Have you ever found yourself in a place where you felt completely out of place? Maybe you’ve walked into an event and you were way underdressed, sat in a meeting where everyone else seemed to know what was going on, but you were clueless, or visited a culture where everything felt foreign. It’s that unsettling realization that you don’t belong—that you aren’t prepared to be where you are.
Now, imagine standing at the foot of Mount Sinai with the people of Israel. Just months ago, they had been slaves in Egypt. God had miraculously delivered them, split the Red Sea before them, and brought them into a covenant relationship with Himself. He had given them His Law and declared them His people. But there was a problem. Even though they had been rescued, they were still sinful. Their rebellion had already been on full display—turning to a golden calf while Moses was on the mountain, grumbling against God’s provision. They may have left Egypt, but Egypt had not yet left them.
And yet, God had come near. His presence descended on the tabernacle, the place where He would dwell among them. But at the end of Exodus, there’s this striking moment: Moses, the leader of Israel, cannot even enter the tent of meeting because of God’s holiness. And that leaves us with a question—one that isn’t just for Israel, but for all of us: How can sinful people dwell with a holy God?
That’s the question that Leviticus answers. If we’re honest, Leviticus is a book that many of us struggle to read. It’s full of sacrifices, purity laws, and rituals that can seem foreign. In fact, if you’ve ever started a Bible reading plan in January, you probably hit Leviticus around February ... and that’s where a lot of those plans come to die.
But at its core, this book is about something we desperately need to understand: God is holy, and we are not. And if we are ever to live in His presence, something has to be done about our sin.
The book of Leviticus is God’s answer to that dilemma. Through the sacrificial system, the role of the priests, and the call to holiness, God made a way for His people to be near Him. And yet, as we’ll see, every sacrifice, every offering, and every act of purification was ultimately pointing forward to something greater. Because the blood of bulls and goats could never take away sin. They were just a shadow; a picture of the perfect sacrifice to come.
And that’s where we’re going today. We’re beginning this series in Leviticus by looking at the sacrificial system and how it reveals The Price, The Picture, and The Perfection—the cost of our sin, the foreshadowing of redemption, and the ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ. Because in the end, Leviticus isn’t just about Israel. It’s about us. And here’s the core truth for us today: Jesus is the perfect sacrifice, securing redemption once and for all.
Leviticus opens with a problem that we cannot ignore—our sin separates us from God. The very first words of the book, "Then the Lord called to Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting …" (Leviticus 1:1), highlight the distance between sinful humanity and a holy God. God is inside the tent, but Moses, Israel’s leader, is on the outside. Something must be done if God's people are to dwell in His presence.
And so, immediately, God establishes the sacrificial system—a system that confronts Israel, and us, with the weight of sin. This is where Leviticus begins, not with pleasantries or suggestions, but with the unavoidable reality that sin has a cost. If sinful people are to approach a holy God, something—or rather, someone—must bear that cost.
That brings us to our first truth for today:
I. The Price of Our Sin (Leviticus 1:1-4; Hebrews 10:1-4)
Let’s begin in Leviticus 1:1-4:
Then the Lord called to Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting, saying, “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When any man of you brings an offering to the Lord, you shall bring your offering of animals from the herd or the flock. If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer it, a male without defect; he shall offer it at the doorway of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before the Lord. He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, that it may be accepted for him to make atonement on his behalf.’”
Now, let’s turn to the New Testament, to Hebrews 10:1-4:
For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have had consciousness of sins? But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year by year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
The sacrificial system of the Old Testament was not just a religious tradition—it was a divine declaration: sin demands payment. God’s holiness requires atonement, and that atonement is costly. The people of Israel were constantly confronted with a sobering reality: sin is not a small mistake or a bad habit. It is rebellion against the very nature and character of God, and it carries the highest price.
A. The Cost of Sin
From the very beginning, Scripture makes it clear that sin results in death. In the garden of Eden, when Adam and Eve disobeyed God, death entered the world (Genesis 2:17, Romans 5:12). But the first physical death recorded in Scripture was not their own—it was an innocent animal, slain by God to cover their shame (Genesis 3:21). From that moment forward, sacrifice became the means by which sin was atoned for.
