the enormity of His sacrifice

He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.

Leviticus 1:4

I’ll admit it: Leviticus is not my candidate for favorite Pentateuch book. Its dense details of priestly duties and difficult lists of laws and their fine-print violations is kind of tedious reading. Yet… as we say each Sunday in our scripture readings, “this is the Word of the Lord and it is true.” The seriousness of sin is a consistent theme. The necessity for blood sacrifice drips through each gory page of Leviticus. The means for atonement provided by those sacrifices is repeatedly and purposefully brought to the attention of Israel over and over and over. Leviticus is a litany of constant reminders of the holiness of God, the sinfulness of humanity, and the need for sacrifices to cover the serious consequences.

We may not enjoy reading these reminders, but we need them because they point us to the power and the efficacy of the gospel. There was a final sacrifice for our sins in Jesus, the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world. A crown of thorns was laid upon His head… the crown of suffering I deserved. He was offered in my place and willingly gave Himself for me. His blood was spilled. He made atonement for me and the sins of everyone, everywhere, for all time.

How can Christians not worship a mighty Savior when we consider the magnitude of His sacrifice? The depth and breadth of His death and resurrection is made apparent in the way Leviticus seriously and exhaustively confronts our need for a sacrificed Savior.

Man of Sorrows! What a name
For the Son of God, who came
Ruined sinners to reclaim:
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Bearing shame and scoffing rude,
In my place condemned he stood,
Sealed my pardon with his blood:
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Guilty, vile and helpless, we:
Spotless Lamb of God was he;
Full atonement! Can it be?
Hallelujah, What a Savior!

Lifted up was he to die
“It is finished!” Was his cry:
Now in heaven exalted high:
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

When he comes, our glorious King,
All his ransomed home to bring,
Then anew this song we’ll sing:
Hallelujah! What a Savior!