23 January 2021

For if the blood of goats and bulls, with the sprinkling of the ashes of a heifer, sanctifies those who have been defiled so that their flesh is purified, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to worship the living God!
Hebrews 9:2-3, 11-14, NRSV.

In today’s reading, the author makes a contrast between the sacrifices of the Old Law and that of the New Covenant. Under the Old Law, the letting of blood by sacrificing animals was highly symbolic of life and cleansing. The sacrifices offered by the Jewish High Priests were the means by which the people could be outwardly or ritually purified. The writer tells us that Christ’s sacrificial offering of his blood brings greater redemption. Christ’s sacrifice was “once and for all” whereas the sacrifices made by the High Priests had to be repeated. The blood shed by Christ does not just cleanse us outwardly but renews our inner selves too. Christ’s sacrifice leaves us free to serve God without a troubled conscience

• • Why did Christ need to be sacrificed? 
  • Does sacrifice still have a meaning in living our faith?

Reflect on the meaning of Christ’s sacrifice for you and pray for release from any “dead works” that might trouble your conscience.