Jesus - Perfect Sacrifice

And he shall kill the bullock before the LORD: and the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall bring the blood, and sprinkle the blood round about upon the altar that is by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And he shall flay the burnt offering, and cut it into his pieces. And the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire upon the altar, and lay the wood in order upon the fire: And the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall lay the parts, the head, and the fat, in order upon the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar.
	Leviticus 1:5–8
In addition to describing the severity of sin and the grace of God, the book of Leviticus portrays the sacrifice of Christ. Every offering and sacrifice gives us understanding of the unspeakable price the Lamb of God paid, that we might be forgiven, consecrated, and separated. Burnt offerings were given to consecrate or dedicate one’s self. It was a voluntary offering, and had to be so, for true dedication can only be made from a heart filled with desire. True consecration comes not from responsibility, but from response. So too, just as the worshiper voluntarily offered the burnt offering, Jesus laid down His life willingly. When He prayed “If it be possible, let this cup pass from Me,” He used a phrase translated into Greek as a first-class conditional clause. This means it was indeed possible that He could bypass the cup of suffering and death. “Nevertheless,” He prayed, “not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42). Had Jesus demanded to be released from suffering, He would not have had to go to Calvary—but we would be doomed and damned eternally. Wood was laid on the fire of the altar in preparation for the sacrifice, just as a wooden cross was prepared for Jesus to absorb the fire of God’s righteous wrath on our behalf. The head speaks of the mind. And Jesus’ mind is perfect. “Should we pay taxes to Rome?” His enemies asked in a futile attempt to entangle Him in political controversy. A “yes” answer would incense the Jews who abhorred the Roman government. A “no” answer would provide the Romans with grounds to arrest Him for anarchy. “Whose image is on the coin?” Jesus asked in response. “Give to Caesar that which belongs to Caesar, and to God that which belongs to God.” In other words, “The coin bears Caesar’s image. Therefore, give the coin to Caesar. But man bears God’s image. Therefore, give your life to God” (see Matthew 22:21). The burnt offering speaks of giving all that we are to the Lord. Do this, precious people, and I guarantee you will never, ever be disappointed, because man simply cannot out-give God. By Pastor Jon Courson