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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”

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