The Blame: Ugliness

The death of Jesus was a bloody, gruesome, gore of an experience. It was not meant to be pleasant. Isaiah’s prophecies, predict that the suffering servant would come 680 years prior to Jesus birth. The coming savior has no attraction that people might think he would save them from their sins…Jesus was born in a simple stable, with common folk parents. He did not belong to any rabbi school and he did not have any political associations. Jesus was unattached and had nothing to call his own. Jesus is the suffering servant that is declared rejected and unattractive.

Sin is our “not right” nature in life. It is that which separates us from God. Sin is the ugliest part of who you are. Sacrifice is not attractive and unpleasant. Blood is an unpleasant subject to many because it brings to mind suffering and death. Curiously, the Bible is a book literally filled with blood. On 362 occasions the Old Testament speaks of blood, most often referring to sacrifices and death by violence. The New Testament also speaks of blood 92 times, most commonly in reference to violent death. Much of the Bible’s teaching about blood is in relation to the hundreds of appearances of related issues such as the Temple, priesthood, fire, and smoke.

The shedding of blood and animal sacrifice likely began with God, after the sin of our first parents, Adam and Eve, as God covered their nakedness and shame with the skin of an animal (Genesis 3:21). Other sacrifices were offered by Abel, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Job (Gen. 4:1-5; 8:20; 22:3, 13; 26:25; 33:20; 35:7; Job 1:5). Perhaps the most insightful sacrifice was done by Abraham in place of Isaac, where it was promised that one day, through Jesus, God would provide the ultimate sacrifice (Gen. 22:14).

Blood was again shed in Exodus at the Passover (Ex. 12:1-30), which was commemorated each year with the Feast of Passover. The process of animal sacrifice was an incredibly personal confession of sin. First, an unblemished animal was chosen, symbolizing perfection. Second, the worshipper would draw near the animal that was to be substituted in place of the worshipper. Third, the worshipper would lay hands on the animal to identify with it, confessing their sins in repentance over the animal. Fourth, the animal was then killed and its blood shed as the penalty for sin.

Nonetheless, the Old Testament practice of sacrificial atonement was declared by God to be insufficient for the remission of sin (Psalm 40:6; 51:16; Hosea 6:6; Micah 6:6-8; Hebrews 10:4). This is because those sacrifices were only preparatory in anticipation of the death of Jesus (Jeremiah 31:34b; Heb. 8:3-13). Blood sacrifice was unpleasant, unattractive, undesirable, and messy. It was shameful and filled with blame.

Isaiah 53:3 states: “He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.”

Sin is ugly and it brings a shame that separates us from God. The Blame is unattractive.

You know I love ya, Don