With Thanksgiving we perhaps think about Turkey. It was apparently George H. W. Bush who began the tradition of pardoning a Turkey. I find it interesting that they would call it that – pardon – what was the Turkey’s offense?
We know that the first animals to be butchered were butchered by the LORD in order to cover Adam and Eve after they sinned and became aware of their nakedness (Gen 3:21). Then following the flood the LORD authorized mankind to eat meat (Gen 9:3).
I had the opportunity to assist in butchering some Turkeys the week of Thanksgiving. My conscience will not permit me to eat the meat but be unwilling to kill the animal. At the same time however, I will not allow myself to be hardened to what I am doing – killing a living thing, created by God. I am thankful to God for His provision and His permission to eat meat. I realize that by eating the meat I am participating in the death of the animal, whether I killed it or not.
Butchering turkeys brought to my mind something that Jesus said. He said I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he shall live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world (John 6:51). Hearing this the Jews began to quarrel among themselves saying how can this Man give us His flesh to eat? (John 6:52). Jesus said to them, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day (John 6:53-54).
By eating meat we partake in the death of the animal that provided the meat. Likewise by putting our trust in Jesus Christ for salvation, we partake in His death. It was His death that makes our salvation possible. His death was for our sin. Our sin puts us at enmity with God, He died so that we don’t have to suffer the eternal punishment for our sin. He died in our place so that our sin could be pardoned. By believing in Jesus Christ, we are identified with Him, and His death pays for our sin. We eat His flesh and drink His blood in that way.
I am thankful that Jesus died on the cross to pay for my sins and yours, and that He rose again after 3 days. I invite you to partake in His death by believing in Him for salvation.
