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For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses,

Christianity gets its start from Judaism. A very over used statement says it best: “Jesus was a Jew.” In the history of Judaism the lineage of kings was very important, especially the lineage in Judah, that of King David. In 587 BCE the Babylonian exile occurred and it broke King David’s lineage. The high priest took on the role of leader of the Jews during this time. The temple took precedence in Jewish worship and their “theology” became temple centered. The books of Chronicles were written as history books looked at from the idea the building of the temple was the center figure of all thought. The Day of the Atonement is one of the temple centered rituals that came about after the exile. Jesus of Nazareth, the Savior of humankind, was the perfect high priest who perfected and performed the sacrifice of the Day of Atonement.

The biblical text is included for the resource of the reader. It is taken from the New American Bible:

After the death of Aaron’s two sons, who died when they approached the LORD’S presence, the LORD spoke to Moses and said to him, “Tell your brother Aaron that he is not to come whenever he pleases into the sanctuary, inside the veil, in front of the propitiatory on the ark; otherwise, when I reveal myself in a cloud above the propitiatory, he will die. Only in this way may Aaron enter the sanctuary. He shall bring a young bullock for a sin offering and a ram for a holocaust. He shall wear the sacred linen tunic, with the linen drawers next his flesh, gird himself with the linen sash and put on the linen miter. But since these vestments are sacred, he shall not put them on until he has first bathed his body in water. From the Israelite community he shall receive two male goats for a sin offering and one ram for a holocaust.” Aaron shall bring in the bullock, his sin offering to atone for himself and for his household. Taking the two male goats and setting them before the LORD at the entrance of the meeting tent, he shall cast lots to determine which one is for the LORD and which for Azazel. The goat that is determined by lot for the LORD, Aaron shall bring in and offer up as a sin offering. But the goat determined by lot for Azazel he shall set alive before the LORD, so that with it he may make atonement by sending it off to Azazel in the desert.” Thus shall Aaron offer up the bullock, his sin offering, to atone for himself and for his family. When he has slaughtered it, he shall take a censer full of glowing embers from the altar before the LORD, as well as a double handful of finely ground fragrant incense, and bringing them inside the veil, there before the LORD he shall put incense on the fire, so that a cloud of incense may cover the propitiatory over the commandments; else he will die. Taking some of the bullock’s blood, he shall sprinkle it with his finger on the fore part of the propitiatory and likewise sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times in front of the propitiatory.” Then he shall slaughter the people’s sin-offering goat, and bringing its blood inside the veil, he shall do with it as he did with the bullock’s blood, sprinkling it on the propitiatory and before it. Thus he shall make atonement for the sanctuary because of all the sinful defilements and faults of the Israelites. He shall do the same for the meeting tent, which is set up among them in the midst of their uncleanness. No one else may be in the meeting tent from the time he enters the sanctuary to make atonement until he departs. When he has made atonement for himself and his household, as well as for the whole Israelite community, he shall come out to the altar before the LORD and make atonement for it also. Taking some of the bullock’s and the goat’s blood, he shall put it on the horns around the altar, and with his finger sprinkle some of the blood on it seven times. Thus he shall render it clean and holy, purged of the defilements of the Israelites. “When he has completed the atonement rite for the sanctuary, the meeting tent and the altar, Aaron shall bring forward the live goat. Laying both hands on its head, he shall confess over it all the sinful faults and transgressions of the Israelites, and so put them on the goat’s head. He shall then have it led into the desert by an attendant. Since the goat is to carry off their iniquities to an isolated region, it must be sent away into the desert. “After Aaron has again gone into the meeting tent, he shall strip off and leave in the sanctuary the linen vestments he had put on when he entered there. After bathing his body with water in a sacred place, he shall put on his vestments, and then come out and offer his own and the people’s holocaust, in atonement for himself and for the people, and also burn the fat of the sin offering on the altar. “The man who has led away the goat for Azazel shall wash his garments and bathe his body in water; only then may he enter the camp. The sin-offering bullock and goat whose blood was brought into the sanctuary to make atonement, shall be taken outside the camp, where their hides and flesh and offal shall be burned up in the fire. The one who burns them shall wash his garments and bathe his body in water; only then may he enter the camp.[1]

Before there can be an understanding of the atonement, one must first understand why there is a necessity. Two reasons can be easily sought. The first and more obvious is the Garden of Eden. There is a necessity to redeem humankind for their offense against God. Secondly, when the Israelites were with Moses they made a golden calf. Moses tried to give his life for the people, but God said, “Him only who has sinned against me will I strike out of my book.”[2] So, there are two necessities to atone for.

