You Are God

Sacrifices. They appear all throughout the Bible, beginning with the animal killed to clothe the first humans after they fell into sin (Genesis 3:21):

“Adam, my sheepskin is wearing thin. Soon, I’ll have nothing to wear.â€

“I need a new sheepskin too. I’ll go hunting tomorrow for another one.â€

“Please be careful! Oh, I hate the thought of killing a sheep!â€

Sacrifices were instituted to cover for human sin, but a new kind of sacrifice foretold very far back was coming. Abraham saw firsthand God’s promise to provide a sacrifice greater than lambs. God had promised to make Abraham into a great nation, miraculously giving him a son in his old age. But then, God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, the child of God’s promise (Genesis 22):

“Father, you don’t seem to be yourself lately. You even forgot the lamb for the sacrifice. Are you all right?â€

“Isaac, my son, God will provide the lamb for a burnt offering.â€

“It would’ve been nice if He could’ve provided the wood too, instead of me having to carry it.â€

A son strapped to the kindling he carried as his father holds a knife over him— but soon he rises unharmed. This was just a pointer to the future—to a man, one of Isaac’s descendants, who was nailed to the cross as He was sacrificed by the Father for the sins of humankind. But this man—Jesus—rose again on the third day:

“Father, why have You forsaken me?â€

“Truly this was the Son of God.â€

“He is not here, for He has risen.â€

Behold, the Lamb of God! • L. M.

• Why was the animal killed in Genesis 3 significant?

• What parallels do you see between the sacrifices in Genesis 22 and Matthew 27-28? How are they different?

• To learn more about Jesus’ sacrifice and why it matters, check out our “Know Jesus” page.

The next day, he saw Jesus coming to him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!†John 1:29 (WEB)

Read Verses:

Exodus 3:13-14; Psalm 140:7