Day of Atonement

Well, good morning everyone, good morning to our Chapel family at CrossPoint and at Cheektowaga. I'm standing here at our Lockport Campus and we're doing something unique today and we're going to be continuing our series in just a moment, but I wanted to just let you know our team worked really, really hard this week to make this possible. We've never really done it like this before, to be united from a different direction, the message coming from our Lockport Campus since most every week it's from our CrossPoint Campus and I'm just really thankful for our team. They did just such an amazing job. They assured us that absolutely nothing would go wr---I'm just kidding, did you get nervous? Did you get nervous for a minute? I just lost a lot of friends all in one second.

Hey, grab a Bible and go to Leviticus chapter 16. Leviticus, where you left off in your daily reading plan for the year probably, as you made it to the red heifer and you said alright. I'm going to go to Matthew now, because I don't know what's happening there. Go to Leviticus 16. There's been this principle that's been at work in our series and we haven't stated it this way, but maybe if I could put words to it I would say this, and it's on the screen for you. Here's the principle that's kind of at work: Until you know the backstory, you won't understand the full story. Until you know the backstory you won't understand the full story.

Maybe this example would help. Maybe a year or two ago my wife and I went to a wedding. And the wedding, it was out of town, and the wedding reception was catered by the Olive Garden. Now that might be a big deal for you, but every Italian in the room just winced a little bit, right? And I'm married to an Italian so I know that's like sacrilege, that's not a word that we speak in our house, okay? And so we said the Olive Garden, you know, and again you might not think that's a big deal but we're sitting there thinking really, the Olive Garden? Was Pizza Hut not available or something like that, right? And then, but someone said you know, they whispered to us the bride and groom's first date was at the Olive Garden. And so we didn't have the backstory, but once we heard that that made it a little better, slightly, but once we had the backstory we were able to understand the full story. That's a silly example, but I think that may be a work in misunderstanding us as we look at the cross and as we look at Jesus and how could people, maybe we wonder sometimes, how could people look at the cross, how could people hear that Jesus died for their sins and walk away unchanged?

Well, the apostle Paul, one of the early church leaders, he said it this way in 1 Corinthians 1 verse 18 he said this: "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." Until you know the backstory, you won't understand the full story. I think that's maybe some people can come to the cross and then walk away completely unchanged. So what I want to do in the time that we have together today is just show you one more dimension of that backstory. One more aspect of the backstory to help you understand, help me understand perhaps greater, and a greater understanding and a greater obedience as a result, the full story.

And so the Festival that we're going to look at today as we continue in our series called Feast on Jesus, is the Day of Atonement, the Day of Atonement. Now the Hebrew term for that is Yom Kippur and that may be a more familiar term to us. Yom just meaning "day" and Kippur meaning "covering". And so really, the Day of Atonement had to do with God dealing with the sin of His people. In fact, the Jews would revere this day so much that they would eventually just come to call it "the Day". That's how it came to be known among them was that it was just "the Day".

And the Day, or the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, God gave some specific instructions for how they were to observe the Day of Atonement. And God gave us those instructions in Leviticus, chapter 16 beginning in verse 29 is where I want to draw your attention: "This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: One the tenth day of the seventh month you must deny yourselves and not do any work - whether native-born or a foreigner residing among you - because on this day atonement will be made for you, to cleanse you. Then, before the Lord, you will be clean from all your sins. It is a day of Sabbath rest, and you must deny yourselves; it is a lasting ordinance. The priest who is anointed and ordained to succeed his father as high priest is to make atonement. He is to put on the sacred linen garments and make atonement for the Most Holy Place, for the tent of meeting and the altar, and for the priests and all the members of the community. This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: Atonement is to be made once a year for all the sins of the Israelites."

So what happens in this Festival is that in the Day of Atonement it's much more somber than celebratory. It's much less of a party and much more like a funeral because of what the Jewish people understood about sin. That in order for them to exist another day and another year, God had to deal with their sin. That's because for them sin wasn't just a lapse in judgment or a mistake or "I wasn't thinking clearly", but sin was actually rebellion against the author and source of life, God Himself. And so this carried some significant consequences. And what the Day of Atonement really, it awakened a question within the people of Israel. It awakened a question within them and it's this: Will God forgive our sins? Will God forgive our sins?

