Text: Leviticus 16:1-10
Title: "Jesus in Leviticus: The Sacrifice of Salvation”
Subj: Day of Atonement
Purpose: To show the importance of the sacrifices in picturing the death of Christ.

Introduction: Too often we relegate the Book of Leviticus to a bygone era with no relevant truth for today.  We see the endless sacrifices and think to ourselves, "Why the death of all those innocent animals, and what does it mean to me today, anyway?' But my dear friend, the way of the sacrifice is the only way of approach to God!! It is the difference between eternal life, and eternal damnation! The Book of Leviticus gives us the answer to the Law of Exodus! A Law that is impossible to keep, no matter how highly man thinks of his attempts to please a holy God through the 10 commandments! So we see in Leviticus the way of access to God in worship and communion, and the utter impossibility of entering His presence except on the ground of an atoning sacrifice for sin.

O.T. sacrifices were of two types, either for communion with God (burnt and peace offerings) or to restore communion with God (sin and trespass offerings). After a man was duly purified, he brought his offering into the Great Court, by way of the proper door, up to the altar of sacrifice. The offer­ing was then placed to face west toward the Holy of Holies, literally, to bring it before the Lord. The offerers hands were laid upon it (transfer of sin to the sacrifice), and a prayer of repentance was repeated.

The purpose of the sacrifice was to obtain the blood. The blood was either caught in a pointed, silver vessel that could not be put down, or in the priest's hands, to be sprinkled in the required place. Following this, and depending upon the type of sacrifice, the offering was either burnt on the altar or eaten by the priests.

Yet despite the hundred of thousands of offerings, down through the centuries, there rolls the cry from hundreds of Jewish Synagogues, 'Let one that is innocent come and make atonement for the guilty!' To which cry answers Heb 7:26, “Such an High Priest became us, Who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens." That longed for innocent One is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ, our Sacrifice for sin.

Text: Lev 16:1-10 — "Jesus in Leviticus: The Sacrifice of Salvation”  — prayer

I. THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE SACRIFICES
II. THE NATURE OF THE SACRIFICES
III. THE SACRIFICES

Note: When we are talking about the sacrificial system, we are speaking about the holiness of God! This plan is the work of God, not man! The whole concept is beyond the capability of man's imaginations. Only the Holy Spirit of God can cause the darkened mind of man to understand the sacrificial system. Woe to the man that tries to approach God in any other way. All the other festivals of the Jews were joyous, but on this Day of Atonement the people must fast and afflict their souls!

I.  THE SERIOUSNESS Of THE SACRIFICES (Vl-4,6)

A. The Approach To A Holy God is Only Through Christ

1. Right person (v1-2)

a. Only the High Priest could approach God (as long as the designated place of worship stood)

1) Sons tried (Lev 10:1-2 (turn))

b. Only Jesus Christ can approach God
Heb. 3:1 “Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession Christ Jesus”

c. Man can only come through Christ
Jn 14:6 "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by Me."

d. Christians can only come through Christ
Heb. 10:19 "Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,"

1) Aaron came in fear, we come in favor--boldly!

2. Right time (“not at all times") (God's time)

a. Once a year (Day of Atonement)

Note: If anyone entered the Holy of Holies at any other time, he died! But once you are saved, if you stay away from the Holy of Holies, you die (spiritually)!

b. Christ came at the right time (God's time)

1) Many rumors of a coming Messiah throughout land
Gal 4:4 “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law."

c. You must come in God's time, when He is speaking to your heart

3. Right purpose (v3,6)

a. To atone for High Priest's own sins & sins of priests

1) Sin offering was for a covering

2) Burnt offering was for communion

b. To atone for sins of Nation (vl5a)

c. Christ died to remove the sins of the world

Note: Christ was sinless & therefore only died for others, as did the innocent animal.
2 Cor 5:15 "And that He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them, and rose again.”

4. Right purity (v4)

a. Priest's clothing was white (=holiness) from head to foot
1) Not his clothes of office, but clothing of responsibility or condition, i.e. holy.

a) How about our clothing? Do we represent holiness to others?

Note: It was not the clothing that made the High Priest holy, but it was supposed to represent an inward righteousness. A bride can wear white, but that doesn't mean she is pure!! It is not your clothes that reveal the true you, it is your eyes! Your clothes should draw others to your eyes! What do your eyes reflect? The condition of your heart!

b. Christ (we see this in Christ at His transfiguration)
“...His face did shine as the sun, and His raiment was white as the light.”  Matt 17:2

1) The holiness of Christ made all His clothes white! 

