The altar was central to the Old Testament. The altar was the main channel of communication between the people and God. It was the place where the people brought sacrifices to God. It was the place where blood had to flow for the people’s sin.

The altar and the animals sacrificed on it were people’s only salvation. If people didn’t visit the priests regularly, bringing their animals to be sacrificed, they were on their way to eternal death. As simple as that.

People saw the altar as a lifebuoy. Something that would save them from drowning. Here they had the opportunity to get rid of the baggage of sin. The altar gave them hope that they would be acceptable to God. That’s what they hoped would happen.

But they were still uncertain whether the animals and the blood that flowed would be enough. They never knew whether they had made it or not. They could never make the sacrifices themselves and had to depend on other people to bring about their salvation for them.

Well, I don’t know if I would like to leave such a huge moment in my life in the hands of another person.

Fortunately, Jesus upset the applecart and took the hard work to get rid of our sin on Him. Jesus introduced a new way of doing things, a way that was so much better and more full proof than the old one.

¹⁰The altar from which God gives us the gift of himself is not for exploitation by insiders who grab and loot.

The new way works completely differently. Jesus built a new altar and one would think that the cross on which Jesus died was the new altar. But actually, Jesus Himself is the altar and the sacrifice. If the cross had been the altar, most probably the sacrifices would have had to be repeated like in the old times.

But because Jesus is the altar and the One who had to be sacrificed, it was enough, more than enough, so that it would never have to be repeated. Because it was Jesus’ blood, it was enough to pay for all the punishment that we actually deserved.

I wonder whether we always realise exactly what Jesus had done for us to do everything differently and new? I suspect that if we truly realised what Jesus had done by becoming the altar Himself, and in so doing had completely taken away the uncertainty whether we would achieve eternal life, we would live differently.

Many people don’t understand this. Many people don’t choose it. Many people don’t live it. Many people rebel against it and hide their despair, because where are they going then?

Let’s do it differently. May we believe in the Altar and know for sure that it’s more than enough. May we know that Jesus’ blood was enough for our sin to be forgiven. Let us go and live our New Altar’s life and death in the world.

Scripture
Hebrews 13:9-16

Reflection
Do you believe in the New Altar?
Does your life show it?
How can you make it more visible in the world?

Prayer
Father, thank you for the New Altar. Thank you that Jesus upset the applecart so that we no longer have to sacrifice animals. Thank you that Jesus’ death was enough for my sin and that I can know for sure that I am going to You when my days on earth come to an end. In Jesus’ Name, amen.