Propitiation and Expiation: Jesus Bore God’s Wrath and Removed Our Sin

21 March 2021

Drafted Sermon

NCC, East Side

Alternate Title: Propitiation and Expiation: God Forgives and Removes Sin

FCF: Don’t see God as holy. Don’t see self as sinful. Expect God to sweep sin under rug, not have to propitiate it. Self-righteous, coming to God on our own terms.

Short Big Idea: Jesus gave his life to bear God’s wrath and remove our sin.

Shorter Big Idea: Jesus gave his life to remove our sin and God’s wrath, so let us rejoice and trust in Him!

Long Big idea with Application Embedded: Sin would keep us from drawing near to God, but ultimately through the sacrifice of Jesus, God provides atonement for our sins and removes it from us forever when we confess our sin and trust in Christ.

Sermon Outline

I. Drawing Near to Our Holy God (Lev.16:1-10)

a. Honor God as Holy (1-5)

b. Confess Our Sin (1-5)

c. Make Atonement to Draw Near (6-10)

d. Atonement Repeated Annually (34)

II. Jesus Drew Near and Made the Perfect Atonement (Heb. 9:1-14)

a. Jesus is the Perfect High Priest

b. Jesus Entered the Perfect Tent

c. Jesus is the Once for All Sacrifice of Atonement

IV. Draw Near to God Through Faith in Christ (Heb 9:14-15)

a. Your Conscience Cleansed by the Expiation (14)

b. The Propitiation Made on the Cross (14)

c. Eternal Life in the New Covenant by Faith (15)

Introduction

Good morning, my name is Greg Wood and I am one of the elders with new city Church.

Pastor Lawrence has given me the opportunity this morning to open up our series that will lead us into Easter, when we celebrate the death and resurrection of our Savior Jesus.

The question I have for your consideration this morning is this: “Why did Jesus have to die?”

A recent survey found that Easter is the most celebrated Christian Holiday in our country. More that Christmas, which is a happy time of gift-giving. Easter - when we celebrate, among other things, the death and resurrection of our Savior – that is the most celebrated.

If someone this week asks you why Christians believe it was necessary for Jesus to die on the cross, what would you say?

Let me take it one step further. The world around us is getting less and less familiar with the Bibles storyline. The extent of what many know about God is that the Bible teaches he is loving.

But if you’ve read it, you know that it also says God is just and holy, separated from the common and sinful. Man has been separated by the sin of Adam, who was sent out of God’s temple.

That means there is a problem and we cannot just draw near to God’s presence in any way we choose.

But to our culture, they may ask, “What, God is just? There is a problem with me drawing near to him?”

So, it is becoming more and more nonsensical to those around us, that we are called to take the message of Easter to, that wrongdoing rightly deserves God’s judgment.

Just this week I heard about a famous person saying, “We know that the Bible teaches God does not judge.” In fact, that is not true. It does not understand the story.

So the issue is: how does the Bible say these two great things about the character of God, namely, his love and justice, made it necessary for Jesus to die in our place?

We will look this morning at the Day of Atonement, the holiest of ceremonies performed by God’s people under the Old Covenant, and learn what it shows us about the atoning work of Jesus upon the cross. We will see better why it is that Jesus had to die.

In fact, we will see that

Big Idea: Jesus gave his life to bear God’s wrath and remove our sin in order to draw us near.

Pray with me as we begin to open this up.

So first, let’s see what it takes to draw near to God, to have our broken relationship fixed. What did it take for the Israelites under the old covenant at Mount Sinai to have reconciliation?

I. Drawing Near to Our Holy God (Lev.16:1-10, 34)

Well, first the whole assembly, represented by the high priest, had to honor God as holy.

