Sacrifice

The practice of sacrifice is as old as mankind.  Universal.

Sacrifice means - offering to the god(s) to please, appease, win favor, divert anger, manipulate their power, etc.

Some sacrifices are "non-bloody" - examples:  cereal/grain/vegetable - "oblations"
                                                                  wine/other drinks - "libations"

Most common were blood sacrifice because a life was offered up.
Majority of these were animals, BUT the pinnacle of sacrifice by pagan peoples was Human.  Because:  was the highest life form, therefore the grandest sacrifice.  Pagan gods/goddesses all have some human traits.

Human sacrifice practiced around the world - China, Japan, Tibet, India, Polynesia, Africa, and before the time of Christ, Ancient Greece and Rome, Druids, Celts, etc.  

Most widely known - AZTECS - took human sacrifice to the highest level art form.
1)  made a human sacrifice to the Sun God each morning to aid it's rising
2)  made human sacrifice at each of 18 annual festivals.
In 1487, by their own report - there were 80,000 human sacrifices made at the reconsecration of the Great Pyramid (temple) in 4 days!

At least 9 different methods of sacrifice - all ritualistic and done a certain way to appease certain god.
Victims could be P.O.W.s, criminals, slaves, OR a losing ball team, draftees from the populace.  Often children and teens, and often from nobility.

The IDEA was to pacify, appease, placate, arouse, manipulate, win favor, divert anger.

HOWEVER:
1)  Human sacrifice is now illegal in every country - considered murder
2)  notion and practice of sacrifice is gradually disappearing.
Especially, blood sacrifice.  Now considered unnecessary, uncivilized, un-couth.

Yet we approach Easter season - when 1/3 of the world celebrates the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ!!!

Really???  His death constituted a Sacrifice for us???
John 1:29
1 Cor. 5:7
Heb. 8:26
Heb. 9:28
Heb. 10:10

So.... how is this sacrifice different?   (although we're not sacrificing anymore)
IF blood sacrifice is so out-dated/archaic/uncivilized/abhorrent.....

Then how is the sacrifice of Jesus any different?
and how can we justify the continual celebration of that sacrifice??

HUGE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO

 This Sacrifice ........
#1.  was God's idea (His plan - not something men came up with)
example:  bridge - God's idea   Acts 2:22-23 - "....foreknowledge".  Man did not come up with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

#2.  was accomplished at God's initiative.
HE thought it, planned it, implemented it (made it happen!)
Rom. 3:25 - "... in his blood."   Acts 3:18 ... "how god fulfilled...."
God presented Him

#3.  was at God's expense.
His Son.... God the Son... - from song:  "amazing love, how can it be.....?"
(no cost to the beneficiaries)  GOD died for us.

Therefore this sacrifice could be.......
#4. The Redeeming Sacifice
Definition of Redemption - a loss/a cost (price)/a purchase
Contrast Heb. 10:4 with 1 Pet. 1:18-19 - nothing else adequate
1 Cor. 6:19-20

#5.  The SUFFICIENT SACRIFICE
Heb. 10:11-12 - one sacrifice, one time,
1 John 2:2

Why did God do this?  (not obligated)
1)  God's Love - John 3:16  1John 4:10
2)  God's Justice - Rom. 3:25-26 - justice demands that payment be made


FINALLY: 
#6.  This sacrifice is different because - it must be accepted  
Pagan ........ "will God accept our sacrifice?"
Christian .... "will you accept God's sacrifice?"

So............ "salvation by works????"
Answer:  Yes!!!!! BUT - His works!! - John 19:30 - He worked hard to bring it about.

This season we focus on His death for us - His sacrifice for us!  It IS the only way!!