Atonement & Jesus Christ

So, I want to talk about...I've gone through past Atonement sermons, and I have talked about many, many topics over the years on the Day of Atonement. The two goats, the restoration of Israel, so many different things we've covered about the Day of Atonement. The meaning of Yom Kippur, the meaning of the word Azazel, we've gone through so many things. The one thing I've never really covered is the High Priest on the Day of Atonement. And how this central figure of the Day of Atonement plays into this super hopeful message that God is giving through this day. And the High Priest actually gives us the encouragement of the day. And why this is actually a happy day. Yes, we're fasting. Yes, there is a humility. And you remember, if you think about Atonement and the Holy Days in a sequence of prophecy, Atonements follows the Feast of Trumpets, which is the great and terrible Day of the Lord. The tribulation happens, destruction happens, and who's left after that? Only the meek and humble will survive. People who are willing to obey God will be left alive. And hence, we're fasting today, remembering that only those who follow God will survive and be here on this day. But that's not the entire picture of the day. The Day of Atonement pictures mankind being reconciled to God through the sacrifice and High Priestly work of Jesus Christ. And there's two things to sacrifice and high priest...and I'll explain why that's important. Satan's influence is going to be removed. We heard about that on the Sabbath and again in the sermonette. So this reconciliation can extend to the entire world. So this is an extension of Passover. Passover, Jesus Christ, died and paid for our sins. It's actually applied to mankind. That blood is applied to mankind on the Day of Atonement. So on this day in ancient Israel, the High Priest would enter the Holy of Holies with sacrificial blood to make Atonement before God. He was a central figure in the whole drama of the Day of Atonement. Read Hebrews 16. It's a play. It's a drama about the Day of Atonement. Hebrews shows that this pictured something much greater, the Book of Hebrews. Jesus Christ is now our High Priest. And all of that in ancient Israel pointed to Him. He entered the presence of God with the value of His own sacrifice. So today I want to focus on what makes His sacrifice so much better than what the Old Testament instructed and what our living High Priest is doing for us now.

So let me ask you a question. What's the difference between an animal sacrifice and Jesus Christ? And don't take the easy way out. Well, because it's Jesus, duh. Okay, that's the easy answer. But think about it.

Both involve a physical death. So why does Hebrews say Christ's sacrifice is so much better for us? We're going to answer that today. This is such a neat topic. So God, the ultimate planner, for all of you list-makers out there, you got that from God. He's the ultimate planner, and He literally threads the needle of precision between loving us and looking for that coin that we heard about in the parable in the sermonette, and giving us an immense amount of responsibility to do things for ourselves. And there's a balance in between. There's a legalistic approach where I have to earn everything, and then I did it at the end. And then there's the evangelical-slash-Protestant approach where I don't have to do anything. Jesus died for me, so you can leave me alone. I can go be as hideous as I want to be, and I'm going to heaven. Okay? God, through the Day of Atonement, threads the needle. But here's the neat thing about the Day of Atonement that I want us to get today, is that God helps us thread the needle on the Day of Atonement. Okay, let's go to Hebrews 9, verses 13-14. Hebrews 9, verses 13-14. What a balanced day! The Day of Atonement is. There's so many symbols. We fast. There's two goats. One is sacrificed. One is sent away. High priest sprinkles blood. Sanctifies himself. Has to put on special clothes. There's all of these things. And it all represents such a beautiful, balanced picture. Hebrews 9, verse 13. For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled the unclean, sanctified for the purring of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot, cleanse your conscience from dead works? To do whatever you want to do after you accept his blood? No. To serve the living God. So there's this contrast built into this verse. Animal blood could provide a symbolic cleansing, but only Christ's sacrifice can cleanse the conscience so that we serve the living God. Why is that? How is that? How does Christ's sacrifice cleanse, in other words, clear our conscience? How do you stop feeling guilty, in other words? How do you stop feeling guilty?

Is it just because you know, in some intellectual way, that you have been forgiven? No. Actually, that's not the answer. That will clear your guilt, but that will not clear your conscience. How does Christ's sacrifice clear your conscience?

Let me give you an overview of the answer, and then we'll cover each point in detail. Christ's sacrifice is different because it works in phases. It's not just a one-time event. Is that an electronic noise? Alright.

Oh, hit mute, Donna. Okay. It works in phases. Okay. How is it different? Jesus Christ's sacrifice works in phases. It's not just a one-time event. This is what cleans our conscience and helps us stop to feel guilty. So, here are the phases. First, He offered Himself for sin. Secondly, He serves as our Advocate and High Priest. And third, He actively guides us to help us overcome sin.

