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Types of Sacrifices and Why They Are Important

Favorite Quote: 1 Corinthians 13:1-7 New International Version (NIV) 13 If I speak in the tongues[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Do you ever think why do people make sacrifices. Why is it so important or needed to make sacrifices in our lives. I hope with this essay will show you the importance of sacrifice. Why people make sacrifices. And that you will find out the true value of sacrifices.

The kinds of sacrifices people make. People make all kind of sacrifices from clothes to food, But the types of sacrifices that I resonate with are the sacrifice of Life ,or Limb, Time, Comfort, Food, Freedom.  However  people that are in the military make these sacrifices, Regular People give these things up every day.

Why do people make different kinds of sacrifices. I think why people make different types of sacrifices is because it, Is important to them they have something they are willing to give up to help themselves or others. I think one of the ultimate sacrifices can be someones life. If some sacrificed their life to save totally random people or the people they loved, they are doing it to save them because they think they are important. That is why I think people make sacrifices of their life to save loved ones or family or a random stranger , Because they put themselves in the place of the parent or a loved one of that person.    

   When is it important to make a sacrifice, I think it is important to make a sacrifice if you are willing to give that up. I think it is important when you have a passion for something so you give up something to pursue that topic. Making sacrifices can come down to what you like most or what is most important and it like a fine line on what separates them.

Although the times that I have made a sacrifice is when I gave up money to help my Mom and Dad. When we were tight on money that month barely scraping by with bills and gas money. I also gave up Drawing completely to catch up on school in Eighth Grade, and Drawing is hard for me to give up. I always had a calm feeling when I drew so giving it up made me a little stressed. I also gave up sacrificed learning guitar for awhile, because my Brother thought I  was copying him so. I sacrificed it so he could focus on music and not worry about me. I think all that taught me was it can be hard to sacrifice things. Although now my Brother helps me on guitar now and I also got through 8th grade because of sacrificing certain things so it all worked out in the end.

It all was to my benefit to the end to make me or the lives of my family better.This is important because sacrificing something can be anything to giving someone food to your life. But what i've learned is that you make sacrifices not always because you have to sometimes you makes sacrifices, because you feel you need to. People make sacrifices for things they care about that is the true value of sacrifice to me.

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Sacrifice Essay Writing Guide

Academic writing

Essay paper writing

Sacrifice is a phenomenon that is largely lacking in modern society. In the era of consumer philosophy and selfish goals, people tend to forget about acts of kindness that bring not material but moral satisfaction.

It is important to draw the attention of schoolchildren and students to a topic of sacrifice by assigning them to write academic papers on this topic. Young people can express their views and share experiences regarding parental unconditional love, spiritual growth through sacrifice, and examples of sacrificing in family and social relations.

If you are looking through this article right now, you probably have to perform a similar task. If this is the case, we recommend reading the whole article as you will surely find some useful tips on how to write about sacrifice.

Sacrifice essay topics ideas

Got lost among essay ideas? Check out the list of the best ones to make a final choice:

• Parents’ sacrifice essay
• “My sacrifice” essay
• Essay on whether or not you need to sacrifice for love
• Essay about sacrifice in love and when it becomes unhealthy
• Essay about family sacrifice
• Essay about love and sacrifice in literary works
• Reasons for self-sacrifice essay
• “Sacrifice and bliss” essay
• Essay on importance of self-sacrifice in different cultures
• Essay about making sacrifices to better the world
• “Sacrifice of a teacher” essay
• Human sacrifice essay
• “Importance of sacrifice” essay
• Ultimate sacrifice essay

Topic ideas for informative essay on sacrifice

Writing an informative essay about making sacrifices, consider focusing on one of the following:

• Different kinds of sacrifices that people make
• “What is sacrifice?” essay
• Self-sacrificing personality type
• Ritual sacrifice essay
• Sacrificial moral dilemmas
• “What does sacrifice mean?” essay
• Chronic self-sacrifice and its influence on mental health
• Essay about mothers’ sacrifice
• Soldiers’ sacrifice essay
• Essay on sacrifice definition and etymology
• “Sacrifice in sport” essay

How to write essays on sacrifice?

The majority of students have to write essays on a regular basis. The main thing is not just to write some information on the topic in question but also to make it interesting and attract the attention of a potential reader starting from the first sentence. We have prepared all the useful information on essay writing so that you can craft a decent paper.

The following details should be taken into account while writing an essay about sacrifice:

• The topicality of the problem under consideration. The issues raised should be relevant to the modern world or interesting if you are writing about a history of the subject.
• Personal opinion. You will need to explain your stance on the problem and back it up with information you have found in the literary sources.
• Small volume. There are no strict boundaries when it comes to the length of an essay, but 2-5 pages of text will likely be enough. Ask your professor about the word limit or simply request a rubric if you aren’t sure.
• Narrow focus. Only one issue or problem may be considered within the framework of the essay. There cannot be many different topics or ideas discussed within one assignment as you will not be able to cover any of them properly.

Sacrifice essay outline

In general, the essay has quite a specific structure:

• Sacrifice essay introduction. This part should set the mood of the whole paper, bring the reader’s attention to the issue under consideration, and consequently prompt him or her to read the text to the end. The most important aspect of intro is a thesis statement, which bears the main idea you are going to discuss.
• The main part. Here, it is necessary to elaborate on the points put forward in a thesis statement using factual information found in credible sources. However, you should not operate with facts alone – add your analysis of what you have read and address the contradictions in sources if any. Please note that you need to devote at least one paragraph to each point made in the thesis to effectively cover it.
• By summarizing what has been said in the main part, you will draw a general sacrifice essay conclusion. If the goal of the introduction is to attract attention, then that of the conclusion is to ensure integrity of the overall paper and leave no doubts about the legitimacy or viability of the ideas expressed in the body of the paper. How to wrap up an essay about sacrifice so that your reader has a good impression? Leave him or her some food for thought!

