The Day of Atonement was observed annually as outlined in Leviticus 16. But the Mosaic Law was just a shadow of the things to come. This day was very important for the Jewish people as this would cleanse them of their sins for the year. But the work that Jesus did on the cross doesn't last for only a year of our lives, it lasts for eternity! The great Day of Atonement, when the Law was fulfilled, was that terrible, awesome day where the Son of God was poured out for the transgressions of many, so that what we could not achieve for ourselves through the faithful observance of the Law, Jesus did. We could not satisfy the requirements of the Law, but Jesus did. We could not save ourselves in our vain attempts at righteousness, but Jesus did. Thanks be to God our Father, for sending His only Son to take our place, to bear our griefs and our sorrows, to remove from us our filthiness so that we will be allowed the most wonderful gift of adoption as sons into the kingdom of God, that we are to be raised to new life in the resurrection of the Christ, freed from the body of death that is our flesh. All praise and glory goes to the one true God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit.
It is important to understand that the high priest was instructed to take two goats for the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:5-10). The reason this is important is because of how this will eventually play out with Jesus, being that He assumes the role of both goats for the sin offering and scapegoat. One is killed as the sin offering to cleanse the holy place, and the other is led into the uninhabitable land or wilderness to carry away the sin of the congregation so that it will be remembered no more. The one to be killed is to make an atonement for the holy place:
"15 Then he shall slaughter the goat of the sin offering which is for the people, and bring its blood inside the veil and do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat and in front of the mercy seat.
"16 He shall make atonement for the holy place, because of the impurities of the sons of Israel and because of their transgressions in regard to all their sins; and thus he shall do for the tent of meeting which abides with them in the midst of their impurities." - Leviticus 16:15-16
The body of Jesus must be killed to atone for the holy place, the temple of the body "which abides with them in the midst of their impurities." After Jesus cleansed the temple in Jerusalem of the money changers and merchants, the Jews asked Him for a sign of His authority. They wanted to know what made Him think he could do this.
"18 The Jews then said to Him, 'What sign do You show us as your authority for doing these things?'
"19 Jesus answered them, 'Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.'
"20 The Jews then said, 'It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?'
"21 But He was speaking of the temple of His body." - John 2:18-21
So we see here that the temple is the body, or the flesh, and must be atoned properly before sin can be removed completely. The crucifixion was the shedding of the blood of Christ to atone for the body, or the true temple of God. Second, after the body is atoned, the scapegoat is lead into the wilderness, away from the inhabited lands, a solitary place, so that the sins of the people would be carried with it and remembered no more.
"20 When he finishes atoning for the holy place and the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall offer the live goat.
"21 Then Aaron shall lay both of his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the sons of the house of Israel and all their transgressions in regard to all their sins; and he shall lay them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who stands in readiness.
"22 The goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to a solitary land; and he shall release the goat in the wilderness.
The live goat, or scapegoat, is significant of Jesus going into the depths of Sheol, which is the place of death, the wilderness, the uninhabitable land, a solitary place. Jesus took with him all the sins of man to the wilderness and they will be remembered no more, it is finished.
There are a few things that are quite interesting about the accounts of the mocking of Jesus when he was being scourged. Specifically the color of the robe that was placed on Him and the parallel of the scapegoat being lead out by a "man who stands in readiness." In Jewish history we find that it was common place to tie one scarlet piece of cloth on the scapegoat representing the sins of the congregation, and one scarlet piece of cloth on the gates of the city. When the scapegoat was led into the wilderness carrying with it the sins of the people, the scarlet cloth tied to the gates would turn white after three days.
