42 The Atonement

The Atonement

"In this way the priest will make atonement for him before the Lord, and he will be forgiven for any of these things he did that made him guilty." Leviticus 6:7 The Scriptures are full of Christ — not literally — but typically. Here Christ is set forth in a variety of ways — but especially as the great high priest, and atonement for sin. Man sinned, God was injured, and required satisfaction. If it was demanded of the man himself, he must suffer forever; for the sufferings of a sinner, can never make satisfaction for sin. But God devised a way in which satisfaction could be given to divine justice, and the sinner be honorably and eternally saved; it was by sacrifice. This was set forth by the sacrifice of lambs, rams, oxen, doves, and goats: they were substituted for sinners until the great sacrifice appeared. Here we find God appointing sacrifices for different kinds of sin, as for the sins of ignorance in the fourth chapter; for sins of inadvertency, in the fifth chapter; and for more deliberate or willful sins in the sixth. Here proclamation is made, that pardon for all sin may be obtained — but it must be by blood; the priest must make an atonement for the sinner before the Lord. Let us notice: The OFFICE referred to. The priest, one of the tribe of Levi, of the family of Aaron, appointed, anointed, and fully qualified to officiate at the altar. The priest typified the Lord Jesus, who is the great high priest of our profession. He was separated from his brethren, or chosen out from among the people, to act for them. It is in reference to him and his separation to office, that the Father speaks, "I have laid help upon one that is mighty, I have exalted one chosen out of the people. I have found the Beloved One, my servant; with my holy oil have I anointed him. My hand will sustain him; surely my arm will strengthen him." Psalms 89:19-20. Isaiah 42:1. The levitical priest being separated, was anointed with holy oil, which was typical of the Holy Spirit; but Jesus received the Spirit in all his fullness to qualify him for his work. Hence we read, "The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him — the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord — and he will delight in the fear of the Lord. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth." Isaiah 11:2-4. This took place on the banks of the Jordan when Jesus was baptized, as it is written, "As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said: This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." Matthew 3:16-17

Shortly after this, "He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: ’The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.’ Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, and he began by saying to them: Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." Luke 4:16-21

Thus Jesus was separated from all others, and duly qualified for the office of the priesthood. His holy human nature, with the virtues and graces that adorned it, answered to the glorious and beautiful garments of the priests under the law, and being accepted of God for the work, he gave himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savor.

Let us glance at His WORK. "The priest shall make an atonement for him before the Lord." A victim was required, the trespass offering of old was a ram without blemish; but Jesus gave himself. His whole person was substituted for the persons of his people. He gave his blood for theirs, his life for theirs. He is the one great sacrifice for sin.

"He offered up himself." Under the law, the officer laid his hand on the head of his victim, confessing his sins over it, and his guilt was transferred to it, and therefore it was put to death. In like manner our sins were laid on Jesus — our guilt was transferred to him. We sinned — and he became the sacrifice for our sins. Hence the prophet says, "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him, the iniquity of us all. He bore the sin of many." Isaiah 53:6; Isaiah 53:12. And so the Apostle, "Who his own self bore our sins in his own body on the tree, that we being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes we are healed." 1 Peter 2:24.

It was the blood, or the death of the victim which made the atonement. "It is the blood that makes an atonement for the soul." Levit. 17:11. The beast was slaughtered, his blood was carried into the holy place, it was presented to God, it was sprinkled before God, and so pardon was procured. Jesus died — the just for the unjust. His blood was shed on Calvary. He has carried it into Heaven. It is before God. It has obtained eternal redemption for us. It cleanses from all sins. The priest bore the blood, or the life of the victim into the holy place and presented it to God for an atonement, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people; and Jesus has entered into Heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us. Hebrews 9:24. He has given full satisfaction to God, for all the sins, of all who believe on him. He has made an atonement, the merit of which is infinite, and the efficacy of which is eternal. The influence of it extends to all times, and all places, securing a complete and eternal pardon for all who rely on it and plead it before God. The result is, all manner of sin and blasphemy is forgiven unto men. Not simply because God is merciful — but because Jesus died; and dying put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. Pardon flows only from atonement. If Jesus had not become our substitute, he would not have been a sacrifice; if he had not been a sacrifice, he could not have made an atonement; and if he had not made an atonement, our sins could never have been forgiven. But through the sufferings and death of Jesus, all sin is pardoned; and pardoned forever.

It is, as though it never had been. Completely blotted out as a debt, and forgiven as a crime. As the cloud is dispersed by the sun and wind, so the guilt of sin is chased away by the atonement. As the stone cast into the depths of the ocean is lost sight of, and gone forever — so are the sins for which Jesus shed his precious blood. Every one is pardoned who lays his hand on the victim, and confesses his sins with sorrow over it.

Faith is the hand which we lay on the head of Jesus, and penitence always accompanies the frank confession of sin. The pardoned sinner is entitled to all the privileges of the Church in the wilderness, and a portion in the land of promise beyond the Jordan.

Reader, have you been convinced of sin? Do you see the need of a sacrifice for sin? Do you perceive that you can never atone for your sins by anything you can suffer, or by anything you can do? If so, rejoice, for atonement has been made. Guilt, the guilt of every broken-hearted sinner, of every simple-minded believer in Jesus — is gone, and gone forever. God has cast it behind his back. He has thrown it into the depths of the sea. He has passed by it, and will not notice it. He has covered it, and covering has concealed it, with the perfect work of his beloved Son.

God is peaceful. He is the God of peace. He is in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, He invites the vilest sinners to come unto him, and promises to pardon all their sins, and completely change their characters. "Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." Isaiah 1:18. "I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and will not remember your sins." Isaiah 63:25.

Every believer therefore is safe and happy; happy in state, and should be happy in feeling. If sin is pardoned — then what can harm us? If sin is pardoned — then what should cast us down? Every believer is in a pardoned state; for him Jesus lived — for him Jesus died — for him Jesus intercedes at God’s right-hand — for him Jesus will soon come the second time, without an offering for sin, unto his complete salvation.

Let us then look to Jesus as our great high Priest. Let us remember that his blood is our atonement. Let us expect the pardon of all sin for his sake. Let us renounce everything as a plea before God, or as the ground of our acceptance with God — but Jesus and his precious blood. He has made an atonement for us before the Lord, and all our sins shall be forgiven — and every trespass shall be pardoned forever.