Brainstorming sacrifice essay titles

The last thing you need to do after you are done with your paper is create a good title for a sacrifice essay. At this point, you will already know the subject under the research perfectly, which will make it easier to come up with a short title that will show what exactly you have reviewed in the paper. Use your thesis statement to guide yourself, and think about some common phrases people use when talking about the topic to rework them into your title.

How to write a sacrifice essay: Best tips

• Speak you mind. This particular type of writing gives you an opportunity to say what you really think about the topic. Make your voice heard in your sacrifice essay!
• Mind your language. It’s very important to find a balance as your language should be neither too scientific nor too elevated. Slang words are not acceptable as well – try writing as if you are having a conversation with your professor and are trying to sound convincing.
• Spend some time researching. Whether it’s a sacrifice research paper or an essay, you need to focus a lot of your attention on finding credible sources. So, conduct some research on sacrifice topic on the Web and try reading journal articles rather than news or blog posts. 
• Proofread your writing. After writing the first draft, let it rest for a day or two and then proofread it with a fresh eye. This will help you spot more mistakes, inconsistencies, or lack of transition between ideas and paragraphs.
• Mind the formatting. A properly formatted essay will probably win you a good impression. Ask your teacher what style of formatting you have to stick to and follow all the requirements to the letter.

Writing a narrative essay on sacrifice

A narrative essay about sacrifice is a story about some event experienced by a writer or another person. A narrative essay is usually written in the artistic style. This means that it is necessary to use all the diversity of the English vocabulary. You can add conversational elements and descriptions to paint a clearer picture of what is going on to the reader.

In order to write a high-quality narrative essay, you need to follow these simple steps:

• Select the event or a person which you are going to write about;
• Think about the mood and the main idea of ​​ the future story;
• Recall in memory all the necessary details about this story and write them down in bullet points to use later;
• Create a well-detailed outline. Make sure it includes introduction (background), main part, culmination, and conclusion.
• Use the dialogue or separate replicas, elements of description, etc., which will help you to present the course of events in a more realistic way and humanize the characters.

If you are writing a narrative essay on personal sacrifice, be careful not to overshare. You need to understand how much information you professor is comfortable with you sharing, and it is best to ask them what is acceptable and what is not before you proceed. If you are narrating a story of your friend or relative, make sure you have gotten their permission to do so, and, preferably, inform your professor that you did. Check some samples of a narrative essay about a family member sacrifice to see how such information can be conveyed.

There is a bunch of different topics pertaining to sacrifice that you might write an essay on. Whatever the topic is, you do not have to worry. It is quite easy to write a top-notch essay if you have sufficient information and know the basic rules of writing academic papers.

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Greater Good Science Center • Magazine • In Action • In Education

Why People Make Sacrifices for Others

In 2007, 50-year-old Wesley Autrey of New York City was standing on a subway platform when he saw a man nearby suffer a seizure and fall onto the tracks. As the light of an oncoming train appeared, “I had to make a split decision,” reported Autrey.

Leaving his two young daughters on the platform, he leapt in front of the train and pinned the man to the ground as the train rumbled overhead, saving the man’s life. When asked later why he risked his life for a stranger, Autrey replied, “I did what I felt was right.”

What explains the feeling that drove Mr. Autrey to endanger himself in order to help someone else?

A recent study led by Oriel FeldmanHall, a post-doctoral researcher at New York University, tested two dominant theories about what motivates “costly altruism,” which is when we help others at great risk or cost to ourselves.

FeldmanHall and her colleagues examined whether costly altruism is driven by a self-interested urge to reduce our own distress when we see someone else suffering or whether it’s motivated by the compassionate desire to relieve that other person’s pain.

In the study, the researchers first had people take a survey measuring how strongly they react to others’ suffering with feelings of compassionate concern or with feelings of personal distress and discomfort.

Then, they gave everyone some money—20 pounds (the study was conducted in the UK)—with the chance to keep or lose one pound in each of 20 rounds.

How much money they got to keep each round depended on how willing they were to administer painful shocks to a person in another room with whom they had interacted briefly. If they chose to administer the highest intensity shock, they got to keep the whole pound; if they administered a less intense shock, they kept less of the money; and if they decided to forgo administering a shock at all, they relinquished the entire pound.

After making their decision, the study participants watched a video showing the consequences of their decision. Unbeknownst to the participants, the video was actually a pre-recorded scene of the person pretending to be shocked or not shocked—no one was actually harmed. Through each step of the process, the participants’ brains were being scanned in an fMRI machine, which tracked their brain activity.

FeldmanHall’s team found that participants who generally respond to suffering with compassionate concern (rather than distress or discomfort) gave up more money. While watching the results of their decisions, all participants showed increased activity in brain circuits associated with empathy.

However, compared with the other participants, when the more compassionate people watched videos showing the outcome of their own generosity—people being shocked at low levels, or not at all—their brains showed greater activity in regions associated with feelings of pleasure and socially rewarding states, like maternal love.

More selfish choices, on the other hand, were associated with activation of the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC), a brain region often implicated in distress related to internal conflict and the inhibition of intuitive behaviors, and of the amygdala, the brain’s putative vigilance-to-threat detector.

From these results, the researchers surmise that acts of costly altruism are more strongly associated with feelings of compassionate concern than with a selfish need to relieve one’s own distress. This is consistent with prior research suggesting that when people experience distress in response to someone else’s suffering, they’re more likely simply to avoid that person than try to help.

Fortunately, prior research also suggests that compassion isn’t simply a fixed trait; instead, it seems possible to increase your capacity for it over time—for instance, by broadening your social networks, actively trying to take someone else’s perspective, or even by meditating. Through these steps, you might not only strengthen your ability to connect with others, but as FeldmanHall’s study suggests, you might also strengthen your capacity for selflessness.

