Amen Sister Dorine! Grace is more than a word, it is the power that transforms the character so we can give glory to God. This morning the Holy Spirit revealed the "crying" of the lambs at the temple. God wants us to see His grace. What did He choose to reveal His grace? Yes, there is much, but in the temple and its services, which were the most significant revelation of His character, other than His actions toward each of us, we find animals being killed. How gross! Who would want to kill an animal. I might if the lion attacked my child. But, God did not choose lions or bears to sacrifice. No, He chose innocent creatures that we might know His innocent Son. And, of all the sacrifices, Jesus is called the "Lamb of God." Yes, the innocent little lamb. Who would want to kill a sweet, innocent, little lamb?
What better way to illustrate grace. Sadly, this illustration of the sacrifices has not been presented very well by many religious teachers. Thus, we miss the important lesson of grace. It is not just in our day, but in the Bible record of the days in which Jesus walked in humanity, the chosen people had been so deceived that they knew not their Messiah had to die. Even John the Baptist who pointed to Jesus at the Jordan and cried "Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world" thought Jesus was to sit on an earthly throne. He did not know the Lamb had to die for our sins. Such a deception in that day, and so it is in our day. Many do not see the lesson of grace in the sacrificial system.
Let us read again from today's reading where we read that the animals were crying. "With the cries of the animals and the sharp chinking of coin was mingled the sound of angry altercation between traffickers, and among them were heard the voices of men in sacred office." How easy it is to pass over the statement about the cries of the animals. We know that the animals know what is going on in slaughter houses. That is one reason the blood was to be immediately drained from the animal slain. Else the blood is filled with dangerous chemicals due to the fear in the animals just be their death. This why strangled animals were forbidden food. So, how do you feel about hearing the cries of innocent lambs soon to be killed? How would that make you feel if you had to kill the lamb because of your sins? And what if you really understood that the blood of that animal represented the blood of God's innocent Son? Did Christ suffer before He died? He suffered the pain of the second death which will be by fire and for every sin of the unrepentant sinner. But His pain was the pain of every sinner who ever lives on this planet. And, He was innocent. He was indeed the innocent Son of God. How did the Jews look at the sacrifice of the lamb?
Jesus looked upon the innocent victims of sacrifice, and saw how the Jews had made these great convocations scenes of bloodshed and cruelty. In place of humble repentance of sin, they had multiplied the sacrifice of beasts, as if God could be honored by a heartless service. The priests and rulers had hardened their hearts through selfishness and avarice. The very symbols pointing to the Lamb of God they had made a means of getting gain. Thus in the eyes of the people the sacredness of the sacrificial service had been in a great measure destroyed. The indignation of Jesus was stirred; He knew that His blood, so soon to be shed for the sins of the world, would be as little appreciated by the priests and elders as was the blood of beasts which they kept incessantly flowing.
Jesus understood the meaning of the sacrifices. The day He first entered the temple, at age 12, He began to see the innocent lambs represented Himself. How did He react this second time He cleansed the temple? He warned the Jews of what was to come to those who continued in sin. He loved them and wanted them to come to repentance even though He knew the nation as a whole would not repent. He had inspired the prophets to the Jews to cease their meaningless sacrifices. He wanted obedience which could only come by recognizing God's grace revealed in the sacrifices.
Against these practices Christ had spoken through the prophets. Samuel had said, "Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams." And Isaiah, seeing in prophetic vision the apostasy of the Jews, addressed them as rulers of Sodom and Gomorrah: "Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah. To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto Me? saith the Lord: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he-goats.
This is how God felt about the abominations, the killing of the innocent animals. God cares when a sparrow falls to the ground. How much more the death of an innocent lamb! It would be well for each of us to spend a thoughtful hour a day contemplating the suffering of the Lamb of God, taking my place and being made sin that I might live. Seeing and understanding this grace is the power that transforms the carnal heart into the "new heart" God has promised to all.
It is a most practical time to share what we know about our God. Many are filled with fear as the silent killer stalks the entire world. Many today and tomorrow are celebrating Easter, the resurrection of Christ. What a time to tell the story of Jesus as it really is. Many are wanting the truth. Search high and low to find them, then how very much this story will be appreciated. Ask the Holy Spirit to lead you and to go before you. He will indeed answer that heartfelt prayer for the souls of others.