I don't know if anyone has ever felt confused about The OT yearly sacrifices (animal) and The NT one time sacrifice (Jesus). I had a hard time understanding that it could be just a one time deal sacrifice.
I wanted to share with people what the Holy Spirit had revield to me about this. I think I now have an understanding but if someone wants to correct me on this finding....Please do so!

Why were animals a yearly sacrifice and not a one time deal?:
Animals were never mediators for us to God. For they were not entended to sit at the right hand of God.

Jesus, the perfect LAMB OF GOD, who was sinless, blameless and perfect. He was the Living Word of God. He was God in human form who came down to walk the earth with us. To live as we lived, to suffer as we suffer. He took our sins upon His body and shed His blood for us. He conquered death for us by giving us life. Jesus is our mediator between us and our Heavely Father. He had earned the position of sitting at the right hand of God. For that is how God glorified Jesus. And Jesus glorified God by taking our place--it was by Jesus's obedience that God glorified Him.

Father in Heaven,
I am so very thankful for the grace that you have given me and continue to give me--even when I know I am not worthy of your grace. But is was by the Blood of Jesus and the Love of Jesus that made me worthy.

No matter what--no one or nothing can take away your love for me.

I am soooo grateful that Jesus is sitting at your right hand. For when I do sin, I know He is there defending me to you. He paid the price one time for all time!

Jesus, I cannot ever thank you enough for the love you have always given me. Your outstretched arms are proof of your love and that you will always keep me safe in your loving arms.

Father, I PRAISE YOU, I PRAISE YOU, AND AGAIN, I PRAISE YOU WITH ALL MY HEART!

It is in the name of JESUS that I pray, AMEN!

Jane;
Thanks for your post. I understand why Jesus was our sacrifice but the part I have trouble with is Why for me? I'm so undeserving. Lately I've been feeling so out of reach, alot has been happening and it feels like too much at times and I have not wanted to talk to God about it that's for sure. When I have these times I wonder what it will take to bring me back to God and then I have to remember something already has and it was all I will ever need.

I understand why the world has such a hard time beleiving in Christ, it's unfathomable that knowing man he still would trully endure so much to bear our sins. Unfathomable for another man but not for God.

Yesterday was mothers day and it was 19 years ago on Mothers Day (The mothers day after my son turned 1) that I started coming to church and I professed Jesus as my Savior soon after but I still don't feel like I've wholly committed my life to Christ. I've been living in that one verse, Lord I beleive, forgive my unbelief.

Thanks again for your post.
Suzanne

Suzanne,
Why for me? Because God created you, and you are his child. He loves you more than YOU will EVER know. And yes, I also have troubles and problems in my life also. I believe with all my heart that God WILL see me through. For it is through these times that I call on God through his Word and Prayer. My relationship with God becomes closer the more I open my Bible and bowing my head in Prayer. And YES--my knees hurt, but rather that, than have a hurting heart.

I have been attending church now for 9 1/2 years. My years have been a struggle with God. I did accept Jesus as my Lord and Saviour and surely enough Satan has been having his tests with me. It took me a great while (about 7 yrs.) to fully commit to God. I had been having an on and off relationship with Him. It wasn't working. I finally (humbly) committed myself to God and surrendered all to him. This was and is not an easy path to walk. But it is the right path. I still have a lot of growing in the Lord to do (remember I said it was not easy), but I face God even when I'm not in the mood, still even more, when I do sin. God (thankfully) is always forgiving and let's me come running into His arms.

Just so you know, these I face everyday, and everyday I thank God for them, because it is these that keep my relationship with my Father in Heaven strong:
*An unbelieving husband.
*A child afflicted with Autism. (12 yrs. old)
*Another strong and willful child (6 yrs. old)
*financial problems. (struggles)

I have faith (don't get me wrong, Satan tries very hard to put doubts in my mind) that God will fight these battles for me. I just need to keep out of the way and rely and trust in Him.
I draw my strength from God -- for it is His strength and love that I need.

I just have to TRUST that WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE!

Blessings,
Jane

Each time an animal was sacrificed, God applied that sacrifice to us in His mind and let us off the hook so to speak for trangressions.
With Christ, there was only one of Him so He died once for us and not only did God credit His death to us but we actually become partakers of the divine nature. I think that is amazing.
The animals death did not give us access to the nature of God thus changing us.
The death of our Christ actually gives us access to the divine nature so we have actual hope of change.

On a recent business trip to Seattle I was reading a book about Johnny Cash. In one chapter it talked about a picture, I think it was an album cover that showed Cash with 2 dogs. One was a black dog with a white spot and one was a white dog with a black spot. He said (paraphrasing and trying to use my memory here) that for the longest time he was the black dog, seemingly doing all the bad and evil a man could do but God saw that white spot, that glimmer of good and he didn't give up on him. Now (at the time of the interview) Johnny said he finally became the white dog with the black spot. There is still that imperfection, that capability and sometimes desire to do bad but God has cleansed him and turned him into that white dog. No longer consumed with doing bad, although at times the desire was still there. He was now changed. Okay this doesn't have anything to do with animal sacrifice but in rereading this it reminded me of that story. I have a hard time imagining that if God loves us so much as to sacrifice his son for us, that an animal would have ever been enough in the first place. I know that's not biblical but one animal a year just wouldnt' have been enough for my sins that's for sure. Jesus changed things, I've heard the saying a dog can't change it's spots, but in Johnny Cash's story, it can change it's spots and a whole lot more.