About the Author

Josh elmore.

Joshua Elmore is an undergraduate psychology student at UC Berkeley and a scholar with the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation. He is also a research assistant for the Greater Good Science Center and the Relationships and Social Cognition Lab at UC Berkeley.

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The Theology of Sacrifice

Other essays.

The biblical idea of sacrifice concerns the way of approach to God, finding acceptance before him by means of an acceptable substitute offered in place of the sinner and bearing the curse of sin.

This essay surveys the idea of sacrifice through the Old Testament in order to determine its intended significance. Next, this essay surveys the significance of the saving death of Christ as it is presented in these sacrificial categories. Special attention is given to Hebrews 9–10.

Introduction

The idea and practice of sacrifice is prominent throughout the biblical narrative. There is at least a hint of it as far back as Genesis 3:21, where God provides coats of skin for Adam and Eve. In Genesis 4:2-5 we read of the sacrifices offered by Cain and Abel, who presumably learned of the practice from Adam and Eve. We then read of sacrifices offered by Noah (Gen. 8:20), Abraham (Gen. 12:7-8; 13:4, 18; 22:13), Isaac (Gen. 26:25), Jacob (Gen. 31:54; 33:20; 35:1-7; 46:1), and Job (1:5; 42:8). In Exodus and Leviticus, of course, the theme explodes. God delivers Israel from Egypt so that they may go and offer sacrifice to him (Exod. 3:18; 5:3, etc.; cf. 17:15), and it is by sacrifice, in fact, that they are delivered (Exod. 12). And in Exodus 20ff and in Leviticus God gives Moses detailed instructions for establishing and carrying out the sacrificial system that was to mark Israel’s worship under the terms of the old covenant. Various kinds of sacrifices were to be offered (the burnt offering, the guilt offering, the sin offering, the peace offering) at various times and for various specific purposes. Coming to the New Testament the practice of sacrifice is much less prominent, but the language of sacrifice dominates with reference to the death of Christ. Our objective here is to uncover the meaning and significance of sacrifice in the Old Testament in order better to discern the saving value of the death of Christ as explained by the New Testament writers.

Sacrifice in the Old Testament

As already observed, the idea of sacrifice begins in the early chapters of Genesis at the dawn of history. The significance tied to the coats of skin provided for Adam and Eve (Gen. 3:21) is not immediately evident but can be understood more fully only by looking back from later revelation. All we can say at this point is that God covered their shame in a way that involved death.

Likewise the significance of the respective offerings of Cain and Abel (Gen. 4:2-5) is not immediately evident. We are told only that Cain’s offering was “an offering of the fruit of the ground” (v. 3), that Abel’s was “of the firstborn of his flock” (v. 4), and that the Lord “had regard for” (i.e., accepted) Abel’s offering but rejected Cain’s (vv. 4-5). Assuming that Cain and Abel learned the idea and duty of offering to God from their parents (Gen. 3:21) we might further conjecture that Cain’s offering was a departure from the norm, but with no more information than we are given at this point this is just conjecture. The writer of the epistle to the Hebrews repeats that Abel’s sacrifice was accepted and adds that it was offered “by faith” and that by it Abel was “commended as righteous” (Heb. 11:4). So much seems implicit in the Genesis narrative, but we must survey further revelation to see just how it is so.

The precise purpose of Noah’s sacrifice (Gen. 8:20-21) is not explicitly stated, only that “the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma” and promised continued blessing. This notion of “pleasing aroma” surely does not indicate that the smoking meat “smelled good” but that God was pleased with what the sacrifice signified and so on that basis promised blessing. The idea of satisfaction is not far away, but we will need further revelation to confirm this.

In Genesis 22 God commanded Abraham to offer his son Isaac in sacrifice. Before the sacrifice was actually carried out, however, God provided a ram to die in Isaac’s place. Here the idea of divinely-provided substitution is prominent (cf. John 3:16; Rom. 8:32).

Although Job’s sacrifices (1:5) are not precisely defined we are told that they were offered to God because of sin. Likewise it was because of the sins of Job’s friends and God’s consequent anger against them that they were commanded to offer sacrifice (42:7-8). Here it is rather explicit that sacrifice is for the purpose of appeasing divine wrath against sinners.

In the command to sacrifice the Lamb of Passover (Exod. 12) the notion of sin is presumed, and the ideas of substitution (v.3, 13), rescue from divine judgment (v.12, 23), the necessity of blood (v.13, 22) become prominent. By the sacrifice of a qualified lamb whose blood was properly applied each Israelite household escaped the death of God’s judgment.

With God’s instructions concerning sacrifice given in Leviticus the theme begins to receive more explicit definition. The repeated occurrence of “sin” and phrases such as “if anyone sins” (or similar) and “for sin” scores of times throughout the book and the requirement that sacrifices be offered “confessing sin” all specify that it is sin that occasions the sacrifices and gives rise to their need. The descriptive terms “guilt offering” and “sin offering” and the requirements that the sacrifice itself be “without blemish” are reflective of the same. Similarly, the often repeated vocabulary of “atonement” ( kaphar / exilaskomai , indicating propitiation, appeasement ) and “forgiven” specify their purpose. Leviticus 5:10 serves well to summarize: “the priest shall make atonement for him for the sin that he has committed, and he shall be forgiven.” On the Day of Atonement the priest was required to “lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the people of Israel, and all their transgressions, all their sins” (16:22). This symbolic action was to signify the transference of sin to the animal who, in turn, would “bear all their [Israel’s] iniquities on itself.” Elsewhere in Leviticus this oft-repeated expression “bear sin” consistently connotes responsibility for sin and liability to judgment (5:1, 17; 7:18; 10:17, etc.; cf. Isa. 53:12; 1Pet. 2:24). The killing of the animal thus signifies the divine judgment that sin merits. The symbolism of laying hands on the sacrificial animal, confessing sin, and then the ritual slaughter of the animal therefore conveys the idea of deliverance by substitution. Forgiveness is secured by substitutional sacrifice. Finally, the repeated assurance that the sacrifice was a “pleasing aroma to the Lord” symbolizes God’s satisfaction with the sacrifice and acceptance of the sinner.

