The Beauty of Sacrifice

Christmas

This is the time of year that we celebrate the birth of Jesus — the precious gift that was given to us. We traditionally celebrate by giving and receiving gifts. Too often, we miss the real meaning behind the whole thing. It becomes all about some material gift that we want or someone else wants. God wants us to understand that the real beauty is not in receiving. It’s not even in giving, if the giving is some material thing. The real beauty is when we give ourselves completely to serving God and others, in holiness.

Sacrifice

In Genesis chapter 3, we see that God sacrificed animals so He could make clothes for Adam and Eve after they sinned. In chapter 4, Cain and Abel bring sacrifices to God. Throughout the Old Testament, people brought offerings and sacrifices of animals and crops. They recognized that God’s justice required punishment for their sins. They also knew that God would accept sacrifices in their place.

Soothing Aroma

We see this same phrase many times in the Old Testament — a “soothing aroma.” It is telling us that God is soothed, quieted, satisfied by the “aroma” of the burning sacrifices. It wasn’t the physical smell of the sacrifice; rather, it was the heart of the person who was offering the sacrifice. With this act, they were acknowledging their sin (that they had done wrong), as well as the fact that they deserved punishment for their sin. They also knew that this physical act, combined with their faith and repentant heart, would bring them back into a right relationship with their heavenly Father.

Living Sacrifice

Today, we are told to offer ourselves as living sacrifices. Jesus paid the ultimate price. He gave His life so that we could live. God is still looking for our faith/trust in Him and a humble heart, longing to be in the presence of God.

The Gift

We have probably heard this scripture so many times that it’s easy to skip over the real depth of its meaning. Because of God’s love for everyone in this world — past, present, and future — God gave His most precious gift, His “only begotten Son.” Why was this necessary? It was so that we should “not perish.” That means that we are perishing (dying) without His gift of sacrifice. Instead, He gave us His life, so we could have “eternal life” with Him (forever).
Jesus satisfied the judgment that our sin required. It also made possible a closer relationship between us and God.

God’s Love

Let’s not skip over the love part. It was God’s love that drove Him to give His most precious gift. It wasn’t loneliness, desperation, or anything that might cause some people to do difficult things. It was simply because of His love for us. He knew that we would fail (He knows all things), but He created us anyway. He knew that He would have to send Jesus to die for our sins, but He created us anyway. It’s just like parents who long to have children. They know that it will cost them money (a lot of money). They also know that there will be hard times, and their lives will be much more complicated. Because of the love that they already have for their children, which will only increase, they decide to make the sacrifices anyway. That is a small taste of God’s love for us.

Jesus’ Reward

Because of His humility and obedience, God the Father exalted Him. It might seem that this is how Jesus earned His position in heaven. In reality, though, He already created and owned everything.

“The Word” in this passage is Jesus. He was with God, and He was God. He created everything, along with His Father. His Father created nothing without Him. He already had all possible glory, power, and authority; He did not need to “earn” it. He endured all of the suffering for our sakes.

Shame

Yes, God can and does feel emotions. Jesus felt the shame of being falsely accused in public, then beaten, mocked, and spit upon. He then had to carry His own cross, until He was took weak to continue. Then, they stripped Him of His clothes and nailed Him to a cross by a public road, for all to see. He was crucified and treated like a common criminal, being hung between two thieves.
Jesus endured shame, but He did it out of His overwhelming love for us.

Our Part

Jesus, of course, is our greatest witness and example. The Bible gives us many more. It’s true that living a godly life can be difficult, but it is worth every resistance to temptation, every hour of time spent in prayer and fellowship with God, every helping hand given to others, every loving word and act to those who mock or persecute us. Just like a runner in a race needs to keep focused on the prize at the end of the race, we need to do the same.

Joy

Jesus “endured the cross” because of the joy that was waiting for Him — being fully reunited with His Father, and knowing that He had purchased our salvation. At the same time, He spent His time here on earth loving people and touching lives. He also spent a lot of time praying and communicating with His Father. He did these things both as an example to us, and because He wanted to. Once again, we see His love overflowing to all those around Him. Now, it’s our turn.

Encouragement

Many people will use alcohol as a way to have a “good time.” Paul tells us in Ephesians not to do that. It is a bad idea, and it doesn’t really provide us with what we need. We should be singing and speaking praises to God, along with encouraging each other. In verse 21, he reminds us to “be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.” In this way, offering to God our sacrifice of praise (Romans 12:1), and submitting ourselves to each other, we will find we can live surrounded by love, even if it seems at times like we’re the only ones loving.

We find the beauty of sacrifice when we live and love the way that Jesus did.