Hebrews 2:17 –
Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people.
This ties in yesterday’s discussion on how Jesus and God are one in the same. This answers the question of why God needed to do this. The system God set up for absolution of sin was performed through a High Priest; therefore Jesus needed to assume the role of High Priest in order to resolve the sins of this world. In today’s society we are so far removed from the “blood sacrifice” that Jesus’ death does not have the same meaning.
No today our idea of sin is so clouded by people who have justified evil for so long that some are even considered “righteous” these days. And with many there are questions if we need to be absolved of our transgressions, especially if we don’t get caught! The days of raising a perfect lamb to sacrifice for our sins are long gone. Sure they remain in some cultures, but in most “western” societies this practice has long past.
The reason for this is primarily Christianity’s spread throughout the world. Most of “western” civilization has adopted “Christianity” in one way or another and no longer perform sacrifices for sins. Some could say capital punishment is human sacrifices for crimes, but that is actually punishment for a crime and not resolving the sin gap between us and God. So how do we understand the significance of Jesus’ sacrifice and what is represented to the Jewish people of that time? Read the Old Testament, where it becomes very clear the significance of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. Then you will see how important that was for us today!