Observations

Old Testament sacrifice was intended to signify more than mere homage. The significance was that of securing forgiveness, expiation of sin, through the offering of a substitute. The offeror is not portrayed as a mere creature but specifically as a sinner, a sinful creature in need of forgiveness. The offeror comes with a consciousness of sin seeking restoration to God’s favor by means of the acceptable sacrifice. The sacrificial victim itself is an intermediary, a substitute providing expiation. It bears the sin of the worshiper who receives forgiveness by that substitutional sin-bearing.

All this is to say that it belongs to the very nature of sacrifice that it is directed first to God. That is, it is designed to influence God, to appease him and satisfy his demand of judgment, and it is only with this satisfaction secured that the worshiper finds forgiveness.

The prominent ideas in Old Testament sacrifice are sin, guilt, and judgment on the one hand and satisfaction, expiation, forgiveness, and reconciliation on the other.

Sacrifice in Old Covenant Context

In its historical setting these sacrifices were provided in order to answer the question, How can a holy God live in the midst of a sinful people? In redeeming Israel from Egypt and in establishing them as a theocratic nation at Sinai (the old covenant) God had made Israel his own people. He pledged to be their God and to dwell with them accordingly. But how can his holy presence among sinners be established? The sacrificial system was given to answer this problem.

Of course there are questions that necessarily remain. Can an animal actually take the place of a man or woman? Can the blood of an animal actually atone for the sin of a nation? And if the sacrifices do indeed secure God’s favor and forgiveness, why must they be repeated?

The New Testament will take up these kinds of questions, but at the very least we can say that the Old Testament sacrificial system established the structure and frame of reference with regard to God’s redemptive purpose: Sinners may obtain divine favor if an acceptable substitute could be found to offer to God in sacrifice.

The Death of Christ as a Sacrifice

All this provides the background for the New Testament’s frequent description of the death of Christ in sacrificial terms; indeed, it cannot be understood otherwise. When Jesus himself and the New Testament writers employ language such as “give my life a ransom,” “ransom in his blood,” “by his blood,” “the blood of his cross,” “my blood of the covenant which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins,” “reconciled by his blood,” “justified by his blood,” “propitiation by his blood,” “through the death of his cross,” “made peace through the blood of his cross,” “Christ our Passover has been sacrificed,” “Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God,” “him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood,” “the lamb which takes away sin,” “he bore our sin,” “was made sin for us,” “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law having been made a curse for us,” and so on, they direct us to understand our Lord’s death in sacrificial categories. The terminology of propitiation, ransom, redemption, forgiveness, and reconciliation, all find their meaning against the backdrop of Old Testament sacrifice.

All this teaches us just how it is that Jesus’ death effected our salvation. Our Lord’s death was that of a sacrifice. On the cross he offered himself to God in our place, bearing our sin and its deserved judgment; thus satisfying God’s just demands against us he frees us from our sin and reconciles us to God. All that the Old Testament sacrifices symbolized the Lord Jesus actually accomplished in his saving work. The former sacrifices were symbolic and anticipatory of what was actual in Christ’s offering of himself on our behalf. Just as the Old Testament sacrifices were directed first to God (propitiation) in order then to effect expiation, so our Lord’s death was offered to God (Eph. 5:2; Heb.9:14). His sacrifice of himself for his people was in God’s estimation “a fragrant offering” (Eph. 5:2) effecting propitiation (Rom. 3:24; Heb. 2:17; 1Jn. 2:2; 4:10), satisfying his just demands and thus appeasing his wrath and, in turn, expiating sin. Just as through the sacrifice of the Day of Atonement the people of Israel were, in the person of their representative priest, brought behind the curtain into the holy of holies, so also through the death of Christ we are brought into the very presence of God (Heb. 10:19-20; cf. Matt. 27:51; John 2:19-21).

On the one hand, then, we may speak of the Old Testament sacrifices as prospective, anticipating and symbolizing the saving work that Christ would actually accomplish in his death (Heb. 9:9; 10:1; cf. Col. 2:17). To say the same another way, the writer to the Hebrews specifies that the older sacrifices were in fact “copies” of the “true” sacrifice that Christ offered (Heb. 8:2, 5; 9:23-24; cf. 9:11-12). That is, Jesus’ sacrifice is the “original,” the reality – ultimately, his sacrifice was not patterned after the Old Testament sacrifices; rather, they were patterned after his coming sacrifice – the true sacrifice of which they were but a distant shadow.

Hebrews on the Sacrifice of Christ

The writer to the Hebrews highlights in several ways how the sacrifice of Christ excels the sacrifices of the old covenant.

