In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 1 John 4:10
This morning, I continued my study of Leviticus using the Christ-Centered Exposition series commentary for this book - continuing chapter fourteen - God Forgives and Removes Sin - covering Leviticus 16:1-34, looking specifically at the fifth theme for the chapter - Jesus is God's Offer of Atonement and Removal of Sin. Here, although one might believe the commentary is stating the obvious, it is nonetheless important to see how the commentary uses New Testament scripture to demonstrate how Jesus's death on the cross represents the perfect sacrifice that has no equal relative to the sacrificial system laid out in Leviticus. The commentary first points us to Hebrews 7-10, where we see how, "in detail how Jesus' death on the cross supersedes the Day of Atonement and all the old covenant sacrifices":
- Hebrews 9:12: because Jesus is eternal, His death on the cross represents an eternal redemption, not something that must be done repeatedly as described in Leviticus
- Hebrews 9:24: versus the Old Testament priests who entered an earthly tent to meet with God, Jesus offered Himself in the presence of God Himself
- Hebrews 9:7, 7:26-27: the Old Testament priests offered sacrifices for their own sins, but Jesus had no sin, so no sacrifice was necessary for sins that were not committed
- Hebrews 9:25-26, 10:11-12: Jesus died once and for all, eliminating the need for repeated sacrifices
- Hebrews 10:1, 8:13, 10:9: Jesus fulfilled the law and abolished the Old Testament sacrifices that were only a "shadow of the good things to come"
The commentary also refers us to 2 Corinthians 5:21, 1 Peter 3:18, and 1 John 4:10 as additional scriptural examples of how Jesus serves as God's perfect offer of atonement and removal of sin.
Comment and discuss this post here.
My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who died for my sins - even though You led a perfect sinless life. Thank You Jesus! I am not deserving of such a sacrifice - the greatest gift of grace. My sin of harshness towards others continues as do other sins. Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sins towards You. Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me. Help me grow in my faith. Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength. Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo. Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior. Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin. Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.
