… just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Summary: Why was it necessary for Jesus to die on the cross? Is it possible for us to fully understand the answer to that question? Probably not, but Scripture provides us with many clues.
Why did Jesus have to give himself up as a sacrifice? How does that save you and me from the clutches of Hell? Let’s review what we know from the Bible.
Genesis 1:1 begins with, “In the beginning God …” Before there was anything else, before the world and before the devil existed, there was only God. God is the source of all things, both visible and invisible. God is the Creator. Nothing exists except by the will of God.
God is perfect (Psalm 18:30). Yet, his Creation is imperfect. It is as if a parent has every success, every award, and every degree possible, and they have a child. By all rights, the child should be able to duplicate the parent’s success. They have every advantage and everything they need for success, but … they fall short.
Not only does the child fall short of the parent’s accomplishments, but they rebel against the parent’s authority.* In God’s realm, when the child rebels against God’s authority, they effectively cross a line. It is as if there were a fence around God’s Garden, and God’s rule was to stay inside the fence. When one of his children rebels, they step outside the fence, and once outside, they cannot come back in.
In the case of the angels who rebelled against God, there is no redemption. My guess is that this is because the angels knew full well what they were doing. In the case of mankind, we are ignorant of many spiritual things. God grants us leniency because of our ignorance (John 9:41), but there is still a price to be paid for rebellion.
In the Old Testament, God explains the Conservation of Moral Equivalencies Law. Like the laws of physics that require an “equal but opposite reaction,” God’s spiritual laws are similar. We see this in the principle of an “eye for an eye” (Exodus 21:24). What is hard for us to understand is that rejecting God is the equivalent of murder. We “kill” our relationship with God, which in spiritual terms means eternal separation from God. We cannot redeem ourselves because we have nothing to offer of equivalent value.
God, being a loving God, doesn’t want his creation to be tossed on the burn pile. So he came up with a plan to give us a second chance. Jesus calls this second chance being “born again” (John 3:3). To make this second spiritual birth possible, God had to come up with a way of paying our spiritual debt for us. And so he was born a man, the Christ, and “Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”
Application: Meditate on what Jesus did for us so we can be reunited with God.
Food for Thought: How is Christ’s sacrifice like a “fragrant offering?”
*It is important to note here that parental authority is not the same as contractual authority.
How is Christ’s sacrifice like a “fragrant offering?”
Your question makes me think of Matthew 3:13-17.
Matthew 3:16-17 ESV And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
Submission to the Father means recognizing His Will is perfect, and wanting to be in His Will. Demonstrating this isn’t what pleases God, but the very submission in our heart that motivates the act. When I think about Jesus on the cross, I think about how at each moment became progressively more painful, not just physically, but mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. The weight of sin took Jesus to the very end of Himself. To the point that God could no longer look at Him, and Jesus felt that. Yet even despite that, Jesus followed God’s perfect Will. That incredible level of submission and devotion emulated God’s perfect sacrificial love. I believe, a kind of love that echoes throughout the universe. Like a fragrance that lingers in the air. A fragrance that is righteous and pleasing to God.
Chris,
The idea of a “love that echoes throughout the universe” touches on one of the Mysteries of Faith. Does an act of faith or a word of faith have power that we cannot see with human eyes? I like the way you put this. Thank you!
Many times in Leviticus the phrase “an offering, a fragrant offering, a pleasing aroma to the Lord” or something similar. But, the things being burned wouldn’t necessarily smell good. Was it the actual smell that passed Him or the smell is the proof of relationship being set right? I would assume the latter.
Later on, when the Israelites sin because they think the sacrifices will cover them anyways, God says He takes no pleasure in their offerings and burnt offerings. You see, Leviticus doesn’t tell us that intentional sin is covered by sacrifices. The prerequisite appears to be good intentions, even though we fail.
Angela,
You point us to a very important concept in Scripture. The value of a sacrifice was based entirely on the underlying relationship with God. As you point out, a sacrifice from a manipulative heart had no value for God. God says as much through his prophet, Amos:
“I hate, I despise your religious festivals; your assemblies are a stench to me.” (Amos 5:21)
I like A’s response. I would only add that when a sacrifice was received as a fragrant offering, it means it was effective and received by the Lord to reestablish the relationship. In Genesis 8: 21 we have the first such example in the Bible. Noah provided a sacrifice and the Lord was pleased and made the covenant never to flood the earth again.
In 1 Samuel 15: 22 – 23, Saul is told that to obey is better than sacrifice.
Jesus both completely obeyed (never sinned) and then gave Himself as a sacrifice on our behalf. It was received because it was effective and provided the open door to renewed relationship with God.
It was pleasant not because the cross was pleasant – but it was effective to meet our need. It was received and Jesus rose to provide the same outcome for those who trust in His sacrifice on their behalf.
(edit added per Rich’s request – je)
Thanks Rich!
I really like the 1 Samuel reference: To obey is better than sacrifice. I think God loves a willing heart.
08-01-2023, How is Christ’s sacrifice like a “fragrant offering?”
God created man for His glory, and the ultimate purpose of man, according to the Bible, is simply to glorify God by living our lives in relationship and faithful service to Him.
Psalm 100:2–31 Samuel 12:24; John 17:4
As our creator, God has the right to judge His creation according to His standards of good. Seven times in Genesis 1, God observes His creation and declares it to be good, or very good. God had a purpose in mind and He judged His creation to be prepared to effectively serve His purpose. In His foreknowledge, He foreknew and approved every event which would occur as the result of His acts of creation, which included our separation from God from Him in disobedience.
Since God created man in His image, man’s purpose cannot be fulfilled apart from Him. In his wisdom, King Solomon tried living for his own pleasure, and at the end of his life concluded that the only worthwhile life is one of honor and obedience to God.
Genesis 1:26–27, Ecclesiastes 12:13–14
The Bible clearly shows us that God has perfectly provided a way we can be reconciled to Him, walk with Him and even overcome sin’s power through the finished work of Christ on the cross and the many blessing we have in Him. There are three aspects or phases to the salvation God offers us in Christ.
The past, by faith in Christ, we are saved from the penalty of sin.
The present, we are being delivered from the power of sin if we will walk by faith and in fellowship in Him.
The future—saved once and for all from the presence of sin with the return of Christ.
This is the “fragrant offering” received by God.
Ron,
Thank you! As I understand your words today, the salvation of his Creation, those who believe in Jesus, is a fragrant offering to him.
You remind me of Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 2: 15-16,
“ For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. “
Great verse! Yes, Jesus is the fragrant offering to God.