Rethinking Religion: Rethinking Sacrifice

In most religions the gods demand sacrifice. Followers are to surrender something of value to that god. Money. Time. Possessions. Some religions have even called for human sacrifice. Even people who think they aren’t religious sacrifice to false gods. Take the man whose idol is success. What he wants most is to rise through the ranks at work. So, to pursue that idol, he sacrifices his family, spending little time with them. In the entirety of human history, every false god has demanded you to die for him. A truly healthy appetite is one that aligns with our deepest needs: forgiveness, salvation, communion with God, loving relationships with others. The believer is ravenous for such things! And all of those blessings are on the menu of the Lord’s Supper. There are plenty who view Holy Communion as just a religious ritual. Far from it! In this meal, Christ satisfies our greatest appetites.

In Christianity, you meet a God willing to die for you. On Good Friday, we see that the true God does not make our relationship with him conditional on how much we sacrifice for him. Instead, we are at peace with God because he sacrificed himself for us. It is one reason why we call it “Good Friday.”

Good Friday Services at 1:00pm and 6:30pm