Troublesome Topic: Jesus Is Our Thank Offering

Thank offerings of the Former Covenant would have included the grain offering and the drink offering.

Jesus was the portion of grain that was mixed with frankincense (frankincense was associated with the birth and burial of Jesus) and burned on the altar as a sweet-smelling aroma. Remember, what smells good to God is self-sacrifice.

For the drink offering wine was poured out before the Lord. Vineyards represented prosperity and happiness. Wine is the product of the vine, and as such it is the proof of prosperity and the assurance of future happiness. It was not about drunkenness, for a large majority of people drank wine in those days without excess. The reality was that sources of clean drinking water were not easily found, and wine was the safer option of the two. If you had a good harvest of grapes you could rest assured that you would have enough of that important commodity called wine. That is why wine was a picture of the assurance of future happiness.

Just like the drink offering was poured out, the very life of Jesus was poured out. As the fulfillment of the drink offering Jesus is the proof and assurance of our future happiness in heaven.

Jesus is also our way of saying “thank you” to the Father. He did not say “thank you” to the Father for us with His words, but by reenacting the grain offering and the drink offering on our behalf.

Isn’t it amazing that the one being the sacrifice also said “thank you” because the ones benefiting from the sacrifice are incapable of adequately expressing such thanks?  What a picture!

The next lesson in the Full Series on Covenants is: Jesus is Our Oops Offering and our Restitution Offering