A Perfect Sacrifice

Leviticus 22:17-21

In the Law, God gave the Jews strict rules about sacrificial animals. Each was to be without defect, or He wouldn't accept it--in fact, when the Israelites offered blind, lame, and sick animals, the Lord angrily called them to account (Mal. 1:8). The early system of spilling blood to cover sin foreshadowed the Father's ultimate redemption plan: He gave His Son to die in the place of corrupt men and women (John 3:16).

To be acceptable, the final sacrifice had to be perfect too. The Father's plan required that a man be sacrificed; however, only a member of the Trinity could remain sinless in life on earth. The other dilemma was that a being is either divine or not--divinity could not be bestowed on a child after birth. That is, the sacrificial Lamb had to be both God and man from the moment of conception (John 1:29). So Jesus was conceived of the Holy Spirit, since His earthly father could not be human.

The virgin conception and birth preserved Jesus' divine nature. His shift from heaven to the womb happened in an instant and was done without human intervention. Therefore, unlike every child born of a woman and a man, Jesus was not corrupted by Adam's sin.

Jesus was the perfect Lamb, unblemished in every way. Therefore, God accepted Christ's sacrifice. The way we lay claim to the offering made on our behalf is by trusting in Him.. Denying that Mary was a virgin is not an option for believers. Our salvation depends upon Jesus' flawless nature because, as God made clear to the Israelites, only a perfect sacrifice will do.