Leviticus begins with the burnt offering (Leviticus 1), the foundational sacrifice that set the tone for the entire system. An unblemished animal was brought before the Lord, and the worshiper would lay his hands on its head—symbolizing the transfer of guilt. Then, in a deeply personal and graphic act, the animal was slaughtered, and its blood was drained at the altar. This was not a distant or impersonal ritual. The worshiper had to watch as the cost of sin was paid in blood.
Hebrews 9:22 makes this truth unmistakable: "Without shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness." Blood represented life (Leviticus 17:11), and sin demanded life in return. This truth is echoed in Romans 6:23: "The wages of sin is death..."
The people of Israel saw this reality unfold daily as the altar ran red with the price of their disobedience. But even with all these sacrifices, something was missing. Year after year, the blood of bulls and goats flowed, yet the problem of sin remained. The cost was being acknowledged, but the debt was never fully paid.
B. The Limits of the Law
Though the sacrificial system emphasized the seriousness of sin, it was never intended to be the final solution for sin. The Law could reveal sin, but it could never remove it (Romans 3:20).
Hebrews 10:1 makes this clear: “For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near.”
The very repetition of sacrifices proved their insufficiency. The Day of Atonement came every year. The burnt offerings were brought daily. The priests stood constantly at the altar. If these sacrifices had truly removed sin, why did they have to keep offering them?
Even the priests themselves were part of the problem. Hebrews 7:27 reminds us that they were sinners too—they had to offer sacrifices for their own sins before they could intercede for the people. No human priest, no earthly offering, could permanently solve the problem of sin.
The sacrifices were never the final answer. They were a shadow, pointing to something—or rather, someone—greater. They exposed the need for a better priest, a perfect sacrifice, and a final atonement.
The sacrificial system was never meant to be the end—it was a picture. Every lamb, every drop of blood, every burnt offering pointed forward to something far greater. The Old Testament sacrifices were a shadow of what was to come, a temporary covering that anticipated the full and final atonement.
And that leads us to our next truth. We’ve seen The Price of Our Sin, now let’s look at:
II. The Picture of Redemption (Leviticus 1-7; Hebrews 9:22-26)
In this we see the grace of God; how He provided a way for sinners to be restored. The sacrificial system was never meant to be the final solution. It was a picture, a preview, a foreshadowing of something much greater.
A. A Foreshadow of the Savior
Every sacrifice in Leviticus pointed forward to Jesus. Each offering revealed a different aspect of His work. In the first 7 chapters of Leviticus we find 5 different types of offerings:
The Burnt Offering (Leviticus 1) was a total surrender—completely consumed on the altar. It represented complete devotion to God. Jesus fulfilled this when He willingly laid down His life in perfect obedience (Hebrews 10:5-7).
The Grain Offering (Leviticus 2) was an offering of flour, oil, and frankincense—no blood, no atonement—just an act of worship. It symbolized a life fully given to God. Jesus lived the only truly sinless, perfect life, offering Himself fully (Hebrews 2:14).
The Peace Offering (Leviticus 3) was about fellowship—about reconciliation with God. What does Romans 5:1 tell us? "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Jesus is our peace offering!
The Sin Offering (Leviticus 4–5) was for unintentional sins—sins committed in ignorance. It reminds us that sin isn't just about what we knowingly do wrong. We sin even when we don’t realize it! Jesus became the sin offering, bearing our guilt on the cross (2 Corinthians 5:21).
The Guilt Offering (Leviticus 5–6) was about restitution, about making things right. Sin creates a debt, and that debt has to be paid. Isaiah 53:10 tells us that Jesus was the guilt offering, fully satisfying the justice of God.
All of these sacrifices, all of these offerings, described for us in the first seven chapters of Leviticus were foreshadowing the one perfect sacrifice that was to come. Year after year, the people of Israel brought their offerings, but none of them could remove sin. They were merely placeholders—reminders that something greater was coming.
B. The Purpose Behind the Law
Why did God command all of this? Was He just giving them busywork? Was it just about religious ritual? No—the entire system was designed to prepare them for the coming of Christ.
