Skip to main content

294. Our Scapegoat

Leviticus 16:20-22, John 19:17, Hebrews 13:11-14
Key Verse: "Let us then, go to Him, outside the camp, bearing the disgrace He bore.
Hebrews 13:13

Isn't it fascinating that even where Jesus was crucified was prepared for through Jewish history. Again, we need to go back to the Exodus from Egypt to understand the symbolism better.

As the children of Israel were in the wilderness, the Lord took the time necessary to teach them how to worship Him. First, God shared with Moses a plan for an actual structure, the Tabernacle, where worship of Him would take place. It was a place where He would meet with His people. When the tabernacle was built, God addressed the matter of who would serve there as priests. After the priesthood had been established through the Levitical tribe, God not only designed what clothing they should wear when conducting worship, but he established a series of feasts and observances and a system of sacrifices to cover everything from thanksgiving to sin. God had said over and over in Leviticus, "Be holy for I am Holy." Then He taught them how to accomplish what He had commanded of them.

During the annual Feast of Tabernacles, there was to be one day, The Day of Atonement, in which the people prayed, fasted and repented of their sins. During the ceremony, two goats were selected. One goat was sacrificed, by the priests, for the people, but the other goat, though allowed to live, was used as the scapegoat for the people's sins. The priest would ceremonially lay all of the sins of the people on the scapegoat. Then another priest would lead that goat out to a solitary place, to die alone, bearing the sins of the people on his head. You may think that the scapegoat was fortunate to keep its life, but this is not true. Goats also depend upon the guidance of shepherds and they want to be a part of a group. Alone, and without a shepherd, it would become vulnerable to predators and probably would not survive long away from the camp.

Jesus was led out of Jerusalem bearing our sin on His shoulders. This day was the Day of Atonement, the day of reckoning for us all. However, He is not just a scapegoat. He is the high priest, bearing our sin, shedding His blood to pay the price so that we could be set free. Every one of the Old Testament sacrifices typified Christ. But only one day could be chosen for the day he offered himself. The Passover, or paschal, sacrifice was a type of the Lord Jesus Christ as the Lamb of God. The paschal lamb was to be a male, without spot and blemish, and not a bone was to be broken. Jesus fulfilled this picture perfectly. As the Israelites applied the blood of the sacrifice in faith, so we today apply the precious blood of Christ to the “doorposts” of our hearts. In all these ways, “Christ our Passover has been sacrificed for us” (1 Corinthians 5:7)

Let us go to Him. Let us follow Him and worship Him because He is worthy of all the praise and thanksgiving we can offer. He has lost much blood and dignity this night, but He has done it all for us. "Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His counselor? Who has ever given to God, that God should repay Him? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen." (Romans 11:34-36)

Hymn: "The Old Rugged Cross"   & “The Wonderful Cross”

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

211. The Sons of Thunder's Request

Matthew 20:20-28 , Mark 10:35-45 , Key verse: "Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all." Mark 10:43B-44 In our readings for yesterday, in which Jesus outlined what was about to happen to Him, for His disciples, the passage in Luke ends: "The disciples did not understand any of this. It's meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what He was talking about." ( Luke 18:34 ) Now, we see just how truly clueless they were. Jesus had laid out a plan before them of pain and suffering and death and now James and John are focused on a promotion. The disconnect is so obvious. It's really not important to know whether James and john came up with this request on their own or if their mother put them up to it. The request was made and James and John thought that they could handle the responsibility that would come with it. What is that saying, "Fools rush in where angels fe...
Post a Comment
Read more

174. Pleading for the Fig Tree

Proverbs 27:18 , Luke 13:6-9 Key Verse: He who tends a fig tree will eat its fruit, and he who looks after his master will be honored. Proverbs 27:18 We have here three main characters: a master, who acquired the tree in hopes of eventually enjoying its fruit, a servant, who looks to the tree to reflect his care and attention, and lastly, the tree itself. The master has the right to expect his investment to pay off. The servant, who has obviously put much effort into the tree, would also like to see fruit. The servant's interest is not only to show his own talent in gardening, but because he wants to please his master. Both the servant and the master are dependent upon the tree to do what it was designed to do. Their little parable is an interesting way for Jesus to finish off His exhortation to, "repent or perish."  God is the Master. He had a purpose for you before you were even born. ( Jeremiah 1:5 & Psalm 139:16 ) He planted you on this earth to ful...
Post a Comment
Read more

204. Come Like a Child

Psalm 127 , Matthew 19:13-15 , Luke 18:15-17 , Mark 10:13-16 Key Verse: Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Matthew 19:14 The attitude of the disciples isn't much different than the attitude of many people, even Christians, today. Instead of seeing children as a blessing from the Lord, too many regard them as a burden to bear that gets in the way of our own selfish happiness. Family size is determined by what we think we can afford rather than openness to God's blessing, trusting God to provide. Satan hates children. Children represent innocence. The sooner he can corrupt and or damage a child, the happier he is. This is why Jesus warned in Matthew 18:6: "If anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drown in the depths of the sea." To corrupt or damage ...
Post a Comment
Read more