Fear No Fear

(All scripture from the World English Bible, ebible.org, all rights reserved)

“‘You shall offer these to Yahweh in your set feasts—in addition to your vows and your free will offerings—for your burnt offerings, your meal offerings, your drink offerings, and your peace offerings.’”
(Numbers 28:26-31)

“But a certain one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all, nor do you consider that it is advantageous for us that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish.”“
(John 11:49-50)

Between the bulls, the lambs without defect, the rams, and the goats, there were two hundred and nineteen (219) animals sacrificed during the Festival. Offerings for the people. Offerings for the nation. Offerings for the nations of the world. That is a LOT of sacrifices. And that was just to cover their sins so that the negative consequences of those sins wouldn’t come down upon them. First, think of the hassle that would have been. The sheer amount of animals that needed to be raised and moved and tested and then properly sacrificed in the right place, the right way, doing the right things. It’s a LOT to deal with. Second, think of how prosperous they needed to be as a nation to be able to make this volume of a sacrifice – which doesn’t reflect PERSONAL sacrifices during the rest of the year OR the other Festivals which also included sacrifices. God was a GENEROUS God, providing MUCH prosperity so that the people could in turn do what was required to maintain righteous standing before Him. God always provided them with what was needed to accomplish what was required. Still. What a hassle!

Which was the lesson. Sin IS a hassle. It ISN’T some instantaneous thing that is easy to be rid of. It’s like a cancer, rooted in and difficult to remove. But Caiaphas prophesied (unknowingly) about the role Jesus had some to play. Jesus came to tabernacle with us. Live with us. BE with us. He does this because He IS the resurrection. He IS LIFE. He died (undeservedly) to pay the price for Sin so that Sin could be wiped away, death could be defeated, and our personal sins could be wiped away. Forever. Not just for individual Jews. Not just for the Jewish nation. But also for the other nations of the world. The Gentiles could be grafted into the salvation that God prepared for His beloved children (the Jews) so that we ALSO could be called His children.

Summary

We can’t do it on our own. We can’t manage it. We cannot remove our sins. Jesus came to do that for us. He COULD do it and He DID do it. He made a way. He IS our Way. Death has no power to hold a person – whether it has been four minutes, four hours, or four days. Jesus brings LIFE. Physical life. Eternal life. LIFE. He is the only one who could do it and He has done it. It is finished. We need to stop trying to EARN our healing, our salvation, or our situation. We need to start resting in what Jesus did for us. What Jesus accomplished for us. What Jesus made available to us. It is there. In HIM. And it is being offered. Take Him up on His offer and start relying on Him for EVERYTHING.