Sacrifice & Offering in the New Testament

 

....go!

All the sacrifices of the Old Testament were types or pictures of the sacrifice God himself would prepare - his only begotten Son, the lamb of God. They are all fulfilled in his suffering on the cross, yet the words sacrifice and offering appear many times in the New Testament.

Christ a sacrifice for us

Ephesians 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.

Hebrews 7:27 Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.

Hebrews 9:14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

Hebrews 9:26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

Hebrews 10:5 Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:
6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.
7 Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.
8 Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law;
9 Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.
10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
11 And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:
12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;
13 From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.
14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

Jesus gave himself for us as an offering and a sacrifice to God for our sins. It is said twice that He only offered one offering for sins (Heb 10:12, 14); three times once (Heb 7:27; 9:26; 10:0). That word once means once for all time, never to be repeated. His one sacrifice was sufficient to put away sin, make atonement, and redeem us. 

This is only a list of the times the words sacrifice and offering are used, the idea of Christ as a sacrifice for us and redemption through his blood runs throughout the New Testament. It would be a profitable study to go through the New Testament and see all that it says about the precious blood of Christ.

Sacrifices we offer to God

Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

Romans 15:16 That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.

Philippians 2:17 Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all.

Philippians 4:18 But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God.

2 Timothy 4:6 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.

Hebrews 13:15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.

1 Peter 2:5 Ye also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

The apostles used the words sacrifice and offering to describe our worship. While Jesus actually died for us on the cross, our sacrifices in worship are spiritual, not literal: we offer our bodies to the Lord, we are poured out in service to others, we offer the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. Peter paints the best picture of this: the church is now the temple or dwelling place of God on earth and we individually are living stones in this spiritual house - we are the temple of God. We are also the new priesthood, every one of us a priest, and as priests we offer up to God spiritual sacrifices. And the best news? Our worship and sacrifices are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ! 

Worship is definitely not entertainment, nor is it merely singing songs. It is offering thanksgiving and praise to God; it is presenting our bodies, ourselves, to God, to live for him and serve him. It is also prayer - as priests standing in the gap, interceding for loved ones, for the lost, for our community, and so much more. This should be done as part of the worship of the whole church, but if our church does not have such a prayer time, we can and should be doing this priestly work ourselves during the worship service. Come, let us be poured out as a drink offering.