A. Honor God as Holy (1-5)

Leviticus 16:1–5 ESV

1 The Lord spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they drew near before the Lord and died, 2 and the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron your brother not to come at any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat that is on the ark, so that he may not die. For I will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat. 3 But in this way Aaron shall come into the Holy Place: with a bull from the herd for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. 4 He shall put on the holy linen coat and shall have the linen undergarment on his body, and he shall tie the linen sash around his waist, and wear the linen turban; these are the holy garments. He shall bathe his body in water and then put them on. 5 And he shall take from the congregation of the people of Israel two male goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering.

What is this “mercy seat”? That is the covering over the Ark of the Covenant. Above this covering were 2 cherubim, and above them, God was pleased to have his presence.

So, that shows us that people cannot approach God, draw near to God, or be reconciled to God in any old fashion we desire. No, God is holy and we are sinners.

What does it mean for God to be holy? It means that he is perfect, his character is flawless. There is no sin or any wrongdoing in God. God has never had an imperfect thought. His motivations are perfect.

Because God is holy, he is just and righteous.

Because God is holy, he is glorious.

If God‘s holiness is like the sun, his glory is the radiance, the sunshine. His glory surrounds him, is manifest to us, because of his essential nature is his holiness.

God is not common. He is no mere light bulb. God is holy and glorious.

So, the people honored God as Holy.

And these same verses show us that that on this day of atonement, this day of reconciliation, the people had to confess their sins.

B. Confess Our Sin (1-5)

In fact, this whole ceremony was necessary because people are sinners. Adam’s sin – his failure to trust God and fill and subdue the earth and to represent God to all of Creation – that sin affected us all. Now we by nature inherited from our fathers are rebels against God and his rule.

That’s not a good situation. It is only in God’s presence that there is fullness of the everlasting joy that we were created for!

But, with God being Holy, having no sin in himself or in his presence, is there any hope that we can draw near to God? God gave the Israelites an illustration in this Day of Atonement. It’s an illustration of the promised way of atonement he had given to Eve, back in the Garden when he said here offspring would crush the serpent and reverse the curse justly deserved from sin.

C. Make Atonement for Sin to Draw Near (6-10)

Leviticus 16:6–10 ESV

6 “Aaron shall offer the bull as a sin offering for himself and shall make atonement for himself and for his house. 7 Then he shall take the two goats and set them before the Lord at the entrance of the tent of meeting. 8 And Aaron shall cast lots over the two goats, one lot for the Lord and the other lot for Azazel. 9 And Aaron shall present the goat on which the lot fell for the Lord and use it as a sin offering, 10 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.

These verses are the short summary of what verses 11-28 give in detail. Aaron offers a bull as a sin offering for himself and his family. And then we see there are these goats that are out at the entrance to the tent, God’s dwelling place. Aaron rolls dice to find out which one is going to be God’s choice to have sacrificed for the sins of the people, and which one is to have the sins of the people cast upon it and sent outside the camp away from the people into the wilderness.

The first goat taking the wrath of God against the sins of the Israelites.

Some of you may have an aversion to think of God having wrath. After all, we’ve seen really poor examples of unrighteous anger. I’ve been that bad example myself. But that’s not the wrath the bible speaks of with God:

Leon Morris is helpful:

“We know among men a quality which we speak of as 'righteous indignation' and this gives us a glimpse of what a pure and selfless anger might be. It is something like this that is in mind when we speak of 'the wrath of God'. We mean 'wrath without the imperfections that characterize human wrath at its best'.” - Leon Morris

So these two goats illustrate for us:

propitiation, the one that is sacrificed to bear the wrath of God, and the other illustrates

expiation, sent away from the people to remove their sins.

What does it mean? God will not simply sweep their sins under the rug. That is not justice. The sin must be dealt with.

Do you see?

God is holy.

We are sinners.

God’s love, his desire to have us near, is enabled by bringing in the propitiation and expiation. Thus, God’s wrath, his justice is satisfied.

Okay, so now that atonement is made, it’s done, right?

Not exactly.

As will be obvious when we look at a New Testament passage, nuisance keep piling up, and this ritual is only meant to show a covering of of sins in the past.

