The Propitiation for Our Sins (Jesus)
He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
1 John 2:2 (ESV)
There are a few words in scripture that really capture my attention, mainly because they are not part of everyday language, yet have such deep meaning. Propitiation is one of these words. It literally is the crux of the matter when it comes to our salvation. Without it, we would still be lost.
When God met with Moses on the mountain and laid out the plan to redeem Israel and seal them as His chosen people, the plans for the tabernacle were given, along with everything which would happen in it.
They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, “See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.” Hebrews 8:5 (ESV)
There is so much here it would take a few volumes to explain it all. Let’s just look at this one piece called the propitiation.
Every year the high priest would enter the Holy Place to offer atonement for the people. Time was spent preparing the lamb for sacrifice. Additional time was spent preparing the priest for his ministry in the Holy Place.
When the time came, the “spotless lamb” was sacrificed on the altar. Some of the blood was saved and used in the purification process of the high priest. Then the high priest would take the blood into the Holy Place were God’s presence met him between the cherubim of the Ark of the Covenant. Once there the high priest would place the blood on the Mercy Seat. It was in this moment the blood became the propitiation, the one thing which God declared would stay His wrath from the people. Sin had to be dealt with, but the propitiation became the payment to cover the sins of mankind.
In Hebrews, the writer (whom I believe to be Paul) described the New Testament version of the tabernacle; not the replica which Moses built, but the real one in Heaven. Everything Israel did in the Tabernacle of Moses in the wilderness was just a picture of what God planned to do in the real tabernacle in Heaven. For THE Propitiation (the blood of Jesus) to cancel sins of all mankind “once for all” there would have to be a “spotless lamb” and a High Priest qualified to enter THE Holy Place in Heaven to offer the blood sacrifice on the REAL Mercy Seat.
He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself. Hebrews 7:27 (ESV)
And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 1 Peter 1:17–19 (ESV)
This is why Jesus commanded those who saw Him immediately after the resurrection not to touch Him.
Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” John 20:17 (ESV)
He had not yet been to the Holy Place in Heaven to offer the “once for all” propitiation to pay the debt created by sin. Later He instructed His followers to “touch me.”
Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” John 20:27 (ESV)
The difference between seeing Mary and seeing Thomas was the visit to the Holy Place. He also imparted the Holy Spirit to them because He had been to see His Father.
There is so much more here than can be addressed in this format. I hope you will dig into this for yourself. It is the difference between life and death, spiritually speaking. Because Jesus offered Himself, His own blood, as THE Propitiation, we can be saved!
