Sacrifice

“Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise, the fruit of lips that confess his name.” (Hebrews 13:15)

So, this week we will gather with family and friends, offer a prayer of Thanksgiving, and dive into a delicious meal of roast turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing – plus all the trimmings.  We will then complete the feast with some sort of pie, cake, or whatever other sweet concoctions everyone claims to be their favorite.  Perhaps we might even begin a discussion about what we are grateful for.  After stuffing ourselves as much as we do the turkey; the women will clean up the kitchen, the men will take a nap, and the children will run through the house playing.  And of course, we will all laugh at some of the funny antics that have tickled our fancy this year.

The verse I chose to focus on for this Thanksgiving week’s blog is found in the book of Hebrews to remind us at this time of year that praise is a “sacrifice”.  Israel’s sacrificial system is pretty much foreign to our culture.  Offerings usually consisted of grains and animals, burnt on an altar.  Once consumed, the offering was complete.  These offerings began in the days of Noah when he built an altar to the Lord and offered up clean animals and birds. (Genesis 8:20).  Then these offerings continued through the period of the Tabernacle and Temples.

The word “sacrifice” however, takes on an entirely new meaning in the New Testament.  Mainly because Jesus Christ was the ultimate sacrifice for our sin.  “He has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” (Hebrews 9:26) But then we are also reminded in Romans 12:1 that we are to, “offer our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God.”  A sacrifice is what is given up to God in totality, through a relationship with Christ.  It is the sacrifice of laying all that we are on his altar. 

So, something to think about this Thanksgiving week.  Are we trying to get by in our spiritual journey with Christ by throwing up an offering or two each day.  Something we think will appease him, yet not cost us too much.  Or are we giving Christ the sacrifice he requires – the continual sacrifice of our life, our whole being, to his service and his will?  As you enjoy your Thanksgiving this week, think about what sacrifice really means to us – and to Jesus.

         And enjoy your Thanksgiving!

                                                                           Darlene