#DailyDevotion Need A Scapegoat? You Have One In Jesus
Easter Week 4 Wednesday
Read Lev 16:1–24
Lev 16:7-10 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. Lev 16:20-22 “And when he has made an end of atoning for the Holy Place and the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall present the live goat. (21) 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. (22) The goat shall bear all their iniquities on itself to a remote area, and he shall let the goat go free in the wilderness.
One goats blood was to be an atonement sacrifice for the sins of the people. The other goat, the SCAPEGOAT, would have the sins of the people laid on it and it would led into the wilderness and set free to be seen of again.
Jesus is our goats. Jesus is the first goat because his blood was shed for us and made atonement for us not in an earthly temple made with hands, but his blood was poured out on the eternal mercy seat of the Father to cover our sins and be the due punishment for them.
Jesus is also the scapegoat. You know what a scapegoat is right? It is an innocent party that gets blamed for the guilty party. Well you are the guilty party! Our heavenly Father laid his hands on Jesus through the Roman guards as he was led out of the city. He is blamed for the sin of the World. Jesus carries our sins away from us never to be seen again. For Jesus is the fulfillment of the New Testament as Jeremiah testifies in 31:34 For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” And David says, “Psa 103:11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him…”
Thank God we have One whose blood makes atonement for us and takes the blame for our sins.
Lord Jesus Christ, we thank you that through the shedding of your blood you have made atonement for us and we thank you for separating our sins from us as far as east is to the west. Amen.