“Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”Ephesians 5:1-2

Sweet Smelling or Stinky? 

We’ve all experienced it.  Some people lift our spirits as soon as they walk into a room.  The light in their eyes with a smile that involves their whole face makes us smile in response.  I have been in tedious meetings of decision making where you could cut the tension with a knife.  Then a person who has doused themselves with the fragrance of Christ settles the discussion and calms all minds with the peace of Christ that oozes from them.

We’ve all had the opposite experience, too. We are about to settle an issue or complete the details of a project when a person walks in with a sour look, sarcastic comments, with a stinky outlook on life itself.  We call them “wet blankets” who put out the fires of enthusiasm with the hearts of those who want to make a difference in this life for God.  Wet blankets can suck the air from our lungs leaving us questioning with gaping mouths, empty of responses. 

Why does Paul calls Jesus a fragrant offering? How can we “smell” better?

Paul’s analogy of Jesus being a fragrant offering, refers to this passage, Exodus 30.  Moses’ instructions from God were very specific and each command had significance then and now.  During the days of appointed priests, beginning with Aaron and his sons, and on through the Levitical generational line; offerings had to be given for the forgiveness of sins. There were also offerings of peace, as well as burnt offerings and guilt offerings. Paul calls Jesus a fragrant offering because it alludes back to the sacrifices offered in the temple in his time.  But the procedures began with Moses. 

God’s People had to offer a variety of sin offerings to be forgiven of their sins. While this was only temporary and never fully did away with sin, it was a precursor to the ultimate Sacrifice, Jesus Christ. Jesus is the ultimate offering to the Father for the forgiveness of sins. The Lord offered Himself to redeem mankind from our sins. This is why Paul calls Jesus a fragrant offering because Jesus was indeed a pleasing fragrance to God, the Father.  And because of Jesus we can boldly go to the throne of God and meet with Him.  We can commune with Him in prayer.  We build our relationship with God, provided by Jesus, by listening to God.  How well we listen, trust, and obey God will determine the “scented fragrance” we give off when we walk into a room!

God begins training Moses to train His People in their new relationship with God. Burning incense is often a picture of prayer. “Let my prayer be set before You as incense,” David prayed (Psalm 141:2), and John, disciple of Jesus, saw the elders in heaven with “golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints” (Revelation 5:8; see Revelation 8:3-4). Whenever the priest burned the incense, it was a call to the people for a time of prayer (Luke 1:8–10).  These instructions were still carried out in the days Jesus walked the earth.  God created all the sweet smells and tells us how to use what He has created to remind us of His Holiness.  Only God is Holy God. 

Exodus 30

The Altar of Incense

“Make an altar of acacia wood for burning incense. ² It is to be square, a cubit long and a cubit wide, and two cubits high—its horns of one piece with it. ³ Overlay the top and all the sides and the horns with pure gold, and make a gold molding around it. ⁴ Make two gold rings for the altar below the molding—two on each of the opposite sides—to hold the poles used to carry it. ⁵ Make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. ⁶ Put the altar in front of the curtain that shields the ark of the covenant law—before the atonement cover that is over the tablets of the covenant law—where I will meet with you.

⁷ “Aaron must burn fragrant incense on the altar every morning when he tends the lamps. ⁸ He must burn incense again when he lights the lamps at twilight so incense will burn regularly before the Lord for the generations to come. ⁹ Do not offer on this altar any other incense or any burnt offering or grain offering, and do not pour a drink offering on it. ¹⁰ Once a year Aaron shall make atonement on its horns. This annual atonement must be made with the blood of the atoning sin offering for the generations to come. It is most holy to the Lord.”