Didn't catch that because you're fasting? Don't worry. We'll go through it again. He offers Himself for sin. He serves as our Advocate. And He actively guides us to overcome sin. It happens in phases, and it literally clears your conscience. It's also important to note that Christ's sacrifice was not the end of the matter. And I will show you the Scriptures that say that. His death was not the end of the matter. One and done. Accept the blood of Jesus Christ, and you're good to go. I'll show you. But we are reconciled by His death. We are saved by His life. With the resurrected Christ now serving as our living High Priest, we will read the passage in just a moment. But first, let's look at how the sacrifice qualified from a legal standpoint to pay for our sins and start the process of the cleansing of the conscience. How does Christ's sacrifice pay for your sin? Again, the easy answer, and actually the correct answer, is because it's Christ. He was the Christ. And He paid for our sins. But God put more of a legal requirement for redemption on Him, and He fulfilled that requirement. And the meaning out of that requirement is so neat. So you need to understand the legal requirement that He fulfilled, so you get the picture of the present that was actually given to you. And what was actually done for you? Christ became our kinsman and actually paid the redemptive price. Why does that even matter? I'll show you. Hebrews 2. We're going to spend a lot of time in Hebrews for this sermon. Hebrews 2, verse 14. Inasmuch then, as the children have partaken of the flesh and the blood, He Himself likewise, who Jesus, shared in the same, that through death He might destroy Him who had the power of death, that is, the devil. And release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. You and I have been freed, verse 16. For indeed, He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham. Therefore, in all things, He had to be made like His brethren. Why? That He might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God. To make propitiation, that word essentially means to be a substitute, to take your place, so that He could take your place. He had to become a near kinsman to take your place, for the sins of the people. So why did He have to be made like us? Why does Hebrews 2 put it that way? For a very good reason. This is something that God established all the way back in ancient Israel when He rescued them from Egypt. This is the point to what God did through Jesus Christ. Christ shared in our flesh and blood, and He was made like His brethren. So an animal could die as a sacrifice, but that animal wasn't your brother. And He couldn't redeem you from slavery.

Leviticus chapter 25, an interesting law that fits into the Day of Atonement. Leviticus 25 verse 47. Now if a sojourner or stranger close to you becomes rich, so somebody comes in who's not related to you. In other words, not a member of your family. So when He dies, you're not going to inherit anything, because you're not part of His family. He's a stranger. This has nothing to do with race. This has everything to do with what family do you belong to. Listen. And one of your brethren who dwells by Him becomes poor, and sells himself to the stranger, or sojourner close to you, or to a member of the stranger's family. That's going to be a problem. That's going to be a problem for the man who sold into slavery, because he'll have no inheritance. Nothing to leave his children. He'll get to eat and sleep under a roof, and be taken care of, and die and have nothing.

Verse 48. After he is sold, he may be redeemed again. Or his... sorry, one of his brothers may redeem him. Or his uncle, or his uncle's son, his cousin, in other words, may redeem him. Or anyone of near kinsmen, listen to this, in his family, may redeem him. Or if he is able, he may redeem himself.

The family member... why does it have to be a family member? Because then he's back in the family. Slavery wasn't the same as employment. It's very similar, and we can draw some similar analogies to it. But slavery was ownership. So he was no longer part of the family. And it takes a family member to pay the price to bring him back into the family. Otherwise, he would just go to some other random family, and he wouldn't belong anywhere. But if a near kinsman buys him back, he's now part of a family, and he has the inheritance again. He's been bought back. He's been redeemed. The near kinsman could redeem someone, sold into bondage. But he would have to pay the exact price to free the slave relative. And in our case, the price was the death penalty that we face for our sins. You can't be a sinner and live forever. Death is the price that has to be paid. Romans 6, 23. So the near kinsman, Jesus Christ our brother, had to pay the exact price to be free. So he had to be a near kinsman, and he had to pay the price. Hebrews 9, we were there. Let's go up a few verses to verse 11. Hebrews 9, verse 11. But Christ came as high priest of good things to come. Hebrews 9, verse 11. See, I normally, when I preach, I have water or something to drink. So I take water, and that gives you time to turn to the Scriptures. And it's my little cue. It's actually a cue I use to let you, like, okay, don't speed up. Take a drink, let them turn there, and then you can read it with me. But now I don't have any water. So you're out of luck, because I'll forget. Okay. With greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with his own blood entered the most holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. That's the same word. He bought us back. So we've been redeemed by his blood, and it qualified to redeem us because he was our kinsman. He's our brother. He obtained eternal redemption. There's actually so much more to go, so don't tune out yet. We're just getting started with how much it is he does. How much effort. Think about that widow sweeping, looking for that coin. We're going to look at the sweeping today, and looking for that coin, and how much this high priest does to make sure you are in the kingdom of God. Romans 5 and verse 10. I mentioned this earlier, now we're going to read it. Romans 5 verse 10. We're actually going to read this twice today in the sermon. We don't normally repeat a scripture, but we're going to need to do that today. Romans 5.10. If when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more have we been reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

