April 15: MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION

. . . the day of death [better] than the day of one’s birth. Ecclesiastes 7:1

In the sacrificial system that the LORD established in Genesis 3, the death of an innocent animal portrayed the promised Savior to come. It is a painfully graphic illustration of substitutionary death for the repentant sinner. God’s plan to provide hope for our eternal future was set firmly into place, right beside the announcement of the death sentence for Adam and Eve—a death which spread to all people, because all sinned (Romans 5:12). Here, the great lesson of the inextricable connection between sin and death was graciously provided, if only we will learn it!

When Jesus supernaturally bore the entire weight of the world’s load of sin and guilt upon Himself, He became the promised fulfillment of that which was symbolized by the lamb. Before the Messiah was born into our world, the sinner brought a lamb and he confessed his sin while “pressing” it onto the lamb’s head, symbolically transferring his sin onto the lamb (think of the crown of thorns, so cruelly pressed onto the head of our Savior). This was immediately followed by the heartbreaking act of killing the lamb. Thus, the first step of reconciliation is illustrated for us. It is a “picture” of owning up to and confessing sin before God, while exercising faith in the substitutionary death of the sinless One. It matters not if one’s life was lived before or after Jesus came to earth. The faith that looked forward to His first coming is the same faith that looks back on it. Reconciliation with God has been available to every generation.

The first article of furniture in the courtyard of the earthly tabernacle was the altar of sacrifice. This outer courtyard is representative of our fallen world. By faith, we can each go there and behold, with thanksgiving, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. (John 1:29) Jesus came to die in the fallen world. This is your first stop as you journey through the sanctuary in your mind’s eye. The death of the Lamb of God accomplishes justification, giving you a clean slate, as it were.

Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:18-21