So put yourself in their place. That's not a guarantee, that's not a given. Because God lays out all of this instruction, and what they're wondering is if we follow this instruction, will God forgive our sins? And so God says on the tenth day of the seventh month. Now when we hear seventh month we think of July and we think of summer, but their calendar runs at a different circuit than ours and so for them the seventh month was in the fall, and it's the month of Tishri. And so on the tenth of Tishri, God says do all of these things and atonement will be made for you.

Notice again verse 30 of Leviticus 16, look at how God words this: "because on this day atonement will be made for you." Atonement will be made for you. I find that interesting because they get all of this instruction about what the priests are going to wear and you could see more of that instruction in full if you look at the whole chapter of Leviticus 16 in addition to parts of Leviticus 23, there's a bunch of instruction about this Feast, about this observance. God gives instruction about what the priests are supposed to wear, what animals are supposed to be sacrificed, what order all of these things are going to happen in and then He says not "you will make atonement for yourselves", but "atonement will be made for you".

That's interesting to me because it reminds us that they, like us, are not able to make atonement for themselves. In fact, all that they could do is do all that God asked them to do, commanded them to do in fact, and then watch and wait. Just watch and wait. He told them you are not to work on this day and you are to deny yourself which in this context means you're not supposed to eat. So there's no working, there's no eating and definitely no nervous eating like we sometimes do, right? You're watching a suspenseful movie and you're just "wow, I just plowed through a whole box of Oreos when I was watching this suspenseful movie. I was nervous eating. None of that. They have to watch and wait. Really what they're asking is "will this work?" Will it work?

This may be a silly example but a few years ago I was doing my own taxes because I thought I could do that kind of thing. You know, I was pastor. That I know what I'm doing. And so, you know I got the online tax software and it's going easy in the beginning, right? And they're asking me questions, they're real softball questions that I know the answers to. "Did you work this year"? Yes. Okay, awesome, I can do that, put in the W2, all of these things. And then it started to ask some questions that made me second-guess myself. I didn't do anything illegal, I certainly didn't intend to, but it started to ask some questions that made me second-guess myself like this one: Are you sure you don't have any other income to report? And then I would start to say, my goodness. Do I? Did I tell the truth? I thought I did. I did that funeral, did I report that? I did that wedding, did I report that? I put it on my W2, did I do that? I started to second guess myself. And it would get hard like that. And then I'd be about to hit you know, the submit button at the end and here's what I'd be thinking. I'm going to get audited. Now I haven't done anything illegal, I don't have any offshore bank accounts within the Cayman Islands, I don't have anything secretive like that, like some of you. But I wasn't doing anything illegal but I'm thinking I'm going to get audited. There's no way, I did something wrong in the tax prep, I did something wrong in the formula, I'm going to get audited and I'm going to go to jail because I didn't pay sales tax on that Snapple two years ago, right? That's what I'm thinking.

Now take that feeling and multiply it times a holy and rightful fear of God's judgment that you believe unless God intervenes your sin is going to result in judgment. And that's how every Israelite feels on the Day of Atonement. Will this formula work one more year? If we do what God commands in Leviticus 16 and 23 and other places, will it work? Will He forgive our sins? So will this formula work?

Well, what is that formula? What do we need to know about the Day of Atonement? Some of you are note-takers so I'll give you a few things to fill up that note sheet. Here it is, here's the first one. Atonement literally means "covering" and the Day of Atonement provided a temporary covering for sin. Atonement literally means "covering" and the Day of Atonement provided a temporary covering for sin.

Jonathan, why do you say temporary? Here's why. Look at Leviticus 16 verse 34: "This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: Atonement is to be made once a year for all the sins of the Israelites." Once a year. So the Day of Atonement provided a temporary covering. It's amazing. They had to keep doing this ceremony because amazingly people kept on sinning. Every single year. It was almost astonishing. Wow, another year gone by. Someone's sinned, right? Well, everybody, everybody in the nation of Israel was guilty and so this was not like a, this was not something they could just vaccinate out of their system. This was an aggressive terminal disease called sin that kept fighting back, kept coming back for more. And so every single year on the Day of Atonement they had to do this again because every year people kept sinning.

There's a second thing I want you to know, it's this. Animals were sacrificed as a visual reminder that sin results in death. Animals were sacrificed as a visual reminder that sin results in death. In the book of Numbers God gives some explicit instruction for what kind of animals are to be brought and sacrificed.  Look at Numbers 29 beginning in verse number 7. "On the tenth day of this seventh month hold a sacred assembly. You must deny yourselves and do no work. Present as an aroma pleasing to the Lord a burnt offering of one young bull, one ram and seven male lambs a year old, all without defect." And then verse 11 says: "Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the sin offering for atonement..."

So we've got all of these animals. A bull, a ram, seven male lambs all one-year old and a goat. We've got ten animals. And their blood was spilled to demonstrate the costliness of sin. Their blood was spilled in sacrifice to remind the Israelite people that sin results in death. Again, as I said, that sin is not just a mistake or a slip-up or "I didn't have my coffee that morning". But rather sin is a rebellion against the author of life. And so if we rebel against the author of life, death is sure to follow. And that's exactly what was laid out in Genesis chapter 2 and in Genesis chapter 3, and it's still that play as we fast-forward through the story, that sin results in death.

And God said in Leviticus 17 verse 11 something interesting that I want you to see: "For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life." It is the blood that makes atonement for one's life. Why? Well, every Jewish person understood that these sacrifices, listen, were a substitutionary sacrifice. Everybody understood that these animals were standing in the place where they deserved to stand. That because of their sin and because of their acknowledged guilt and rebellion against God, they understood, all of them understood that these animals were a substitutionary sacrifice, or maybe we could say it this way: This should be your blood on the altar. This should be your blood on the altar. But because God is merciful, because we see His mercy even here in the pages of the Hebrew Scripture in the Old Testament observance of the Day of Atonement, He is merciful, and He allows a substitutionary sacrifice to remind His people of just how costly sin is and that it is the blood that makes atonement. It was a substitutionary sacrifice.

But there's a third thing I want you to see. The High Priest would enter the Most Holy Place to apply the blood of the sacrifices. The High Priest entered into the Most Holy Place to apply the blood of the sacrifices. So, a little bit of understanding about what was taking place, if you're not familiar with Jewish history and I understand that not everybody is, so when the Day of Atonement was commanded to the people of Israel, they were observing that first in what was a portable tabernacle, it just looked like a big tent. And that was where they were to, the priest were, especially the High Priest, was to participate in this observance.

And so on the Day of Atonement, that started in the portable Tabernacle of which there was an inner section, called the Most Holy Place. The most inward section was called the Most Holy Place, and that is where God's presence resided. That is where God said His presence was and so outside of that was the Holy Place where the priests could go. But then later, it was moving from the portable Tabernacle that was then replicated in the permanent brick and mortar temple. And so what they would do, what the High Priests would do is once a year, only on this day he would walk into the Most Holy Place bringing the blood of those animal sacrifices to where God's presence was.

Look at the instruction that God gave to Moses to give to Aaron in Leviticus 16 verse 2. He said this: "The Lord said to Moses: 'Tell your brother Aaron that he is not to come whenever he chooses into the Most Holy Place behind the curtain in front of the atonement cover on the ark, or else he will die. For I will appear in the cloud over the atonement cover.'"

So he can't just come in whenever he wants. The High Priest is the only person in all of Israel who can enter into the place where God's presence is and he can't just do that whenever he feels like it, but rather only on this day. Then only him and only while bringing the blood of the animal sacrifices could the High Priest enter into God's presence. And so he would bring that in.

Now I have to imagine the first year that you were the High Priest and maybe subsequent years even after the first year, if you're the High Priest you're probably trembling a little bit as you walk in. I can't imagine how you're not. You're walking in to God's presence. This is restricted access, this isn't just a casual hangout. This is where God resides. And he's maybe even wondering, am I even going to walk out of here? Am I going to walk out of this place alive or are they going to have to, you know, get a rope and lasso it around my ankle and pull me out. He's probably thinking that because of his understanding of fear for who God is and how heavy this observance was. This was the most important Festival in all of the Jewish year.

And so he would bring the blood and first he would apply it to the altar that was in the outside of the Temple in the court, and then he would enter into the Most Holy Place and he would sprinkle the blood of the sacrifices onto where the Ark of the Covenant was, this golden chest that contained the Ten Commandments and Aaron's rod. And so there they were, and a section of the manna that was provided for the Israelites in the wilderness. And that was where God's presence was. But then around the time of the exile when the Jews were carried off to Babylon the Ark disappears. And so in the time of Jesus when the High Priest is coming in to the Most Holy Place he is sprinkling the blood on the stone that's there, the foundation stone where the Ark once was. But every year this is what the High Priest does.

