Feb. 13, 2021
The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur in Hebrew) was the most solemn day of the Jewish calendar. On that day, the high priest offered sacrifices for himself and for God’s people. A highlight of the ceremony was the selection of a goat over which the high priest would confess Israel’s sins, transferring them to the goat.
A man then led the goat away to a land from which it could not find its way back, thereby symbolizing that God had removed the people’s sins from them. The book of Hebrews describes how Jesus fulfilled the Day of Atonement by offering Himself as the sacrifice for sin once and for all (Hebrews 9:1-14).
God commanded the Israelites to treat with respect the blood of animals they killed either for food or for sacrifice. The shed blood of a sacrifice represented the animal’s life, which provided a substitute for the Israelites’ sin. Even so, Jesus shed His blood as a sacrifice for sinners (Romans 3:23-25).
God also commanded His people to live pure lives. He wanted them to follow His holy purpose for sex within marriage, not engage in the sexual sins of their neighbors. As they submitted to God’s plan, they would experience God’s best and provide a witness to the world.
A large mob arrived in the Garden of Gethsemane to arrest Jesus. Judas, one of the disciples, betrayed Jesus, and the other disciples ran terrified into the night, as Jesus had predicted (Matthew 26:31).
At Jesus’ trial, the high priest asked Jesus whether He was the Messiah, God’s Son. Jesus confirmed His identity, citing a prophecy from the prophet Daniel (Daniel 7:13). The council then condemned Jesus as worthy of death.
Meanwhile, out in the courtyard, Peter denied Jesus three times when people confronted him. When the rooster crowed, Peter felt deep remorse, and went out and wept bitterly. Yet, Jesus didn’t write Peter off but forgave and pursued Peter after the resurrection (John 21:15-17).
Make It Personal
- Thank God for dealing with our sin problem once and for all.
- How can we intentionally demonstrate God’s holiness to others?
- Reflect on a time when you failed God. How did you feel about it at the time, and how do you feel about it now? Do you know God forgives you and loves you anyway?
Learn More
Check out this video from the Bible Project to see how the themes of Sacrifice and Atonement connect from Leviticus to Jesus’ death on the cross.