Day of Atonement

Today is this year's Day of Atonement when the Jews around the world celebrate by praying and fasting for 25 hours. Christians like me can celebrate atonement everyday with gratitude because of Christ and what He did on the cross. The reconciliation of God and humans was accomplished through the life, suffering, and death of Jesus Christ. Our sins (past, present, and future) have been paid in full by Christ's atonement (substitutionary sacrifice that satisfied the demands of God's justice upon sin). With His sacrifice once and for all, Christ paid the penalty (eternal spiritual death and damnation in Hell) of our sin, forgiving us completely, imputing His righteousness upon us, reconciling us to God, and granting us eternal life in Heaven with Him.

In the Old Testament, on the Day of Atonement each year, the high priest was to perform rituals to atone for the sins of the people. It's the only day when the high priest was allowed to enter the Most Holy Place (the holy of holies). The high priest was to sacrifice a bull for a sin offering for him and his family. Then he sprinkled the bull's blood on the ark of the covenant. Then he was to sacrifice one goat for the sins of the Israelites and sprinkle its blood on the ark of the covenant (to appease the wrath of God for another year). Then he placed his hands on another goat (known as a "scapegoat")'s head, confessed over it the uncleanness and rebellion of the Israelites, and sent the goat out to be released into the wilderness. The scapegoat carried all the sins of the people, which were forgiven for another year. These rituals had to be repeated year after year to atone for sins. When Christ died on the cross for our sins, God was pleased and satisfied with His sacrifice. No further sacrifice was ever needed. It is finished! Christ's sacrifice was complete and sufficient for all the sins of everyone who puts their trust in Him as their Lord and Savior. Jesus is our High Priest who fulfilled all the sacrifice requirements once and for all eternity.

"Sin is both propitiated and expiated God’s way--only by the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. Propitiation is the act of appeasing the wrath of God, while expiation is the act of atoning for sin and removing it from the sinner. Both together are achieved eternally by Christ. When He sacrificed Himself on the cross, He appeased God’s wrath against sin, taking that wrath upon Himself: 'Since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through Him!' (Romans 5:9). The removal of sin by the second goat was a living parable of the promise that God would remove our transgressions from us as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12) and that He would remember them no more (Hebrews 8:12; 10:17)." (from www.gotquestions.org)

"Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; but because Jesus lives forever, He has a permanent priesthood. Therefore He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them. Such a high priest truly meets our need--one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. Unlike the other high priests, He does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for His own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when He offered Himself. For the law appoints as high priests men in all their weakness; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever." (Hebrews 7:23-28)

"The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship.  Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins. It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Therefore, when Christ came into the world, He said:

'Sacrifice and offering You did not desire,
    but a body You prepared for Me;
 with burnt offerings and sin offerings
    You were not pleased.

Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about Me in the scroll--
    I have come to do Your will, my God.'"

First He said, 'Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings You did not desire, nor were You pleased with them'--though they were offered in accordance with the law. Then He said, 'Here I am, I have come to do yYour will.' He sets aside the first to establish the second. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this Priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God, and since that time He waits for His enemies to be made his footstool. For by one sacrifice He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First He says:

 'This is the covenant I will make with them
    after that time, says the Lord.
I will put My laws in their hearts,
    and I will write them on their minds.'

 Then He adds:

'Their sins and lawless acts
    I will remember no more.'

And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary." (Hebrews 10:1-18)