And then the next thing is this: The scapegoat signified God taking away the sin of His people. The scapegoat signified God taking away the sin of His people. Let me explain that term and where it comes from. And if we get that from Leviticus 16 earlier in the chapter what we didn't read earlier beginning in verse number 7. It says this: "Then he is to take the two goats and present them before the Lord at the entrance to the tent of meeting. He is to cast lots for the two goats - one lot for the Lord and the other for the scapegoat. Aaron shall bring the goat whose lot falls to the Lord and sacrifice it for a sin offering. But the goat chosen by lot as the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the Lord to be used for making atonement by sending it into the wilderness as a scapegoat." And then verse 20 says this: "When Aaron has finished making atonement for the Most Holy Place, the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall bring forward the live goat. He is to lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites - all their sins - and put them on the goat's head. He shall send the goat away into the wilderness in the care of someone appointed for the task. The goat will carry on itself all their sins to a remote place; and the man shall release it into the wilderness."

So God tells Moses, tells the Israelites "get two goats" and He wants them to cast lots, which is essentially a sacred coin flip, but they're saying "God, you're going to determine which one is for you to be sacrificed on the altar, whose blood is then going to be brought in to the Most Holy Place, and you're going to decide which goat is going to be carried away. And so they would have these two goats, but really although they were two, everybody viewed them as one singular sacrifice that just depicted two different things. It was one singular sacrifice that portrayed two images. One that there was death that had to take place because of sin. Two, because the second goat was led away, which signified God taking away the sins of His people. God removing the sins of His people and sending them far into the wilderness.

And so they would, the High Priest would confess, as you saw, confess the sins of the people, all their guilt and rebellion onto the goat in this depiction of a transference of guilt to the goat. As if God was lifting the guilt off of His people and transferring it to this animal as He leads it away and takes it away from them. That's what they were seeing in this picture, that God was not only reminding them of the costliness of sin, but taking away their sin to a remote place. And so that second goat would be led away. That's where we get our term in our modern vernacular, the scapegoat. Taking the guilt that you don't deserve, taken away and removed. The High Priest would do that.

And then lastly, what was the response of the people? It's this: The people were full of fear as they waited, thinking, "Will it work?" Will it work? See, we have to transfer ourselves out of our, those of us that are followers of Christ, we have to transfer ourselves, in a mental place, out of our assurance that we are forgiven forever for just a moment in Jesus. We have to transport ourselves, to the best of our ability, into a pre-Jesus understanding to really feel the weight that they felt. To really experience and know the uncertainty and the fear, as they're waiting and watching, thinking "is this going to work?"

Now, an interesting tradition arose that wasn't commanded in Scripture, an interesting tradition arose among the Jewish people, that the rabbis in some other writings known as the Mishnah or the Talmud, they tell us what some Jewish practices were around the Day of Atonement. One of them was really interesting to me. The High Priest would take a red cord or ribbon, kind of like a rope and he would have two, and one he would tie around the horns of the scapegoat. It was a red cord signifying the sins of the people. He'd tie it around the horns of the scapegoat as it was led away, carrying the guilt away. And then they would take another red cord or rope or ribbon and hang it from the doors of the Temple. And what the rabbis tell us is that when God forgave their sins, they believed that the signifying act, or one of the symbols that showed that God had forgiven their sins, that the formula had worked, was that that scarlet thread above the doors of the Temple would turn white.

And where they got that from is maybe some words that the Prophet Isaiah records for us in Isaiah chapter 1 verse 18 which says this: "Come now, let us settle the matter," says the Lord. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool." So they understood that there was a cleansing act that was taking place on the Day of Atonement. Jewish legend for them was that the red cord would turn white, signifying that God had forgiven their sins. Again, that wasn't something that was commanded or even promised in the Scripture, but that was something that became their regular practice and observance of the Day of Atonement.

And really what's interesting to me is that there was one High Priest in particular, other than Aaron who was the first High Priest, there was one High Priest in particular that really stood out in the history of the Jewish people. And his name was Shimon Hatzadik, which means Simeon the Righteous, or Simon the Just and he was a High Priest that lived a couple of centuries before the time of Jesus. During his forty years, forty years as High Priest, people said that there were seven miracles that took place during his forty years as High Priest. And again, this is not coming from the Scripture this is kind of coming from Jewish history. What they believed about their High Priests. And so Shimon Hatzadik or Simon the Just, there were seven miracles that took place during his forty-year administration as High Priest, and a lot of them had to do with the Day of Atonement.

