Sacrifice: Offering to God for Atonement and Worship

“Indeed, the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life” (Leviticus 17:11).

Sacrifice—the offering of a gift, often an animal or grain, to God—stands at the heart of ancient worship across the Abrahamic traditions. From Abel’s firstborn lamb to Abraham’s ram on Mount Moriah, from the daily offerings in Jerusalem’s Temple to the Passover lambs slain at twilight, from Christ’s death on Calvary to the animals sacrificed during Hajj, the act of sacrifice has expressed devotion, sought forgiveness, established covenant, and dramatized the costliness of sin and the graciousness of atonement. Sacrifice declares that approaching a holy God requires a gift, that sin demands a price, that reconciliation costs blood. For Judaism, the sacrificial system prescribed in Torah defined worship until the Temple’s destruction in 70 CE. For Christianity, all sacrifices find their fulfillment in Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. For Islam, the sacrifice of Eid al-Adha commemorates Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son and embodies submission to Allah. Across traditions, sacrifice transforms the profane into the sacred, the common into the holy, the guilty into the forgiven—pointing always to the truth that the greatest gift we can offer God is ourselves.

Biblical Foundations of Sacrifice

The First Sacrifice: Cain and Abel (Genesis 4)

“In the course of time Cain brought to the LORD an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard” (Genesis 4:3-5).

First Recorded Sacrifice:

• Abel offers the firstborn of his flock—the best, most costly
• Cain offers produce from the ground—unspecified quality
• God accepts Abel’s sacrifice, rejects Cain’s

Why the Difference?

• Quality: Abel gave the best (firstborn, fat portions); Cain’s offering’s quality is unmentioned
• Heart: Hebrews 11:4 says Abel offered in faith; Cain’s heart was not right
• Type: Some argue blood sacrifice (Abel’s animal) is superior to grain offering (Cain’s produce), foreshadowing atonement’s need for blood

Lesson: Sacrifice must be costly, from the heart, the best we have to offer.

Noah’s Altar (Genesis 8:20)

After the flood, Noah builds an altar and offers burnt offerings:

“Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and took some of every clean animal and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar.”

God responds with the covenant never to destroy the earth again by flood. Sacrifice and covenant are linked.

The Binding of Isaac (Genesis 22)

The Ultimate Test: God commands Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac on Mount Moriah.

“Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you” (Genesis 22:2).

Abraham’s Obedience: Abraham prepares to obey. Isaac asks, “Where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Abraham replies, “God will provide for himself the lamb” (Genesis 22:7-8).

The Substitute: At the last moment, God provides a ram caught in a thicket. Abraham sacrifices the ram instead of Isaac.

Significance:

• Theology of Substitution: The ram dies in Isaac’s place, prefiguring substitutionary atonement
• God Provides: The place is named “The LORD will provide” (Yahweh Yireh)
• Faith and Obedience: Abraham trusted God even when commanded to do the unthinkable
• Foreshadowing Christ: God provided a substitute for Isaac; later, God provides His own Son as the ultimate sacrifice

Islamic Version: Islam affirms this story but identifies the son as Ishmael, not Isaac. The Eid al-Adha sacrifice commemorates Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son.

The Passover Lamb (Exodus 12)

The Tenth Plague: God will strike down the firstborn of Egypt. Israel is spared by the blood of a lamb.

Instructions:

• Each household selects a lamb without blemish
• Slaughter it at twilight
• Apply blood to the doorposts and lintel
• When the LORD sees the blood, He will “pass over” that house

“For the LORD will pass through to strike the Egyptians, and when he sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the LORD will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses to strike you” (Exodus 12:23).

Significance:

• Substitution: The lamb dies so the firstborn lives
• Blood as Protection: The blood marks the house as protected
• Redemption: Israel is redeemed from slavery
• Foreshadowing Christ: Jesus is “the Lamb of God” (John 1:29), crucified at Passover, the ultimate Passover Lamb

The Levitical Sacrificial System

The Five Main Offerings (Leviticus 1-7)

1. Burnt Offering (Olah - Ascension):

• Purpose: Atonement for sin in general, expressing complete dedication
• Animal: Bull, ram, male goat, turtledove, or pigeon
• Process: Entire animal burned on the altar (except the skin, given to priest)
• Significance: The whole offering ascends to God—total surrender
• “It is a burnt offering, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the LORD” (Leviticus 1:9)

2. Grain Offering (Minchah - Gift):

• Purpose: Thanksgiving, acknowledgment of God’s provision
• Substance: Fine flour, oil, frankincense; unleavened bread or cakes
• Process: A portion burned on the altar, remainder to the priests
• Significance: Offering the fruit of one’s labor; non-blood offering

