Finding Jesus in Leviticus

Finding Jesus in Leviticus

Foreshadowing and Fulfillment in the Sin Offering

Offerings for Wrongdoing by a Common Person—Leviticus 4: 27—31

“You must confess it”—Leviticus 5: 1—5

The sin offering was closely connected to the rite for atonement. God used the blood from these offerings to do two things. On one hand, he cleansed the sanctuary, the altar for incense, and the altar for burnt offering from impurity. (Lev. 4:6,17; 4:7, 18; 4: 7, 25, 30, 34; 5: 9) On the other hand, he forgave those who had sinned inadvertently and delivered them from their sin. (Lev. 4: 20, 26, 31, 35; 5:10) Therefore they could approach God unafraid in a state of ritual purity and be certain of God’s acceptance of them.

Romans 3: 22—26 affirms that Christ is the means of atonement for the justification of sinners before God.

Romans 8: 3 asserts that God the Father sent Jesus to be “the sin offering” for sinful humanity.

2 Corinthians 5: 21 makes the same point in a slightly different way.

Hebrews 10: 1—23 ties many of these ideas together.

To the present day, the orders of service based on the Latin Mass praise Christ as the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world,” (John 1: 29), for in his holy Supper Jesus gives us the blood to drink for “the remission of sins” (Mt. 26: 28). We can therefore draw near to God the Father with a true heart and in the full assurance of faith (Heb. 10:19)


The Day of Atonement—Leviticus 16

The Rite for the Cleansing of the Sanctuary—16: 11—19
Purpose: atonement for the purging of the Most Holy Place, the priesthood and the congregation, and the cleansing and consecration of the altar.

The Rite for the Removal of Sin—16: 20—22
The Scapegoat sent out

Presentation of Offerings on the Altar—16: 23—25

The New Testament teaches that the death of Jesus is to be understood in light of the Day of Atonement. (In addition, his temptation by the devil in the wilderness may be explained in part by the Day of Atonement. The goat that bore the sins of Israel was sent into the wilderness “to Azazel,” to the devil, who had plunged humanity into sin. But after Jesus’ baptism and the descent of the Spirit upon him, he went forth into the desert to do battle with the devil , and Jesus prevailed against him (Mt. 4: 1—11). Mark notes that there in the wilderness Jesus was “with the wild beasts” (Mk. 1:13).)

Matt. 27: 51; Mk. 15: 38; Lk. 23: 45 all record the splitting of the temple’s veil. As a result of Jesus’ self-sacrifice, the way into the Father’s presence lay open to all his disciples at all times, not just once a year.

In Romans 3: 25, Paul uses the Day of Atonement to describe the purpose of Christ’s death. God appointed Jesus as the new “mercy seat,” the place of atonement and God’s gracious presence. Jesus is both the place of atonement and the priest who makes atonement before God with his blood.

Hebrews 9: 7—14 elaborates on the idea of the high priest prefiguring the ministry of Jesus. By his death, Jesus offered himself as the perfect sin offering for the whole world, so that, exalted by God, he could enter the heavenly sanctuary with his blood.


HIGH PRIEST
Entered the Holy of Holies in an earthly sanctuary to perform the rite of atonement in God’s presence once a year (Heb. 9:7).
JESUS
Entered heaven itself, the heavenly sanctuary, only once at his ascension, to appear before God on behalf of his brothers (Heb. 9: 12, 24).

HIGH PRIEST
Entered the Holy of Holies with the ‘alien’ blood of animals to make atonement before God (Heb. 9: 7, 25).
JESUS
Brought his own blood into his Father’s presence to make atonement for sinners (Heb. 9: 12)

HIGH PRIEST
Brought the blood from the Holy of Holies and sprinkled the earthly altar for incense and the earthly altar for burnt offering (Heb. 9: 21)
JESUS
Sprinkles the heavenly things with his blood (Heb. 9: 23), sprinkles the hearts and consciences of those who serve the living God (Heb. 9: 13—14), and in his Supper he brings his blood from his Father’s presence and gives it to his guests for their cleansing. Jesus performs an ongoing ministry of atonement by the application of his blood on his people.

HIGH PRIEST
Was the only person who ever passed through the curtain into the Holy of Holies.
JESUS
Entered the heavenly sanctuary to open up a new and living way for all his fellow priests to enter God’s presence (Heb. 10: 20).

We can tread where no Israelite priest ever trod. Through the flesh and blood of Christ, we can approach the “throne of grace” with a clear conscience.