Yom Kippur And The Christian

 

 

 

 

In Leviticus chapter 16, instructions are given to the Israelites regarding a ritual performed once every year to make atonement for their sins. The phrase "make atonement" comes from the Hebrew word "Kaphar", which likely finds its root in the noun "Kippur". Today, Jews around the world observe Yom Kippur and make effort to atone for their sins. (In the Hebrew root word, the idea of atoning implies a "covering" or "wiping away".)

Christians largely ignore this holy day, but I have to wonder why. This day holds great significance for the Christian.

Reading Leviticus 16, I see a picture of a Holy God. In other words, a God who is so pure, so "other" from what we are, that humans, sinful as we are, can’t survive the mere act of being in his presence. His perfect justice won’t allow it. The scales must be balanced. There has to be payment for our rebellion and selfishness.

Thankfully, our sinful state doesn’t diminish our worth to God. So he created the sacrificial system as a way of communicating with humanity, telling us about who he is and who we are. But the Day Of Atonement didn’t fix the problem. The fact that it has to be repeated every year exposes its insufficiency to completely and permanently repair our right standing with God. So this day points to a need for complete restoration in our relationship with God.

In Jeremiah Chapter 31, verses 31-34, God tells his people that he will establish a new covenant with them that will not be like the old one created at Mount Sinai. The writer of Hebrews logically points out that God would not have said this if the Mosaic covenant and the sacrificial system worked perfectly.

Fast forward to the time of Jesus. He said that he didn’t come to abolish the Law or The Prophets, but to fulfill them. (Matthew 5:17) As God in human form, the sacrifice of his own life was worth infinitely more than animal sacrifices or any human efforts to "make up for" our sin. Hebrews 9:12-15 says-

He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance-now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.

So on this day, those who choose to put their trust in Jesus can actually breathe a sigh of relief and thank God for forgiving them for their selfishness and rebellion against him! We can make every effort to love others and invest in relationships without the weight of our failures constantly discouraging us.

So why not take a little extra time today to observe Yom Kippur? Thank God for his amazing act of love and sacrifice and ask for his help as you aim to be more like him and turn away from behavior that weakens your relationship with God and others.

Believe it or not: "Happy Yom Kippur!"

-Paeter Frandsen