J.C. Ryle on Christ in Every Old Testament Sacrifice

"It was Christ crucified who was set forth in every Old Testament sacrifice.  Every animal slain and offered on an altar was a practical confession that a Savior was looked for who would die for sinners - a Savior who should take away man's sin, by suffering, as his Substitute and Sin-bearer, in his stead (1 Peter 3:18).  It is absurd to suppose that an unmeaning slaughter of innocent beasts, without a distant object in view, could please the eternal God!

"It was Christ to whom Abel looked when he offered a better sacrifice than Cain.  Not only was the heart of Abel better than that of his brother, but he showed his knowledge of vicarious sacrifice and his faith in an atonement.  He offered the firstlings of his flock, with the blood thereof, and in so doing declared his belief that without shedding of blood there is no remission (Heb. 11:4)" (Holiness, J.C. Ryle).

Christ the High Priest and Savior

Every week the Church of God gathers to worship our Creator, our Friend and Master, our High Priest and Savior.  And each week it is important for the Church to be reminded of the unspeakable gift the Father has given his people through his Son, Jesus Christ.  J.C. Ryle, a pastor in England in the late 1800s spoke of this great gift in this way:

“Who can estimate the value of God's gift, when He gave to the world His only begotten Son! It is something unspeakable and incomprehensible. It passes man's understanding. Two things there are which man has no arithmetic to reckon, and no line to measure. One of these things is the extent of that man's loss who loses his own soul. The other is the extent of God's gift when he gave Christ to sinners...Sin must indeed be exceeding sinful, when the Father must give His only Son to be the sinner's Friend!” (J.C. Ryle, Foundations of Faith)

Join us this week as we look into Hebrews 2:10-18 and what it means that Christ is our High Priest and Savior.  Why do we need a High Priest?  How did Christ fulfill his role as High Priest?  What does it mean that Christ is our Savior?  How great is our sin that God himself must be sacrificed to pay the price?

Be prayerfully prepared to meet God as we study his Word and Truth this Sunday morning.  And be prepared for the Holy Spirit to move in us through the Truth of his Son, our High Priest and Savior.

What is True Sacrifice?

Ephesians 5:1-2 (ESV) ¹ Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. ² And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.    

Those of us who are called to full-time ministry to earn a paycheck live a different life than those not called.  I cannot say it is a better life or more spiritual of a life, but it is different none-the-less.  We are on call 24-7-365.  We could have meetings almost every night of the week if we aren't careful.  At times the church does come before our own family (especially after the death of a member of the church).  We are called to lead, teach, preach, care for others, be strong and yet meek, and know everything there is to know about God and His Word to name just a few.  From the outside it seems that we "sacrifice" everything for the cause of Jesus Christ.

But does anyone truly sacrifice anything for Christ?  I mean, how do the above things compare to the sacrifice of my Savior?  Have I truly sacrificed anything in comparison to His sacrifice of humbling Himself and dying on a cross a horrible death for the will of His Father and for the love of His creation?

"I never made a sacrifice. We ought not to talk of sacrifice when we remember the great sacrifice that he made who left his Father’s throne on high to give himself for us."

                       David Livingstone

David Livingstone was no stranger to sacrifice.  He spend much of his life and in the end gave his life for the cause of Christ.  But compared to the sacrifice of Christ Livingston's sacrifice was small and frivolous.  Puts a new spin on our view of sacrifice, doesn't it? 

Will I live today remembering the sacrifice of my Savior?  When, as a pastor, I feel I have given enough today for the cause of Christ (note: not the cause of church members) will I be reminded of His sacrifice?

Imitation of Christ

Ephesians 5:1-2 (ESV) ¹ Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. ² And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

When it comes to my fellow believers do I follow the example of Christ?  Christ gave his life up, sacrificed all he was, for his children.  Paul urges us to act the same for our fellow believers.  This goes beyond being cordial on Sunday morning or waving hello when we pass in the street.  This is a deep, intimate, sacrificial love for my brothers and sisters in Christ.

There are so many times in life where my focus is on my needs and desires above anyone else's, including Christ's.  I'm not proud of it, but it is reality and I must be honest with myself.  This can especially be a struggle for anyone in the ministry.  You are on call 24/7 and when there is a need (whether it be unlocking the front door of the church building or visiting a family who just lost a loved one) you are expected to jump up without complaint or problem.  After all, isn't this what we are paid to do?  Yes, I get paid for being a pastor and the expectations of people are always there, but I am also human and being pulled away from my family time or sleep time can be hard to bear at times. 

How would Jesus react to such a situation?  How did Jesus react to such a situation?  Time and time again Jesus made time for the people seeking healing or asking questions.  Yes, he did make time for himself, but even much of this "alone" time was in prayer with his Heavenly Father.  We are implored by Paul to love as God loved, giving himself up for the sake of his glory and his children.  Am I willing to do the same?