“For it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul” (Lev. 17:11b).
To understand atonement in Scripture, we must understand its vicarious nature. When man sinned, he owed God reparation. However, the only way he could atone for his sin was to suffer eternally, which is the penalty of sin. If God had never chosen to show mercy, this would have been the inevitable destiny of all men. But God, in His love and compassion, appointed a vicar to take man’s place, that vicar being Jesus Christ, God’s only Son. As our vicar, Christ atoned for sin and obtained eternal life for the elect of God.
Personal atonement is made by the one who made the offense. But in the case of the Cross, the atonement is vicarious, actually being made by the offended party. If we had to atone for ourselves, there would be no mercy, no grace—only justice. Therefore, vicarious atonement, as Shedd explains it, “represents the highest form of mercy.” If we had to atone for ourselves, there would be no redemption, for only our eternal death would satisfy God’s justice. However, the vicarious atonement of Christ leads to reconciliation and eternal life. Because Jesus Christ stood in our place as our substitutionary atonement, we can have everlasting life; we can stand before God’s holiness without fear of punishment.
In the vicarious atonement, our guilt was imputed to Christ, and our punishment transferred to Him. We see Christ’s sacrifice foreshadowed in the Old Testament sacrifices which were clearly substitutionary. When an Israelite brought a sacrifice, he laid his hand on the head of the sacrifice and confessed his sin. We see with clarity that this symbolized the imputation of sin. We also see this in Leviticus 16:20–22 with the laying on of hands in the case of the scapegoat. These and many other sacrifices functioned as substitutions for followers of biblical Judaism. Leviticus 17:11 supports this: “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.”
Just as the sacrifices typically bore the sins of the Israelites, so our sins were laid upon Christ once and for all. He bore our transgressions (Isa. 53:6, 12). This does not mean that our sinfulness was transferred to Him, but that the guilt of sin was imputed to Him in a judicial manner. He then took our punishment, and in so doing, set us free.
Have you ever had anyone take a punishment you deserved? Have you ever done such a thing for another person? What did it mean for you to watch another stand in your place? It should create much gratitude in your heart. How do you demonstrate gratitude for what Christ has done for you?