Atonement Money

¹¹ Then the Lord said to Moses, ¹² “When you take a census of the Israelites to count them, each one must pay the Lord a ransom for his life at the time he is counted. Then no plague will come on them when you number them. ¹³ Each one who crosses over to those already counted is to give a half shekel, according to the sanctuary shekel, which weighs twenty gerahs. This half shekel is an offering to the Lord. ¹⁴ All who cross over, those twenty years old or more, are to give an offering to the Lord. ¹⁵ The rich are not to give more than a half shekel and the poor are not to give less when you make the offering to the Lord to atone for your lives. ¹⁶ Receive the atonement money from the Israelites and use it for the service of the tent of meeting. It will be a memorial for the Israelites before the Lord, making atonement for your lives.”

Basin for Washing

¹⁷ Then the Lord said to Moses, ¹⁸ “Make a bronze basin, with its bronze stand, for washing. Place it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it. ¹⁹ Aaron and his sons are to wash their hands and feet with water from it. ²⁰ Whenever they enter the tent of meeting, they shall wash with water so that they will not die. Also, when they approach the altar to minister by presenting a food offering to the Lord, ²¹ they shall wash their hands and feet so that they will not die. This is to be a lasting ordinance for Aaron and his descendants for the generations to come.”

Anointing Oil

²² Then the Lord said to Moses, ²³ “Take the following fine spices: 500 shekels of liquid myrrh, half as much (that is, 250 shekels) of fragrant cinnamon, 250 shekels of fragrant calamus, ²⁴ 500 shekels of cassia—all according to the sanctuary shekel—and a hin of olive oil. ²⁵ Make these into a sacred anointing oil, a fragrant blend, the work of a perfumer. It will be the sacred anointing oil. ²⁶ Then use it to anoint the tent of meeting, the ark of the covenant law, ²⁷ the table and all its articles, the lampstand and its accessories, the altar of incense, ²⁸ the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the basin with its stand. ²⁹ You shall consecrate them so they will be most holy, and whatever touches them will be holy.

³⁰ “Anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate them so they may serve me as priests. ³¹ Say to the Israelites, ‘This is to be my sacred anointing oil for the generations to come. ³² Do not pour it on anyone else’s body and do not make any other oil using the same formula. It is sacred, and you are to consider it sacred. ³³ Whoever makes perfume like it and puts it on anyone other than a priest must be cut off from their people.’”

Incense

³⁴ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Take fragrant spices—gum resin, onycha and galbanum—and pure frankincense, all in equal amounts, ³⁵ and make a fragrant blend of incense, the work of a perfumer. It is to be salted and pure and sacred. ³⁶ Grind some of it to powder and place it in front of the ark of the covenant law in the tent of meeting, where I will meet with you. It shall be most holy to you. ³⁷ Do not make any incense with this formula for yourselves; consider it holy to the Lord. ³⁸ Whoever makes incense like it to enjoy its fragrance must be cut off from their people.”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

So, I’m wondering—who are we today?  Sweet smelling or stinky? 

The better question might be, how do we “smell” to God?  When we offer our lives to God in total surrender, it’s a fragrant aroma to God and to others.  When we say, “Yes, Lord, I want to do your will, not mine,” it pleases God. It is also a fragrant aroma to others when they see our trust in God as we surrender our way and follow His path.  As we’ve watched other believers surrender themselves to Christ and His plan for them, we’ve been able to enjoy the fragrant aroma of their surrender!

We live in a world that desperately needs Christ. We can either sit back, expecting someone else to share the gospel, or we can follow His command in Matthew 28:18-20 to go and make disciples of Jesus with His sweet aroma emanating from us. Are we willing to make Jesus Christ known to those around us? Sharing Christ with others is a fragrant aroma to God and to those who hear the gospel and accept it. But, as Paul reminds us, not all will like the aroma.  God wants us to be a fragrant aroma to the world, pointing others to Christ. Are we?

As we bathe this morning to clean up the outside, may we think about who we will represent from the inside out to all we encounter others. As we dress ourselves, may we remember—

“…as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Colossians 3:12

Most people are drawn to Jesus in us as His fragrance wafts gently and lovingly from us when we clothe ourselves in His ways. 

Lord,

Anoint us this day the sweet smells of your love, mercy, and grace.  Let the beauty of all you are be seen in me.

In Jesus Name, Amen