Jesus, born of the virgin Mary, spent His lifetime preaching the Gospel of repentance and Kingdom of God through parables to the people. He travelled around the country with His disciples, did many miraculous works, healed the sick, made the lame to walk, gave sight to the blind, and brought the dead to life. Multitudes from all walks of life listened to His teachings; believed and followed Him. In the Gospels we read of many such followers, both men and women, apart from the twelve disciples. He was widely admired, gained the confidence of the populace of Israel at that time. Why then did Jesus had to die? Was it a plan gone wrong? Did the Jewish leadership of that time succeeded in aborting His mission?
No, it was none of the above. It was the fruition of a plan of our God the Father for the remission of all the sins of the world; the entire mankind. God is Holy and expects His people to be Holy as well. God will not and cannot have anything to do with that which is not Holy. Adam and Eve committed sin by being disobedient to God and every generation following are born in sin. And as a result of this sin, every human being is cursed to be born in sin; with a sinful mindset. God loved us so much that He could not let mankind be alienated because of sin and perish in sin. So, in all His forbearance made a plan for our redemption with Jesus at the center of it.
After the Jews were brought out of slavery from Egypt, God gave them detailed laws to follow to stay away from sin. Any transgression is a sin in the eyes of God and so He gave them ways to atone for their sins through animal sacrifice and other offerings. These are detailed in the Book of Leviticus Chapters 4 to 6. Animals without blemish were to be sacrificed at the tabernacle of meeting when atonement is sought. The Priests would commit the sacrifice at the altar set up at the tabernacle of meeting and sprinkle the blood for the atonement of an individual’s sin or the sins of the congregation (Num 15:25). Once in a year, the High Priest himself will seek atonement for the sins of the people of Israel and his own sins by carrying the blood of the sacrificed bull and goat into the Holy of Holies within the tabernacle for the sprinkling of the blood on the Mercy Seat. The detailed steps followed for the atonement are laid out in Leviticus Chapter 16. These animal sacrifices for the atonement of sins had to be repeated again and again for the remission of sins.
But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
Hebrews 10:3,4
According to the perfect plan of Almighty God our Father, Jesus became the scapegoat on our behalf and paid the price with His life once and for all. Son of Man, Jesus gave His life as a propitiation for the sins committed by you, me and everyone; in the past, present and the future. This plan is in perfect alignment with the laws laid out in the Old Testament. God is a righteous judge; He will not dispense justice in deviation from His requirements for fulfillment of the law; which is – there can be no remission of sins without the shedding of the blood (Heb 9:22). Therefore, Christ Jesus came as the High Priest to seek atonement for our sins through His own blood (Heb 9:11,12)
Jesus entered into the heavenly Holy of Holies in the presence of God with His blood and attained our salvation. Now the atonement of our sins has been made and we have been absolved of our sins. The result, salvation is a free gift to all who repent of their sins, confess and accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. You, me and every one of the believers, have been justified, reconciled with God and made righteous (Rom 3:21-26). We have been made holy and acceptable i.e., in right standing with God thanks to the finished work of Lord & Savior Jesus Christ. Meditate on the following Biblical passage for a deeper understanding of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 9:11 to 10:18). May God bless you, Amen.