For example, one of them was when they would cast lot for the goats, it was a sign of good favor in their mind if the one that was to be sacrificed to the Lord, came up in the right hand not the left hand. That the right hand was a symbol of favor. That the western-most light on the Menorah that was in the Temple, that that would remain lit at all times. And then this one, that every year for forty years the scarlet thread above the doors of the Temple turned white. That's what the Jewish history tells us.

And so that's what they believed, that this happened for forty years, and so that became an expectation for the Jewish people. Again, that was a couple centuries before the time of Jesus, so that by the time that Jesus is walking on this earth, that's like an expectation that's underlying in all of the people of Israel. That this is how God demonstrates His forgiveness at the Day of Atonement.

Now the Jewish people to this day, still observe Yom Kippur, although their observance has significantly changed since the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD. But they still, to this day observe it in a manner of speaking. And really, everything continued pretty normally for about fourteen hundred years from the time that Leviticus 16's events are recorded to the time of the first century. Everything kind of continues status quo until first century AD. That's when Jesus is on the earth. That's when He lives and He dies and He's buried and He's risen from the dead.

There actually becomes like this schism in the observance of the Day of Atonement. Because Jesus, when He dies on the cross He, isn't just another person who is accused of insurrection, rebellion against Rome. He is not just another would be messiah who took His place on a Roman cross like so many. But rather, God was doing something unique and significant at the cross when Jesus died. And the early followers, I mean we get this, right? But let's remind ourselves of this. The early followers of Jesus, they were all of what heritage? They were Jewish. Jesus Himself was Jewish. 

So as they observe His death, burial and resurrection and as Jesus appears to so many witnesses after His resurrection, including five hundred people at one time, just to solidify that this wasn't just a bunch of individual wishful hallucinations, as Jesus is appearing and then He ascends back to the Father, those who remain, His early followers who are all Jewish start to interpret what they just saw in terms of what they knew best, their Jewish heritage. And many of the authors of Scripture that the Holy Spirit prompted them to write some things down, guided by that Holy Spirit process, that prompting, they start to interpret Jesus' death through specifically things like the Day of Atonement. 

They show us that there was more going on than just a Galilean man who was crucified too soon. That he was just another good moral teacher who died too early and left us an inspirational model to memorialize. That there was much more going on than just that. And so the writers of Scripture start to point us in the direction of understanding. Hey, reach back into the story for a moment and see what exactly was going on when Jesus died on the cross, when he rose from the dead. 

So maybe I'd ask this question - how does the Day of Atonement point forward to Jesus? Let me give you this first thing in answer to that question. How does the Day of Atonement point forward to Jesus? Jesus' blood provides eternal and unlimited access. Jesus' blood provides eternal and unlimited access. 

I'm going to take you for a moment to Hebrews chapter 9 as we see the writer of Hebrews explain exactly what was taking place here. Look at Hebrews 9 verse 11. It's on the screen. But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say is not a part of this creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once and for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so they are outwardly clean. How much more then, how much more then will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! 

And then the next chapter, Hebrews chapter 10 verse 18 says this. And where these have been forgiven, and where these have been forgiven sacrificed for sin is no longer necessary. Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God. Let us draw near to God. 

Listen to this. In the Old Covenant, the high priest had to first atone for himself, because he, the high priest, was a guilty sinner deserving of judgment as well. And so in order for him to be a vessel that God could use to announce that atonement had been made for his people, to take away the sins of God's people, in order for him to be eligible to do that, he had to first atone for his own sins. 

But we have a high priest who does not need to atone for himself. He is the atonement! He's pure. He's unblemished. He's spotless. He's sinless. He has no need to clean himself up in order to be a vessel used by God. He is actually God in the flesh, unblemished in every way, without sin. So he is our more perfect High Priest. 

And then what Hebrews 10 reminds us of is that God, by very nature of his existence, who is holy and pure and spotless, he cannot be in union in fellowship with sin. He cannot do it. 

So God always remains at a distance in the Old Covenant. He always remains at a distance. He's in the Most Holy Place, which is surrounded by the holy place. And only the high priest can go into the Most Holy Place, and he can only do that once a year. And only the priests can come into the holy place. And that's surrounded by the court of the priests. And that's surrounded by the court of the Israelites. And that's surrounded by the court of the women. And that's surrounded by the court of the Gentiles. If you weren't Jewish, you can only come so far. And the Old Covenant is always reinforcing that. That you can only come this close because of sin. 

But what Jesus does in his death, in his perfect atonement sacrifice, is that he opens up a new way, a permanent new entrance, with unlimited, and Hebrews tells us, eternal access to God. 

