Yom Kippur Observation

Modeling

Wash hands

Change clothes

Cast lots over the goats.

Sacrifice the bull

Incense on alter (smoke)

Blood on the Mercy Seat (priest clean).

Sacrifice goat 1

Incense on alter (smoke)

Blood on Mercy Seat (mercy seat)

Blood on Incense alter (holy place)

Blood on brazen alter (tabernacle court)

Scapegoat driven away (swept out the front door).

Burnt offering of two rams (priest, people) for atonement.

Change clothes (leave inside)

Wash

Teaching

Leviticus 17:10–11 ““If any one of the house of Israel or of the strangers who sojourn among them eats any blood, I will set my face against that person who eats blood and will cut him off from among his people. For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life.”

Hebrews 9:22 “Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.”

What is the way that an object becomes ceremonially clean in the Jewish law? By blood.

Did this idea continue into the New Testament? Yes.

So is the death of the sacrifice only about appeasing the wrath of God? No, it is about providing blood to cleanse the worshipper.

Romans 3:23–25 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.”

“Propitiation” Greek word ἱλαστήριον hilasterion, a noun that in all other occurrences in the NT and in the LXX references the mercy seat of the ark of the covenant. “Place of forgiveness.”

So what does Jesus’ body and the cross represent? The mercy seat.

Hebrews 9:11–12 “But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.”

Who is our High Priest? Jesus

What sacrifice did he offer? Himself

How often does Jesus need to offer this sacrifice? Once

Hebrews 9:13–14 “For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.”

What has been sprinkled by Christ’s blood? Us. Our souls.

What should the result of this purification be? A pure life.

Philippians 2:5–8 “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

How did Jesus prepare for his atoning work? by laying aside his glory.

In what form did he present himself? as a servant.

Colossians 1:19–20 “For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.”

Why did Jesus die? to reconcile the world to God.

What has been redeemed by Christ’s work? all things.

Where did he offer himself? On the cross.

Romans 5:6–11 “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”

How did Jesus give us forgiveness? Through his death

What was our relationship with God before Christ’s sacrifice? sinners, enemies.

1 John 1:7–9 “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

How do we access the forgiveness that Christ has offered us? by confession

Is there an aspect of our confession that is born out in our lifestyle? yes. If we walk…

Responding