Jesus, Our Scapegoat

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A Prayer Of Offering

When my kids were infants, I prayed the hardest prayer I have ever prayed. I had talked with some ladies from church and they told me about how they had prayed for their babies. They said children are a gift from God and, as we should do with all gifts, we must offer them back to Him.

I remember holding each one of them tightly and prayed, “Thank you Lord for this precious gift. Thank you for choosing me to be their mom. I know You love them more than I can even imagine. I offer him/her back to you. They are your precious child. Guide them and direct them and use them to bring glory to your kingdom.”

Everything in me wanted to say, “Thank you God, for this gift, but I am going to keep them to myself.” I knew by praying this prayer, I was releasing them. God could take them and use them in any way He chooses. I remember looking into their eyes and wondering, could I let this baby go to share your love in a persecuted country? Can I let them go to war if you called them to serve in the military, or can I simply let go of all control in place for Yours?

As hard as it was, I prayed the prayer over each one of them and it was so difficult to not say nevermind. But what better place can a child be than in the arms of God. All three are now young adults and serve God in unique ways.

Abraham And Isaac

As a parent, I cannot help but to put myself in the story of Abraham and Isaac, as Abraham. God had blessed him with the one thing His heart desired and now asked him to give him back. Can you imagine the jarring stab to Abraham’s heart when Isaac asks, “But where is the sheep for the burnt offering?” (Gen 22:7 NLT)

The emotions Abraham must have experienced as he and Isaac approached the place God designated for the sacrifice must have been overwhelming.

God Intervenes

Abraham built the altar, laid the wood on it, and even tied Isaac to it. My momma’s heart goes out to Abraham. You can feel the tension rising as you approach this part of the story. Then this is where God intervenes.

“At that moment, the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, ‘Abraham! Abraham!’ ‘Yes,’ Abraham replied. ‘Here I am!’ ‘Don’t lay a hand on the boy!’ the angel said. ‘Do not hurt him in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from me even your son, your only son.’”

Genesis 22:11-12 NLT

Can you imagine the relief that must have washed over Abraham in that moment?

“Then Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in a thicket. So he took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering in place of his son. Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which means ‘the Lord will provide’). To this day, people still use that name as a proverb: ‘On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.’”

Genesis 22:13-14 NLT

God Provides A Scapegoat

This is where the term scapegoat comes from. God provided the goat or ram to be sacrificed in place of Isaac. In Leviticus, we read more about how scapegoats were used in place of the people’s sins. You can read that here.

Want to learn a little more about scapegoats? This is a great article.

Jesus, Our Scapegoat

The story of Abraham and Isaac is one of our first pictures of Jesus and what He would come to do for us. Just as God provided the ram that day to take the place of Isaac, God sent Jesus to take the place for us. Jesus went to the cross prepared for us to take on all sin. He died so that we could be pure.

Just as God provided the ram to take the place of Isaac, God sent Jesus to take the place for us. Click To Tweet

“So Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come. He has entered that greater, more perfect Tabernacle in heaven, which was not made by human hands and is not part of this created world. With his own blood—not the blood of goats and calves—he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever. Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer could cleanse people’s bodies from ceremonial impurity. Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins.”

Hebrews 9:11-14 NLT

I am so thankful to live in this time. A time where Jesus has already come and paid for my sins with His blood. Comparing what had to be done for our sins in the old testament versus what Jesus did for us in the new, I cannot help but to be eternally grateful.

Prayer Of Salvation

If you have never accepted Jesus as your Savior for coming and dieing on the cross for your sins, I want to invite you to do that today. All you have to do is pray this prayer.

“Lord, thank you that you came to earth to live as a man and experienced everything I have experienced. I am thankful you went to the cross and died for my sins. Thank you, that you went into the grave for three days and rose again and now sit at the right hand of God. Thank you, that you did all of this for me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

If this is your first time to pray this prayer, I would love to hear from you and celebrate with you. Just contact me here. If you have known Jesus for a while, I celebrate with you too that you know the priceless love that only Christ can offer.

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