord does not accept them. Now he will remember their iniquity, and punish their sins …” (Hosea 8:13)
“I hate, I despise your festivals, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them…” (Amos 5:21-24)
“With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings… what does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:6-8)
“I have come to end the sacrifices and feasts of blood, and if you don’t cease offering and eating of flesh and blood, the wrath of God will not cease from you…” (Gospel of the Nazarines 21:8)
What it seems to me is, though God is against the idea of animal sacrifice, man still had this idea stuck in his head that there had to be this cruel animal blood sacrifice to God in order to pacify God’s anger for sins. This was obviously an ungodly practice that the Hebrews picked up early on from pagans.
Animal blood sacrifice was NEVER something that God wanted his people to practice. If it were they would still be sacrificing animals to this day. But, in fact, Jesus came to put a stop to this inhumane act!
Jesus’ sacrifice “effectively” accomplished a two-fold purpose:
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- First, he ended the cruel practice of animal sacrifice;
- and second, He used this blood analogy that man thought he needed to make peace with God to show man his love, mercy, forgiveness and kindness.
The reality is, I believe, that God was never so mad at man as man believed him to be. Man attributed everything bad that happened to him as the anger of a hot-headed God. I’m sure that God is “angry with the wicked every day”, but to God’s sheep, I believe he is and always has been loving, merciful and forgiving.
What I really think is that religious leaders have always used lies and falsehoods to bring fear into the lives of God’s sheep in order to control and manipulate them.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness._ (1Jn 1:9)
Since repentance and confession is what really cleanses of sin, the “blood of the Lamb” certainly has to be a metaphor of the blood sacrifices that Jesus came to put an end to. And since the ritual of animal sacrifice is no longer practiced, the metaphor of being “washed in the blood of the Lamb” should be obsolete and mercy and forgiveness the new norm.
Next: Who Was Jesus Part 1 | Why Did They Murder Jesus?