Grace Institute: Systematic Theology: Soteriology: Christ's Part in Salvation

Soteriology Grace Institute for Biblical Leadership Winter 2006

I. Christ's Part in Salvation: The Atonement

A. The Sacrifice of the High Priest (Hebrews 2:14-18)

Our understanding of the cross begins first with an understanding of the nature of Christ. Christ was fully divine and He was fully human. This was necessary, for in the fullness of His humanity, He could represent the entire human race in His death (Hebrews 2:9). Christ's death on the cross has not efficacy for angels, for Christ became human, not angelic (Hebrews 2:16).

But for his own flesh and blood (i.e. humanity) His death accomplished many things:

• He rendered the devil powerless (Heb 2:14).
• He freed those were slaves (Heb. 2:15).
• He became a merciful and faithful High Priest (Heb. 2:17a)
• He became a propitiation for the sins of the people (Heb. 2:17b).

B. The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur)

The writer of Hebrews is equating Jesus' death with the Jewish High Priest's responsibility to make atonement for the sins of the people. An understanding of the Old Testament understanding of atonement is critical in understanding the atonement made in Christ's crucifixion. This ministry of the priests was most evident in the celebration of Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement.

1. Propitiation: The Shedding of Blood (Leviticus 16)

The Jewish ceremony known as the Day of Atonement was instituted in the Mosaic Law. The holiday was to take place in the 7 th month (Lev. 16:29). Five days into the festival, the High Priest begins by making atonement first for his own sins by sacrificing a bull (Lev. 16:11). Then the Priest was to slaughter a goat and sprinkle the blood of the goat on the “mercy-seat” (literally, “the place of atonement [1]”) of the Ark of the Covenant (Lev. 16:15). In the Septuagint, this is translated from Hebrew to Greek using the same Greek word us the word translated as propitiation in Hebrews 2:17.

In the context of Yom Kippur, the atonement involved:

•  the shedding of blood as a propitiation to or appeasement of God.

2. Bearing of Sin (Leviticus 16)

Then the High Priest was to place his hands over another goat while confessing the sins of the people (Lev. 16:21). The goat was then released into the wilderness, with the “scapegoat” then “bearing the sins” of the people (Lev. 16:22), demonstrating separating of the people from their sins.

•  the bearing of one group's sins by another.

3. Restitution and Atonement (Numbers 5)

In other Numbers 5:4-10, the Mosaic Law states that if a sin creates a debt to another, that after confessing that sin, the offending party is to make restitution equal to the loss plus 20% (Numbers 5:7). However, if the offended party is not alive, and there are no living relatives to pay the restitution, there is still an outstanding debt that must be paid. That debt is then paid to God (Numbers 5:8). The atonement therefore involves:

•  the payment of restitution to an offended party.

4. Cleanliness and Atonement (Leviticus 14)

In Leviticus 14:20, if a leper believes him or herself to be cured, they were to bring a small sacrificial offering, thus the priest is able to make atonement for their sin and they will be cleaned of their leprosy.

In Leviticus 14:53, if a house is found to have mildew, then the house must be stripped to the bare studs and the mildew eliminated. Then, the home owner is to bring a sacrifice and the priest is able to make atonement for the house, ruling it as dead. The atonement therefore involves:

•  the cleaning of people or objects from things previously unclean.

C. The Final Day of Atonement (Hebrews 9)

As we saw in Hebrews 2, Jesus is portrayed as the final High Priest, superior to all the other Jewish High Priests. Jesus is superior as a High priest because he entered not merely the holy of holies found in an earthly tabernacle, but the real holy of holies in heaven (Hebrews 9:11).

1. The Shedding of Blood as Propitiation

But even of greater importance, Jesus is a High Priest who did not bring the blood of animals to sprinkle on the place of atonement, but His own shed blood (Hebrews 9:12).

Previously we were under the wrath of God (John 3:36, Romans 1:18, 2:5, 8, 5:10, Ephesians 2:3). But the blood of Christ serves to appease the wrath of God, acting as the propitiation for our sins (Hebrews 2:17, Romans 3:24-25, 1 John 2:2)

The shedding of blood is a necessary part of the atonement, for without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins (Hebrews 9:22). This was true of the goat on Yom Kippur as it is with Christ on the cross. But with the celebration of Yom Kippur, the sacrifice had to happen each year (Hebrews 9:25). With Christ, it is done once and for all sacrifice (Hebrews 9:26-28).

2. The Bearing of Sin

Christ was not only the sacrifice whose blood was shed, but He was also the scapegoat who would bear the sins of many (Hebrews 9:28). In the midst of the crucifixion Jesus, bore our sins so that we could die to sin and be made righteous (1 Peter 2:2). In the cross, God the Father caused all of our sins to fall upon Christ (Isaiah 53:6). In other words, Jesus, who was without sin, became sin so that we who were without righteousness could become righteous (2 Corinthians 5:21).

3. Restitution

Sin creates a breakage of relationship. Just as in the Mosaic Law, restitution had to be made to the victim by the offender, so also in our sins we owe restitution to God. We have offended him and restitution must be made to restore the relationship. In the Old Testament, restitution came through the blood sacrifice. In the New Testament Jesus is the blood sacrifice which serves as our restitution. As a result, now we have a restored relationship with Christ (Hebrews 10:19-22).

Previously we were enemies of God and under his wrath. But now, through Christ we have been reconciled, saved from his wrath, for the restitution has been paid (Romans 5:9-11). The result of our reconciliation is that now, as ambassadors of Christ, we are now ministers of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18-19).

4. Cleanliness

The blood sacrifice in the Old Testament brought about the cleanliness of the leper and the mildewed house. Christ's blood sacrifice cleanses us from sin and allows us to be presented as blameless before God (Hebrews 9:14). If we honestly walk in the light and admit we are sinners, then the blood of Jesus cleanses and forgives us from sin and unrighteousness (1 John 1:7, 9).

D. Conclusion

Scripture teaches then that Jesus Christ's death on the cross accomplished the following:

• In His death, Christ became an atoning blood sacrifice, appeasing God's wrath.
• In His death, Christ bore our sins so we could bear His righteousness.
• In His death, Christ paid the restitution necessary to restore fellowship with God.
• In His death, Christ's blood cleansed us from sin.

Footnotes

1. Brown, Driver, Briggs and Gesenius. "Hebrew Lexicon entry for Kapporeth". The NAS Old Testament Hebrew Lexicon. ([book on-line]; Accessed May 23, 2006. Available from: http://www.biblestudytools.net/Lexicons/Hebrew/heb.cgi?number=3727&version=nas . Internet.

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