Two Animals, One Atonement

(John 18:39–40) “But you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover. So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” They cried out again, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber.”

(Matthew 27:15–23) “Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted. And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up. Besides, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream.” Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. The governor again said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Let him be crucified!” And he said, “Why, What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!””

(Leviticus 16:1–34) Then (Aaron) shall take the two goats and set them before the LORD at the entrance of the tent of meeting. And Aaron shall cast lots over the two goats, one lot for the LORD and the other lot for Azazel. And Aaron shall present the goat on which the lot fell for the LORD and use it as a sin offering, but the goat on which the lot fell for Azazel shall be presented alive before the LORD to make atonement over it, that it may be sent away into the wilderness to Azazel.

“Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering that is for the people and bring its blood inside the veil …sprinkling it over the mercy seat and in front of the mercy seat. Thus he shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleannesses of the people of Israel and because of their transgressions, all their sins. And so he shall do for the tent of meeting, which dwells with them in the midst of their uncleannesses. No one may be in the tent of meeting from the time he enters to make atonement in the Holy Place until he comes out and has made atonement for himself and for his house and for all the assembly of Israel.

“..he shall present the live goat. And Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the people of Israel, and all their transgressions, all their sins. And he shall put them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who is in readiness. The goat shall bear all their iniquities on itself to a remote area, and he shall let the goat go free in the wilderness.

—- Two goats are presented before the LORD. Lots are cast. One is for the LORD and is sacrificed. Its blood is brought into the Most Holy Place to make atonement. The other is for Azazel. The high priest lays hands on it, confesses the sins of Israel over it, and it is sent away alive into the wilderness, bearing those sins away from the people.

So you have, in one unified rite, two distinct aspects of atonement. First, propitiation. Blood shed before God. Second, expiation. Sin carried away from the people. BOTH animals Point to Christ: (John 1:29) “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (Isaiah 53:4–6) “Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.

 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.

 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

—- The Day of Atonement shows that atonement requires both death before God and the removal of sin. Christ fulfills both.

The Barabbas episode shows the result of that atonement. The guilty go free because the innocent is condemned in their place.

Barabbas becomes, in a sense, a living picture of the sinner justified. Not because he bears sin away, but because his guilt is not counted against him. Another has taken his place. On the Day of Atonement, two goats stand in the place of Israel. One dies. One carries sin away.

On Good Friday, one Man stands in the place of sinners. He dies and carries sin away in His own body.

And Barabbas stands as every man. Guilty, deserving death, yet released because another takes his place. The scapegoat is not a picture of a sinner being forgiven. It is a picture of sin being removed.

Barabbas is not a picture of sin being removed. He is a picture of a sinner being acquitted.

Christ does both. He removes the sin and justifies the sinner.

But such a horrible cost: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?” (Psalm 22:1)

(Psalm 22:6–18) “But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people.

 All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads;

 “He trusts in the LORD; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”

Yet you are he who took me from the womb; you made me trust you at my mother’s breasts.

 On you was I cast from my birth, and from my mother’s womb you have been my God.

 Be not far from me, for trouble is near, and there is none to help.

Many bulls encompass me; strong bulls of Bashan surround me;

 they open wide their mouths at me, like a ravening and roaring lion.

I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast;

 my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death.

For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet—

 I can count all my bones— they stare and gloat over me;

 they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.”

Jesus dies not only in Barabbas’ place, He dies in your place so that you can be the Son of the Father: (Galatians 3:23–4:7) “Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.

I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.”