Atonement in NT

The atoning purpose of Jesus Christ’s death

Jesus Christ’s death on behalf of others

John 10:11 NLT

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep.

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Jesus Christ’s atoning death for sin

1 Corinthians 15:3 NLT

I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said.

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The atoning significance of Jesus Christ’s death is expressed by references to his blood

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Jesus Christ’s atoning death is commemorated in the Lord’s Supper

1 Corinthians 11:23–25 NLT

For I pass on to you what I received from the Lord himself. On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this in remembrance of me as often as you drink it.”

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Explanations of the atonement

Jesus Christ’s death as an atoning sacrifice

Romans 3:25 NLT

For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past,

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Jesus Christ’s atoning death as redemption

Mark 10:45 NLT

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

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The atonement is effective because of Jesus Christ’s sinlessness

2 Corinthians 5:21 NLT

For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

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Jesus Christ’s death fulfils and replaces the Day of Atonement

Jesus Christ makes atonement as the new high priest

Hebrews 7:26–28 NLT

He is the kind of high priest we need because he is holy and blameless, unstained by sin. He has been set apart from sinners and has been given the highest place of honor in heaven. Unlike those other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices every day. They did this for their own sins first and then for the sins of the people. But Jesus did this once for all when he offered himself as the sacrifice for the people’s sins. The law appointed high priests who were limited by human weakness. But after the law was given, God appointed his Son with an oath, and his Son has been made the perfect High Priest forever.

Jesus Christ is the mediator of the new and better covenant

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Jesus Christ has made atonement in the true heavenly sanctuary

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Jesus Christ’s atoning blood brings effective cleansing

Hebrews 9:12–14 NLT

With his own blood—not the blood of goats and calves—he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever. Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer could cleanse people’s bodies from ceremonial impurity. Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins.

Jesus Christ’s single sacrifice replaces the many required under the old covenant

Hebrews 10:11–14 NLT

Under the old covenant, the priest stands and ministers before the altar day after day, offering the same sacrifices again and again, which can never take away sins. But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand. There he waits until his enemies are humbled and made a footstool under his feet. For by that one offering he forever made perfect those who are being made holy.

Access to the heavenly sanctuary is now open

Hebrews 10:19–20 NLT

And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place.

By dying with Christ, believers are released from this age into the life of the age to come

Romans 6:1–7 NLT

Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin.

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God the Father and the atoning death of his Son

God’s sending of his Son to make atonement

1 John 4:14 NLT

Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.

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God’s grace displayed in making atonement for the ungodly

Ephesians 2:4–5 NLT

But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)

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The worldwide scope of Jesus Christ’s atoning death

1 John 2:2 NLT

He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.

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The appropriate response to the atonement

The response of repentance

Acts 3:19 NLT

Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away.

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The response of faith

Acts 10:43 NLT

He is the one all the prophets testified about, saying that everyone who believes in him will have their sins forgiven through his name.”

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The response of baptism

Acts 22:16 NLT

What are you waiting for? Get up and be baptized. Have your sins washed away by calling on the name of the Lord.’

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