His death wasn't all he did. His death reconciled us, but his life does something more. Notice the contrast. The animal died, but the animal does what? He remains dead. In fact, they ate the animal most of the time, or burned it up completely. The kinsmen paid the price, but he was resurrected and ascended to God's presence. And that makes a huge difference in those two kinds of sacrifices. The animal wasn't your kinsmen, so it didn't buy you back to any family at all. It didn't pay for anything other than symbolically. Christ's death actually qualified to redeem us, but it doesn't stop there. Secondly, Christ rose and now advocates for his people that he redeemed. What does that mean? Christ is our advocate at the throne of God. You've probably heard that as long as you've been in the church. Do you know what it means? 1 John 2. 1 John 2. We'll start in verse 1. 1 John 2. 1 John 2. 1 My little children, these things I write to you so that you may not sin. This isn't a license to go out and do whatever you want to do, but listen to the encouragement. If anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And he himself is, and here's that word again, the propitiation for our sins. And not only ours, but also for the whole world.

An animal does not advocate. It dies. It was just a symbol. So what is an advocate? What would we consider an advocate in our world today? A criminal defense lawyer. A criminal defense lawyer stands beside you before the judge and says, hey, your honor, not guilty. And the criminal defense lawyer in our modern society says, not guilty for all kinds of reasons to try to get us out of whatever it is we're accused of. If we did it, he tries to reduce the sentence. If we didn't do it, he tries to prove we didn't do it. Jesus Christ takes a completely different approach. He stands as our advocate before God and says, do you see Rod over there? Not guilty. I paid the price. You're sitting on death row. You're in a jail cell. And it's execution day. And you can hear a door open and the keys jingle in the belt of the guard walking to take you to your execution. And from the other side, your criminal defense lawyer shows up, opens the door of your cell, pulls you out, sits in your place. The guard takes him and executes him as well. Question is, now what do you do? Okay. Christ did this with his death, but he didn't just die. He was then resurrected, and he lives and represents us before the Father. Hebrews 9, verse 24. Drop down to verse 24. Okay. We're bouncing around a lot today. I know this is very doctrinally heavy, but it's worth it. Let's go to Romans 8, verse 34.

Who is he who condemns? Now, this is Romans 8. So this is one of the most encouraging chapters in the entire Bible. This is the one where all things work together for good, for those who love God and call it according to his purpose. That's up in verse 28. We're down in verse 34. Right? So Paul has just said, look, I think everybody's going to work out. Now he's asking, who can condemn you? Who can stand before God and accuse you? It's because Jesus Christ is your advocate. Nobody is the answer. Nobody can condemn you. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore, also is risen. Who is even at the right hand of God, who makes intercession for us. So what does it mean to make intercession? How does that help you in your everyday life, from the time you wake up to the time you go to bed? The word intercession in the Greek is intenchanu. According to Thayer's dictionary, it means to pray, or to entreat, or to make intercession for somebody. In other words, to interscene means to approach another person on someone else's behalf, pleading for that person.

Think about that alone. This is not all that Christ does for us. And that is already awesome.

From the time you wake up until the time you go to bed, and even when you sleep at night and dream, there is somebody at the throne of God. He loves you just as intensely as Jesus does. So it's a win-win. But you have somebody standing over you, watching over you, on your side all the time. Have you ever walked into a crowd and just felt completely judged? Completely condemned? Like, oh, I don't belong here. All noses turn up when you come in the room.

You never have that at the throne of God, ever! Right? The throne of God, it's kind of a crude analogy, but it's like, cheers. Do you remember the old bar of cheers, where everyone knows your name?

