Leviticus 16:9-10

Have you ever heard the saying, “that person was just the scapegoat”? What we mean when we say that is the person is actually innocent of any wrongdoing, but is taking the blame for a wrong committed by others. And that by taking the blame, those who actually committed the wrongdoing escape blame or punishment. This is the heart of the gospel. Jesus Christ lived a perfectly holy, sinless life. A life of perfect surrender to God, a life of perfect love toward others. But at the end of his life, there on the cross, he became our scapegoat. He took upon himself the wrong committed by others, by you and I. Oftentimes a person becomes a scapegoat not by their own choosing but because others shift the blame on them out of malice and to avoid consequences. But Jesus took the role of scapegoat on our behalf willingly. He chose it. And He did it out of love in order that we might be saved!

PASSAGE: Leviticus 16:9-10 - "Aaron shall bring the goat whose lot falls to the Lord and sacrifice it for a sin offering.  But the goat chosen by lot as the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the Lord to be used for making atonement by sending it into the desert as a scapegoat."

PAUSE: The Day of Atonement required a scapegoat to take the sins of the people into the wilderness. This is a powerful Easter Egg and hints that the Messiah would ultimately be the scapegoat for the world's sins. Cross-reference with John 1:29: “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away…” 

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I love your plan of salvation and for the forgiveness of sins. I thank you for Jesus being the sacrificial Lamb of God.