3. Peace Offering (Shelamim - Fellowship):

• Purpose: Thanksgiving, fulfilling a vow, freewill offering
• Animal: Ox, sheep, or goat (male or female)
• Process: Fat burned on the altar, breast and thigh to priests, rest eaten by the offerer in a fellowship meal
• Significance: Communion with God and community; shared meal symbolizes fellowship

4. Sin Offering (Chattat - Purification):

• Purpose: Atonement for unintentional sins
• Animal: Varies by the sinner’s status (bull for priest, goat for ruler, lamb or dove for common person)
• Process: Blood sprinkled on the altar, fat burned, rest burned outside the camp (for priest’s or community’s sin) or eaten by priests
• Significance: Purification from sin’s defilement

5. Guilt Offering (Asham - Reparation):

• Purpose: Atonement for specific sins requiring restitution (stealing, defrauding, etc.)
• Animal: Ram
• Process: Similar to sin offering, but includes restitution plus 20%
• Significance: Making amends for wrongs, restoring what was taken

The Role of Blood

Leviticus 17:11: “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life.”

Key Principles:

• Life is in the blood: Blood represents life itself
• Blood makes atonement: Sin requires life; the animal’s life is given in place of the sinner’s
• Substitution: The animal dies so the sinner lives
• Covering: The Hebrew word for atonement (kaphar) means “to cover”—sin is covered by the blood

The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur - Leviticus 16)

Annual Ritual: Once a year, the High Priest enters the Most Holy Place to make atonement for the nation’s sins.

The Two Goats:

1. Goat for the LORD: Sacrificed as a sin offering; blood brought into the Most Holy Place and sprinkled on the mercy seat
2. Scapegoat: High Priest lays hands on its head, confessing Israel’s sins, then sends it into the wilderness, symbolically carrying away the sins

Significance:

• National atonement: All Israel’s sins covered
• Access to God: Only day the High Priest enters the Most Holy Place
• Foreshadowing Christ: Jesus is both the sacrifice (goat killed) and the sin-bearer (scapegoat)

Prophetic Critique: The Heart Over Ritual

God Desires Mercy, Not Sacrifice

While the Law mandated sacrifices, the prophets emphasized that ritual without righteousness is empty.

1 Samuel 15:22: “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.”

Psalm 40:6-8: “In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted, but you have given me an open ear. Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required. Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me: I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.’”

Psalm 51:16-17: “For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”

Hosea 6:6: “For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.”

Amos 5:21-24: “I hate, I despise your feasts, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them… But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”

The Prophetic Message:

• Sacrifice without obedience is worthless
• Ritual without justice is hypocrisy
• God desires a contrite heart more than bulls and goats
• Sacrifices point beyond themselves to relationship, righteousness, and repentance

Isaiah’s Suffering Servant: The Ultimate Sacrifice

Isaiah 53:10: “Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.”

The Suffering Servant becomes a guilt offering (asham)—a human sacrifice for sin. Christianity sees this as a prophecy of Christ.

Sacrifice in Judaism After 70 CE

The Destruction of the Temple

In 70 CE, the Romans destroyed the Second Temple, ending the sacrificial system.

Crisis: How can sins be atoned for without sacrifice? How can worship continue without the Temple?

Rabbinic Response: The rabbis reinterpreted Judaism to function without sacrifices:

1. Prayer Replaces Sacrifice: The three daily prayers correspond to the morning and evening sacrifices.

“Let the words of our lips be as the offering of bulls” (Hosea 14:2, rabbinic interpretation).

2. Repentance (Teshuvah): Sincere repentance, confession, and making amends replace animal sacrifice.

3. Good Deeds (Gemilut Hasadim): Acts of loving-kindness and charity atone for sin.

4. Study of Torah: Studying the laws of sacrifice is counted as offering sacrifice.

5. Yom Kippur: The Day of Atonement continues, but without the Temple rituals. Fasting, prayer, and repentance replace the sacrifices.

Hope for Restoration: Traditional Judaism awaits the Messiah and the rebuilding of the Third Temple, when sacrifices will resume.

Sacrifice in Christianity: Christ the Final Sacrifice

John the Baptist’s Declaration

“The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’” (John 1:29).

Jesus is identified as the ultimate sacrificial lamb.

Jesus’ Death as Sacrifice

The Last Supper (Matthew 26:26-28): “Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, ‘Take, eat; this is my body.’ And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.’”

Jesus interprets His impending death as a sacrifice—His body broken, His blood poured out for the forgiveness of sins.

