Under the old covenant, the priest stands and ministers before the altar day after day, offering the same sacrifices again and again, which can never take away sins.
But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand…. For by that one offering he forever made perfect those who are being made holy.
Hebrews 10:11-12,14 NLT
Think how much blood poured over the altar in the temple of Jerusalem for the better part of a thousand years. It must have been hundreds of thousands of gallons. It is said that there was a gutter system under the surface of Herod’s Temple to carry off the blood from the Passover rituals as well as the other festivals. When the Temple was dedicated, we are told that thousands of animals were sacrificed (1 Kgs 8:62-63).
But beyond those special days, there was simply the daily round. Every day, morning and evening, the blood of a lamb was splashed against the altar. Every day blood from peace offerings, sin offerings, guilt offerings, and voluntary offerings poured down over that altar. And what did it all accomplish? It is easy to imagine the prophet Micah looking on, and saying, “With what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?” (Mic 6:6) He seems to be saying, “What good are these rivers of blood? Tomorrow’s sins will require it all over again.”
But one Friday afternoon, possibly in the fourth year of Pilate’s procuracy, it changed forever! Forever! Blood poured out of a spear wound in a man’s side and that blood – that blood – did what all those rivers were pointing to, but never could accomplish. That afternoon, it all came to an end. In that one moment all the sin of all the world for all time was ATONED FOR! Bless the Lord!
Called To Be Transformed 