Jesus, the Scapegoat

Read Leviticus 13-16
 
Leviticus 16:21-22 He is to lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites — all their sins — and put them on the goat’s head. He shall send the goat away into the desert in the care of a man appointed for the task. 22 The goat will carry on itself all their sins to a solitary place; and the man shall release it in the desert.
 
THESE chapters record God’s instructions to Aaron, Israel’s first priest, regarding his priestly functions and holy approach to God. One requirement is to provide two goats for the process of his and Israel’s repentance. One goat is for sacrifice to shed blood for sins, and one is to be the scapegoat to carry Israel’s sins into the desert.
    Again, as in the entire Law, we see another symbolic preview of some specific ways Jesus, our High Priest, would remove our sins. First, we note John the Baptist laid hands on Jesus to baptize him. The baptism was ceremonial atonement, the cleansing of one’s guilt. That’s why Jesus told John in Matthew 3:15 “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” 
    What happened next? The Holy Spirit sent Jesus into the desert to confront sin in the Devil’s temptations. In this way, Jesus took Israel’s and mankind’s sins before the tempter. The Holy Son resisted the Devil to begin the saving process to redeem Adam’s sin. Then Jesus, confirmed in power against sin, began to teach, preach and heal the world of sin. Ultimately Jesus became the sacrificial goat who bled on the altar of the cross. He was, too, the scapegoat, taken outside the camp – outside of Jerusalem – to remove our sins. Matthew 8:17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “He took up our infirmities
and carried our diseases.”
    As we continue to learn of God’s laws, we see how perfectly Jesus fulfilled the law’s requirements to welcome us into his holiness. God is God of the Old Covenant and the New. He has prepared from eternity past to remove your sin to prepare for your eternal future. Thank him for that today.
 
John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”