Forgiveness B.C.

How did you get into heaven in the Old Testament? Why Did Jesus have to die on the cross? These are two questions that I received in the 'I Wonder' box recently. I sort of answered them last night when we looked at Jesus' sacrifice for us. But I wanted to take some time and explain it a little further.

To answer the first question, let's start with Romans 6:23a (just the first part), "For the wages of sin is death..." Sin must be paid for, it comes with a cost. That cost is blood and death. That's just how it is. Looking at Adam and Eve, they didn't sacrifice anything, but the Bible says, "The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them." God killed something to provide for Adam and Eve, as a result of their disobedience.

God can see our hearts. He always has, and always will. Before the 10 commandments, He chose people who He knew had good hearts. He made covenants or deals with them. But every time the people messed up. God would have to punish them. When Moses got the 10 commandments, that was really when God told the people His standards, and required blood and death for anything less. The whole book of Leviticus explains God's standard, and what to do if you broke it. "...Say to the Israelites: 'When anyone sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the Lord's commands they must bring... (Leviticus 4-5)" Depending on who sinned, a specific animal was to be brought and killed as an offering. Only then was the person forgiven. Every sin would need a sacrifice.

Flash forward to the time of Jesus. John the Baptist (who happened to be Jesus' cousin) said, "Look! The Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29)" John meant that Jesus was going to be the sin offering, the sacrifice for sin, for everyone. Finally, in John 19:30, "...Jesus said, 'It is finished.' With that, He bowed His head and gave up His spirit." Jesus said it is finished meaning, He was the sacrifice that every sin needs. His blood, and His death, pays for our sin, if we believe.

On the third day, Jesus rose from the grave. He was alive. I've heard a really good illustration of the whole death and alive thing. Jesus death pays for our sin. His resurrection is the receipt. So to answer the questions, "How did you get into heaven in the Old Testament? & Why did Jesus die on the cross?" I'd say, sin requires blood and death as payment. There is no way around it. In the Old Testament, rather than dying themselves people sacrificed animals to stand in their place. Once Jesus came, He was the "Lamb Of God who takes away the sin of the world." He was the ultimate sacrifice. He was the last sacrifice. It had to be Him, He was the only one who was perfect, who could conquer death. He did it out of love.