The Handbook of Bible Application Neil S. Wilson, EditorATONEMENT (Covering, Payment, Sacrifice)
What did the Old Testament sacrifices mean?
BIBLE READING: Leviticus 17:10-14
KEY BIBLE VERSE: The life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life. (Leviticus 17:11 , niv)
Blood meant an exchange of one life for another. How does blood make atonement for sin? When offered with the right attitude, the sacrifice and the blood shed from it made forgiveness of sin possible. On the one hand, blood represented the sinner’s life, infected by his sin and headed for death. On the other hand, the blood represented the innocent life of the animal that was sacrificed in place of the guilty person making the offering. The death of the animal (of which the blood was proof) fulfilled the penalty of death. God therefore granted forgiveness to the sinner. It is God who forgives based on the faith of the one sacrificing.
How does Jesus’ death offer atonement for our sin?
BIBLE READING: Romans 3:21-31
KEY BIBLE VERSE: God presented [Christ Jesus] as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished. (Romans 3:25 , niv)
In his death Jesus took upon himself our punishment. After all this bad news about our sinfulness and God’s condemnation, Paul now gives the wonderful news. There is a way to be declared not guilty—by trusting Jesus Christ to take away our sins. Trusting means putting our confidence in him to forgive our sins, to make us right with God, and to empower us to live the way he taught us. God’s solution is available to all of us regardless of our background or past behavior.
BIBLE READING: Hebrews 7:11-28
KEY BIBLE VERSE: Unlike the other high priests, [Jesus] does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. (Hebrews 7:27 , niv)
Jesus’ death secured forgiveness for us. In Old Testament times when animals were sacrificed, they were cut into pieces, the parts were washed, the fat was burned, the blood was sprinkled, and the meat was boiled. Blood was demanded as atonement for sins, and God accepted animal blood to cover the people’s sins (Leviticus 17:11 ). Because of the sacrificial system, the Israelites were generally aware that sin costs and that they themselves were sinful. Many people take Christ’s work on the cross for granted. They don’t realize how costly it was for Jesus to secure our forgiveness—it cost him his life (1 Peter 1:18-19 ).
These verses help explain why Jesus had to die. As we better understand the Jewish sacrificial system, we see that Jesus’ death served as the perfect atonement for our sins. His death brings us eternal life. How callous, how cold, how stubborn it would be to refuse God’s greatest gift.
