In the twelfth chapter of Genesis, God made a covenant with Abraham. Through that covenant his descendants became Israelites. The confirmation of that covenant was circumcision. Through Moses God gave them the Law which instructed them in every detail for how they should serve him. Part of those instructions included the shedding of blood. Various animals and birds were used in sacrifices. The most holy event in the shedding of blood was by the high priest who once a year entered into an area of the temple called the Holy of Holies. On an altar blood was placed for the redemption of the priest and of all the people from their sins.
In the year 70 A.D. the Roman general Titus led the destruction of the city of Jerusalem and the Temple. All that is left of the temple was what has been referred to as The Wailing Wall. Today people go to that wall to pray and insert pieces of paper between the stones as prayer requests. Since that destruction, there has been no Temple and no means to shed blood for redemption.
The reason for blood needing to be shed is that life is in the blood. It represents the ultimate submission for sin. However, the shedding of animal blood was inadequate. Especially so is it since there is no Temple. Also, even if that still were possible, the act of intercession for sin relied on a human being who himself needed intercession. It is a good thing to fulfill the Ten Commandments that were part of the law. However, here again is the inadequacy of human intervention. Any honest person will admit he has broken the Ten Commandments in one way or the other. This leaves not only the Israelites but also all of humanity in a desperate situation. There was no means to enjoy a relationship with God such as what Abraham and Moses experienced.
All religions are useless because in one way or the other they still rely on a human seeking God without a means to reestablish a relationship or an effective redemption. The relationship with God was broken. There was no blood that could be shed that was adequate since it was mediated by sinful man. The only thing left is the obedience to ritual and rules. A person may be a good individual by conforming to rituals and rules. It is good because the person has high moral character. It is bad because it still does not solve the problem of sin in every heart. So far everything is dependent on human effort in an environment of inadequacy and sin.
This is the reason Jesus came to this earth by assuming the body of a human being. Going as far back as sacrificing animals, this was also inadequate because animals could not know or choose between right and wrong. The miracle of Jesus birth, perfect life, death on the cross, and resurrection was the only answer and the only hope for all of us. Animals could not be perfect. Obeying rules and rituals do not make individuals perfect. God’s solution to the problem was through the blood of Jesus for the sins of all people. He took upon himself the penalty of sin. He did not become sin on the cross! He became the sacrifice for sin. His blood was the perfect intervention with God.
While on earth, Jesus established the Second Covenant through his blood. In this covenant Jesus overcame the inadequacies of the first covenant. Read Hebrews 8 that better explains the ministry of Jesus in our behalf. Not only was Jesus our blood sacrifice for sin, but he was also the high priest who administered his blood for man’s redemption before God. By our relationship reestablished with God, the believers’ obedience to the laws are those that God placed in the minds and hearts of every believer. The inadequacies of the first covenant were overcome by Jesus. He entered into the presence of the Almighty and negotiated his own blood for our redemption. Jesus performed the functions of High Priest and also as our Intercessor to the heavenly father offsetting the accusations from Satan and our life of sin. No longer is salvation depended on human effort. This is why we call him our Savior. Verse 12 of Hebrews 8 says, “For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.” Praise God!
Christian Writer 