Romans 8:38, 39
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Psalm 51:5 says I have been evil from the day I was born; from the time I was conceived, I have been sinful. Scripture clearly informs us that we are born infected by sin...and will die apart from God because of that stain. Humanity's state of sin results from the fall of man, stemming from Adam and Eve's rebellion in Eden, namely the sin of disobedience in consuming from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. And, since God cannot live in fellowship with anybody who is not holy, we have been dismissed from His company…with all the attending consequences.
This single day, YOM KIPPUR (Day of atonement), is foundational to everything we believe about
our salvation. So, what does this mean? The word
KIPPUR is a form of two words used in combination.
The Hebrew root word kappar which according to the Theological Wordbook of the Old
Testament means to make an atonement, make reconciliation, purge.
The other word, kapporet, refers to the mercy seat…the golden “lid”
covering the Ark of the Covenant located in the inner shrine of the Tabernacle
of Moses…which in Hebrew is the the place of atonement or the
place where atonement was made.
In other words, there is only one spot on
earth where atonement can be made…in the holiest place within the tabernacle.
The Role of the High Priest is central to the entire
ritual of atonement. In
particular, it was the High Priest who would bring a bull and two goats as a special offering to
purge the temple from the defilements caused by misdeeds of the priests and
their households. He would sprinkle the blood of the bull inside the veil of
the Holy of Holies
upon the kapporet. Then he would draw lots and select one of the two goats
to be a sin offering on behalf of the people (this goat was designated L'Adonai – "to the LORD"). He would likewise enter the Holy of Holies sprinkle
the blood of the goat upon the kapporet. Finally, the High Priest would lay
both hands upon the head of the second goat (designated for Azazel – "absolute removal”) while confessing all of the transgressions of the people.
This goat was then driven away into the wilderness, carrying on it "all their iniquities unto
a land not inhabited" (Lev. 16:22).
YOM KIPPUR, although the most significant, was only one of a
whole system of sacrifices that was implemented to assuage God’s wrath against
sin. And, except for YOM KIPPUR, where the sole officiant was the High Priest,
the role of the people was also important. It was their responsibility to
identify with the sacrificial lambs by laying their hands on the lamb’s head
while it was being slaughtered…in recognition of the fact that they deserved to
die for their sins but God, in His love, was accepting the death of this lamb
instead. This lamb was distinguished from the YOM KIPPUR goat in that it only
atoned for the sins of the individual who offered it. The Goat atoned for the
entire nation.
So…what does all this have to do with us, and atonement?
But, of course, as
the chapter begins…Oh, how few believe it! Who will listen?
Isaiah
continues in the following chapter: But in our eyes there was no attractiveness at all, nothing to
make us want him. We despised him and rejected him—We
turned our backs on him and looked the other way when he went by. Yet
it was our grief he bore, our sorrows that weighed him down.
And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, for his own sins! But he was
wounded and bruised for our
sins. He was beaten that we might have peace; he was lashed—and we were healed...God
laid on him the guilt and sins
of every one of us...But who among the people of that day realized it was their
sins that he was dying for…He was counted as a sinner, and he bore the sins
of many, and he pled with God for sinners.
Who is this divinely ordained sacrificial Lamb...who could
permanently obliterate our sin problem?
Let's move forward in history to the earthly ministry of
Jesus. We get a clue when we see the incident when John the Baptist saw Jesus approaching. This incident took place at Bethany, a
village on the other side of the Jordan River where John was baptizing. The
next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! There is the Lamb
of God who takes away the world’s sin! He is the one I was
talking about when I said, ‘Soon a man far greater than I am is coming, who
existed long before me!’ (John
1:28-30). And, through His crucifixion, death and resurrection, He became our
Lamb (forgiving sin) and our Goat (removing sin).
Not only did John the Baptist recognize it but, Jesus Himself
proclaimed it. In John 10, He said “I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd
lays down his life for the sheep”. A
hired man would run when he saw a wolf coming and would leave the sheep but…not
Jesus. The hired man runs because he is hired and has no real concern for the
sheep. Jesus continues by saying “The Father loves me because I lay down my
life that I may have it back again. No
one could kill Him…He laid it down voluntarily. The Jewish leaders
surrounded him and said, “If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”
Christ’s response was crystal clear; “I have already told you, and you don’t believe me…The
proof is in the miracles I do in the name of my Father. To ensure there was no doubt, He closed the conversation with
this pointed statement; “I and the Father are one.”
