Old Levitical System

In the old Levitical system, sacrifices were made daily to make amends for the sins of the people. Once per year on the tenth day of the seventh month a special sacrifice was made. This day was called the Day of Atonement. The High Priest would wash himself in holy water, put on special clothing, and go into the Holy of Holies. He would use the blood of a bull to atone for his own personal sins and then the blood of a goat to atone for the sins of his people.

This was highly ineffective. The priest was sinful, the animal blood was not sufficient, and the sacrifices were unable to clear the conscience of the Israelites. When Jesus came everything changed. He willingly offered His perfect blood as an eternal sacrifice. Hebrews 9:14 beautifully states, “How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God”! Jesus offered a remedy for sin which cleansed the conscience, offered forgiveness, and never needed repetition. He accomplished what the works of the Levitical priests never could.