A Living Transfer
The nature of Jewish sacrifices are a source of marvel and humility. Marvel at what God can do with something we ‘moderns’ may consider primitive, unnecessary and even revolting, and humility at the sorry state of our hearts to which sacrifice points and seeks to ‘repair’. Initially the idea of sacrifice (with blood, fire, smoke, etc) can appear pretty gross and so uncool. But there is always beauty in how God works, and nothing beats that Self-Sacrifice on Good Friday…
So let’s rewind…
At its most generic, sacrifice/offering involves the transfer of the individual’s property to God, after which it was God’s prerogative to dispose of the offering as He pleased. In the Old Testament, whether it was a lamb, goat, ram, bull, pigeon, some grain, loaves, bread-cakes, or whether the offering was burnt (most forms of offering), set free (the scapegoat), ‘waved’ (a’la the Wave Offering) or held (the Heave offering), or whether the sacrifice was for sin, thanksgiving, covenant remembrance or just a gift - the ‘logic’ of the process was simply the surrendering of something of value to God i.e. an ownership transfer.
These ‘transfers’ expressed the devotion and faith of the individual. It was a confession of sin plus a declaration of faith in God’s ability to heal him, his family and the evil effects of his actions. He knew that God would somehow take his sacrifice to repair the damage done to the community.
One interesting aspect of the sacrifices was that they were often given back(!) to the people for use in celebrations and festivities (remember God could do whatever He wanted with it). This was the follow-up to the divine acceptance of the sacrifices; God would accept the sacrifice and proceed to bless the offerrer(s).
Often there was also a redistribution of the offerings to the disadvantaged groups in the community i.e. the Levites (who had no land), the widow (no husband and therefore almost no livelihood), the orphan (obvious) and the alien/foreigner (no status). Furthermore, sacrifices were a regular and ‘vivid’ affair in Israel’s community life, acting thereby as a constant reminder to Israel that she was in covenant with God.
Amazing how, from this one ‘primitive’ act of sacrifice, we get:
· Personal repentance, faith and continuing devotion to God and His covenant
· Community justice, wholeness, peace and restoration
· Communal and family celebration and therefore a strengthening of bonds
· Economic redistribution and ‘social welfare’ for the lower-income strata
In sacrifice, God takes an idea like ‘transfer of ownership’ and creates ‘goodwill and restoration for all’…The people gave to God, God gave back - our Lord works pure magic with the ‘simple’ things in life, does He not?
The Old Testament Law failed to ‘make perfect those who draw near to worship…’ for it was a mere shadow of things to come. There was a more powerful, more excellent ‘transfer of ownership’ about to take place. I’m referring, of course, to the Cross.
Because on Calvary, Jesus transferred Himself to His Father…He owned a life of perfect obedience and love but gave that life as a fragrant offering to the God who so loved the world that His Only Begotten Son was sent to die for it.
Good Friday showed the world a perfect Gift of perfect value handed over by the perfect Giver to God. Easter expressed the acceptance of this loving Sacrifice; the Resurrection was the Father’s grand giving back to the Son! Christ gave Himself unselfishly and was given the exaltation to the highest place and the ‘Name above every name’…the Son gave to the Father, the Father gave back…
The Levitical system of sacrifices sustained Israel - Jesus’ death and resurrection saved the world. The blood of bulls and calves were insufficient - the blood of Christ was all-sufficient. The OT sacrifices were made in a make-shift/portable temple and later one of bricks and stone - our Great High Priest entered the ‘Holiest of Holies’ in a God-made Tabernacle so real it transcends human conception.
The earth shook, the light of the sun was blotted out, the Temple curtain was torn. It is finished. And then: “He is Risen! Jesus is Alive!” - oh what a non-stop celebration that became! So much power, so much majesty and so much grandeur…absolutely ‘larger than life’! But YET…in the midst of this Super Cosmic Mega-Event, we ALSO read about “the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me…” (Me? Insecure, proud, high on MTV and MSG, hooked on www-dot-whatever, always asking ‘what’s-in-it-for-yours-truly?’…this same me is who He gave Himself for, and all He wants is faith like a child…)
And so I
reflect…
When my pilgrimage feels unexciting or hopeless or just too exhausting, when my cross feels too heavy to bear, and I’m all zonked-out by the pressure, the bills, the corporate Catch-22s’, the heartaches…there is always Good Friday and Easter. Celebrating the most important weekend in history is a call to re-turn my eyes upon Jesus’ life and death - I need to re-experience the ‘shock value’ streaming out from that awesome Sacrifice on the Cross, that incredible transfer of property. I need to be broken inside again by:
· The identity of the victim (that was God suffering for me)
· The innocence of the victim (He didn’t deserve all that - I did)
· The shame and humiliation involved (He knows about suffering a LOT more than I ever will)
· The complexity of the sacrificial process (just shows the seriousness of my problem)
· The kind of life demanded of a Saviour (which points to how far short I fall of being what God wants me to be)
· The contrast with the world’s modus operandi for victory (in the light of the Cross, my ‘dog-eat-dog’, ‘do-whatever-it-takes-to-win’ philosophy begins to rot like vampires in the sun…)
And when I’m all kaput inside, on the verge of a system breakdown, I must ‘FTP’ the major programs of my soul to Him, especially those I consider VERY IMPORTANT for becoming a ‘somebody’ in life, ‘making a difference’, being ‘successful’, etc. I need to give them all to my loving PC Doctor, my High Priest, my Coach. I must be a walking, breathing sacrifice to Jesus.
Living as a ‘property transfer’ unto Him – this is my spiritual act of worship. And would you believe it: He transfers back my heart repaired and renewed. I give to God, He gives back, so I can give to others.
It all began with a transfer of property…then came that loving Self-Gift…and the gift goes on…and the gift goes on.
(This essay was inspired by
two of Glenn Miller’s works:
·
Work of Christ on the
Cross: Sacrifice (NT)
·
“How could Jesus’
Death be a Real Sacrifice if He didn’t stay dead?”