Photographs of the Cross

(#226)

Read Heb. 9:11-14,23,28.

How often do we hear people say that the OT is a dry and uninteresting book and of no value.  It's because they don't realize the OT is God's photograph album of events which are to occur and of persons who appear years later.  The Book of Leviticus opens with 5 great pictures of Christ on the Cross.  Let's look at them together.

The burnt offering, Lev. 1:1-5.

ƒ    The sacrifice was perfect, without spot or blemish.  So Christ "did no sin."

ƒ    This sacrifice was acceptable to God, was a voluntary giving of life, and required shedding of blood.

ƒ    This offering presents the aspect of the cross which did not have man's need so much in view as that which would be acceptable to God.

The meal offering, Lev. 2:1-3.

    1.  We see Christ, the Perfect Man, as seen in the flour, earth's most precious product in producing food for man.

    2.  We see the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of Christ in the oil which permeated the meal.

The peace offering, Lev. 3:1-3.

    1.  We see Christ as the best, as represented in the fat.

    2.  We see the pouring out of His life, as the blood was poured out. "The life of the flesh is in the blood."

    3.  We the peace He made by His cross (Col. 1:20; Ep. 2:14).

The sin offering, Lev. 4:1-4.

    1.  We see Christ saving us from the guilt of sin.  This offering deals more with the guilt, the sinner's sinfulness.

    2.  We see Christ dying for sins committed in ignorance or unwittingly.  Sin is sin no matter how it is committed.

    3.  We see Christ in the laying on of hands, indicating the identification of the sinner with the sacrifice.

The trespass offering, Lev. 5:6.

We see Christ dying for the different acts of sin.

The cross was a curse; and yet from it emanates the greatest of blessing.