• Christ’s sacrifice was offered only once (9:6-7, 11-12, 25-26, 28; 10:1, 10-12, etc.). The older sacrifices had to be repeated over and again, year after year. This would leave the thinking worshiper with doubts as to their real value (10:2-4), with little reason to assume that even the repeated offering of an animal could satisfy God or remove human guilt? The happy announcement of the gospel is that the sacrifice of Christ was of such value that it needed to be offered only once for all. Christ’s saving work is a finished work (cf. John 19:30), accomplished “once for all.”
• Christ’s sacrifice effected forgiveness (9:9-10, 12; 10:1, 4, 11, 18). Sin was the problem addressed in sacrifice – it demanded removal. The repetition of the older sacrifices testified to their inability to deal with sin with finality. They were inadequate. The sacrifice was not of sufficient value. But our Lord offered himself (9:12, 13, 26), a sacrifice of supreme value (cf. Heb. 1-2), effectual in removing sin. Again, what the older sacrifices only anticipated the sacrifice of Christ actually accomplished, and it is therefore able to “purge the conscience” (9:14) of guilt.
• Christ’s sacrifice was accepted in heaven , the true temple (8:2, 5; 9:1, 9, 11-12, 23, 24; 10:1). That is to say, it was not prospective of anything. It did not symbolize or anticipate the accomplishing of atonement. Accepted by God himself, in the true temple, forgiveness is assured.
• Christ’s sacrifice gained access to God (Heb. 9:7-8; 10:19-22). The old sacrificial system was designed to demonstrate that the way to God is not just open to anyone on any terms (v. 8). There must be a qualified priest and an acceptable sacrifice offered in an acceptable way. Even so, the people at large must stay back – only the high priest had access into the holy of holies and that just once a year and by a prescribed ceremony of sacrifice. We must not presume. It is a fearful thing to approach the holy God. But by the sacrifice of Christ the way now is open. All who come by him, on the ground of his sacrificial work, are accepted (cf. Matt. 27:51; John 2:19-21).

At the climax of this discussion the writer draws several applications, marked by the word “therefore”:

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works (Heb. 10:19-24).

That is, if the sacrifice of Christ, offered once for all, was accepted in heaven itself, effecting forgiveness and gaining access to God, then let us be bold , confident in approaching God assured of our acceptance. Let us be confident , assured of our acceptance there with unwavering faith. Let us persevere through any difficulty with confidence of our final salvation, and let us encourage one another to the same.

Concluding Thoughts

The theme of sacrifice, then, takes us to the heart of the gospel and the essence of the Christian faith.

In a very real sense it [the theme of sacrifice] constitutes Christianity. It is this which differentiates Christianity from other religions. Christianity did not come into the world to proclaim a new morality and, sweeping away all the supernatural props by which men were wont to support their trembling, guilt-stricken souls, to throw them back on their own strong right arms to conquer a standing before God for themselves. It came to proclaim the real sacrifice for sin which God had provided in order to supersede all the poor fumbling efforts which men had made and were making to provide a sacrifice for sin for themselves; and, planting men’s feet on this, to bid them go forward. 1

Further Reading

• J. H. Kurtz, Offerings, Sacrifices, and Worship in the Old Testament
• Leon Morris, The Atonement: Its Meaning and Significance .
• Alec Motyer, Six Ways the Old Testament Speaks Today
• Ronald Youngblood, The Heart of the Old Testament

This essay is part of the Concise Theology series. All views expressed in this essay are those of the author. This essay is freely available under Creative Commons License with Attribution-ShareAlike, allowing users to share it in other mediums/formats and adapt/translate the content as long as an attribution link, indication of changes, and the same Creative Commons License applies to that material. If you are interested in translating our content or are interested in joining our community of translators,  please reach out to us .

Student Essays

Essay on Sacrifice | Types, Value & Importance of Sacrifice in Life

The concept of sacrifice is central to many religious traditions and also has an important place in secular societies. It is often considered a noble thing: The word “sacrifice” comes from the Latin sacrificium, which meant the performance of sacred rites in exchange for something or on someone’s behalf. This etymology implies that sacrifices are performed for the sake of something else, and usually to please a god or spirit.

Essay on Sacrifice & its Importance in Life

Sacrifice is a word with many meanings. In everyday usage, it refers to any event in which someone gives up something that he or she values highly for the sake of something else regarded as more important or worthy. It can be defined as an act of giving up something highly valued, but it also means the surrendering of goods and property.

It is an act or instance of surrendering something, for example a battle or one’s life, especially to the enemy under the compulsion of direst necessity. It is an inconvenience or difficulty that causes someone to suffer so as to achieve a desired result.

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Types of Sacrifice

Personal sacrifice – this means sacrificing for other people rather than sacrificing for self. Personal sacrifices can be made through giving time, energy or money Personal sacrifice usually involves doing things that do not benefit you at all but give you inner satisfaction about helping others. The second type of sacrifice is religious sacrifice, which is associated with piety.

This type of sacrifice is mainly practiced at temples or places of worship. It involves offering items such as food, money or other valuables to please a god or an idol in the hope of getting some thing valuable in return for example prosperity and good luck in life. The third one is sacrifice in war which means giving up something very important for your country i.e., your people’s safety by sacrificing your life for them.

Finally, the fourth type is self-sacrifice which means giving up something of yours without any hope of getting anything valuable in return i.e., example when you give your life to save others or you jump before a moving train so that the people behind you can live their lives happily.

Value of Sacrifice in Life

In life, we need to put some value on things, if you want something more valuable in return for a less valued thing you sacrifice it. Example: when we go shopping with our mom and we see the most beautiful dress we ever saw in our lives and we really like it and ask our mothers can I buy that?

And she says no, because you have a lot of clothes at home and if we buy that one dress now, then we will need to sacrifice something else which was much valuable or needed more. Sacrifice is a way to distribute limited resources across competing needs.

Importance of Sacrifice

Sacrifice means to make a sacrifice and offering up. It can be an animal, goods or property that is sacrificed. A sacrifice may also mean that you put forward your own interests in favor of someone else’s interest or well-being. The act of sacrificing something such as time, comfort, money etc., for the sake of achieving something more important.

Example of sacrifice is you are hungry and want some delicious food, but your mother wants you to study for exams, so the benefit of getting the delicious food goes out of window as you choose to study.

Benefits of Sacrifice

It mean that something more valuable will be achieved through sacrificing what is less valued or giving up something. In an employee’s point of view, they perform extra work in order to receive a promotion or a reward, the reward is something valuable it means you don’t have to sacrifice but receive more valuable things in return.