The Apostle Paul tells us in Colossians 2:16-17 that “... these things are a mere shadow of what is to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.” Everything about the tabernacle, the priesthood, the sacrifices—it all pointed to Jesus.
Hebrews 9:24-26 makes it plain: Christ did not enter an earthly temple; He entered the true, heavenly one. He did not bring the blood of bulls and goats; He offered Himself. And unlike the sacrifices that had to be offered year after year, His sacrifice was once for all—a final, perfect atonement.
The sacrificial system was never about the animals. It was about pointing people to their need for a greater sacrifice. The blood of bulls and goats could never take away sin—but the blood of Jesus could.
We’ve seen The Price of Our Sin—that sin demands a payment. We’ve seen The Picture of Redemption—that every sacrifice pointed forward to something greater. Now we come to the culmination of it all …
III. The Perfection of Christ’s Sacrifice (Hebrews 10:5-14)
Let’s look again at the Book of Hebrews chapter 10. Beginning at verse 5 we read:
Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says,
“Sacrifice and offering You have not desired,
But a body You have prepared for Me;
In whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You have taken no pleasure.
“Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come
(In the scroll of the book it is written of Me)
To do Your will, O God.’”
After saying above, “Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You have not desired, nor have You taken pleasure in them” (which are offered according to the Law), then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will.” He takes away the first in order to establish the second. By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time onward until His enemies be made a footstool for His feet. For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.
Jesus didn’t come to continue the old system; nor did He come to abolish it. He came to fulfill it. His death on the cross was not just another sacrifice added to the pile. It was the sacrifice that made all others obsolete. In Him, the entire purpose of the sacrificial system reached its fulfillment.
A. Once for All
The sacrifices of the Old Testament were never-ending. Day after day, year after year, the priests stood at the altar, offering animals that could never truly take away sin. But then Jesus came.
Look again at Hebrews 10:10: "By this will, we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."
Did you catch that? Once. For all. No more animals. No more altars. No more sacrifices.
The contrast in Hebrews 10:11-12 is striking: "Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God."
Do you see the difference? The priests stood—because their work was never done. Jesus sat down—because His work was finished. The cross was not a temporary fix; it was the final solution.
That means we don’t have to keep trying to earn God’s favor. We don’t have to add to what Jesus has already done. His sacrifice is complete. It’s not Jesus plus our good works. Not Jesus plus religious rituals. Not Jesus plus legalism. It is Jesus alone. Paul makes this clear in Galatians 2:21: "If righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly."
If we could make ourselves right with God through our own efforts, then why did Jesus have to die? The answer is—we can’t. Only Christ’s perfect sacrifice can cleanse us, and praise God, it was offered once for all.
B. The Sacrificial Savior
But here’s what makes Jesus’ sacrifice different from all the others: He was not only the offering—He was also the High Priest who made the offering.
Hebrews 9:11-12 explains: "But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things having come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made by hands, that is, not of this creation; and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all time, having obtained eternal redemption."
Under the old system, priests would take the blood of an animal and present it before God. But Jesus, our great High Priest, brought His own blood. The sacrifice wasn’t a lamb or a goat—it was Himself. Christ is our Sacrificial Savior!
That’s why John the Baptist declared in John 1:29, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”
That’s why Peter tells us in 1 Peter 1:18-19: "You were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ."
And here’s the proof that His sacrifice was accepted—the resurrection. If Jesus had stayed in the tomb, then His death would have been no different from any other. But He rose again, proving that the payment was complete!
And now? He intercedes for us as our High Priest. Hebrews 7:25 says: "He is also able to save forever those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them."
Right now, at this very moment, Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father, speaking on our behalf. His work on the cross was once for all, but His ministry as our High Priest continues—forever.
So what does this all mean?
It means that Jesus is the perfect sacrifice, securing redemption once and for all.
It means we no longer have to rely on temporary solutions. The price of sin has been paid. The picture of redemption has been fulfilled. The perfect sacrifice has been offered.
And now, the only question left is—have you received it? Has this sacrifice been applied to your life? Have you trusted in the finished work of Christ?
Because there is no other way. The blood of animals could never take away sin. Our own efforts will never be enough. But Jesus? He is enough. Once for all.