And they love you when you walk in. I used to like that show. And the one thing I really liked about that show is there was this chubby guy named Norm in the show. And Norm would walk in, and everybody in the place would yell, Norm! And that's what the throne of God is like in my mind. We have an advocate, and this isn't the only thing Jesus Christ does.

And you walk in, and it's William, Danny, right? Everybody knows your name, and they're happy to see you. So Christ's sacrifice doesn't just cover your past sins. After you accept the sacrifice of Christ, you know what you do? You still sin. Hello? We know that.

And that hurts your conscience. Remember, we're talking about the mechanics of how does Christ's sacrifice clear your conscience? And is it enough to know that the blood is paid for your sins and you're one and done? No, it's not enough. Because you're going to go back out there tomorrow morning, you're going to wake up, you're going to goof, you're going to fall down. The question is, what do you do about it? You get back up. You repent.

But Christ didn't just die. That so cheapens what he's doing. He was resurrected. He lives. And he intercedes on your behalf every time. Your job is to repent. You fall down, you get back up, you ask for forgiveness. Know that you are forgiven. Remember Norm. Ask for forgiveness. Know you're forgiven every time. One of my absolute favorite scriptures in the Bible, and I have quite a few, but this is one of them. 1 John 1, verse 9. 1 John 1, verse 9. I read this verse to you all the time, and I hope I never stop reading this verse to you. I hope you always remember this verse. 1 John 1, verse 9. If, the biggest two-letter word in the English language, if we confess our sins, that's the repentance part. He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Yeah, I know, but there's no but.

But I told him I would never do that again, and I did it again. What is not covered in the Word all? You have an advocate at the throne of God, and today, the Day of Atonement pictures, when that advocacy gets spread to the whole world. That's why we fast today. We're remembering the world will be a humble place.

Our high priest is seated at the right hand of God, and his help does not end there. He didn't just die, and that was it. And he isn't just our advocate with the Father, and that's it. He does something else that actually cleanses our conscience.

Our high priest actively helps us overcome the sin that is still remaining in us that's messing our conscience up. In other words, eventually, he's going to get us to the point where we don't sin.

Where we have a clear conscience, which is the only way to have a clear conscience. How does the sacrifice of Christ cleanse your conscience? Is it just paying the price? No, but that's necessary. Is it just being an advocate? No, but that's necessary. It's vital. But there's more. Hebrews 4, verses 14-16. God really thought this through. He knows he made us flesh and blood. He knows he made us weak. He knows we're going to make mistakes. He knows people are going to make mistakes to us. And he's teaching us all these things. Because he has the solution to all of it, because he's thought it through.

Hebrews 4, verse 14. Seeing then that we have a great high priest who passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly before the throne of grace. Like Norm walking through that door. We're not shy. We're not worried if we're going to be judged.

We're not worried if we're going to be accepted. We're going to that throne of grace. Oh, I want to be at that throne of grace. That's where I belong. That's where I fit in. That's where everybody knows my name. Therefore, let us come boldly to the throne of grace. That we may obtain mercy, and listen to this, it's not just mercy. Mercy is the death of Jesus Christ, right? Paid for the sin. That we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Jesus Christ understands our weaknesses, and we can approach God and find grace to help in time of need. This moves beyond forgiveness, and this is what sweeps the conscience clean. The old man still has to be overcome. Christ doesn't merely obtain mercy after we fall down, we fail. Jesus Christ says, forgive him. Then we do it again and forgive him. That's not the process. We fall down, we're forgiven, so that we can do better next time.

We fall down again, and we get back up. But we do better next time. We're not just forgiven, we are helped to overcome. Okay, we read Hebrews 2 before, but we stopped in verse 17. Let's pick it back up. We'll read 17 just by way of reminder, and then we'll go to verse 18, which is where I want to go.

Hebrews 2, starting in verse 17, which we've already read, Therefore, in all things he was made like his brethren, brings us back into the family, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest, in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation, substitution, for the sins of the people. For in that he himself suffered, being tempted, he is able to aid those who are tempted. Oh, and that's the real challenge, isn't it? Because we're tempted. Because we want to do the wrong thing. Because we look at it and it's desirable to do. And he can feel that.

And he felt that pull when he was human. And he doesn't just intellectually know the pull. He can feel it. And he is able to help us overcome it. Because he overcame it. So he suffered while being tempted. And that's what brings about the statement, he's able to help those, or aid those, who are tempted. Galatians 2.20, when I was in college, one of my favorite teachers, a really senior teacher at college, drilled this verse into us, made us memorize this verse.

