 Allow me to explain because I may have confused some people or maybe some people just didn't quite understand or grasped something that I said a few days ago regarding the atonement. I said before that what we see as our atonement that we see because of the cross is also what we saw in the Old Testament on the day of atonement. Here's what I mean. On the day of atonement, if we go back to Leviticus 16 and we'll look at verse chapter 17 and 11 in a little bit, but in the day of atonement, what God wants to do is he wants to have a relationship with his people. Problem is though, there is sin. And so because of that sin, God cannot deal with him while the people have this sin before them. There's something that is literally in front of them, impeding their relationship. So what the atonement does, the Hebrew word kafar, what it does, there's three elements to it. One, there's a covering. There's a canceling. And then the third element that's brought about because of the two, first two, is a reconciliation. The covering is a covering of the sin. In other words, cannot see the sin. The cancellation part is the cancellation of a debt. There's a debt owed. And here's a picture of it. Someone has done something to a party that parties offended. And the offended party determines how they can be made whole, but they will not be made whole if what the person did in the first place is still happening. In other words, that sin, that offense is no longer visible. And then the debt, whatever is owed, as a result of that is also taken care of. Therefore, they can be reconciled. And so under the old covenant, what would happen would be that there would be this high priest who would officiate the ceremony, he himself also, because he has sinned himself would have to be atoned for first. So the high priest would mediate this. So now we have a mediator and you can kind of get the picture as I use some of these words to understand what Jesus did. So we have this mediator, this high priest under the old covenant who would administer this. What would happen first is all the sins of the people would be confessed on the head of the of the live goat, the scapegoat, if you will. The sins are confessed upon his head and then that goat, that that animal is sent away out of the presence of the people and the Lord. And then second, the next animal, the sacrificial offering, his blood will be shed and spread on the altar and the Lord would accept that as payment. So we have a covering of sin, meaning the sins are confessed on the scapegoat and sent away. And then we have a canceling, a canceling of the debt, meaning that the debt has to be paid. Once the debt is paid, there is no longer an offense between the people and God, then there can be reconciliation. Now, the reason why that's important is because Jesus plays the part of all three elements. How do we know? Well, let's look at a few verses in the New Testament and we'll see that Jesus plays all of those. Before we do though, let me go to the Old Testament and let's look at Leviticus chapter 17 verse 11 says, For the life of the flesh is in the blood and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls. For it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement. The reason why you see to the right, you see the Greek. This is the Greek Septuagint. This is the Greek translation of the Hebrew text. And so I'll come back to there in a second, but I want you to see that it is the blood that makes atonement for the people. So keeping that in mind, there's a high priest that does this. In the Old Testament, we know who the high priests were. There would be these Levites or in this case, at that point in time would have been Aaron or his sons. But when we go to Hebrew chapter 414, we see the same thing, but this is Jesus I've been spoken of. Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confessions. So we see that Jesus plays the role of the high priest. Secondly, we have to have someone who takes away the sin of the people. Well, John makes that point in John chapter 129. He says, Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. What is he referring to? What we see in the Old Testament in Leviticus, the scapegoat taking away the sins of the people. Remember the Bible says that he who knew no sin became sin, not that he was sinned forward, didn't sin, but he became the object of sin. Just like that scapegoat didn't commit any sin, but he became the object of sin. And then lastly, we have the blood, the sacrificial offering that is shed. Well, Jesus does the same thing. So if we go to chapter 9 of Hebrews verse 14, that's the Son verse 12. And not through the blood of goats and calves, but through his own blood that is Jesus, he entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of bulls, of goats and bulls, and the ashes of heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleaning of the flesh, how much more, look what he says, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit offered himself without blemish to God, cleanses your conscience from dead works to serve a living God. So Jesus does the last thing, which is to give a sacrificial offering shedding his blood on the altar, and then therefore