Jesus Fulfilled The Sacrificial System

[gomerian]

Jesus Fulfilled The Sacrificial System

The Perfect Circle of Life.

John 6:44-45 "No man can come to Me, except the Father which hath sent Me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto Me."

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me."


Jesus Closed All the Loopholes Created by Pharisees.

Matthew
5:17 "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. 18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. 19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven."

23:1 Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to His disciples, 2 Saying "The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: 3 All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. 4 For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. 5 But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, 6 And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, 7 And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. 8 But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. 9 And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. 10 Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. 11 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. 13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in."


The Finished Sacrificial System.

John
1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

15:13 "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."

19:30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, He said, "It is finished": and He bowed His head, and gave up the ghost.


What Happens Now?

Matthew 5:23 "Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; 24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift."

_________________
This is Salvation, in a nutshell. Jesus fulfilled the Sacrificial System of the Law. He came down from Heaven when He did because He knew when the Temple would fall. The New Covenant is Repent, Admit, and Forgive: You hurt someone, you go to them and personally ask for their forgiveness. And then your gift at the altar will be accepted.

 

[Ken Rank]

5:17 "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.

I am not going to debate your entire post because it isn't worth the time... it just doesn't matter. But on this verse, most Christians miss what it is saying. The common teaching is that the idea of fulfill is to fill up... as in, "no longer a need to do them." This verse, for these folks, is saying, "the law is done away with." Here is the problem, if that is the case, then then the verse is contradicting itself (let alone the next two verses as well). You see, using the common interpretation, here is retranslated accordingly:

"Think not that I am come to do away with the law, or the prophets: I am not come to do away with it, but to do away with it."

See, it makes no sense. There is a definition in Thayer and Gesenius that give us a good picture of what fulfill means:

Pleroo -
2c3) to fulfil, i.e. to cause God’s will (as made known in the law) to be obeyed as it should be, and God’s promises (given through the prophets) to receive fulfilment

Not fulfill as in "do away with," but fulfill as in walking it out in the manner that was intended. In doing so he didn't do away with obeying God... he showed us how to do it properly!

 

[Yeshua HaDerekh]

Jesus Fulfilled The Sacrificial System

What Happens Now?

Matthew 5:23 "Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; 24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift."

_________________
This is Salvation, in a nutshell. Jesus fulfilled the Sacrificial System of the Law. He came down from Heaven when He did because He knew when the Temple would fall. The New Covenant is Repent, Admit, and Forgive: You hurt someone, you go to them and personally ask for their forgiveness. And then your gift at the altar will be accepted.

Acts 21:26
The destruction of the Temple in 70 AD ended the sacrificial system...

 

[Micah888]

Jesus Fulfilled The Sacrificial System

There is nothing controversial about this at all. Not sure why it ended up in Controversial Theology.

Yes, Christ fulfilled and abolished the sacrificial system of the Old Covenant. All the laws pertaining to the tabernacle, the temple, the Levitical priesthood, the temple offerings and sacrifices, the feasts and festivals, etc. were fulfilled by the Lamb of God on the Cross.

And that is why the heavy curtain in the temple separating the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies was torn in two. After His resurrection, Christ entered the Heavenly Sanctuary with His own blood, as the Divine High Priest after the order of Melchizedek. The epistle to the Hebrews provides full details.

 

[Micah888]

The destruction of the Temple in 70 AD ended the sacrificial system...

Only because all the priests and Levites did not turn to Christ on the Day of Pentecost. So while the system ended on the day of Passover, when Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us, the unbelieving Jews continued with their sacrificial system until 70 AD.

 

[mkgal1]

The common teaching is that the idea of fulfill is to fill up... as in, "no longer a need to do them." This verse, for these folks, is saying, "the law is done away with." Here is the problem, if that is the case, then then the verse is contradicting itself (let alone the next two verses as well).

How so? That depends on a person's understanding of "heaven and earth". Ancient Jews understood the Temple to be where heaven and earth came together (and that HAS passed away...right?).

Pleroo -
2c3) to fulfil, i.e. to cause God’s will (as made known in the law) to be obeyed as it should be, and God’s promises (given through the prophets) to receive fulfilment

I agree with this definition.

 

[mkgal1]

There is nothing controversial about this at all. Not sure why it ended up in Controversial Theology.

Stay tuned. I suspect you'll see some controversy soon.

 

[mkgal1]

I don't know what I was thinking. :/ Of course this is accurate (as a response to the last quote):

"Only because all the priests and Levites did not turn to Christ on the Day of Pentecost. So while the system ended on the day of Passover, when Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us, the unbelieving Jews continued with their sacrificial system until 70 AD."​

The destruction of the Temple in 70 AD ended the sacrificial system...

 

[Ken Rank]

How so? That depends on a person's understanding of "heaven and earth". Ancient Jews understood the Temple to be where heaven and earth came together (and that HAS passed away...right?).

I agree with this definition.

For the reason you agree with the definition. If fulfill does not mean "bring an end to" then Matt. 5:17 can't be interpreted as an end to the law because he begins the sentence by saying, "I have not come to bring an end to the law." Like I said, the next two verses support this. Heaven and earth are here... well, I can confirm that earth is still here... then so must be the law. So... one who teaches others to break the law is called the least in the Kingdom. The one who teaches others to conform to God's commandments will be called great in the Kingdom.

 

[Micah888]

I'm not sure that's the only reason.

If you recall, there was tremendous opposition to the Gospel from the Jewish religious leaders, including the priests. Those priests and the captain of the temple would have know that the temple curtain had been torn supernaturally. But rather than repent and forsake their corrupted priesthood and turn to Christ, they resisted the Gospel and arrested the apostles.

ACTS 4: 1-3
And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them, Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide.

 

[Anto9us]

Col 1:23
If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;
Col 1:24
Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church:

1:24 has always puzzled me -- what did Paul think was 'behind' or unfulfilled?

I think the sacrificial system ended when Jesus said "It is finished" on the cross and the veil of the Temple was torn

why Paul later had a vow and his head shaved for something in that Temple puzzles me too

no sacrifices were accepted by God after Christ's - nor will be in the future - it's over

 

[Micah888]

The common teaching is that the idea of fulfill is to fill up... as in, "no longer a need to do them."

Yes the common teaching does not necessarily make proper distinctions between what was fulfilled (as in "done away with") and what was fulfilled in terms of completion (as in Christ fulfilling numerous prophesies, types, and shadow).

And the common teaching fails to show that the Ten Commandments were embedded in the New Covenant and are now embedded in the Law of Christ, which is the Law of Love (as presented in the two greatest commandments within the Torah).

Further, there is yet a great deal to be fulfilled at the Second Coming of Christ and beyond. All these things should be properly presented, but too many preachers and teachers do not delve into the Old Testament as they should, and reconcile the two Covenants.

 

[Micah888]

why Paul later had a vow and his head shaved for something in that Temple puzzles me too

Paul was simply accommodating his Jewish brethren, who had much to learn. This is nothing to get concerned over. The temple was still standing, and as Paul said: "to the Jews I became a Jew" in order to win some to Christ.

 

[Freedom~Sprite]

Of course he did. That's why now our sins are eternally covered by the blood of the last perfect unblemished lamb, sacrificed on the last sin altar; the cross.

God's gifts and calling are irrevocable. Otherwise, Jesus death didn't mean what God said it did. And that's just not true.

 

[Ken Rank]

Col 1:23
If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;
Col 1:24
Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church:

1:24 has always puzzled me -- what did Paul think was 'behind' or unfulfilled?

I think the sacrificial system ended when Jesus said "It is finished" on the cross and the veil of the Temple was torn

why Paul later had a vow and his head shaved for something in that Temple puzzles me too

no sacrifices were accepted by God after Christ's - nor will be in the future - it's over

The question is... was Christ a literal sacrifice (did he have 4 legs, a tail, and fur) or did the sacrificial system POINT to the work he would do for us?

By the way... when Yeshua was on the cross as the "lamb of God," the lambs were being sacrificed at the same time at the Temple. At the 3rd hour the chief priest would take the final lamb and state, "It is finished" when he took it's life. That happened at the same time Yeshua said those same words.

I don't think his work on the cross was geared around doing away with commandments or anything like that... his work was to reverse the curse of sin... what is the curse of sin? DEATH... he reversed the curse of sin and death, he didn't do away with "don't steal." We are raised in such an anti-law culture that we don't even understand the purpose of the law.

 

[Ken Rank]

Paul was simply accommodating his Jewish brethren, who had much to learn. This is nothing to get concerned over. The temple was still standing, and as Paul said: "to the Jews I became a Jew" in order to win some to Christ.

I do respect you but I don't accept this view. Here is Paul, standing firmer than any man before for the gospel's sake... a rock in terms of somebody to look up to... accommodating Jews who didn't see Yeshua as messiah? Sounds more like he caved if that was his reasoning. The vow in question is the vow of a Nazirite and it involved a sacrifice. I don't have a problem with it... but I am not sure I am allowed, on this forum, to share why I have no problem with it. And this coming from a guy who doesn't think we should be making sacrifices by the way.

 

[HypnoToad]

I am not going to debate your entire post because it isn't worth the time... it just doesn't matter. But on this verse, most Christians miss what it is saying. The common teaching is that the idea of fulfill is to fill up... as in, "no longer a need to do them." This verse, for these folks, is saying, "the law is done away with." Here is the problem, if that is the case, then then the verse is contradicting itself (let alone the next two verses as well). You see, using the common interpretation, here is retranslated accordingly:

"Think not that I am come to do away with the law, or the prophets: I am not come to do away with it, but to do away with it."

See, it makes no sense.

Your translation might not make sense, but that is a very select, narrow way to translate it, and it does NOT necessarily reflect the translation of those who argue that Christ ended the old covenant.

For those who say the old covenant was ended, the translation is better put, "I haven't come to tear up the old covenant, but to fulfill it."

While the end result is the same, there is a significant difference.

It's like the difference between stealing a car and buying a car. Both have the same end result - a car in my garage. However, while the result is the same, I'll bet you recognize a significant difference between stealing a car and buying a car. *HOW* that car gets in my garage makes a difference. In the same way, abolishing and fulfilling have the same end result, but there is a significant difference - a difference in *HOW* that end result is obtained.

The old and new covenants are contracts. So let's use a contract analogy.

Suppose I get my internet with AT&T. In their contract, it states I have to use their service for 2 years, otherwise, there's a hefty cancellation fee. Now, we get to the end of two years. I've now FULFILLED the contract, making me free to use other providers with no penalty. I didn't destroy my contract, I didn't tear it up; I fulfilled it. Am I still bound to the AT&T contract? Of course not, I fulfilled it, it simply doesn't apply anymore.

The old covenant simply doesn't apply anymore because it's been fulfilled.

Jesus said He brought a "new covenant". Does it really make any sense to have Jesus saying, "I bring a new covenant, but just keep following the old one anyway." ?? Hebrews 8 tells us Jesus made the old covenant "obsolete". But we should ignore the new, better covenant and keep sticking to the obsolete one?

 

[Anto9us]

accommodating Jews who didn't see Yeshua as messiah?

I think Paul may have been "becoming a Jew to the Jews" as well as accomodating James (A Jew who DID see Christ as Messiah) when Paul went to Temple

 

[ViaCrucis]

I agree that Jesus fulfills the sacrificial system; but I would further point out that the whole purpose of the ancient sacrifices was ultimately to point to Jesus.

Jesus isn't simply the last sacrifice. Jesus is THE sacrifice, the Chief Victim--the whole point of all which came before was to point us to Jesus. As St. Paul says, these things were shadows, and Christ is the substance.

The blood of bulls, goats, and lambs had no power to reconcile sinners to God; indeed throughout the Old Testament we find that God condemns those who offer sacrifices for sacrifice's sake, for what God desired was repentance and contrition. But they do point to the ultimate reality of Jesus' own self-offering of Himself to the violence of the world, to become Victim for our sake; and in becoming Victim He destroys the power of sin and death, rising from the dead as Victor over sin, death, hell, and the devil.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[mkgal1]

For the reason you agree with the definition. If fulfill does not mean "bring an end to" then Matt. 5:17 can't be interpreted as an end to the law because he begins the sentence by saying, "I have not come to bring an end to the law."

The definition says this:

Pleroo -
2c3) to fulfil, i.e. to cause God’s will (as made known in the law) to be obeyed as it should be, and God’s promises (given through the prophets) to receive fulfillment.​

Jesus didn't "end the law" (the first 5 books of the Bible)....but He *did* end the Ancient Jews misinterpretation of it (keeping it only for them and not for the whole world, for instance). I'm not typically a fan of John Piper...but I do agree with this quote of his:

"Jesus came to fulfill all that was written in the Law and the Prophets. All of it was pointing to him, even where it is not explicitly prophetic. He accomplishes what the Law required."​

When He cleansed the Temple (for instance) He was fulfilling Leviticus 14:33-53. He was also fulfilling the parable of the Wicked Vinedressers in Matthew 21.

Like I said, the next two verses support this. Heaven and earth are here... well, I can confirm that earth is still here... then so must be the law.

That's not literal. Is the Temple still standing in Jerusalem or was it destroyed in 70 AD? That's the Ancient Jewish understanding of "heaven and earth".

If “heaven and earth” haven't passed away, we have a backlog of Jubilee years to celebrate, “cities of refuge” to resurrect, and bleeding lambs to burn on an altar. Forget Sunday. We got to go back to the Sabbath rest on Saturday. Throw out your clothes that mix linen and cotton and kill your rebellious children. The Law of Moses has some serious instructions.

So why don't Christians obey every letter of the Law if Jesus said it all applies “until heaven and earth pass away”?

Jews did not always mean “the physical universe” when they spoke of heaven and earth together. In Jewish literature, the Temple was a portal connecting heaven and earth. They called it the “navel of the earth” and the “gateway to heaven” (Jub 8:19; 1 Enoch 26:1). Just like the Mesopotamian Tower in Genesis 11, the Temple connected God’s realm to where humans lived.
~When Heaven and Earth Passed Away: Everything Changed

To the Jewish mind, God himself dwelt in the Temple in the Holy of Holies, on the Mercy Seat immediately above the Ark of the Covenant. Because “heaven” to a Jew is where God lives, they saw heaven and earth merged in the Holy of Holies, as God dwelt there as well as in heaven — that is, the two realms intersected at the Temple, behind the curtain, above the Ark of the Covenant at the Mercy Seat.

Jews prayed toward the Temple, because that was where God was especially present, although they understood God to be omnipresent. Synagogues were built so that those praying in the synagogue would be facing toward the Temple.
N. T. Wright’s The Day the Revolution Began, Part 5 (Inheriting the Earth; the New Heavens and New Earth)

So... one who teaches others to break the law is called the least in the Kingdom. The one who teaches others to conform to God's commandments will be called great in the Kingdom.

If you believe this as you're presenting it, then I sure hope you're not eating shellfish nor wearing mixed materials in your clothing.