“Unlike the other high priests, he (Jesus) does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once and for all when he offered himself.” (Hebrews 7:27)
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God…Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” (Romans 12:1-2)
Prayer Practice: Forgiveness
Not only was it a sacrifice for God the Son to take on human flesh, you might say that Jesus’ entire life was marked by sacrifice—giving up his rights and spending himself for the sake of others. From the beginning of his time on earth, his feet were always walking toward the ultimate sacrifice of death on a brutal Roman cross. This brings a question to mind: Why is sacrifice so central to God’s plan of redemption and reconciliation? Why couldn’t God just forgive people of their sins without sacrifice?
If you think about what it means to bring about reconciliation in a human relationship, you can see how sacrifice is always part of the process. Let’s say I offend or hurt you in some way. It will cost you something to forgive me, because you will have to absorb the pain of the offense. You will have to sacrifice your right to be angry and move toward me with forgiveness. But I will have to sacrifice too. I will have to lay down my pride if I am going to move toward you with confession and repentance. The bottom line is that without sacrifice there is no reconciliation. There is only hardness of heart and death of relationship.
In a very similar way, we must sacrifice in order to move toward God with confession and repentance. We must come to the end of ourselves, killing any sense of pride and self-righteousness. But we are not the ones who move first. It is not our sacrifice that saves us. God’s plan of redemption is primarily about his sacrifice, not ours.
Redemption is a term of value, so there must be a cost involved. To redeem means to buy back, to regain possession of something in exchange for payment. The cost of redeeming a human being is staggering. What does it cost to buy a person back from the realm of sin and death, from the reign of Satan? The payment is commensurate with the destruction that sin, death, and Satan have brought to humanity. No amount of sacrifice on our part would enable us to cover the cost. Thankfully, the full cost fell on Jesus. All of the curses of the Fall—our sins and the resulting death—were placed on Christ. His sacrifice makes our reconciliation with God possible. Thanks be to God!
From “Journey to the Cross” by Will Walker and Kendal Haug
This week’s practice is forgiveness. Choosing to forgive and asking for forgiveness is perhaps one of the most difficult things we can do. As we have been journeying through Lent, our prayer is that the life of Jesus will make its way deeper into our lives…especially in this crucial area. Set aside some time this week for reflection and prayer.
Who is someone that has hurt or offended you? Take this moment to bring that pain to the Lord. Remember how he endured and took on himself all the pain and hurt that we inflict on one another. Ask God to move your heart towards forgiveness.
Who is someone that you have hurt or offended? What keeps you from admitting your wrong and asking for forgiveness? Remember how Jesus endured shame and humiliation so that we could be free to experience forgiveness. What would it look like for you to ask for forgiveness?
When you are tempted to hold a grudge or become angry at someone this week, remember Jesus on the cross. Remember how he prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34).