Sacrifice

“I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.”  Romans 12:1

Sacrifice – It’s all about blood.  I know that most of us are squeamish about blood.  When we see blood we think “Pain!”  Blood has a very particular smell and taste.  And a blood sacrifice is literally covered in red.  But there is no way to escape this image.  Sacrifice is about blood (and when you see The Passion of the Christ again, remember that it is the blood that makes the sacrifice).  Why does sacrifice have to involve blood?  Because blood is life.

There were many kinds of sacrifice in the ancient Jewish religion.  Leviticus spells them out.  One sacrifice had a very special meaning.  It was the sacrifice of expiation.  This sacrifice was continual and daily.  It was the burnt offering of the fire that was never allowed to go out.  In this sacrifice, the blood was the most important part of the offering.  This sacrifice was a visible, tangible demonstration of the fact that God owned life by right of blood (Leviticus 17:11).  And if God owns life, then a sacrifice is our way to giving back to Him what rightfully belongs to Him.

Paul uses the word thusia.  The word covers a wide range of meanings associated with sacrifice.  But the most important meaning in this verse is found in the adjectives attached to thusia.  This sacrifice is living, holy and acceptable.  If you were alive in the first century, these adjectives would cause you to stop in your tracks.  Sacrifices were always killed!  If the blood was spilled, death followed.  What is Paul talking about?  We are immune to this shock because we have heard the words too many times.  But Paul knew that the only truly holy and acceptable sacrifice was completed in Christ.  He did die.  His blood was spilled.  Now, says Paul, since someone gave his blood for you, you are free to live the life that He gave up.  Jesus cut short his life for you. Your offering is to take up where he left off and finish living that life – the life dedicated to God.  Your sacrifice is a living sacrifice because the death of the sacrifice already happened.

Today:  “Lord, remind me that I am living the rest of the life you gave up for me.  Let my words and deeds reflect the life you lived here.”

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