The Way to Be Near: A Summary of the Day of Atonement and Its Fulfillment in Christ

Leviticus 16 makes one thing painfully clear. Sinful people do not stroll into the presence of a holy God on their own terms. The chapter opens with a warning that hangs over everything that follows. Nadab and Abihu died because they approached the Lord in a way he had not commanded. That is not just background information. It sets the tone for the entire chapter. If sinners are going to draw near to God and live, God himself must provide the way.

That is exactly what we see on the Day of Atonement. Aaron did not get to improvise. He had to do precisely what God commanded. He washed. He put on the prescribed garments. He first offered a bull as a sin offering for himself and his household. Before he could represent the people, his own guilt had to be addressed. Then he entered the Most Holy Place with incense and blood. The incense covered the space above mercy seat, and the blood was put on the mercy seat. Even that detail says something important. Access to God was restricted, dangerous, and carefully regulated.

Once atonement had been made for himself, Aaron turned to the people. Two goats were presented before the Lord. One was chosen for sacrifice, and its blood was brought into the Most Holy Place to make atonement for the sins of Israel. Blood from the bull and the goat was also applied to the altar, showing that sin had polluted even the holy things associated with God’s dwelling among his people. The other goat remained alive. Aaron laid both hands on its head and confessed over it the sins of the nation. Then the goat was sent away into the wilderness, carrying away the guilt of the people from the camp.

Taken together, the two goats give a fuller picture of atonement. Sin must be judged, and sin must be removed. Forgiveness is never casual. It is not sentimental. It is not God pretending evil does not matter. Death is required. Cleansing is required. A mediator is required. God must provide all of it.

The rest of the chapter keeps pressing the point. Aaron changed garments again. Burnt offerings were made. The remains of the sin offerings were taken outside the camp and burned. Those who handled the remains or led away the scapegoat had to wash before coming back. The whole day taught Israel that sin brings uncleanness and death. And yet, for all its seriousness and all its God-given importance, the whole thing had to be repeated every year. That tells you something. The Day of Atonement was real, but it was not final. It preserved covenant fellowship, but it did not bring permanent cleansing or open access once for all. It pointed forward.

And of course, it pointed to Christ.

Leviticus 16 was preparing God’s people to understand Jesus. Aaron entered an earthly sanctuary, but Jesus came as Immanuel, God with us. He is the true meeting place between God and man. Aaron was a sinful priest who needed sacrifice for himself before he could minister for others. Jesus is the sinless High Priest. He had no guilt to confess and no need to offer for himself. He came in perfect holiness and perfect obedience. What Aaron could only dramatize, Jesus actually accomplished.

Jesus also fulfills what the sacrifices on that day were pointing toward. Aaron brought animal blood into the holy place. Jesus entered by means of his own blood and secured eternal redemption for his people. The old covenant sacrifices had to be repeated because they could never finally cleanse the conscience or perfect the worshiper. Christ offered himself once for all.

In him, the imagery of the two goats comes together. Like the sacrificed goat, Jesus bears the judgment sin deserves. He dies in the place of sinners. Like the scapegoat, he carries away the guilt of his people. Their sin is removed from them. This is why the categories of propitiation and expiation matter. In Christ, God’s righteous wrath against sin is satisfied, and our sin is taken away. The cross is not a vague symbol of love. It is the place where God deals with sin fully and finally.

Because of Christ, access to God is no longer merely symbolic, temporary, or limited to one man on one day. Jesus has opened the way. By his death, resurrection, and ongoing priestly work, sinners can now draw near to God with confidence. He is the way to the Father. We do not create access to God. We do not negotiate our own terms. God makes the way, and he has made it through Jesus Christ.

That is the great lesson of Leviticus 16. It is also the glory of the gospel.