Leviticus 1
1 Outline
Leviticus 1:1-9
A PICTURE OF JESUS,
Not all pictures are
photographs. There is such a thing as
word pictures.
The Bible is loaded with
pictures.
Our Lord referred to himself
as “the light of the world”, “the true vine”, “the
bread of life”, and “the good shepherd”. He also taught using word pictures. He
spoke of the Good Samaritan, The Sower and The Soils, having faith the size of
a mustard seed, faith that could move a mountain, and many other word pictures.
The
Old Testament is also full of word pictures, many of them of the Lord Jesus
Himself. As we continue
to examine Old Testament treasures this morning, we come to Leviticus chapter
1. Here I see a picture of Jesus found
in what was known as the burnt offering.
I
feel that it is appropriate for us to consider this picture of Christ on a day
when we are celebrating communion. It is
a good reminder of what Christ has done for us as we share the bread and the
cup.
The burnt offering is one of
four animal sacrifices mentioned in Leviticus.
There is also the peace offering, guilt offering and sin offering. They are all pictures of Christ.
Let us now look at this burnt
offering and see how it pictures what Christ has done for us.
CHRIST’S OFFERING IS A COSTLY OFFERING
Vs. 2 – The offering that a person brought was to come from
the domesticated animals.
Either a person had to give
up something of value that was in his possession, or he had to purchase a
domesticated animal from a farmer or shepherd.
The burnt offering could actually be cattle, sheep, goat, turtledove, or
young pigeon, as described in the rest of Leviticus 1.
When God chose the ultimate
offering for sin, He actually chose Himself.
He is the triune God, each member of the Trinity is God. It was God, the Son, who left Heaven to be
that sacrifice. It was a costly offering
that Jesus gave.
·
It cost Jesus the
limitation of His powers as He came to earth.
·
It cost Jesus to
take on a human body instead of being totally a spirit being.
·
It cost Jesus to
be born into a lower class family, the Son of the village carpenter’s wife.
·
It cost Jesus to
put up with the sins of His disciples as He trained them.
·
It cost Jesus
when he suffered the humiliation of a mock trial, insults, slaps, beatings, and
a crown of thorns.
·
It cost Jesus
when He gave His very life for your sins and mine on the cross.
Philippians 2:5-8 - Let
this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: [6] Who, being in the form
of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: [7] But made himself of no
reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the
likeness of men: [8] And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself,
and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
CHRIST’S OFFERING IS A PERFECT OFFERING
Vs. 3 - If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the
herd, let him offer a male without blemish:
The offering from the herd
was to be "without blemish".
It was not to have any known
defects.
It was to be perfect.
God was not to have second
best for an offering for sins.
There are well meaning people
today who think that their good deeds and/or their good moral behavior can pay
for the fact that they are not perfect.
As payment for sin, God
expects a perfect sacrifice.
Not one of us is perfect. Not
one of us is sinless. Not one of us can do enough good to atone for our sins.
Isaiah 64:6
Jesus was sinless, and
therefore, the perfect offering for our sins. Jesus had no sins of His own, and
could therefore atone for ours. 1 Peter 1:18-19
Giving of silver and gold
could not redeem us, pay the price for our sins, only the blood of the sinless
Christ could. 2 Corinthians 5:21
To enter Heaven we must be
righteous in God’s eyes.
Jesus, who knew no sin, died
for us.
Now, when we place our faith
in the Lord Jesus, we are made the righteousness of God. God sees us as righteous. Romans 5:1
CHRIST’S OFFERING IS A VOLUNTARY OFFERING
Vs. 3 – …he shall offer it of his own voluntary will
at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the Lord.
The person making the
offering did it voluntarily.
There are things we do
voluntarily.
There are things we don’t do
voluntarily. We have to do them.
Jesus willingly and
voluntarily gave His life as a sacrifice for our sins. John 10:17-18
Jesus didn’t die because men
tried to kill Him.
Jesus died because He let men
kill them.
CHRIST’S OFFERING IS AN ASSOCIATED OFFERING
Vs. 4 - The one bringing the offering associated with the
sacrifice by putting his hand on the offering. His sins were being associated
with the innocent sacrifice.
Jesus went to the cross in
our place.
We associate with Jesus when
we place our faith in His shed blood.
Just as the one bringing the
offering realized that the animal was taking his place by paying for sin, we
must realize by faith that Christ has taken our place. 1 Peter 3:18
The righteous Jesus suffered
for unrighteous Jack!
The righteous Jesus suffered
for unrighteous you!
But the death of Jesus for you
does not count unless you put your hand on the sacrifice by saying something
like this, “It was for my sins He died. He took my place. I trust Him as my
Savior.”
Ephesians 2:8-9
Leviticus 1:5 - And
he shall kill the bullock before the Lord:
In most cases it was the
person who brought the sacrifice that killed the animal. This reminds me that it is my sins that
nailed Jesus to the cross.
It wasn’t just the Jewish
leaders,
It wasn’t just the Jewish
Mob,
It wasn’t just Pilate,
It wasn’t just the Roman
soldiers,
IT WAS ME! IT WAS MY SINS
THAT NAILED JESUS TO THE CROSS! IT WAS YOU!
IT WAS YOUR SINS THAT NAILED JESUS TO THE
CROSS!
CHRIST’S OFFERING IS A SACRIFICIAL OFFERING
Vss. 5-8 - The innocent animal sacrificed his life. The
innocent Son of God sacrificed His life so that we might have eternal life.
Hebrews 10:14, Romans 5:6-8
CHRIST’S OFFERING IS A COMPLETE OFFERING
Vs. 9 – Everything was offered except the hide.
It was complete.
Jesus gave His all completely
that we might have life.
Nothing was held back.
All was sacrificed.
This is a challenge for us.
If the very Son of God gave
His life for me, should I not give my whole life for Him? Should not my life be
that living sacrifice that Romans 12:1 talks about?
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by
the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy,
acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
CHRIST’S OFFERING IS AN ACCEPTABLE OFFERING
Leviticus 1:9 - But his inwards and his legs shall he wash
in water: and the priest shall burn all on the altar, to be a burnt sacrifice,
an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the Lord.
Sweet savour
means ‘fragrant aroma’.
God was pleased with the
offering that the Israelites made when it was done with the right heart
attitude.
God was pleased with the
offering that Jesus made for our sins.
God accepted Jesus’ offering
for us.
He was pleased with what
Jesus had done.
Ephesians 5:2 - And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved
us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
If God was pleased with
Jesus’ offering for sin, we have no right to come to God any other way but
through faith in His finished work on the cross.
CHRIST’S OFFERING IS A COSTLY OFFERING CHRIST’S
OFFERING IS A PERFECT OFFERING
CHRIST’S OFFERING IS A VOLUNTARY OFFERING
CHRIST’S OFFERING IS AN ASSOCIATED OFFERING
CHRIST’S OFFERING IS A SACRIFICIAL OFFERING
CHRIST’S OFFERING IS A COMPLETE OFFERING
CHRIST’S OFFERING IS AN ACCEPTABLE OFFERING