What is the significance of the death of Jesus? As Bible believers, we see that Scripture says that he was sacrificed for us, and that his shed blood covers our sins. But what else should we know about this historical event at Golgotha? It amazes me that even though I grew up in church, there is always more that we can learn about the focal point of Scripture. There are so many fascinating details about the crucifixion that are packed with meaning!
Here are a few things that all believers should know about the Messiah's death:
-It was foretold in the Old Testament. Did you know that there are many prophecies about the death of the Messiah? Passages like Isaiah 53, many Psalms, and Zechariah 12:10 described details of the Savior's death hundreds of years before it happened!
-The Passover story in Exodus was a shadow of the work of the Messiah. In Exodus 12 God told Moses to have every Israelite household slaughter a lamb and brush its blood around the entrance to their homes. The people who followed this instruction were kept safe from the plague of the death of the firstborn. This is why the Messiah is later referred to as the lamb who was slain for our sins, and fits with the New Testament's descriptions of his blood being a covering for our sins.
-The Messiah was put to death on the Biblical holiday of Passover. Amazingly, the true Passover lamb was actually crucified on the day of Passover! Like the Passover lamb, none of his bones were broken. He rose from the grave during the week of Unleavened Bread, on the holiday of First Fruits.
-The Messiah's death was a fulfillment of the shadow of animal sacrifice, particularly the red heifer sacrifice of the Levitical priesthood. Priests used to sacrifice animals to serve as a temporary covering for the sins of the people, and the animals needed to be without blemish. The temple service was an analogy that foreshadowed the work that the Messiah would come to do!
-Caiaphas disqualified himself from his high priest duties. Matthew 26:65 tells us that Caiaphas tore his robes when he accused the Messiah of committing blasphemy. This action meant he was disqualified from serving in the role of high priest, as Leviticus 21:10 tells us that a high priest must not tear his robes. Because of this, there was no high priest that year to officiate the regular sacrifice of a lamb. The only high priest that year was the Messiah himself!
-The covenant with Abraham pointed to the death of the Messiah. Many people believe the cross was some sort of a 'plan B' but YHWH was not surprised by the need for this. All the way back in Genesis 15, the Living God made a covenant with Abraham that indicated that He - YHWH himself - would be the one to die if Abraham or his descendants broke their part of the agreement. If you've ever wondered why Abraham was in a trance during this process, that was YHWH taking full responsibility for the covenant. Isn't that beautiful?
-The Messiah's phrase, "It is finished," has several different meanings. It's not just about the crucifixion being done, we can also understand it to mean he was saying that the system of animal sacrifice as a sin covering had been completed. Many speculate that Levitical priests would have said, "It is finished," at the end of a sacrifice, and take this as another indicator that the Messiah was officiating as high priest. Most significantly, it can also mean that things are restored! I believe part of what Jesus meant when he said that was that now the lost tribes could be restored to the covenant, as well as all individuals having an available means to restoration and relationship with the Living God.
Related posts:
What are the Differences Between Passover and Easter?
The Beginner's Guide to Passover
Five Things Every Believer Should Know about Easter
