BURNT || THE SACRED CENTER OF CHRIST'S HEART

BURNT: The Sacred Center of Christ

Leviticus 1

“All the offerings taken together give us a full view of Christ—as many mirrors arranged to reflect in various ways the figure of that true and perfect sacrifice.”—C.H.M. (C.H. Mackintosh)

A Story of Pure Devotion

My mind recalls a young, dark-haired Canadian girl, whose beauty lay not so much in her features as in the quiet creativity of her words. She was a writer of poetry and prose, able to describe a moment with the grace of a Victorian novelist.

My eyes would often drift to the tattered journal she carried—the weight of it owed not to its binding, but to the sheer volume of ink pressed upon its pages. She never parted with it. Its contents, I am certain, were treasures untold.

One random Saturday turned quietly unforgettable when I asked why she had left her cherished treasury behind.

“I burnt it,” she said.I gasped at the waste. “Why?”She looked directly into my eyes.“Some things,” she whispered, “are for Him alone.”

The hours, thoughts, pains, sorrows, joys, and life lessons she penned rose to His eyes alone. Her ink became incense. Her intent was to give her most cherished work to Him—and this, she did.

What Is Burnt Is Gone

When something is truly burnt, it passes beyond possession.It can no longer be handled, owned, or used.It is consumed.

Surrendered to the flame, it becomes smoke ascending, curling upward—beyond the reach of man,beyond sight of man,beyond the control of man.

It cannot be claimed by anyone but the heavens to which it ascends.This fully and finally.

The Burnt Offering

Such is the burnt offering of old.It is an offering for God alone.Unlike the other sacrifices, it is laid upon the stones for one purpose only: to rise to God.It is the first of the offerings described in Leviticus.

When the animal is burnt, it passes beyond possession.It can no longer be handled, owned, or used.It is consumed.

Surrendered to the altar, it has become smoke—ascending, curling upward—beyond the reach of man,beyond the sight of man,beyond the control of man.

It cannot be claimed by anyone but the God to whom it ascends—fully and finally.

Christ, the Sacred Burnt Offering

This is a divine type and shadow, revealing to us the sacred center of Christ’s heart—the sacred center of His manifold sacrifice.

When Christ was laid on the altar of the cross,He could no longer be handled, owned, or used.He was, in a real sense, consumed by death.

Surrendered to God, He became a sweet-smelling savor, curling upward—beyond the reach of man,beyond the sight of man,beyond the control of man.