This ritual must be repeated annually.

D. Atonement Repeated Annually (34)

A single verse will give us the point.

Leviticus 16:34 ESV

34 And this shall be a statute forever for you, that atonement may be made for the people of Israel once in the year because of all their sins.” And Aaron did as the Lord commanded Moses.

This ceremony is repeat every year in order to atone for their sins.

This is what it looked like as the LORD taught the people what was required to draw near to him. In this picture from the Day of Atonement, we see how God would eventually fully resolve his love and justice toward a sinful people.

I know that was a lot, and it’s not the everyday world we live in.

Illustrate with Spring Cleaning???

But, stick with me, because this is where it gets really good for you and me.

II. Jesus Drew Near and Made the Perfect Atonement (Heb. 9:1-14, 24)

Hebrews 9:1–7 ESV

1 Now even the first covenant had regulations for worship and an earthly place of holiness. 2 For a tent was prepared, the first section, in which were the lampstand and the table and the bread of the Presence. It is called the Holy Place. 3 Behind the second curtain was a second section called the Most Holy Place, 4 having the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron’s staff that budded, and the tablets of the covenant. 5 Above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail. 6 These preparations having thus been made, the priests go regularly into the first section, performing their ritual duties, 7 but into the second only the high priest goes, and he but once a year, and not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the unintentional sins of the people.

This is what we just read about in Leviticus, isn’t it? Keep going.

Hebrews 9:8–9a

Hebrews 9:8–9 ESV

8 By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the holy places is not yet opened as long as the first section is still standing 9 (which is symbolic for the present age). According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper,

Let’s pause and make sure we’re together:

The veil set God’s presence apart from the people. God is Holy, and only once a year the high priest could enter with blood.

But, as long as the curtain, the veil was up, we could not have the access to God we were designed for, what was lost in the Garden.

Then that part about “symbolic for the present age” means that during this time before Christ, before the redeemer promised to Eve came, we were separated. The veil is up.

Hebrews 9:9b–10 (ESV)

Hebrews 9:9–10 ESV

9 (which is symbolic for the present age). According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper, 10 but deal only with food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until the time of reformation.

Reformation - That’s the atoning and redeeming work of Christ to reconcile us to God.

Hebrews 9:11–14 ESV

11 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) 12 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. 13 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, 14 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.

Oh, what good news! Jesus is better than all that which was pictured in Leviticus 16.

So we see first in v.11 a high priest. But earlier in Hebrews makes it clear that he’s not just any high priest, …

A. Jesus is the Perfect High Priest

Jesus is a better high priest because:

He is eternal and a priest forever [Hebrews 6:20]

In addition, he is even greater that the father of the Israelites, Abraham [order of Melchizedek].

Jesus is the only sinless high priest ever.

And again, he is the perfect and better high priest because God even took an oath and swore Jesus would be a priest forever. [Hebrews 7:20–22]

The covenant Jesus has implemented is a better covenant [Heb 7:22]

So he is a better priest, and he makes a better sacrifice, better atonement.

B. Jesus is the Once for All Sacrifice of Atonement

He is the true mercy seat, the dwelling place of God. [Rom. 3:25, Col. 1:19]

Colossians 1:19–20 ESV

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

He is the ultimate propitiation, he was bruised for our transgression, crushed for our iniquities, and upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace. Jesus took God’s wrath upon himself on the cross. Now we get God’s favor, not his wrath. We get what Jesus deserved when we are united to him by faith, trusting in his grace for our salvation.

He is the ultimate expiation, removing our sins as far as the east is from the west.

This is why our Big Idea is this:

Big Idea: Jesus gave his life to bear God’s wrath and remove our sin in order to draw us near.

And he has entered the better tent, tabernacle, or temple, the very presence of God in heaven.

C. Jesus Entered the Perfect Tent

Hebrews 9:24 ESV

24 For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.

Friends, this is really good news!

