6 - Understanding Sacrifice | Allusions, Images, Symbols

The sacrificial system runs through the entire Holy Scriptures and ends with the slaughtered Lamb of God. If we do not understand this, the entire Bible makes no sense. Therefore, we ask: Why was the sacrifice necessary? This can only be answered if we know man, his problem, and the law.

Many false ideas arise from ignorance, e.g., that God gave Adam and Eve the choice through the tree of good and evil and that they decided, based on their free will, to no longer love God. But behind this idea lies a mistaken assumption. Namely, that the ability to love also includes love itself. However, this idea arises from the error of the heart in thinking oneself to be the source of needs (=God).

Love means maximum respect and freedom for the other person – only God can give this unconditionally. Evil arises because humans cannot give freedom. Egoism is the attempt to live from oneself, which is impossible and therefore an illusion. Since the Fall, we have been trapped. Man can only implement love, not create it. Jesus lived in this divine love, which protected him from illness. The tree of life shows that we must satisfy our needs in God in order to truly love and live.

Our identity as God's creatures determines our actions. The 10 Commandments regulate the commandment of love (Matthew 22:36-40). Love is like oxygen: it must come from God and be practiced and shared in everyday life. And our actions show whether we pass on God's love or selfishness. So why did a lamb have to die? The sacrifice is meant to remove the separation from God and lead people back to trust in God. In the sixth part of the series “Allusions, Images, and Symbols,” we take a closer look at all of this.