Throughout the Old Testament, we see sacrifices being made by the High Priests to pay for the sins of the people. But when Jesus died, He paid for all our sins, once and for all. The Bible says: ‘The high priest enters the Most Holy Place once every year with blood that is not his own. But Christ did not offer himself many times. Then he would have had to suffer many times since the world was made. But Christ came only once and for all time at just the right time to take away all sin by sacrificing himself’ (Hebrews 9:25-26 NCV). This one act has meant that our past, current and future sin has already been paid for. This doesn’t mean we can just do what we want, whenever we want. But what it does mean is that when we mess up, which we all do sometimes, we don’t need to carry guilt and shame because we can ask God for forgiveness, and He doesn’t remember our sins. Later in Hebrews it says: ‘For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy’ (Hebrews 10:14 NIV). This perfection is reaching spiritual maturity and a complete lack of sin. We may not appear perfect now, but God sees us as perfect because of what Jesus did. He sees us through the lens of Jesus. The fact that we can approach Him and ask for forgiveness comes from this one act of Jesus too. His death means that we’ve got direct access to God at any time. He wants a relationship with us, to know us and for us to know Him. He welcomes us into His presence, and we get the amazing privilege of spending time with God.

What Now?

Read one of the Gospel accounts of the crucifixion. Then spend some time thanking God for His sacrifice.