In the corporate world, you have to put yourself ahead of your company and do some very hard tasks that others may not do, this is because it will make you more valuable and help your company to grow. For achieving something valuable or increasing the value of an object we need to sacrifice something.

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Sacrifices take place in almost every field of life, from the corporate world to religious places. Sacrifice is a way to get more valuable rewards by means of giving up something less valued for it. In today’s time we see everything seems to be getting expensive and difficult for us that our basic needs are no longer fulfilled, because we spend most of our money on some unimportant things that has no benefit to us. A lot of self-sacrifice is required in order to bring some changes in our lives, be it the personal life or the professional life.

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The Archetype of Sacrifice in Literature Essay

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Introduction

Oedipus dying for the benefit of the community, jesus sacrificing himself for the benefit of everyone else, arthur sacrificing himself, works cited.

There are a lot of different cases when one specific hero is presented as an archetype. Looking at different heroes existed at various times, it is possible to consider many of them as the archetypes. Sacrificing oneself for the benefit of the whole society is one of the main archetypes of the past. There are a lot of heroes who did all possible to sacrifice themselves for the benefit of mankind. In most cases, these people served for the benefit of society as they were sure that their lives were going to protect people.

There are a lot of heroes in history, folklore, and religion who served for the benefit of their societies and when it came time to decide whether to live or to die they chose the death if it could protect others and serve for their benefit. Oedipus, dying for the benefit of the community, Jesus, sacrificing himself for the benefit of everyone else, and Arthur, sacrificing himself, are three heroes who decided to die if it could assist people they lived with.

These archetypes are used in literature, religion, and folklore with the purpose to show that such actions as sacrificing oneself for the benefit of others are not just a simple action, it is the action which only heroes can make be sure that this action can bring the benefit for the society.

Reading Sophocles’ Oedipus the King, it is possible to find the examples when Oedipus is referred to as a hero. “Oh Oedipus, the king of the land, our greatest power”, “Oedipus, king, we bend to you, your power – we implore you, all of us on our knees”, “the man of experience”, “best of men”, “you have the power” (Sophocles 913) are the places when the society is sure the powers of their kind.

The story of Sophocles is complicated and diverse. Some people consider him as a criminal who killed his father and married his mothers, others are sure that he is a victim who appeared in a wrong place under the wrong conditions. However, the understanding of personal mistake is a great step. Trying to consider Oedipus as an archetype hero, it is important to refer to the dialogue between him and Creon. Oedipus exclaims, “Speak out, speak to us all. I grieve for these, my people, far more than I fear for my life” (Sophocles 914).

Oedipus wants to know the truth, he wants to get to know who killed the previous king and when he understands that it was he, he decides to kill himself. He knows that the life he lived was not his, he lived under another name and acted improperly. When the truth comes out, Oedipus is sure that he is going to serve the society better in the role of an insightful sightless existence rather than a king. Sacrificing his ordinary luxury life, Oedipus wants to prove the society that he is deeply bothered about what has happened.

Understanding that death is better than living blinded, Oedipus says, “I, with my eyes, how could I look my father in the eyes when I do down to death? Or mother, so abused… I have done such things to the two of them, crimes too huge for hanging” (Sophocles 947). Oedipus understands that to extinguish the guilt he has to live as the death is too simple punishment. Having sacrificed his eyes and the life of a simple person, Oedipus wants to show that all people are to pay for all their actions and this is his contribution to society.

The example of Jesus is one of the most notable in the history of archetypes. Jesus sacrificed his life for the benefit of the whole of mankind. Every time people remember God they also remember the action Jesus did for their benefit. All people are sinful. Understanding this, Jesus did all possible to protect people from sins. Walking the earth, Jesus taught people to lead faithful lives, to behave in accordance with the God’ rules and moral principles directed at general good and benefit of the whole society.

Jesus taught people the word of God whose main principles were as follows, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me”, “honor thy father and thy mother”, “thou shalt not kill”, “thou shalt not commit adultery”, “thou shalt not steal”, “thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor”, “thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbour’s” (The Bible, Exodus 20:3-17). Jesus taught people this truth. However, he saw that people were not ready for the coming of God. Thus, he decided to sacrifice himself to make God leave people alive. Some people cannot understand the reason for Jesus’ action up to now.

However those who have understood will deserve to live after the Judgment Day. The main idea of Jesus’ action was to die for people to live. Jesus tried to cover the sins of people to help them live further. Jesus hoped that the time would come when people understand his action and begin to live by God’s word. God promised to leave people alive until there are more those who live the right lives when those who do not. People are to remember the action of Jesus to understand how far the love for people may bring.

There are many quarrels about King Arthur devoted to whether he was a historical personality of a folklore hero. However, no matter who was King Arthur, he left a great imprint in the lives of people. King Arthur is famous for his actions. Fighting with the enemies he did all possible to protect his people from the enemy. When the time came to decide whether to live and to give his land to another tyrant or to die sacrificing his life for the freedom of his people, King Arthur decided to die.

Reading the stories in King Arthur: Tales of the Round Table (Lang and Ford 172) and especially the final scene when King Arthur is killed, it becomes obvious that the death of this notable person was for the benefit of his people. He could not just look how his nation was going to be enslaved, therefore, he did all possible to prevent this action. Running towards Sir Mordred King Arthur understood that it could be his last action, however, he also understood that it was impossible to leave his people with that person.

Having betrayed everyone, Sir Mordred wanted to get Excalibur and the lives of others were not in the range of his interests. Therefore, having weighted the power he had and the benefit his action could bring to the mankind King Arthur did a correct action, he killed Sir Mordred, crying “Traitor! now is your death day come,”. However, “when Sir Mordred felt he had his death-wound, he raised himself up and struck King Arthur such a blow that the sword clave his helmet, and then fell stark dead on the earth again” (Lang and Ford 164).