5. Right propitiation (v!4)

a. Not the death, but the blood
Heb 9:22 “...without shedding of blood is no remission.”

b. Not the animal, but the Christ
Heb 9:12 “Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.”

Note: 'The cross of Christ stands as God's estimate of what sin really is, something so deep and dreadful that it costs 'THAT’.”

I. THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE SACRIFICES

II. THE NATURE OF THE SACRIFICES (v5)

A. Burnt Offering (v5) (to enjoy communion)

1. Offered as a sweet savor to God

a. A reminder of Christ's perfect life in obedience to Father
Jn 8:46 "Which of you convinceth (convicts) Me of sin... ?”

b. A picture of the sacrificial Christian
2 Cor 2:15 “For we are unto God a sweet savor of Christ.."

2. Offered for acceptance with God

a. Only Christ is acceptable to God
Matt 17:5 “...this is My beloved Son, in whom I Am well pleased; hear ye Him.”

b. We are only acceptable in Christ
Eph 1:6 "To the praise of the glory of His grace, where in He hath made us accepted in the beloved”

3. Offered whole and complete to God

a. Christ's life of unreserved surrender, without blemish, wholly given to God without reserve
Eph 5:2 “And walk in love, as Christ hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor.”

b. The surrender of a life to God represents the fulfillment of mans' duty to God
Rm 12:1 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”

B. Sin offering (v5) (restore communion)

1. Offered in Holy of Holies as atonement (covering) for sin

a. Temporary in nature

2. Christ became the sin offering for us before God
a. Permanent
Heb 9:26 "...but now once in the end of the world hath He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself."

3. Burnt outside the camp (v27)
Heb 13:13 “Wherefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered without the gate.”

Note: God's mercy cannot excuse man's sin without a sacrifice, or a payment for that sin!

I. THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE SACRIFICES
II. THE NATURE OF THE SACRIFICES

III. THE SACRIFICES (v7-10)

Note: The two goats made one sacrifice: one picturing God's justice on sin, the other picturing God's mercy on sinners.

A. Presented (v7)

1. Both alike: size, shape, color, and even day purchased

2. Both without bluish

Note: Why goats? Someone has said that goats stink, and so does sin!

3. Christ was presented and without blemish
Heb 9:14 “How much more shall the blood of Christ, Who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God,...”

B. Parted (v8)

1. By lot

a. Colored or engraved stones

2. By locket

a. Scarlet cloth for the scapegoat

3. By the Lord (God's lot fell on Christ)

a. One to picture the perfect atonement of Christ

b. One to picture the perfect pardon of the sinner

4. Sacrificial goat (v9)

a. Slain to obtain blood (vl5a)

b. Blood sprinkled in Holy of Holies (vl5b-16)

c. Skin burnt outside the camp

a. The bearer of Nation's sins was removed

b. Christ (saddest/gladdest verse in Bible)
Jn 19:16-18 “...And they took Jesus, and led Him away. And He bearing His cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha: where they crucified Him, and two other with Him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst.”

5. Scapegoat (vl0)

a. Sins confessed (v21a,b,c)

1) If you want Jesus to be your scapegoat you must confess your sins!
Rms. 10:9 'That if thou shall confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."

b. Sins applied (v21d)

1) If you want Jesus to be your scapegoat you must have your sins applied!
Isa 53:6 “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”

c. Sent away (v21e-22)

Note: Tradition has it that this sin laden goat was led away by the priests, through the Eastern Gate to the Mt of Olives, where one especially appointed for the purpose (a stranger, a non-Israelite), was to lead the scapegoat into the wilderness, there to be set free. In this we see the removal of the sins from the people for another year.

1) If you want your sins sent away, you mist accept what Jesus has done for you on the cross!
Ps 103:12 "As far as the east is from the west so far hath He removed our transgressions from us.”

Conclusion: The sacrifices of the O.T. seem to be never ending! An unbroken chain of dead animals and shed blood. But God was picturing for us the One that was to come and die once for all. That One has come in the Person of Jesus Christ, the very Son of God, the only One able, by His sin­less life and atoning death to die for you and for me. In Christ all the pictures of the O.T are fulfilled except for one: and that is the placing of your hand on the scapegoat (God's Son), confessing your sins, accepting the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, and knowing your sins are removed and forgiven! Will you do that today?

Christian, who is the scapegoat in your life? Who have you been blaming for your lack of surrender and dedication to God? Is it your family? Is it your job? Is it unforgiveness? Is it discouragement? Christian, do you know where your scapegoat is today? God does! Why not send that goat away for good?