Behold the Lamb

"And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission." (Hebrews 9:22, NKJV)

Could you imagine what going to the Temple would have been like for those folks in the Old Testament? No doubt that the scene would not be the clean pristine center of worship that we imagine, but a nasty and bloody affair that would have been difficult to stomach.
I think that one of the purposes of the animal sacrifice was to be disgusted. Those people who witnessed the slaughter of innocent animals not for food but for sacrifice recognized that it was because of their sin that this tragedy occurred. Can you imagine being a parent that had to explain to your children why the beautiful innocent lamb must be savagely sacrificed in front of their eyes? Surely the children protested, “Don’t kill him!”

Sin is awful. Sin is nasty and disgusting. We have a way of masking the consequences of sin, but its ugliness shows itself from time to time on our television sets and far too often in the tone of our conversation.

Our sinful acts are the very things which caused the ugliest bitter sweet sacrifice of all time.
"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." (1 Peter 1:18-19, NKJV)

Salvation is free because someone paid the price.