You've heard it may be said that you don't have to go through a priest to get to God, and that's true. But let me say it more emphatically. You can't go through a priest to get to God. You can't go through a pastor to get to God. It can't be done! That way was sealed up, boarded up, bricked up, and a new sign pointing to this way saying, new entrance around the corner, and it's Jesus, wide open standing with his arms wide open to you and to me, saying you can come near. Let us draw near to God. That's good news. 

And so what Jesus does is he brings us into his presence. We don't need another priest. We have one. And that priest doesn't get us into God's presence. That priest is God himself. Look how Paul said this in 1st Timothy 2 verse 5. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus. There's one mediator. There is one go-between, and it's God himself. God bridges the gap between God and mankind. That's what we see at the cross. And Jesus our great High Priest opened up access, where before the whole nation could only approach God through one person at one time. Now in the new covenant, Jesus the great High Priest creates a new nation who all can approach God at all times. This is the better covenant that we have in Christ that we see in his sacrifice. 

And that leads to number two. Jesus' sacrifice eliminates the need for all other sacrifices. Jesus' sacrifice eliminates the need for all other sacrifices. Reaching back into Hebrews chapter 9 verse 24 through 28 says this. For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands there was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God's presence. Nor did he enter Heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters into the Most Holy Place every year with blood that's not his own. Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin with what? By the sacrifice of himself. Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. 

This is so good. Listen to this. Jesus Christ died once. And with his one death, He fulfilled everything that the Day of Atonement was pointing towards. Whereas in the past, the high priest had to offer the sacrifice over and over and over and over and over and over and over again. Jesus once and for all offers one sacrifice, and there is not only no need to repeat that sacrifice, it can't be done! There's no need to do it, and it can't be done. Because what Jesus secured eliminated the need for all other sacrifices. His perfect blood, his unblemished blood, as the firstborn male to be offered in this way over all creation to be offered in this way into God's presence, that God accepted Jesus' sacrifice and said.. What did Jesus say at the cross? It is finished. There's so much that's bound up in that statement that we may never understand all of it side of eternity, but I think at least in part, it points to the fact that the sacrificial system had accomplished its purpose. And Jesus' sacrifice eliminates the need for all other sacrifices. 

You remember the two goats that came and were brought, and the high priest would elect one to the casting of lots to be sacrificed, and the other to be the scapegoat to be carried away. That they understood, although though that was two animals, it was really, I said it was one sacrifice. Listen again to the writer of Hebrews in Hebrews 9:28, the second part of it. Look what he says. So Christ was sacrificed once to what? Take away the sins of many. Leave that there for one second. That where you needed two goats to provide a temporary covering. One to provide a temporary sacrifice and a temporary taking away. In Jesus, all of that is bound up in one sacrifice, as not only is he the one who is sacrificed, but he is the one who takes away the sins of many. 

That's exactly what John the Baptizer said. It's not on the screen. But in John 1:29, John the Baptizer says, behold the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. What were they saying? What was John saying? What was the writer of Hebrews saying? They're saying look, this is pointing to the Day of Atonement. You don't need those two goats anymore. Jesus has accomplished all that we need in his perfect once for all sacrifice. 

Now there's one more thing I want to add here that's interesting to me. Again that this doesn't emerge from the pages of Scripture, but that the Jewish rabbis who lived after the time of Jesus would comment back on this first century and give us this really interesting insight. Not Christians, Jewish rabbis, saying this. That in their understanding of their processes, that they said that when the temple was destructed in 70 AD in Jerusalem, the temple that Jesus walked by and walked into you know around the courts a bunch of times, that temple. That when that temple was destroyed, they understood that for the previous 40 years, some really weird things happened that they reinterpreted to understand that God was foreboding judgment for whatever that maybe, they didn't understand but, that God was warning of impending judgment. That they said this. This is coming from the Jewish rabbis commenting after the destruction of the temple. That for the 40 years leading up to the destruction of the temple, the scarlet rope that hung from the doors of the temple stopped turning white. That their system, it didn't work like they expected it to. 

Whether that's the case or not, I don't know, but that's that's what they say for themselves. But when I hear that, when I was reading that, here's what that said to me - the old point of access is closed. And the new eternal way of access is opened in Jesus. Don't look for the old system to provide you with the old results. It can't even do that. We have to come to this new covenant that has established forever in Jesus. And he has said forever those of you that belong to me, though your sins are as scarlet, they will be white as snow. Jesus himself secured that for us. 

