What is the pure sacrifice?

[arunangelo]

Jesus said, “The bread that I will give you is my flesh†(John 6:51); and further stated that, “unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you will not have life within you†(John 6:53). Then at the Last Supper, He made an offering of His sacrificial body and blood by the following acts. He thanked His Father, took bread, broke it and gave it to His disciples to eat, and said, “This is my (sacrificial) bodyâ€; and then took the cup and gave it them to drink and said, “This is my (sacrificial) bloodâ€. (Matthew 26:26-29). He then commanded us do this (re-enter his sacrificial offering) as often as possible so that we will always keep His Spirit in our heart (Luke 22:19); and express His sacrifice in our thoughts, words and actions (1 Corinthians 11:26). Paul emphasizes the real presence of Jesus in the bread and wine at the Lord’s Supper, by stating that, those who eats the bread and drink the cup of the Lord unworthily are guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord (Corinthians 11:27). Therefore, when ever the Lord’s Supper is celebrated, it fulfills Malachi’s prophesy (Malachi 1:11) which stated that, from the rising of the sun to its setting, in every place a pure sacrifice will be offered to God.

 

[Nathan]

Heb 7:27 "He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself."

Heb 9:24-26 "For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. 25 Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, 26 for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself."

Heb 10:11-14 "And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. 14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified."

The sacrifice was made once for all. I am not sure if you are speaking against this or not. But I thought I would throw this in for discussion anyways. When sharing in the 'Lords Supper' we remind ourselves, and each other, of the sacrifice that was made.

 

[coffeeelover]

Why was there ever a need for blood sacrifices anyway? That has always been a weird part about Christian belief. Why does killing an animal or human in blood sacrifice make God so happy? Also, it seems like God likes them to suffer while they die.

 

[old_tractor]

Why was there ever a need for blood sacrifices anyway? That has always been a weird part about Christian belief.

It is a penalty. God is Holy and Righteous. Sin is abhorent to Him. The penalty for sin is death in the same way as every society or culture metes out punishment for earthly crimes. A sincere penitent may escape the penalty for his/her sin by sacrificing an animal in atonement for one's own sin (pre-Christ). One is required to take the best of one's flock or herd (very valuable commodities to subsistence farmers/pastoralists) and destroy it.

Why does killing an animal or human in blood sacrifice make God so happy? Also, it seems like God likes them to suffer while they die.

It doesn't make God "happy" any more than a human judge is "happy" to send a convicted felon to prison - it is a necessity for the welfare of the greater society. It is His righteous judgement. In fact, it is his mercy that allows a guilty, but penitent, sinner to sacrifice the best of his possessions (as in Old Testament times) and, later, to accept the death of His Son Jesus as sufficient for the remission of sins.

It is not cruelty, but mercy.

 

[francisdesales]

Why was there ever a need for blood sacrifices anyway? That has always been a weird part about Christian belief. Why does killing an animal or human in blood sacrifice make God so happy? Also, it seems like God likes them to suffer while they die.

OT sacrifices did not "make God happy", as the OT Minor Prophets love to remind us. The point is to teach the Jews that sin is serious. Blood is associated with life, a precious commodity. The seriousness of sin is supposed to awaken an innner sense of what is at stake in rejecting an all-Loving and Merciful God. Our society has forgotten that sense of sin, but the Jews of the OT did not, since it was "in their face" with the numerous prescribed sin offerings given to the Father that were a SHADOW of the TRUE Sacrifice to come, Jesus, the Son of God, offering His OWN BLOOD for our sake.

Regards

 

[sherri2]

Please keep in mind that the animals were eaten as well. They wern't killed for nothing and would have been eaten at some stage anyway.

(and there is no directions for any cruelty, they were simply slaughtered, the way they would have had to be eventually.)