We have sacrificed a lot this year. We sacrificed social experiences, educational opportunities, employment, time with loved ones, and sometimes our own mental health—all so that we can protect ourselves and each other. Though our modern use of the word “sacrifice” has negative connotations of self-denial and of doing without, there is another interpretation of that word.
The word “sacrifice” in Italian is “sacravaccio,” a combination of the adjective “sacra” (sacred) and the verb “vaccia,” which means “to do.” Using this translation, a sacrifice involves something we engage in or act upon. Essentially, then, sacrifice is “sacred doing.”
In the Old Testament, the sacrifice of a thank offering included the best animals or grains a person had to offer. Because a thank offering is a celebration of a relationship, God is present at the banquet table that WE have set. He becomes our guest, and our sacrifice is the overflowing of our joy in being with Him. Psalm 107 reminds the congregation of our joyful duty to make a sacrifice of thanks to God. After recognizing and acknowledging God’s actions, we give thanks. After being restored by Him, we give thanks. After His reconciliation on our behalf, we make our own “sacred doing.” We actively give thanks to Him.
Paul writes that “you are a living sacrifice” (Romans 12:1). In Hebrews 13:15, we are reminded that “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.”
Let this day’s sacrifice be an act of rejoicing in the work of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has restored us to Him. Enjoy this simple offering of thanks from the Jakarta Festival Chorus, singing “I Want to Thank You, Lord” by Moses Hogan: