Jesus came to allow mankind to be forgiven of our sins, so what did people have to do before Christ came? Well they certainly had it more difficult that we do. Towards the end of the book of Exodus, GOD instructed Moses to guild a tabernacle called the "Tent of the Meeting" and to fill it with ritualistic items. Then in the subsequent book of Leviticus, he lays out the rituals required to gain forgiveness for sins and to honor HIM. These rituals required blood sacrifices through the ritualistic sacrificing of animals, no human sacrifices obviously. So why did GOD require the sacrificing of innocent animals? When we sin, we die so in order to be forgiven and to come back to life, an innocent life must replace us. When looked at this way, the sacrificing of a goat doesn't seem all that bad.

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Still, speaking for myself who once cried when I shot a bird with a BB gun as a child, I don't think I would have the stomach to kill animals.  The Old Testament sacrifice rituals were temporary coverings for sin that would only be fully forgiven after Christ came. Jesus was truly innocent and perfect in every way, yet he shed his blood so that we may be forgiven. In doing so, He did away with the need to offer blood of innocent animals to GOD for our sins. Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice and His blood washes away our sins for all times. As 2 Corinthians (5:12) says, "GOD made Him [Jesus] who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of GOD." All we have to do now is to believe in amazing task that Christ accomplished on the cross and poof, we are forgiven and will go up to have fellowship with GOD when our day comes.