A question on God's Sacrifice

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Flavius_Aetius

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Hello, I was wondering about why was it nessisary for Jesus to Sacrifice himself on the Cross. Did the Old Covenent no longer work for the forgiveness of sins, or was the Sacrifice so that Gentiles and other non-Jewish people could recieve Salvation?

In the Apostles (?) Creed that we read at my parish I recall the line. “For our Sake and for Our Salvation…” Which made me wonder, was their no Salvation for the Jewish people in the Old Testament who attempted to honor the Old Covenent except for the prophets?
 
Hi Flavious,

Your question is the main subject of the Letter to the Hebrews. I urge you to read it.

Here is a typical passage :
Chapter 10
1 Since the law has only a shadow of the good things to come,
and not the very image of them,

it can never make perfect those who come to worship by the same sacrifices that they offer continually each year.

2 Otherwise, would not the sacrifices have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, once cleansed, would no longer have had any consciousness of sins?

3 But in those sacrifices there is only a yearly remembrance of sins,

4 for it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats take away sins.

5 For this reason, when he came into the world, he said: "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me;

6 holocausts and sin offerings you took no delight in.

7 Then I said, ‘As is written of me in the scroll, Behold, I come to do your will, O God.’"

8 First he says, “Sacrifices and offerings, holocausts and sin offerings, you neither desired nor delighted in.”
These are offered according to the law.

9 Then he says, “Behold, I come to do your will.”
He takes away the first to establish the second.

10 By this “will,” we have been consecrated through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

11 Every priest stands daily at his ministry,
offering frequently those same sacrifices that can never take away sins.

12 But this one offered one sacrifice for sins, and took his seat forever at the right hand of God;

13 now he waits until his enemies are made his footstool.

14 For by one offering he has made perfect forever those who are being consecrated.

15 The holy Spirit also testifies to us, for after saying:

16 “This is the covenant I will establish with them after those days, says the Lord:
‘I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them upon their minds,’”

17 he also says: “Their sins and their evildoing I will remember no more.”

18 Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer offering for sin.
New American Bible
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
3211 4th Street, N.E., Washington, DC 20017-1194 (202) 541-3000November 11, 2002 Copyright © by United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

Verbum
 
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