This means that if Christ Jesus has gone into heaven itself, and has appeased God’s wrath, and taken away our sins, and he intercedes for us as our faithful and eternal high priest, then OUT HOPE IS SURE beloved!!! That is an anchor for your soul, a sure hope, an acceptable sacrifice for all time has been made on your behalf, the curtain keeping us out has been torn from top to bottom and we are sure to be with GOD FOREVER!!! (Heb. 6:19-20)

So get this: Jesus Drew Near, and Made the Perfect Atonement, so that we can Draw Neart to God Through Faith in Christ! This is where I hope you will see this is practical.

III. Draw Near to God Through Faith in Christ (Heb 9:14-15)

We must draw near to God, otherwise we are eternally separated from him. The only way to draw near to him is to be holy. We’ve already seen that the blood of bulls and goats and browns and dogs and sheep cannot take away sins

But the blood of Christ is perfect, and only had to be offered once.

Trust in him believer! Don’t turn to other things, like your own self made righteousness. When you stand before God you don’t want to appeal to your own blood sweat and tears for the removal of your soon.

This is a daily fight, for our hearts are naturally self righteous it seems, and our minds turn gods word into a to do list, rather than First and foremost showing us what Christ has already done.

Unbeliever, trust in him! See the beauty of what Christ has done, standing in our place to bear the wrath of God and take away sins.

Believe, everyone of us!

Believe, and your conscience will be cleansed by the expiation

A. Your Conscience Cleansed by the Expiation (14)

Hebrews 9:14 ESV

14 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.

Have you laid your hands on Jesus? Have you laid your hands on Jesus in order to confess your sins and put them upon the Savior who was sent outside the city and nailed to the cross to take away sins?

B. The Propitiation Made on the Cross (14)

You see, when he was crucified, he went there knowing he would go to his death, and he went willingly, because it is God’s will that we receive atonement, reconciliation to God. God‘s justice required that sin be dealt with. Send required death, for it is treason against the holy God who is king. That is why Jesus willingly went to the cross in our place, to be the propitiation for our sins. He bore the wrath of God for us.

Now the question is, who does his death apply to? Has God‘s wrath been removed from everyone, and everyone will go to heaven? Have since been removed from everyone, and everyone will be with God forever?

No! Remember, he went outside the city to bear the sins of those Who are in Covenant relationship with him. So eternal life is ours in the new covenant, this new relationship we have because of Jesus is blood, and the benefits that then come to us by faith.

c. Eternal Life in the New Covenant by Faith (15)

This text helps to explain.

Hebrews 9:15 ESV

15 Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.

All have sinned, all of us committed treason against the rightful king of the universe and therefore deserve to die. But, as we will celebrate in the Lords supper in just a moment, Jesus instituted the new covenant in his blood, showing himself to be The sacrifice that would bear God‘s wrath and bring us back into relationship with God. So by faith, our sins are put on him. The Bible says if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, the king, Almighty God, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, then you will be saved!

Brothers and sisters, guests, what a beautiful picture we have of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus.

He is the expiation, removal of our sin.

Big Idea: Jesus gave his life to bear God’s wrath and remove our sin in order to draw us near.

He is the propitiation, the one who absorbs God‘s wrath.

Here’s a high priest who is entered into heaven now So that he can appear before God as acceptable sacrifice, and the one who intercedes for us, praying for us that our sins would be covered removed atone for info!

Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. We need him, and nothing else! He is all in all!

When our faith is in him, not only are our sins put upon him, but all of his merits are given to us so we stand righteous before God. That’s amazing Grace and we will have to wait until next week to talk further about that.

So what? Are there practical implications to the cross? YES!!! So many we cannot elaborate on them all.

Jesus is presented as having paid the penalty for sin (Rom. 3:25–26; 6:23; Gal. 3:13). So believers are no longer condemned under sin. That’s huge for our relationship with God and man.

