Creator, Father, King #235

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.

BEING A JEWISH PRIEST in the Old Testament era was a great privilege. That person enjoyed the distinct honor of serving in the Tabernacle or Temple and representing an entire nation as their mediator before the Lord.

But the role wasn’t for the faint of heart. A priest’s job was gruesome and bloody at times. Priests would slaughter countless animals during their lifetime, according to the strict regulations of the Mosaic law. There were burnt offerings, sin offerings, guilt offerings, peace offerings, the Passover celebration, and the annual Day of Atonement. Death was constantly around them.

Why did the priests have to do this? God was graciously showing his sinful people their great need for substitutionary atonement.

What’s It Mean?

Substitutionary atonement, or penal substitution, is a vital doctrine found throughout Scripture. Besides the Old Testament sacrificial system, we see it again vividly in the “Suffering Servant” prophecy of Isaiah 52:13–53:12 and in various passages in the New Testament, such as Romans 3:23-25, 2 Corinthians 5:21, and today’s verse.

The Bible says all humans are inherently guilty before God because of sin (Romans 3:23). Left to ourselves, we would die in our rebellious state, forever separated from our Creator in hell.

But God, in his great mercy, did not leave us in this wretched state. He provided substitutionary atonement for us! This is the concept that something—or Someone—must die for the sins of another to cover the guilt of the sin-bearer. As Hebrews 9:22 says, “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins” (ESV).

The Old Testament sacrificial system temporarily achieved this. But God only meant animal sacrifice to point to something infinitely better. Substitutionary atonement found its true fulfillment in God’s Son, Jesus Christ! In his great love for us, “God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin” (Romans 3:25).

Jesus is our great substitute! On the cross, he atoned—or made payment for—the egregious sins we committed against a holy God. He fully bore the divine wrath we deserved.

Can anyone say it more beautifully than the prophet Isaiah? “But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed” (53:5, ESV).

Now What?

Now that Jesus has provided substitutionary atonement, we must “die to sin and live to righteousness” to honor our Savior! (See today’s verse.)

Did You Know?

Among the five major Old Testament offerings, only the grain offering (Leviticus 2) didn’t involve an animal’s death.