And…the Apostle Peter sums up precisely what
the work of Christ was intended to accomplish. “Knowing that you were ransomed from the
futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as
silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb
without blemish or spot. 20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world
but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you 21 who through him are believers in
God, who raised him from the dead and agave
him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God”. (1
Peter 1:18–21)
Even if we believe Jesus died for our sins
2,000 years ago, how do we know His offering had eternal benefits? Well, here’s
the exciting part…
Hebrews 7-10 outlines the amazing assurance that Jesus is
also our High Priest. Remember, while the High Priest was performing the
sacrifices on YOM KIPPUR, all sin was obliterated. In fact, one ancient
Hebrew scholar described it this way: “For
three hours, Satan could not condemn man before God” …alluding to the
interval of time when the High Priest was in the Holy of Holies interceding for
us.
Allow me to summarize these chapters in Hebrews…
Melchizedek
was king of Salem and priest of the Highest God. He met Abraham, who was
returning from “the royal massacre,” and gave him his blessing. Abraham in turn
gave him a tenth of the spoils. “Melchizedek” means “King of Righteousness.”
“Salem” means “Peace.” So, he is also “King of Peace.” You realize just how
great Melchizedek is when you see that Abraham gave him a tenth of the captured
treasure. The Melchizedek story provides a perfect analogy: Jesus is, “a priest forever in the royal order of Melchizedek,” not by genealogical descent but by the sheer force of resurrection life. The old priesthood of Aaron perpetuated itself automatically, father to son but God intervened and called this new, permanent priesthood into being with an added promise: God gave his word; He won’t take it back: “You’re the permanent priest.” This makes Jesus the guarantee of a perfect way between us and God—one that really works! A new covenant.
God, appointed His Son, who is absolutely, eternally perfect. Unlike the other high priests, he doesn’t have to offer sacrifices for his own sins every day before he can get around to us and our sins. He’s done it, once and for all: offered up himself as the sacrifice…and is now conducting worship in the one true sanctuary built by God…heaven.
Remember…As
I outlined, the first plan contained directions for worship, and a specially
designed place of worship. A large outer tent was set up. The lampstand, the
table, and “the bread of presence” were placed in it. This was called “the Holy
Place.” Then a curtain was stretched, and behind it a smaller, inside tent set
up. This was called “the Holy of Holies.” In it were placed the gold incense
altar and the gold-covered ark of the covenant containing the gold urn of
manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, the covenant tablets, and the
angel-wing-shadowed mercy seat.
Only the high priest entered the "Holy of Holies", and then only once a year, offering a blood sacrifice for his own
sins and the people’s accumulated sins.
But when the Messiah arrived, high priest of the new covenant, he bypassed the old tent and its trappings in this created world and went straight into heaven’s “tent”—the true Holy of Holies—once and for all. He also bypassed the sacrifices consisting of goat and calf blood, instead using his own blood as the price to set us free once and for all.
Every priest goes to work at the altar each day, offers the same old sacrifices year in, year out, and never makes a dent in the sin problem. As our High Priest, Christ made a single sacrifice for sins, and that was it! Then he sat down right beside God…in the eternal “Holy of Holies…and is constantly interceding for us. It was a perfect sacrifice by a perfect person to perfect some very imperfect people. By that single offering, he did everything that needed to be done for everyone who takes part in the purifying process.
So, friends, we can now—without hesitation—walk right up to God, into “the Holy Place.” Jesus has cleared the way by the blood of his sacrifice, acting as our priest before God…the “curtain” into God’s presence is his body.
“For three hours Satan could not condemn man before God”. For the entire time the High Priest was performing his duties on YOM KIPPUR, the people were without sin! Think about this…our High Priest is constantly and eternally performing His YOM KIPPUR duties before God in heaven. We are without sin. We are pure and holy.
Our part? Romans 10:9 promises "If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved". When I proclaim Jesus as my Lamb it's like putting my hand on His head while He was being crucified...acknowledging He died for my sin. When I believe He was raised from the dead I'm believing the threat of sin has been forever broken.
Live boldly out there today…
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