Little did the priests and rulers realize the solemnity of the work which it was theirs to perform. At every Passover and Feast of Tabernacles, thousands of animals were slain, and their blood was caught by the priests and poured upon the altar. The Jews had become familiar with the offering of blood, and had almost lost sight of the fact that it was sin which made necessary all this shedding of the blood of beasts. They did not discern that it prefigured the blood of God's dear Son, 590 which was to be shed for the life of the world, and that by the offering of sacrifices men were to be directed to a crucified Redeemer.

Kun lidet begreb præsterne og rådsherrerne, hvor højtidelig en gerning det var, som de havde at udføre. Ved hver påskefest og løvhyttefest blev der slagtet tusinder af dyr, og deres blod blev af præsterne opsamlet og udøst over alteret. Ofringen af blod var velkendt for jøderne, og de havde næsten tabt den kendsgerning af syne, at det var synden, som nødvendiggjorde al denne udgydelse af dyrenes blod. De fattede ikke, at det var et forbillede på Guds kære Søns blod, som blev udgydt for verdens liv, og at mennesker gennem ofringerne skulle lære at vende sig til en korsfæstet Frelser.