atonement can be made. How do we know? Well, a couple of things. One, the debt is paid. The Bible says Paul says in Colossians 2.14 that having canceled out the certificate of debt, consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us, and he has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. So what does Jesus do? He nails the debt, the price that's owed, the debt that's owed on our behalf. He pays it and it's nailed to the cross. Remember, in John 19.30, Jesus says at the very end, the telesteye, which is it is finished. What does that mean? Well, it means it has been completed. Now, it's a perfect tense, meaning the state that it is a completed action from the past. Well, why would you say that if you're just now being crucified? Well, because this was something that was carried out from a plan that was earlier on, going back to what was spoken of in Leviticus 16 and 17, particularly, and we'll go back to 17 in just a second. But that's what Jesus is saying. Oh, by the way, oftentimes you'll see this term to telesteye stamped or written on anything that there was an outstanding bill. And so once the final payment was made and there was nothing else left to pay ever again, there was no more debt you would see stamped on a bill of sale, a deed, something like that that would say to telesteye, not necessarily in regards to our salvation. But in this case, the same word is used to pay a debt is also used in regard to our salvation. No more debt is owed, which is what he says in Colossians 2.14. And so Jesus, what does he do? He becomes the righteousness for us. So under the Old Covenant, if you were, if you went through this and you had afflicted your souls, humbled yourself, you fasted, and you believe in by faith that God accepted the payment, then you would be in right standing. You would be righteous before the Lord. Now, why is that important? Because in 2 Corinthians 5, 21, it says, He made Him who knew no sin to be sinned on our behalf. And here's the important part, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. We are not righteous on our own, but we are in right standing because of what Christ did. It's God who justifies us. We are justified. We are, which means to be treated as to be declared right and treated as such. And if God justifies us, then nobody can bring a charge against us. Why? And why does He say that in Romans 8? To make the point, if He justifies you, then no other charge can be made. Why can't no other charge be made? Because you have been declared right. Why have you been declared right? Because not because of your own righteousness, no, but because of Christ, and the debt has been paid by Christ. Now, I want to go back to something, and I want to show you guys something. 1, chapter 5, verse 11 in Romans, notice this. He says, And not only this, but we also exalt God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we now have, we have now. We have now received the reconciliation. And this is the definite article. Tain Katalage, which is the definite article is there, which speaks back to a specific reconciliation. We now have, we have the reconciliation, meaning that we are reconciled to Him. How so? Because of His blood. Now, I want to go back to the Old Testament passage, and this word that's used here for atonement in both spots, where He says, I have given you the blood on the altar to make atonement for your souls. And then you see it again. It is the blood by reason of life that makes atonement. Now, the word that's highlighted here, I want you guys to see this word. This word is highlighted. We have the Greek word helleo, which is atonement or propitiation. Why is that important? Well, that same word is also used in the New Testament, in the New Testament in Romans 325. Look what He says, whom Jesus, whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God, He passed over the sins previously committed. Now, all of that relates to a newer atonement for people. But notice what the word is used here. The same word that's used over here in the Greek is the same Greek word that's used in the Septuagint of Leviticus 1711, or even for Leviticus 16. I want to speak another atonement. It's this word, helleos, which is propitiation or atonement. So, I hope this kind of helps people understand what was done then, this atonement, this covering, canceling and reconciliation, all of that administered by the High Priest, instead of having a man to do so and have an animal to receive the sins confessed on his head and then have another animal to shed his blood. All of that is gone and done away with because all that could do is cover you, make you and put you in right standing for one year, and it had to be repeated year after year after year. The reason why I point this out is because Jesus, as we looked at it, played all of those same roles. He's the High Priest according to Hebrews 4. He carries the debt or he removes sin, takes away sin from the world according to John 1. He also is the sacrificial offering according to Hebrews 9, as well as Romans and Corinthians. And so Jesus plays all of these roles and because of that we can see what he did is what was required from God. And so now our reconciliation is coming.