The whole story of the Bible is about a loving and merciful God that goes through hell just to try and establish a relationship with the people he created. And time after time, those people (also known as me and you) turned their backs on God and worshipped something else. Back then it took the form of other gods, which also happens today. But it can take a more subtle form and it always looks like us worshiping ourselves, or putting ourselves above God in some way or another. For instance, the pursuit of fame and fortune. It’s all about us.
As a means of restoring the relationship of people and God, He instituted several different systems of which one was the sacrificial system. This was all about blood. The Bible says that without the shedding of blood, there can be no forgiveness of sins. So once a year, the high priest would go into the Most Holy Place in the Temple, which was sectioned off by a massive veil. He was the only one that was allowed in. He would then offer a sacrifice of a pure and spotless lamb (I know, they’re cute and cuddly but it was God’s call). Then he would lay his hands on a goat, called the scapegoat, and would take the goat out into the desert, never to return. This symbolized that the sins of the people had been removed from them. (Hebrews 9)
Year in and year out this would take place. Along with this was a huge purification system with tons of rules. Doing these re-established the relationship of God with his people.
So, because God is love (1 John 4:16), he pursued his people even harder than he ever had in order for the sins of the people to be forgiven once and for all.
Enter Jesus.