Good Friday: Jesus is crucified at Passover, the time when Passover lambs are being slain.

The Theology of Christ’s Sacrifice

1. Substitutionary Atonement: Christ died in our place, bearing the punishment we deserve.

“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

2. Propitiation: Christ’s death satisfies God’s wrath against sin.

“Whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith” (Romans 3:25).

3. Redemption: Christ’s blood pays the price to redeem us from slavery to sin.

“You were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot” (1 Peter 1:18-19).

4. Reconciliation: Christ’s sacrifice reconciles us to God, removing the enmity caused by sin.

“For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life” (Romans 5:10).

The Book of Hebrews: Christ the Superior Sacrifice

Hebrews presents Jesus as the ultimate High Priest who offers the ultimate sacrifice—Himself.

Old Covenant Sacrifices:

• Repeated daily and yearly
• Animal blood
• Could not truly remove sins: “For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4)
• A shadow of the reality to come

New Covenant Sacrifice:

• Once for all: “He entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption” (Hebrews 9:12)
• Human blood (God incarnate)
• Truly removes sins: “He has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself” (Hebrews 9:26)
• The reality, not the shadow

Conclusion: “And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all… For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified” (Hebrews 10:10, 14).

No More Sacrifice

Hebrews 10:18: “Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.”

Because Christ’s sacrifice is perfect and complete, no further sacrifice is needed. This is why Christianity has no sacrificial system—the final sacrifice has been made.

Eucharist/Communion: Remembering the Sacrifice

Catholic View: The Mass is a re-presentation (not repetition) of Christ’s sacrifice. The bread and wine become Christ’s actual body and blood (transubstantiation).

Protestant View: Communion is a memorial, remembering Christ’s sacrifice. The bread and wine symbolize (or spiritually convey) Christ’s body and blood, but do not become it.

Sacrifice in Islam

The Quranic View of Sacrifice

Quran 22:34-37: “And for every nation We have appointed a rite of sacrifice that they may mention the name of Allah over what He has provided for them of [sacrificial] animals. For your god is one God, so to Him submit. And give good tidings to the humble… Their meat will not reach Allah, nor will their blood, but what reaches Him is piety from you.”

Key Points:

• Sacrifice is worship, mentioning Allah’s name
• Allah does not need the meat or blood—He desires piety and submission
• The act of sacrifice is obedience, not provision for God

Eid al-Adha: The Festival of Sacrifice

Commemorating Abraham: The second major Islamic holiday celebrates Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son (Ishmael in Islamic tradition).

The Story (Quran 37:102-107): Abraham sees in a dream that he must sacrifice his son. Father and son both submit to Allah’s will. As Abraham prepares to carry out the sacrifice, Allah provides a ram as a substitute.

The Ritual: On the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah (during Hajj), Muslims worldwide sacrifice an animal (sheep, goat, cow, or camel):

• The sacrifice is called qurban or udhiyah
• The animal must be healthy, of appropriate age, slaughtered humanely
• Meat is divided: one-third to the poor, one-third to friends/family, one-third kept
• Performed while reciting “Bismillah, Allahu Akbar” (In the name of Allah, Allah is the Greatest)

Significance:

• Obedience to Allah, even when it costs dearly
• Submission (islam) to divine command
• Sharing with the less fortunate (charity)
• Remembering Allah’s provision (the ram)
• Unity—Muslims worldwide perform the same ritual

Hajj Sacrifices

During the pilgrimage to Mecca, pilgrims sacrifice an animal as part of the Hajj rites, commemorating Abraham’s obedience.

Aqiqah: Birth Sacrifice

When a child is born, Muslims traditionally sacrifice an animal (two for a boy, one for a girl), giving thanks to Allah and sharing meat with the poor.

Comparative Themes

Common Ground

1. Substitution:

• Judaism: The animal dies in place of the sinner
• Christianity: Christ dies in place of humanity
• Islam: The ram substitutes for Ishmael/Isaac

2. Blood and Atonement:

• Judaism: “Blood makes atonement” (Leviticus 17:11)
• Christianity: “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (Hebrews 9:22)
• Islam: Blood is spilled, but it’s the piety that reaches Allah

3. Costly Offering: All traditions emphasize giving the best, the most valuable—Abel’s firstborn, the unblemished lamb, Isaac, Christ, a healthy animal.

