Big Words, Big Meanings
Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. Hebrews 9:12
The old covenant was a bloody contract. In the temple, over a thousand animals—from bulls to lambs to birds—were put to death every year in observation of the covenant promises of God. The offerings were in line with God’s word and will, picturing a new covenant that would come with the Messiah. These old covenant sacrifices, though offered to God, were not enough to obtain the redemption the people so dearly needed.
The word “redemption” lines up with some of the words we have looked at this week. To “redeem” something means to buy it back. When Adam and Eve sinned in God’s perfect creation, they ushered in imperfection. Life now ended in something called death. The joys of living were now weighed down with pain and suffering. They could not pay the price to get back into God’s favor. God gave people His perfect law centuries later and—guess what—they could not pay the steep price either!
The price was steep. It was blood. Even the unblemished lambs that the people offered were not enough to pay the price. They would have to repeatedly offer these symbolic sacrifices.
The Messiah, Christ Jesus, made the one sacrifice as our sin offering. It was His innocent blood that covered us guilty sinners that satisfied the steep payment. His words, “It is finished!” meant that the payment was made and accepted, and the transaction of our souls from death to life was complete. He has obtained the redemption which every soul so desperately needed, and having obtained it, He gives it freely. We are brought back to God, bought back at the highest possible cost by our Savior.
Redeemed, restored, forgiven
Through Jesus’ precious blood,
Heirs of His home in heaven
Oh, praise our pard’ning God!Praise Him in tuneful measures
Who gave His Son to die;
Praise Him whose sev’nfold treasures
Enrich and sanctify.
Worship Supplement 779:1