Leviticus 1:1-17

The burnt offering was a voluntary act of worship, symbolizing complete surrender, atonement for sin, and devotion to God. The offering required an unblemished animal to be wholly consumed by fire on the altar. This ritual finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ, whose life, death, and resurrection embody the perfect and final sacrifice for humanity’s sin.

Leviticus 1:3 states that if his offering is a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish; he shall offer it of his own free will at the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the Lord. The act of bringing the offering was a personal choice, reflecting the worshiper’s desire to draw near to God. Similarly, Jesus willingly offered Himself as a sacrifice, as seen in John 10:17-18a: Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. Just as the burnt offering was a freewill act of devotion, Christ’s sacrifice was the ultimate act of obedience and love, freely given for our redemption.

Leviticus 1:10 specifies that the offering, whether from the flock or herd, was supposed to be a male without blemish, symbolizing purity and worthiness before God. Jesus Christ is described as the spotless Lamb of God. In 1 Peter 1:18-19, Peter writes, knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers,but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. Hebrews 9:13-14 adds, For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? Jesus Christ’s sinless nature, free from the corruption of human sin, fulfills the requirements for a perfect sacrifice, making Him uniquely qualified to atone for the sins of the world.

Leviticus 1:9b says; And the priest shall burn all on the altar as a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the Lord. The total burning of the offering indicates that it belonged entirely to God, with nothing held back. In the same way, Jesus gave Himself completely, holding nothing back, as He offered His life on the cross. Ephesians 5:2 connects this imagery to Christ: And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. The phrase sweet-smelling aroma indicates that Christ’s sacrifice was fully acceptable to God, satisfying divine justice and fulfilling all the requirements.

The temporary atonement provided by the burnt offering, which needed to be repeated, contrasts with the permanent atonement accomplished by Christ. Hebrews 10:10-12 emphasizes this fulfillment: By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God. Unlike the repeated sacrifices of the Old Testament, Christ’s one-time offering was sufficient to atone for all sin, fulfilling and surpassing the burnt offering’s purpose.

The offering was presented at the door of the tabernacle of meeting, the place where God’s presence dwelt among His people. Through the sacrifice, the worshiper could approach God, albeit through a mediator (the priest). Jesus, as both the sacrifice and the High Priest, provides direct access to God’s presence. Hebrews 4:14,16 declares, Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Through His death, Christ opened the way for us to enter God’s presence, fulfilling the burnt offering’s purpose of facilitating communion with God. The tearing of the temple veil at Jesus’ death further symbolizes this, as the barrier between God and humanity was removed, granting direct access through Christ’s sacrifice.

The burnt offering’s continuous nature, as described in Leviticus 6:13, that a fire shall always be burning on the altar; it shall never go out; also points to the eternal efficacy of Christ’s sacrifice. The perpetual fire symbolized God’s ongoing acceptance of the sacrifices and the need for continual atonement. The continual burnt offerings of the Old Testament were a shadow of the enduring, all-sufficient sacrifice of Christ, which never needs to be repeated and remains effective for all time.

The burnt offering in Leviticus pointed to Jesus, the perfect Lamb who gave Himself fully for our redemption. We no longer bring animal sacrifices but instead offer ourselves as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1) in response to Christ’s finished work. The old covenant sacrifices were a shadow, but Christ is the reality, the fulfillment of all God’s redemptive promises.

Let us pray that we may:

• surrender completely to God.
• approach the throne of God with boldness, knowing that we are accepted through Jesus’ sacrifice.
• live lives of devotion and purity.