" 'Come now, and let us reason together,' says the Lord, 'Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool.' " - Isaiah 1:18
"Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole Roman cohort around Him. They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. And after twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand; and they knelt down before Him and mocked Him, saying, 'Hail, King of the Jews!' They spat on Him, and took the reed and began to beat Him on the head. After they had mocked Him, they took the scarlet robe off Him and put His own garments back on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him. As they were coming out, they found a man of Cyrene named Simon, whom they pressed into service to bear His cross." - Matthew 27:27-32 (emphasis added)
The accounts we have of this event in Mark and John show that a purple robe was placed on Jesus. However, at this time in history, there were many different shades and tints of scarlet and purple and the names of the colors were sometimes used interchangeably being that the colors sometimes looked very similar. It is more likely that the robe placed on Jesus was in fact scarlet, though it may have been heavily faded due to the age and use of the garment, giving it a lighter tint. It is not likely that a new, brightly colored piece of clothing was put on Jesus, but rather a faded, dingy scarlet robe that some would have called purple. Also, the book of Matthew was written mainly for a Jewish audience and is filled with Jewish references. Matthew understood the significance of Jesus's sacrifice in coerelation to the Day of Atonement, and the color of the scarlet robe placed on Jesus is something a Jew would not have easily overlooked. Also worthy of note is Simon bearing the cross with Jesus as He was being lead out of the city to Golgotha. Simon seems to be a great parallel for the "man who stands in readiness." It seems that there are so many things throughout the Scriptures that are a picture of a picture of a picture. It is truly an amazing work, and there is no other on earth that can compare to it.
First, we will look at the verses describing Jesus as the sin offering and the scapegoat in Isaiah.
Isaiah 53:4-5
Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening of our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed.
- We see here that Jesus took upon Himself our griefs and sorrows, He was pierced through for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities, and the penalty we deserve in our flesh fell upon Him so that by His scourging we are healed. This is the sin offering to atone for the temple of the body.
Isaiah 53:10
But the Lord was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief; if He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand.
-note "...if He would render Himself as a guilt offering..."
Isaiah 53:8
By oppression and judgment He was taken away; and as for His generation, who considered that He was cut out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due?
-This is evidence that He was also the scapegoat, "By oppression and judgment He was taken away..." and, "He was cut out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people..."
Isaiah 53:11
As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; by His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, as He will bear their iniquities.
-It is in the "anguish of His soul" that will satisfy the Father and the Righteous One will "justify the many." God is satisfied and now the children of God who were once condemned in their flesh to die in their spirit will be justified by Jesus bearing their iniquities. This was the purpose of the scapegoat on the Day of Atonement, so the sins of the congregation would be removed from them and they would be justified, free from the penalty and guilt of their transgressions against the Law.
Second, we will break down the events of the death, burial, and resurrection and how they impact the believer in regards to the Day of Atonement.
Matthew 26:57 Those who had seized Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were gathered together.
-The Lamb was brought before the high priest.
Matthew 26:59-60 Now the chief priests and the whole Council kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus, so that they might put Him to death. They did not find any, even though many false witnesses came forward.
-The Lamb is a worthy sacrifice, without blemish, able to take on the transgressions of men.
Matthew 26:67 Then they spat in His face and beat Him with their fists; and others slapped Him,
-They layed their hands on Him, transferring the guilt of their sin to the Perfect Lamb
Matthew 27:22-23 Pilate said to them, "Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?" They all said, "Crucify Him!" And he said, "Why what evil has He done?" But they kept shouting all the more, saying, "Crucify Him!"
-The Perfect Lamb is ready to be sacrificed
Matthew 27:28 They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him
-The scarlet cloth that represents the sin of the people is tied to the Scapegoat
Matthew 27:32 As they were coming out, they found a man of Cyrene named Simon, whom they pressed into service to bear His cross.
-The Scapegoat is lead out of the city by the man standing in readiness
Matthew 27:50-51 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split.
-The Lamb has been sacrificed, the body of the temple of God is atoned. This is final. The Day of Atonement is no longer needed because of the perfect sacrifice of the Perfect Lamb. We now have access through the blood of Christ to enter into the Holy Place where our Lord dwells.
Matthew 27:59-60 And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the entrance of the tomb and went away.
-The Scapegoat carries the sins of the Congregation into the wilderness, where they will be remembered no more.
Matthew 28:5-7 The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you."
-The perfect sacrifice of the Perfect Lamb, and the removal of sin from the Church is complete. The scarlet cloth is now white as wool. The Christ has conquered sin and death! The children of God are now free to worship their Father, no longer enslaved to their sinfulness, no longer bound to the yearly sacrifice to cleanse them. The Lord is risen! He is risen indeed! He is the firstfruit among the brethren who share in His life! Praise be to God our Father who is good and worthy of praise!
