Why do the Jews no longer offer animal sacrifices? How do Jewish people today believe they can receive forgiveness from God?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

In AD 70, when the Roman army destroyed Jerusalem and the temple, Jewish sacrifices essentially stopped. God's Word was explicit that no sacrifice was to be burned except on the altar at the tabernacle and, later, the temple (Leviticus 17:8-9; Deuteronomy 12:13-14). With the destruction of the temple and the exile of the Jews, there was no place to give an authorized sacrifice (2 Kings 25:9; Micah 3:12). Today, there are Moslem structures, the al-Aqsa Mosque and Dome of the Rock, on the Temple Mount. Although opinions vary as to whether God would take present circumstances into account and allow sacrifices to be made in other places, for the most part the Jews no longer sacrifice animals. Today’s Jews believe attitude and conduct are more significant than animal sacrifice, and they base that view on four Old Testament verses (Psalm 40:6, 51:16-17; Hosea 6:6, 14:2). However, Scripture teaches that good works cannot save us; only faith in Jesus can (Romans 3:28; Ephesians 2:8-9).

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• In modern Judaism, the blood is spiritualized into personal purification (Isaiah 1:11-17). Good works and justice are considered more valuable than fasting (Isaiah 58:6).
• In more recent Jewish writings, if the sin resulted in personal injury or injustice against another person, restitution must be made before God can grant forgiveness (Leviticus 16:30).
• Modern Judaism takes the four verses below to mean that attitude and behavior are more important than animal sacrifice:
• Psalm 40:6: "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."
• 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."
• Hosea 14:2: "Take with you words and return to the LORD; say to him, 'Take away all iniquity; accept what is good, and we will pay with bulls the vows of our lips.'"
• But this is not what the Bible teaches. While the Jewish emphasis on right living, repentance, restitution, and justice are what God is looking for in His chosen people, behavior cannot absolve sin. Leviticus 17:11 says, "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."

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• The punishment for sin is death, not repentance and restoration (Romans 6:23). Hebrews 10:1-10 explains that the blood of goats and bulls could only cover sin for a time. Full atonement came when Jesus shed His blood on the cross as the final sacrifice (verse 10).
• As Ephesians 1:7 says of Christ’s sacrifice, "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace."
• The New Testament makes it clear that we are saved by grace, not works (Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5; Galatians 2:16). Works are a manifestation of salvation, not a cause of it. As James wrote, “But someone will say, ‘You have faith and I have works.’ Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works” (James 2:18; emphasis added).

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

“If at first you don’t succeed . . .” —most readers know how that ends. But sometimes, no matter how hard you try (and try again), the result doesn’t change. This is what sin is like. We can try to be good, try not to sin, but then there’s that stray thought, that unkind word, that “white” lie; breaking one part of the law breaks it all (James 2:10).

This was the circumstance for Jews in the Old Testament. They tried to keep the Law, but couldn’t, so they were obligated to sacrifice animals regularly for their sin. Yet that was insufficient. God sent Jesus as the once-for-all sacrifice for those who place their faith in Him.

But where does this leave contemporary Jews who reject Jesus yet don’t practice animal sacrifice? Some Jews teach that blood sacrifice was not really God's intent. In this view, God allowed the Jews to continue a form of pagan blood sacrifice because they were used to considering the practice sacred. God just took out the pagan elements and directed the act to Himself. This theory posits that the command to only sacrifice at the temple was to wean the Jews of the practice by making it more difficult and less accessible. They claim such passages as Isaiah 43:23 and Jeremiah 7:22-23 say that God allowed sacrifice but did not ordain it.

Thank God we don’t have to keep trying. Jesus didn’t try—He accomplished. His death and resurrection assures us that we are saved in spite of our sin.

UNDERSTAND

• Animal sacrifices stopped after the temple’s destruction in AD 70.
• Modern Jews seek forgiveness through repentance and good works.
• The Bible teaches forgiveness comes only through Jesus’ sacrifice.

REFLECT

• How does knowing that forgiveness comes only through Jesus’ sacrifice affect the way you view your own attempts at righteousness?
• How do you rely on good works or personal effort instead of faith in Christ for spiritual assurance?
• How can you cultivate a deeper gratitude for the once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus?

ENGAGE

• How do Jewish interpretations of Old Testament passages about sacrifice differ from the Bible’s teaching on atonement through Christ?
• What does the shift from animal sacrifice to works-based forgiveness teach us about the limitations of human effort in achieving righteousness?
• How can understanding the role of Jesus’ sacrifice help believers share the Gospel with those who rely on works or traditions for forgiveness?