Mar 10 – Jesus Our Atoning Sacrifice

“²³ For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; ²⁴ they are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. ²⁵ God presented him as the mercy seat by his blood, through faith, to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his restraint God passed over the sins previously committed. ²⁶ God presented him to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so that he would be just and justify the one who has faith in Jesus.”‬

Verse 25 describes Jesus as the mercy seat. What does this mean? This same idea is found in 1 John, but is translated “atoning sacrifice”. 

“He himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for those of the whole world.” — 1 John 2:2 

“Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.” — 1 John 4:10 

What does it mean to be a mercy seat or an atoning sacrifice? Why is it necessary that Jesus be recognized in this way? This language mirrors closely the language used in the Old Testament Law, describing how Israel was to atone for their sinful rebellion. This kind of language persists throughout these verses. Another example is below:

“God passed over the sins previously committed.” (v. 25b) The language used in these verses (“mercy seat”, “atoning sacrifice”, “passed over”) is connecting Jesus to that of the Passover lamb in Exodus. 

“Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new unleavened batch, as indeed you are. For Christ our Passover lamb has been sacrificed.” — ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭5‬:‭7

This is important. God did not simply forget, remove, hide, push away, or overlook our sins.  A sacrifice was made, and God passed over them. This text demonstrates that when the Israelites sacrificed the Passover lamb and painted its blood upon the doorpost in Egypt, they were claiming an innocence not their own. In the same way, we who are saved by faith in Christ claim the blood of Christ as what justifies us in the eyes of God. We too claim an innocence not our own. We claim the perfect life, atoning death, and bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ.

“For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow, sprinkling those who are defiled, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works so that we can serve the living God?”  — ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭9‬:‭13‬-‭14

“For you know that you were redeemed from your empty way of life inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of an unblemished and spotless lamb. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was revealed in these last times for you. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.” — ‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭18‬-‭21‬

Our salvation, our restoration, our inherited righteousness, was not free. Christ had to die, blood had to be shed. No longer is it the blood of bulls and goats, but at the cross, the blood of the perfect Son of God was shed. The author of Hebrews makes clear that the temple sacrifices were never enough to cover the cost of our sins. 

“Since the law has only a shadow of the good things to come, and not the reality itself of those things, it can never perfect the worshipers by the same sacrifices they continually offer year after year. Otherwise, wouldn’t they have stopped being offered, since the worshipers, purified once and for all, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? But in the sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year after year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.”  — Hebrews 10:1-4

One might ask, “Why would God send Jesus to die for my sin?” The answer is in verse 26: “God presented him to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so that he would be just and justify the one who has faith in Jesus.” (v. 26) It is to demonstrate God’s own righteousness. Even the righteousness we each have, and see in one another, is not our own. It all comes from God, extended to us in Jesus’ sacrifice. Through Christ we have justification and are justified.