And then there's the last thing that I want you to take away and it's this. Jesus' atonement will be confirmed when he returns. Jesus' atonement will be confirmed when he returns. What do I mean? Look at what Hebrews 9:27 and 28 says. We read it already, but listen to it again. Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. 

And then Hebrews chapter 10 verse 12. Look at this again. But when this high priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. What is the writer of Hebrews telling us here? 

Okay, here's the picture. Jesus is going to return. He's coming back, just as he departed this earth, and the disciples were watching him go. He will return a second time. And when he returns a second time, it's to set up an eternal never-ending, physical, tangible on this earth kingdom, with the new heavens and the new earth. That his kingdom will be established forever on the earth. He's coming back to do that. And he is coming back to deal the final death blow to Death itself, to Satan, to all of the adversaries, and to the kingdom of darkness. That knockout punch was already delivered at the cross, but it will finally be declared once and for all when Jesus returns and he sets up his never-ending earthly Kingdom. 

But here's the picture that the writer of Hebrews wants us to see. Just as the high priest entered into the temple, the Most Holy Place, he would enter that temple more than one time. Once bringing the blood of the bull, once bringing the blood of the ram, once bringing the blood of the lambs, etc. Okay? So he would enter a couple times. So here's the picture. Just as the Jewish people awaited their high priest to come out of the temple, signifying that this worked. He's not dead. The high priest walked out. Our sins are forgiven. So too we, right now, await our great High Priest to exit the heavenly temple where he is with his father right now, at the right hand of the Father right now. And while we are here, we await for him to return. 

But listen, here's the best part. He's already announced from the inner chamber that forgiveness is available to all who receive him by faith. That message is already emanated from the inner Most Holy Place. But now we await him to come out and confirm that atonement. That once and for all to all of the watching world, God's atonement in his Son has been accomplished once and for all. That is why every knee will bow and acknowledge that Jesus is exactly who he said he is. When he exits the heavenly temple to pronounce forever you will be with me, forever. You will be mine forever. You can be mine, because I have removed the stain and guilt of your sin. 

And so we await our High Priest to exit and return. But what do we do while we wait? Well remember when I told you at the outset that the Jewish people refer to the Day of Atonement sometimes as just called it what? The Day. They called it just the Day. 

With that in mind, look again at Hebrews chapter 10 beginning in verse 19. Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God. That's Jesus. Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. What else do we do? Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some we're in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching. 

See, in one sense, we get to experience the blessings of Jesus' atoning sacrifice. Forgiveness of sin. But in another sense, we await his ultimate atonement when he returns. And so here's where we connect this idea of the Day of Atonement to the ten days of Awe that Pastor Jerry mentioned in the previous message. That we would ready our hearts as the day approaches. That he will return. And therefore, we want to be the kind of people who are ready for his return, holding unswervingly, unshakable in the hope we have in Christ. That nothing in this earth would be able to move us off our conviction of our hope in Christ. That we would encourage each other within the body of Christ toward love and good deeds. Because that love and good deeds has a purpose, as we await him, and that we would not give up meeting together, like some people are in the habit of doing. But all the more as we see the day approaching, that we would be the kind of people who validate with our lives that Jesus' atoning sacrifice was sufficient. And that in the here and now, what we do is announce to the world that Jesus forgives sin forever. That he gives new life forever. That he gives eternal life in the here and now that carries us through into eternity. 

So maybe one last thing I'd leave with you. Interesting as we study this, there's so much more we could say and not enough time to say it. But I hope that you just see Jesus in this observance. That he's all over this story, just as he's all over every story. But one other thing I think is relevant for us as we await his return. 

You see, the high priest on the Day of Atonement had a different attire than his normal daily observances. He didn't wear his royal, beautiful, ornate robe investments. He didn't wear the ephod or any of his usual dress. But that on the Day of Atonement, the high priest himself would only wear a white robe. Just a plain, pure, white robe. But you can imagine after sacrificing 10 animals, that robes not white. It's splattered and sprinkled with blood all over. In fact, I mean he's up to his knees in it, probably. So much so that it would actually appear that this one white robe was dipped in blood. 

So with that in mind, what do you think John the Apostle wants us to understand when he tells us that Jesus is returning, and he depicts him this way by inspiration of the Spirit in Revelation chapter 19 verse 13. He, Jesus, is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. This is your high priest. This is your atoning sacrifice. This is the one who gave his life for you. Because his robe is dipped in blood, not in the blood of his enemies as some have said. It's his own. He is the high priest and the sacrifice. And he's coming back. He's returning. And he is coming, and he is identified as our one high priest forever. It's his own blood poured out for you. 