Therefore, it may be concluded that the deaths of Oedipus, Jesus, and Arthur were necessary for society to understand something. Those who learned the lesson from those actions were successful as they managed to understand the failures they did and to prevent them in the future. Even though there were people who did not understand the deaths of the heroes appropriately, they still were aware of the action.

They could treat the deaths as just the necessary actions, however, the sacrificing for others is a great step which is to be remembered. When people sacrifice themselves, they try to teach others something and when the lesson is learned it is possible to speak about sacrificing for the social benefit. Having considered the examples of Oedipus, Jesus, and Arthur, it is possible to state that their deaths taught good lessons for the whole mankind as even many years later we still remember those people, and their actions. This is one of the main proofs that they sacrificed their lives, not in vain.

Lang, Andrew and H. J. Ford. King Arthur: Tales of the Round Table . New York: Wildside Press LLC, 2009. Print.

Sophocles. “Oedipus the King.” An Introduction to Literature . Sylvan Barnet, William Burto, and William E. Cain. Eds. Oxford: Pearson Education Canada, 2010. 910-952. Print.

The Bible . Web.

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Meaning of Sacrifices (Offerings)

The burnt offering.

The burnt offering (Leviticus 1) was so called because it was to be consumed by fire before God. It was not allowed to be eaten either by the priests or the offerer. According to the 1906 Jewish Encyclopedia, it was the highest order of Old Testament sacrifices.

"And the priest shall burn all upon the altar, a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor to the Lord." (Leviticus 1:9, HBFV throughout).

The offering symbolized the complete surrender or total dedication to God by an individual or a congregation. The sacrifice was always to be a male animal as indicating strength and energy. The animal was either a young bullock, a young ram or goat, a turtledove or young pigeons.

The blood of the sacrifice was thrown on the angles of the temple's altar. Then 'the sinew of the thigh' (Genesis 32:32), the stomach and the entrails, and so on, having been removed (in the case of birds also the feathers and the wings), and the sacrifice having been duly salted, it was wholly burned.

The skins of the burnt offering belonged to the ministering priests who derived a considerable revenue from them. It was the only sacrifice which non-Israelites were allowed to bring before God.

Burnt offerings were a part of the regular morning and evening service in Jerusalem's Temple. On Sabbaths, new moons, and festivals additional burnt offerings followed the ordinary worship.

Sin Offering

The sin offering (Leviticus 4) symbolized atoning for disobedience before God. Its meaning also represented the imperfection of our physical existence and the sinfulness of our human nature.

This sacrifice applied to sins repented of which were committed "through ignorance" or unintentionally (Numbers 15:22 - 23). It did not apply to sins performed willfully through full knowledge of what was being done (a presumptuous or "high handed" sin - Numbers 15:30). It also was applied to sins of weakness, or those committed where the offender, at the time, did not realize his guilt.

The sacrifice itself, according to the 1906 Jewish Encyclopedia, was the following.

"If the anointed priest or the whole congregation commits a sin through ignorance, the sin offering is a young bullock without blemish. Should the ruler so sin, his offering is a male kid without blemish. "But when a private individual sins, his offering must be either a female kid or a female lamb without blemish, or, if he is too poor to provide one of these, a turtledove" (article on the sin offering).

On the Feast of Atonement, wherein all Israel fasted before God, the High Priest began the festival with two sin sacrifices. The first, a bullock, was for his own sins (and those of his household) while the second, a male kid of the goats, was for all the transgressions of the people (Leviticus 16:3, 5 - 16).

In ancient Israel a woman, forty days after giving birth to a male or eighty days for a female, was required to bring both a burnt (a lamb of the first year) and sin (a young pigeon or turtledove) offering to the temple (Leviticus 12). If the woman was poor and unable to afford a lamb, she could buy two pigeons or two turtledoves to cover these sacrifices. This is precisely what Mary and Joseph did forty days after the birth of Christ (Luke 2:22 - 24).

Sin offerings were also given in purification ceremonies after a male (likely) contacted gonorrhea (Leviticus 15:13 - 15) and after a person was healed of leprosy (14:2 - 19). Those who took the vow of a Nazarite were commanded to give sin and other offerings at the end of their service (Numbers 6:1 - 21).

Trespass Offering

Trespass offerings are generally discussed from Leviticus 5:1 to 7:7. They were given for acts committed through ignorance, or unintentionally, or when a person felt guilty that they may have sinned. It was also given by those who felt themselves in a special situation requiring this sacrifice. The act symbolized reconciling a person to God for their behavior.

The healing of a leper (Leviticus 14:12) or when a Nazarite had his vow interrupted by defilement through a dead body (Numbers 6:10 - 12), also called for this sacrifice.

The trespass offering itself was either the sacrifice of a ram or a male lamb. If the sin involved was "in the holy things of the Lord" (Leviticus 5:15), such as accidently not paying full tithes, the restitution was sometimes referred to as a guilt offering. In such cases the person was required to sacrifice a ram without blemish along with a certain amount of silver, payable through the sanctuary shekel, as restitution (Leviticus 5:14 - 19).

Peace Offering

According to the 1906 Jewish Encyclopedia, there are three types of peace offerings. They are thank offerings (Leviticus 7:11 - 12), votive (vow) offerings and free-will offerings (Leviticus 7:16). The thank offering is in acknowledgment of receiving an act of God's grace. The free-will offering is an act of love and generosity toward the Eternal.

Peace offerings, in general, symbolized complete peace with God. It was always accompanied by a meat and drink offering (Leviticus 7:11). Its primary focus was the sacrificial meal.

The two lambs "of the first year" given as a sacrifice at every Pentecost celebration (Leviticus 23:19) were a public peace offering that were eaten only by the officiating priests. King Solomon, when the temple was completed and the Ark of the Covenant was moved into the Holy of Holies, offered in sacrifice 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep as a peace offering to God (1Kings 8:63).