And I'm glad he did. We normally read it in the New King James. It's actually better translated in the original King James. Prepositions, I'm not going to give a Greek lesson, but let's go there. Galatians 2.20. This shows our approach to not only the advocacy, but the help that Jesus Christ gives us. And here's our response on the Day of Atonement, and actually every day of our lives. Galatians 2.20, I have been crucified with Christ. What is he talking about?

You haven't been crucified. Yes, you have. When you were baptized. You literally said, my old life is over, and my new life I commit to you. It is a 100% commitment. Read Romans 6, and you'll get the gist of what Paul is talking about. He's expecting you to know what he wrote in Romans 6 when he makes this statement. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live. Is this our attitude?

But Christ lives in me. We have help. He isn't just a sacrifice. He isn't just a criminal defense lawyer and advocate. He's also there, present with us. But Christ lives in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith that says, in the Son of God, it should be of the Son of God. And I'll explain why. Not that faith in the Son of God is wrong.

It's just not the point. Who loved me and gave himself for me. Okay. Why does the King James say, faith of Son of God, and the new King James, faith in the Son of God? There was a movement in the United States to stop mentioning the Father and start just completely worshipping Jesus Christ. Which is tragic. So the faith of Jesus Christ was the faith that he had in God the Father to be able to lay down his life for you, even though it wasn't a desirable thing to do. That's a major understatement. That is the level of faith that Paul is bringing this to.

I am crucified with Christ. I have the same faith. In other words, if I'm called on by God to give my life for you, I will do it, is what Paul was saying. And Paul literally did that. He was executed. Okay. So how is the sacrifice better, and able to cleanse our conscience and reconcile all mankind to God? How is the sacrifice of Christ a better covering sacrifice?

An animal could never help the worshipper change. The living high priest works with us as we grow out of the person whose sins require the sacrifice in the first place. He didn't just die and then kick us out on the street and leave us on our own. He helps us along the way. And he does one more thing. It's sort of a nuance. It's not a major change from the last point. But it's important to note. Our high priest continues the work until our salvation is complete.

That help doesn't stop when he gets sick and tired of you, as we might think. Oh, yeah, but not me, because he's sick and tired of me. Hebrews 7, verses 24 and 25. God and Jesus Christ love us so much that they will go all the way to save us. Hebrews 7, verse 24. But he, because he continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood.

Therefore, he is also able to save those, I'm sorry, save to the uttermost those who come to God through him. He won't save you mostly. He'll save you all the way, since he always lives to make intercession for them. In other words, he's always on the job. He's always pulling for you, always helping you, always reaching down when you fall to pull you back up. Because he lives forever, he has an unchangeable priesthood, he's able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through him.

Because he always lives, he's always there on our side, and he will complete the task. Okay, so we read this before. Let's go back to Romans 5, verse 10. Romans 5, verse 10. I told you we'd read it again. Let's consider the words again.

Do you hear it? He's not going to let you go. Some of us are stubborn, and we go through these really, really hard trials, myself included. Why? Because he's not going to let you go. He loves you. You're in the family. You're immediately hugged when you come in the door. Because it's so good to see you. It says, saved. You're not saved by his death. Do you get that? Do you get that? Why aren't you saved by his death? Because you're not done. You've just started. His death covers your sins. Now you're a freshman in college. You haven't graduated yet. It's time to begin. Jesus' death is like freshman orientation. You've got a long way to go. When you read the whole text, you are saved by his life. By him living in you, helping you overcome the old you, clearing away the ruins that are in your conscience. Back to Hebrews. We're almost done.

Hebrews 10, verse 14. For by one offering he has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. Notice you're not done yet. Hebrews 10, verse 14. By one offering, that's his death, that's his sacrifice, he has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. One sacrifice, but you're still being sanctified. It's not one and done. But we're not finished yet. Christ doesn't just help us overcome. He finishes the job in us. And that clears the conscience. Hebrews 12, not too many pages over from where we are. Hebrews 12, verse 2. Notice that he finishes the job. Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross. Have you... those words cliche because we hear them so often. Right? For the joy set before him endured the cross. Why did he endure the death, a torturous death, of crucifixion? For you to be with you, to have you forever in the family. The joy of seeing you come through the door and hearing your name, whatever your name might be, norm, called out.

Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross. Despising the shame, it means disregarding the shame that they put him through, has set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Yet Jesus will finish us. He won't abandon us halfway through the process. Let's look at another passage that puts it very clearly. Philippians 1, verse 6. Philippians 1, verse 6. It's one of the reasons we believe Paul wrote the book of Hebrews, is that you can find almost every statement in the book of Hebrews repeated in some other letter in the Apostle Paul. Philippians 1, verse 6. And if you don't understand Paul and one passage, find a related verse in another passage, because he said it again somewhere. Hebrews 1, verse 6. Being confident of this very thing. We're confident of what? That he who begun a good work in you will complete it.

He's not going to let you go. So don't try to walk away from him. That is not a good idea. He loves you too much.

He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. So what are you worried about? Think about this. What are you anxious about? Do you focus too much on the here and now? And have you stopped looking to the future and what God and Christ are working together in you? God the Father has picked you to be a first fruit, to make the difficult journey so that others, many others in the future, may follow. And they will not abandon you along the way. God and Jesus Christ will not abandon you along the way. So how do we respond to all of this? And by the way, once you're complete, that's how your conscience is cleared. Not only are you forgiven of everything in the past, you don't do it again in the future. And your conscience is cleared.

Jesus Christ clears the conscience. So how do we respond? Philippians 2 verses 12 and 13 show us our response to all of this.

What do we do while God and Jesus Christ continue to work in us and complete us? Philippians 2 verse 12. Therefore, my beloved...

When I read that, things like my child, my beloved, I realize the tone isn't corrective. It's friendly. It's cheerful. My beloved, as you always have obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God who works in you... Hey, this is the topic we're talking about today. Both the will and do his good pleasure. So what's our response? Roll up your sleeves. Get to work. On what? On you. On overcoming temptations. On not falling for them over and over and over again, but going, eh, I'm not fooled by that one anymore. And then you move on to the next one. My job and your job is to keep going and not give up. So let's go back to the question we started with. What's the difference between a sacrifice of an animal and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ? Why is his sacrifice so much better for us? The animal died, but that was the end of what the animal could do. Jesus Christ became our brother, our near kinsman. He became something that could buy us back into the family that we belong to, and a price that we could not pay ourselves because we'd be dead. But he didn't remain dead. He was resurrected. He ascended to the Father and he became the living high priest. God really threaded the needle. When we sin, what do we do? We repent. And he advocates for us before the Father. And when we're weak, he understands the weakness and he gives us help.

And when we struggle to overcome something that's been part of us for years, and we just don't think we can overcome it, he doesn't abandon us halfway through the process. He keeps working. We have to keep working. Hebrews 7 says he always makes intercession for us. And that's why in Romans 5 and verse 10 it's so important that we were reconciled to God through his death. Yes, that kippur, yom kippur, the covering of our sins was through his blood. But it's so much more than that. Paul said much more. Having been reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. That means he's still working. And that brings us back to where we started Hebrews 9 and verse 14. His blood can cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God. A cleansed conscience doesn't necessarily mean that we forget every sin we ever committed. It doesn't mean that those sins don't have consequences from our bad decisions. One example I give all the time is if we were abusing alcohol and hurt our liver, and our liver was destroyed from alcohol, and then we repent and we go to Jesus Christ. He forgives us and he advocates for us. It doesn't mean you're going to have a brand new liver. You've got consequences. So it doesn't mean you'll forget, and it doesn't mean all the consequences will go away. But it does mean that when you repent, you can believe that you are forgiven. That you can move forward. You can get up off the floor and start walking again towards that ultimate goal, salvation. Those who are being sanctified. And when you discover that there's still more of that old man in you that needs to change, you don't have to become discouraged and give up. And that's something we can learn from this Day of Atonement. He advocates for you. He helps you. He is working with you towards completion of what God started in you. And that is a major part of what this day pictures. Reconciliation with God is possible because Jesus Christ did more than just die.

Our Redeemer lives. And one day, the reconciliation pictured by this day is going to extend to the nation of Israel and eventually all of mankind. And Satan will be removed. And people will be brought to repentance en masse. And the sacrifice of Jesus Christ will be available to cleanse them and bring them all into a relationship with God. But God has called you and me now ahead of time to walk a harder path. So our responsibility now, as it says in Philippians 2, is to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. To keep going. When you sin, repent. When you're weak, go to the throne of grace for help. And when your conscience reminds you of your sins that have already been forgiven, remember who your High Priest is. The sacrifice has been made. The redemption price has been paid. And Jesus Christ is alive and still working to finish what God began in you and me.