Things had gotten rather stressed in the relationship between God and the people. The sinful nature of human beings had reached a point that God wasn t quite sure what to do, but God new that there was nothing the people could do in the way of sacrificing to atone for all their sinfulness. God needed a way to get satisfaction, yet keep the covenant that God cut with Abraham. God finally had to, once again, take matters into hand. If you will, God had to send a Son to do a man s job.
Life is about to change.
God sent his Son to live, teach, preach, and work among humankind. Early in Jesus ministry, we hear him calling on the people to repent to return to their relationship with God. However, as the ministry continued, it became obvious that the people would not change. In order to keep the covenant, God and Jesus knew things had to change. The sacrifices in the temple could no longer satisfy God that is, they no longer atoned for all the sin of the people toward the Lord their God.