Christ: a burnt offering?

Paul tells of the life and work of Jesus in Ephesians 5:2: "... Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."

He was referring to one of Jesus' names, that of a burnt offering.

Wait, you say. I knw Jesus as Savior, and Whose names include King, Lord of Lords, and Everlasting father...but Burnt Offering?

Yes.

When you would first walk into the tabernacle, you would immediately see the Burnt Offering Altar in the Tabernacle's Outer Court. In the Burnt Offering Altar the priests sacrificed animals for their own sins and for the sins of the people. The first chapter of Leviticus tells us of the necessity of this sacrifice in order to be accepted before God and forgiven (Leviticus 1:4).

The requirements weret that a male animal be sacrifice, and this could include a a ram, a goat, a bullock or a a pigeon. (Leviticus 1:3-17). The animal must be without blemish, just as Jesus was the Perfect Lamb who died, totally consumed as this offering, so that we might be made alive.

By all accounts of justice, we should die for our sin. However, God made a way, first told in the Old Testament: "the life of the flesh (of a burnt offering or sacrifice) is in the blood, and I have given it you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul" (Leviticus 17:11,8). The death of the one offered means you can have restoration to the God (Leviticus 1:4).

Just like Abraham told Isaac that "God Himself will provide a lamb for the burnt offering" (Genesis 22:8), Jesus was given for our sins that we wouldn't have to suffer the penalty of death.

Ephesians 5:2, shows that Jesus became the burnt offering as the One who "loved us and gave Himself up for us" on the cross, "an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma".I am reminded that Jesus, "Who did no sin, neither was there any deceit found in His mouth" (I Peter 2:22) was wholly consumed in death "carrying up our sins in His body onto the tree" (I Peter 2:24), so that we can be made right with God.

Jesus the Burnt Offering!