That's why John in another one of his letters said this in First John 2:2. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. He, Jesus, is the atoning sacrifice for our sins. 

If I could summarize everything I've said today in one statement. Everything that I want you to take as you leave today in one statement, it would be this. When our High Priest exits the Temple, the doors don't close behind him. When our High Priest exits the Temple, the doors don't close behind him. Every year, the Jewish high priest would exit the Most Holy Place, and the door would slam shut, reminding people that they could only come this far and no further. But when our High Priest exits the temple, the doors don't close behind him. 

He has opened up a new living way for you. You and me, sinners deserving of death and judgment to come into God's presence cleansed and forgiven and set free. The door doesn't close behind him. He says all who are weary, come. He says all who are weary, come. Come to him. He is the one who could set you free. 

And if you're a disciple of Jesus, live as a priest, because we've got a High Priest. He has created a nation of priests who represent his glory throughout the world. I'm not just talking about pastors. I'm talking about everybody claims the name of Christ as their Lord and Savior. You're a priest in his kingdom to emanate and proclaim the message of forgiveness and reconciliation. Live like a priest like that. Live as priests whose lives have been cleansed. Live pure lives that testify to the mercy and grace of God in your life. Because you have experienced this new living way to the Father through Jesus the Son. That when he exits the temple, the doors don't close behind him. 

And if you don't know Christ, if you don't know God personally through Jesus, his offer of forgiveness is available to you today. It's available today. His grace is sufficient for you today. He's calling you today. Let's bow together for a word of prayer. 

So with your heads bowed and your eyes closed, I don't know where God the Spirit is prompting your heart. What step of obedience you need to take in result of what we just saw in the Scripture. But maybe I would ask you to reflect on this question for a moment. Have you taken full advantage of the access that Jesus created for you with his blood? You could tell that by how quickly you rush into His presence in His word, or how long you wait for someone else to spoon-feed you the message. But consider that with Jesus' perfect precious blood that was applied to the altar as it were, he opened up access to God. I don't know if we've grasped just how significant that is. We would prioritize our day differently if we understood just how costly that access was. We would spend time with him in His word and coming to Him repeatedly throughout the day in prayer. We would live like people who have a close relationship with Jesus because we do. Nothing we have to manufacture or conjure up, but something that we just embrace. 

Maybe God's prompting you that you've almost been like an incognito priest. That he brought you into this kingdom of priests, but you've almost been attempting to be disguised, not wanting to open your mouth and announce to the world that there's forgiveness available. Someone else is going to do that. Someone more qualified will do that. But he brought you to himself. He wants to use you to announce the reconciliation he's secured. I don't know what God's prompting your heart to do, but listen. Do what he says. 

With your head still bowed amd your eyes still closed, if you're here today and you don't know God personally through Jesus. You'd say you know what, Jonathan, maybe I thought I was a good person, but I recognize that I need Jesus. That this issue of sin, it's something I can't take care of myself. I could never can never possibly do that. Maybe that's something that you've heard for the first time today, or maybe it's something you've known for a while, but you've been running from it. You've been avoiding it. Today's a good day to stop running. Today is a good day to embrace this truth. 

So when I dismiss us in just a moment, I'm going to wrap up our prayer and dismiss us and when I do that, I want you to come by the Fireside Room if that's you. If you know that you need Jesus today, I want you to come by the Fireside Room which is just through some double doors on my left hand side. Just walk in there and say I need to know about Jesus. That's it. You don't have to say anything beyond that. I need to know more about Jesus. 

So God, we're humbled when we think of what you did to reach sinful rebellious humanity like us. There's no way we could ever possibly grasp all that this meant. But we want to just stand in awe of your grace. But not just remain standing there, but to live and walk out the reality of what it means to be forgiven. Of what it means to be reconciled. Of what it means to have unlimited access to the Father. We want to live that out into every aspect of our lives. We want to demonstrate our gratitude to you through our obedience, through our sensitivity to your Spirits leading. We can't do that without you. We desperately need you. So equip us, resource us, fill us to overflowing with your very presence, so we may represent you this way, even as we walk out of these doors today. For we thank you and we love you, and it's in Christ's name that we pray. Amen. 

Thanks everybody. We love you. You're dismissed.