The cross was God's answer to humanity's sin and rebellion when Adam and Eve fell. For from the beginning, in the Garden of Eden, God instituted the shedding of blood. An innocent animal was slain in order to cover our first parents' sin (see Genesis 3:21). The Lord wanted them to know that their sin was costly, which is why, from Abraham to Moses to the time of Jesus' earthly ministry, animal sacrifices were offered continuously. Innocent blood was shed for the sake of guilty sinners. However, after Jesus endured the cross, animal sacrifices were no longer necessary. Atonement for sin, which was never achievable through the blood of animals nor the efforts of man, was finally and eternally settled by the blood of the divine Son of God.

From the earliest days of humanity, God's people have understood that their sin required a sacrifice—and they passed this Truth down to their children. Today, as we look back on the cross as the final sacrifice, there is no greater legacy we can give the next generation than to tell them about the seriousness of sin and the amazing grace of the cross of Christ.