“Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man of you bring an offering unto the Lord, ye shall bring your offering of the cattle, even of the herd, and of the flock.  ³ If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the Lord. ⁴ And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.”  Leviticus 1:2-4.

Throughout the Old Testament the sacrifices and feasts symbolized Jesus Christ.  The sacrifices which atoned for man’s sin restored fellowship with God.  If the sacrifice was not accepted by God, the fellowship was not restored.  These sacrifices of bulls and goats atoned for man’s sin but did not remove their sin.  The wages of sin was and is death.  The Old Testament Saints still had an account of sin.  However, their faith was in God.  It was their faith that was counted unto them for righteousness.  “For what saith the Scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.” Romans 4:3.   Sadly, many believe it was the Mosaic Law, which was given to man to reveal their unrighteousness, that made them righteous.  It was the Law that was righteous, not man. 

“Wherefore He saith, When He ascended up on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.” Ephesians 4:8.  The Saints of the Old Testament, who were being held by satan because of their sin debt, were liberated by the One and Only Sacrifice that could take away man’s sin debt – Jesus Christ.  The Old Testaments Saints were now Jesus’ captives and ascended upon high.  Jesus made a show of every demon in hell when He and His captives ascended into Heaven.

“And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the Ghost. And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.” Mark 15:37-38.

As soon as Jesus gave up the Ghost (no man took His life), He became our Sin offering and Burnt Offering.  The Lord Jesus Christ was what Leviticus 1:4 symbolized.  He fulfilled the requirement for creation to be reconciled with the Creator, once and for all for whosoever believed.  It was at the Cross of Jesus that we are redeemed.  Jesus Christ is the ONLY Sacrifice God will accept.

I want you to understand, that woman caught in the act of adultery in John 8, the very one who Jesus told to go and sin no more, should have been stoned.  Anyone caught in adultery was to be stoned to death (Deuternonomy 22:24) but Jesus died for her sin.  We, everyone of us no matter how holy we proclaim to be, our guilt is sin and penalty death unless we humble ourselves before the Lord Jesus Christ and understand HE is the only Sacrifice God will accept.  No matter how much “we” do, our sacrifice is Cain’s sacrifice…it profits us nothing!

Until we get the Cross of Jesus right, until we understand what He did on Calvary’s Cross, we cannot live the Resurrected life.  “And he (an Angel)  saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: He is risen; He is not here:…” Mark 16:6.   When we fully understand what Jesus did at Calvary and maintain our faith in His finished work for redemption and reconciliation to God the Father, we are baptized into His death.

“Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death?  Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” Romans 6:3-4. 

We cannot conjure up the “Resurrection life” by motivation, psychology or schemes of man.  We know that the Lord Jesus Christ IS Resurrected and sitting at the Right Hand of God because we believe that Jesus Christ is God’s only begotten Son who died on Calvary’s Cross for whosoever will believe and the Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirit.  He IS Alive and it is through our CONTINUED faith in His finished work at the Cross that we know, that we know, that we know He is alive…His Spirit bears witness.  In other words, what I’m trying to say, albeit poorly, it is through our Baptism into His death that we know He is ALIVE…His Spirit bears witness.  We are now alive unto God and no longer dead in our sin and trespasses.

“For the preaching of the Cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:18.  It is through our faith in Jesus’ atonement and redemption of our sin, His Sacrifice, that the power of God is alive in us.  We are only raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father; we are only resurrected when our faith is placed in what Jesus has done.  This is why we preach the Cross.  It is not the wooden beam but what Jesus there did.  This is where our resurrection life is found and we are now alive unto God, a new creature in Christ.  This is from where every blessing is given – through what Jesus has done on Calvary’s Cross.  It doesn’t matter if you have been saved 5 minutes or 50 years, your victory, my victory – man kinds victory remains in the Cross of Christ.   Fight the good fight of faith – faith in Jesus Christ and Him Crucified.  He is alive and His Spirit will bear witness to the Truth of His Word, not to schemes of man.

“For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.” 1 Corinthians 2:2.

– Donna Clark Warren