He died in place of sinners so that they might take on and live out God’s righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21). It is an exchange of sin for righteousness. This gives us a new identity.

He redeemed sinners through his blood (Eph. 1:7), He paid the price for sinners to go free (1 Cor. 6:20; Gal. 5:1), so sin is no longer our master, Jesus is!

He won the victory over death and sin, sharing with believers the victory (1 Cor. 15:55–57) that he paraded in spectacular fashion by his cross (Col. 2:15). Therefore our hope is sure!

He put an end to the hostility between warring human factions, most notably Jews and Gentiles (Eph. 2:14–18), with implications for all other ethnic divisions.

His example of patient suffering according to God’s will and the demands of his kingdom is a precedent for his people to follow (1 Pet. 2:21–23).

And we can imagine more just because of the access to God that we have.

Leon Morris said this: “Christ's fulfilment of the Day of Atonement ceremonies has opened up the way into the very presence of God for the humblest of his people. Nothing on earth can take away what this means in terms of prayer and of companionship.”

So many implications! Let me elaborate a little on two.

First

I remember talking with a man at the rescue mission who told me that he was unlovable. He said he had done too much bad to be saved. What I tried to help this man see is that Jesus went to the cross so that he could take the wrath we deserved, and removed our sins from us. So, if he would trust in him, he would be saved and given the righteousness of God.

Jesus is his propitiation, bearing the wrath, and the expiation, taking away whatever sins he had committed. Intellectually he understood what had happened, but functionally he was shot through with guilt. Thankfully he was seeking help to believe.

What he needed was the cleansing of conscience by truly and deeply seeing that Jesus’s atoning work is big enough, because Jesus is better.

This is true of us too.

Second

How else might we apply this?

So often we accept the grace and mercy the Father offers to us, but deny that same grace and mercy to others. We silently condemn, when we have no status to condemn. We silently accuse and convict, when we stood accused and convicted. We withhold love, healing, and peace when we need it more than others.

We are not God. We do not appease the wrath of God. We do not carry away our own sins. We are needy and helpless.

As Christians, we are brothers and sisters in Christ. There is nothing good or special about us apart from Jesus. Anything you pride yourself on your skills, gifts, good looks, fame and fortune… All of that is given to you within the providential and sovereign hand of the Father.

The only thing you had at conversion to offer to God… was your Sin. That’s it! Now all we have is of his grace – what do we have that we did not receive?

Here’s some good news. When the Father sees you, He sees you through the blood of the true lamb.

Believer, that means that the wrath you have earned, has been taken on by Jesus. It means the sins that cling to you have been taken far away from you by Jesus. When the Father looks at you, there is no longer any condemnation in His eyes. He looks on you with great pleasure. He looks on you with love. He looks on you with acceptance. He looks on you as a child, adopted into His family.

Church this is amazingly good news! And we need to live in that reality.

Unbeliever, this is also good news for you.

“This is how much God loved you: He gave his Son (Jesus), his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted;

Jesus, the true atoning sacrifice, lived a perfect life. Never sinned, never rebelled, never fell away from God. As the perfect, spotless sacrifice, He gave His life on a cross… to appease the wrath of God and to take our sins far from us. He came, not because He hated you, but because He loves you. He came, not to condemn the world, but to make a way back to the Father.

Repent of your sins and believe in the work that Jesus has done on your behalf, and become a son or daughter of the King.

Prayer

Lord’s supper:

This is for those of you who are believers.

Here it is in these elements we have this picture, this memorial: the substitutionary death, the blood, depicted in the juice.

And his body, depicted in the bread, nailed to a tree.

Jesus is our propitiation for God’s wrath, carrying away from us and onto his body on the cross our sins.

Repent where God is convicting you this morning. Celebrate as well. Come and celebrate what he has done to bring a wonderful assurance of peace, for we have nothing to fear.

Invitation to Pray

Members of our prayer team will join me at the front

We invite you to pray with us if you would like.