4. Worship and Obedience: Sacrifice is an act of worship, demonstrating obedience and submission to God.

Divergences

1. Purpose:

• Judaism: Atonement for sin, maintaining covenant relationship
• Christianity: Christ’s sacrifice atones for all sin once for all; Christians offer themselves as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1)
• Islam: Obedience, thanksgiving, charity; not primarily about atonement (Allah forgives directly upon repentance)

2. Continuation:

• Judaism: Sacrifices ceased in 70 CE, await Temple rebuilding
• Christianity: All sacrifices fulfilled in Christ; no more need for animal sacrifice
• Islam: Sacrifices continue as acts of worship and obedience

3. Efficacy:

• Judaism: Sacrifices covered sin but couldn’t fully remove it (until the Messiah)
• Christianity: Christ’s sacrifice fully removes sin
• Islam: Sacrifice is symbolic obedience; forgiveness comes from Allah’s mercy and the believer’s repentance

The Heart of Sacrifice

Beyond Ritual to Relationship

All three traditions ultimately teach that sacrifice is about the heart:

Judaism: “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise” (Psalm 51:17).

Christianity: “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship” (Romans 12:1).

Islam: “Their meat will not reach Allah, nor will their blood, but what reaches Him is piety from you” (Quran 22:37).

The Ultimate Sacrifice: Ourselves

The trajectory across all three faiths points to self-sacrifice as the highest form:

• Abraham willing to sacrifice his beloved son
• Christ offering Himself on the cross
• The call for believers to offer themselves—their time, resources, desires, lives—in service to God

“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).

Modern Questions

Animal Sacrifice Today?

Judaism: No sacrifices since 70 CE. Some Orthodox Jews hope for restoration with the Third Temple. Most see prayer, repentance, and good deeds as sufficient.

Christianity: No animal sacrifice. Christ’s sacrifice was final. The Eucharist/Communion remembers His sacrifice.

Islam: Animal sacrifice continues during Eid al-Adha and Hajj, as acts of worship and charity.

Ethical Concerns

Animal Welfare: Critics question the ethics of animal sacrifice. Religious practitioners emphasize humane treatment and quick, painless slaughter.

Symbolic vs. Literal: Can the meaning of sacrifice be conveyed without killing animals? Some argue for symbolic or charitable alternatives.

What Does Sacrifice Mean for Believers Today?

Self-Sacrifice:

• Time, money, comfort offered to God
• Serving others sacrificially
• Denying selfish desires

Gratitude and Worship:

• Acknowledging all we have comes from God
• Offering back a portion in thanks

Solidarity with the Poor:

• Sharing resources with those in need
• Sacrificing excess for justice

Significance

“For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls” (Leviticus 17:11).

Sacrifice reveals the costliness of approaching a holy God, the seriousness of sin, and the graciousness of atonement. It declares that we cannot come to God empty-handed, that reconciliation requires a price, that the path to forgiveness is paved with blood. From Abel’s firstborn lamb to Abraham’s ram, from the daily offerings in the Temple to the Passover lambs slain at twilight, sacrifice has expressed devotion, sought forgiveness, and dramatized the truth that life belongs to God and we owe Him everything.

For Judaism, sacrifice was the heartbeat of worship, the means of maintaining covenant relationship with YHWH. Though the Temple is destroyed and sacrifices have ceased, the memory endures—encoded in prayers, rituals, and hopes for restoration. The principles remain: Approaching God requires purity, sin demands atonement, and the best offering we can give is a humble, obedient heart.

For Christianity, all sacrifices find their fulfillment in Christ. The bulls and goats, the grain and incense, the blood on the altar—all were shadows pointing to the substance: the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. On Calvary’s cross, the final sacrifice was made, perfect and complete, once for all. No more altars, no more priests, no more blood—just the finished work of Christ, received by faith. And yet the call remains: Offer yourselves as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God. The Christian life is a life of self-sacrifice, poured out in love and service, following the One who gave Himself for us.

For Islam, sacrifice commemorates Abraham’s ultimate act of obedience and calls Muslims to that same submission. The animal slaughtered during Eid al-Adha embodies the truth that everything belongs to Allah, that obedience costs, that submission (islam) is the essence of faith. The meat shared with the poor reminds that sacrifice is not for God’s benefit but for ours—purifying the heart, serving the needy, enacting solidarity with the umma. Allah needs neither meat nor blood, but He delights in the piety, gratitude, and generosity of the one who sacrifices.

Across all three traditions, sacrifice points beyond itself—beyond the altar, beyond the blood, beyond the ritual—to the heart surrendered, the life offered, the self given. The greatest sacrifice is not the ram or the lamb or the bull but the worshiper who says, “Here I am, Lord. All I have, all I am, I offer to You.”

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship” (Romans 12:1).