The Old Testament system of offerings at Jerusalem's temple was at the center of worshipping God. Such gifts, however, were abolished in the New Testament under the New Covenant (Hebrews 9:9 - 10, 10:1 - 18). The fullness of their meaning was fulfilled by the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ for our sins (Hebrews 9:12).

References The Temple: Its Ministry and Services at the Time of Jesus 1906 Jewish Encyclopedia

A Tale of Two Cities

Charles dickens, ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions.

A Tale of Two Cities is full of examples of sacrifice, on both a personal and national level. Dr. Manette sacrifices his freedom in order to preserve his integrity. Charles sacrifices his family wealth and heritage in order to live a life free of guilt for his family's awful behavior. The French people are willing to sacrifice their own lives to free themselves from tyranny. In each case, Dickens suggests that, while painful in the short term, sacrifice leads to future strength and happiness. Dr. Manette is reunited with his daughter and gains a position of power in the French Revolution because of his earlier incarceration in the Bastille. Charles wins the love of Lucie. And France, Dickens suggests at the end of the novel, will emerge from its terrible and bloody revolution to a future of peace and prosperity.

Yet none of these sacrifices can match the most important sacrifice in the novel—Sydney Carton's decision to sacrifice his life in order to save the lives of Lucie, Charles, and their family. The other characters' actions fit into the secular definition of "sacrifice," in which a person gives something up for noble reasons. Carton's sacrifice fits the Christian definition of the word. In Christianity, God sacrifices his son Jesus in order to redeem mankind from sin. Carton's sacrifice breaks the grip of fate and history that holds Charles, Lucie, Dr. Manette, and even, as the novel suggests, the revolutionaries.

Sacrifice ThemeTracker

Sacrifice Quotes in A Tale of Two Cities

Solidarity Amidst Strife: the Collective Strength of WWI’s Allied Forces

This essay about solidarity amidst the chaos of World War I highlights the unbreakable bond among Allied forces, transcending national boundaries for a common cause. It explores how soldiers from different backgrounds collaborated seamlessly on the battlefield, facing adversity with resilience and determination. Off the battlefield, diplomatic, economic, and humanitarian efforts further strengthened their unity. Despite challenges and tensions, their collective strength ultimately secured victory, leaving behind a legacy of courage and resilience that continues to inspire us today.

How it works

In the tumultuous landscape of World War I, amidst the chaos, destruction, and loss, there emerged a powerful force that transcended national boundaries and individual interests: solidarity among the Allied forces. As nations clashed on the battlefields of Europe, they found themselves bound together by a common cause, standing shoulder to shoulder against a common foe. This solidarity, forged in the crucible of war, became a cornerstone of the Allied effort and a testament to the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity.

At the outset of World War I in 1914, Europe was plunged into a conflict unlike any it had seen before. The Great Powers of the time mobilized their armies and resources, drawn into a vast and brutal struggle that would shape the course of history. Among them, the Allied powers—comprised primarily of France, Britain, Russia, and later joined by Italy and the United States—stood united in opposition to the Central Powers led by Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire.

Solidarity among the Allied forces manifested in various forms, both on and off the battlefield. At its core was a shared commitment to the principles of democracy, freedom, and self-determination. These ideals served as a rallying cry for soldiers and civilians alike, reinforcing the bonds that held the Allied nations together in their fight against tyranny and oppression.

On the battlefield, solidarity was evident in the cooperation and coordination among Allied troops. Despite differences in language, culture, and tactics, soldiers from different nations worked together seamlessly, united by a common objective: victory over the enemy. Whether charging across no man’s land, huddled together in the trenches, or supporting each other in the air and at sea, Allied forces demonstrated a remarkable ability to overcome barriers and work as a cohesive unit.

This unity was perhaps most evident in moments of crisis, when Allied troops faced overwhelming odds and desperate circumstances. From the Battle of the Marne to the Siege of Verdun, from the trenches of the Western Front to the deserts of the Middle East, Allied soldiers stood firm in the face of adversity, drawing strength from their shared bonds and mutual support. Time and again, they proved their resilience and determination, turning the tide of battle against their adversaries.

Off the battlefield, solidarity among the Allied nations found expression in diplomatic, economic, and humanitarian efforts. Allied leaders collaborated closely to coordinate military strategy, allocate resources, and provide mutual assistance. Diplomatic initiatives such as the Treaty of Versailles sought to establish a lasting peace based on principles of justice and reconciliation. Economic cooperation, exemplified by initiatives like the Allied blockade of German ports and the provision of war loans, aimed to weaken the Central Powers and bolster the Allied war effort. Humanitarian organizations such as the Red Cross provided aid and support to soldiers and civilians alike, regardless of nationality.

Solidarity among the Allied forces was not without its challenges and contradictions. National rivalries, political tensions, and strategic disagreements occasionally strained the unity of the Allied coalition. The Russian Revolution of 1917 and subsequent withdrawal from the war, the Italian betrayal at Caporetto, and the divisive Treaty of Versailles all tested the bonds that held the Allies together. Yet, despite these obstacles, the Allied nations remained committed to their common cause, persevering in their struggle for victory.

In the end, it was this solidarity—the collective strength of the Allied forces—that proved decisive in the outcome of World War I. Against all odds, against formidable enemies and unimaginable hardships, the Allied nations prevailed, securing victory on the battlefield and laying the groundwork for a more peaceful and just world order. The sacrifices made and the bonds forged during those tumultuous years remain a testament to the enduring power of solidarity in the face of strife. As we reflect on the legacy of World War I, let us remember the courage, resilience, and unity of those who stood together in the darkest of times, and let us draw inspiration from their example as we confront the challenges of our own era.

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