Sunday Morning, Feb 3, 2008,

This morning, we studied about the first ten verses in Heb 10. We spent the first few minutes discussing the differences between a shadow and an actual image. From shadows, we gain a general understanding of how the actual image may appear, but a shadow lacks the corresponding details. To gain a detailed understanding, we must examine the actual image.

To understand New Testament salvation, we can get a general understanding of it from looking at types and shadows from the Old Testament, such as the purpose and manner of sin sacrifices, but we can only understand NT salvation when we examine it from a New Testament setting.   

We spent the remainder of the morning examining the manner in which Old Testament Israel sacrificed and what those sacrifices meant. For instance, the sacrificed animal had to be perfect and without blemish. In order for this to happen, a family had to essentially adopt the animal as a family pet to protect it from predators and harmful environments. When they had to watch their own pet be sacrificed as a result of their sins, it brought to reality that an innocent party was being slaughtered on behalf of a guilty party.  This brought about an overwhelming feeling of guiltiness for that one who had sinned against God. 

When Christ died, he too was an innocent victim and it was our sins that nailed Him to the cross. In essence, we crucified an innocent lamb, the Lamb of God. The blood of bulls and goats could not take away sins, but the blood of Jesus can save a man, woman, boy or girl from all sin! What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus!