KJV Hebrews 9:14: “Christ … offered Himself without spot to God.”
NASB Hebrews 9:14: “Christ … offered Himself without blemish to God.”
The Levitical Offerings provide a wealth of truth as well as material for worship. In the sacrifices of the Old Testament, God was giving us pictures of insights into Calvary. Most of our attention and teaching, and rightly so, center on the five offerings and the different aspects of the work of Christ that they present to us. But there is another aspect worthy of our consideration.
Sacrifice was legislated by the law of God. Though some sacrifices were voluntary, the majority were required by the law. But whether voluntary or obligatory, every sacrifice had one thing in common: it was an admission, a confession by the offeror that he lacked something. He may not have realized the confession he was making as Israel descended into ritual without an appreciation of the deeper meaning. But whether consciously or unaware of his act, each offering was deficient.
In the burnt and meal offerings, he was owning and acknowledging his inability to be as devoted to His God and to the love of his neighbour as the law demanded.
In the peace offering, he had to bring sacrifices that became the ground of fellowship with God because that basis did not reside in himself. Sin had reduced humanity to be haters of God and of one another (Titus 3:3). Peace was a commodity totally foreign to our hearts.
In the sin and trespass offerings, the confession of his guilt and inability to keep the law was obvious for all to see. As he approached the altar, every eye viewed a man who had transgressed the law of God in some particular point. There was no ability to hide his failure.
There was only one Man Who made an offering that did not reflect on what He lacked. Our verse reminds us that in the unique sacrifice of the Lord Jesus, both the offeror and the offering were perfect in every way. He was without spot. He did not come short in love for His God. “That the world might know that I love the Father.” He was not deficient in loving His neighbour.
He kept the law and magnified it. He fulfilled it to the very last jot and tittle. His offering of Himself was not for any sins of His own. As He approached the “altar” of Calvary, He was marked by perfect devotion and love to His Father and could be characterized by Peter as a “Lamb without blemish and without spot.”
We join with the confessions made at the cross: “This Man hath done nothing amiss.” And again, “Certainly, this was a righteous Man.”
In the case of the Israelite, his offering gave him acceptance before God. In contrast, in the offering of the Lord Jesus, it was His person who gave value to the sacrifice and gave us acceptance before God.
Consider:
Can you think of other contrasts between the Lord Jesus and the Israelite as he offered his sacrifice?