5 Reasons Why Jesus was the Perfect Sacrifice (Part 2 of 3)
Jesus served as the ideal and perfect atoning sacrifice for our sins. There are at least five reasons why Christians believe these statements to be true. In part 1, we emphasized the importance of following the law, which Jesus both gave and fulfilled. Let's look and consider a second and third reason that makes Jesus the perfect sacrifice.
2. Jesus Fulfilled Prophecies in the Old Testament
There are dozens of Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah. Depending on the source, the number ranges from 200 to over 300. There are prophecies about how He would be born, how He would die, and how He would come back to life. These prophecies can be found in Genesis 3:15 and all throughout the book of Isaiah. These prophecies show us that the Messiah would be a king who serves others, not a general with a lot of power.
Isaiah 53:5 says that our Savior would be "wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised [crushed] for our iniquities [sins]: the chastisement of our peace [punishment that brought peace] was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed." Isaiah 50:6 tells us what would happen to Jesus: "I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting." Later in the same book, we learn that Jesus' body would be terribly broken, that His appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and that His form was beyond that of the children of mankind (Isaiah 52:14).
Isaiah said, "the kings shall shut their mouths at Him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider." (Isaiah 52:15). Jesus did not say anything to defend himself. He didn't kill his enemies with a flash of power, but He showed that He was in charge by doing things that were predicted in the Old Testament. He was born to a virgin (Isaiah 7:14), rode into Jerusalem on a colt (Zechariah 9:9), and did many other things. Jesus did what the Messianic prophecies said He would do.
3. Jesus is an intercessor.
"For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us." (Hebrews 9:24). Moses had to wear a veil when he met with God. Only one priest could go into the tabernacle once a year, and only after making the right offerings to the Lord. But many writers say that the tabernacle helps us understand who Christ is and why He was the best intercessor and sacrifice.
One scholar says, "Christ the God-man entered the direct presence of our Maker upon His ascension, being perfectly sinless" as both man and God. Before Christ rose from the dead, anyone who wanted to get close to the Lord needed a High Priest, a righteous man of God, to do so. Moses was that person for Israel until the priestly system was set up.
The high priests of Israel could never be completely and truly righteous. To reach God, they had to enter the Most Holy Place on the Day of Atonement. In contrast, Jesus only had to offer Himself once to get to the heavenly Most Holy Place. This instance shows how much better Jesus' work was. His death brought Him to the Most Holy Place in heaven forever. This was a wonderful time in human history as we see the work of Christ on our behalf. The tabernacle and the priestly system always pointed to our need for a truly holy High Priest, and only Jesus fit the bill.
2. Jesus Fulfilled Prophecies in the Old Testament
There are dozens of Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah. Depending on the source, the number ranges from 200 to over 300. There are prophecies about how He would be born, how He would die, and how He would come back to life. These prophecies can be found in Genesis 3:15 and all throughout the book of Isaiah. These prophecies show us that the Messiah would be a king who serves others, not a general with a lot of power.
Isaiah 53:5 says that our Savior would be "wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised [crushed] for our iniquities [sins]: the chastisement of our peace [punishment that brought peace] was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed." Isaiah 50:6 tells us what would happen to Jesus: "I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting." Later in the same book, we learn that Jesus' body would be terribly broken, that His appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and that His form was beyond that of the children of mankind (Isaiah 52:14).
Isaiah said, "the kings shall shut their mouths at Him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider." (Isaiah 52:15). Jesus did not say anything to defend himself. He didn't kill his enemies with a flash of power, but He showed that He was in charge by doing things that were predicted in the Old Testament. He was born to a virgin (Isaiah 7:14), rode into Jerusalem on a colt (Zechariah 9:9), and did many other things. Jesus did what the Messianic prophecies said He would do.
3. Jesus is an intercessor.
"For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us." (Hebrews 9:24). Moses had to wear a veil when he met with God. Only one priest could go into the tabernacle once a year, and only after making the right offerings to the Lord. But many writers say that the tabernacle helps us understand who Christ is and why He was the best intercessor and sacrifice.
One scholar says, "Christ the God-man entered the direct presence of our Maker upon His ascension, being perfectly sinless" as both man and God. Before Christ rose from the dead, anyone who wanted to get close to the Lord needed a High Priest, a righteous man of God, to do so. Moses was that person for Israel until the priestly system was set up.
The high priests of Israel could never be completely and truly righteous. To reach God, they had to enter the Most Holy Place on the Day of Atonement. In contrast, Jesus only had to offer Himself once to get to the heavenly Most Holy Place. This instance shows how much better Jesus' work was. His death brought Him to the Most Holy Place in heaven forever. This was a wonderful time in human history as we see the work of Christ on our behalf. The tabernacle and the priestly system always pointed to our need for a truly holy High Priest, and only Jesus fit the bill.