There are two goats: one for the Lord and one for Azazel. The one for Azazel is known as the escaping goat or “scapegoat.” The one for the Lord is slaughtered and the one of Azazel is sent into the wilderness.

What to note here is: that the high priest lays hands upon the goats. This action of laying on of hands is extremely important. In the Catholic ordination rite, the bishop lays hands on the candidate. He does so to make the candidate an extension of the bishop. The bishop says “this man is my representative” – he is me (so to speak). When the high priest lays hands upon the goat he makes the goats himself. He is saying, “This goat is me.” So, when the sacrifice is done it is truly the high priest who is being sacrificed. The high priest gives up his life for the sake of his people and he is able to do this by way of laying on with hands.

The Jewish people also believed seriously in the sacredness of blood. The next topic covered in Leviticus after the atonement is the sacredness of blood. They believed it so much that they could not eat meat that contained blood. The blood in the atonement ritual is sprinkled and spread for the sins of the Israelites.

After the goat and the bullock had been sacrificed, the high priest removed his cloths and bathed. He did not get the cloths back.

It is also important to note that casting lots plays a big part. Casting lots is an action of the high priest.

Jesus was born to Mary of Nazareth by way of the Holy Spirit. Mary is the mother of Jesus. Mary had a cousin named Elizabeth. According to scripture Elizabeth is a daughter of Aaron. Through that same lineage Mary is also a daughter of Aaron. This makes Jesus, the son of Mary, a son of Aaron. What is important about the lineage is the high priest’s lineage comes from Aaron. Jesus is a Levite, a priest.

The Passion narratives of the Gospels give evidence of Jesus as the high priest, the goat for the Lord, and the Scapegoat.

Firstly, in John’s Gospel Jesus says that he gives away his life freely. “No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have power to lay it down, and power to take it up again.”[3] He, like the high priest, gives his life freely. It is very important to remember that Jesus was killed, NOT murdered. Also in John’s Gospel, Jesus hands over his life – as opposed to him just dying.

In Matthew’s Gospel the chief PRIESTS and scribes came to him and laid hands on him and arrested him.[4] Matthew, a devout Jew, would have understood the meaning of the laying on of hands. These priests and scribes (representing the people) laid hands on him. They made him their sin (OUR SINS TOO!!!!!). It is still very important to keep in mind that it is he, who allows this to happen.

By his scourging and crucifixion, his blood fell to the earth and was spread over all the earth. The blood of the goat and bull were spread for the remission of sin. Christ’s blood was spread for the remission of sin.

After Jesus is put on the cross the guards CAST LOTS (action of the high priest) to divide his garments. Jesus’ cloths are taken away (he can’t have them back.)

Jesus Christ was in complete control. He handed his life over. He made himself the sacrifice, not by making a goat himself, but he – himself was killed (sacrificed) for the sins of the entire world. The office of high priest has been fulfilled. Jesus said he was coming to fulfill the law. JESUS FINISHED THE LAW through his perfected sacrifice.

In human history God shows his approval through Salvation History in signs. The great sacrifice of Jesus has two major signs. They are the Resurrection and the Ascension. God shows his approval in a glorious triumph over sin and death. He rises His Son from death and says to the world, “I AM PLEASED.”

The Letter to the Hebrews draws a great deal from the idea of Jesus as the high priest. Hebrews chapter 10 speaks of the atonement sacrafice.

But in those sacrifices there is only a yearly remembrance of sins, for it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats take away sins. For this reason, when he came into the world, he said: “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me;holocausts and sin offerings you took no delight in.[5]

The sacrifices of the Day of Atonement were imperfect. When God took on human flesh, he was able to perfect the sacrifice.

Those priests were many because they were prevented by death from remaining in office, but he, because he remains forever, has a priesthood that does not pass away. Therefore, he is always able to save those who approach God through him, since he lives forever to make intercession for them. It was fitting that we should have such a high priest: holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, higher than the heavens. He has no need, as did the high priests, to offer sacrifice day after day, first for his own sins and then for those of the people; he did that once for all when he offered himself.[6]

This passage offers the idea that Jesus’ sacrifice is so perfect that it is not a yearly sacrifice, but a sacrifice that is offered once for all.

Jesus, our high priest, offered the Sacrifice of the Day of Atonement once and for all. Through his perfection all atonement is fixed. The words of the Exultat express the truth of this mystery so perfectly: “oh happy fault, oh sin of Adam that wrought for us so great a redeemer.”

[1] NAB Leviticus 16:1-28

[2] NAB Exodus 32:33

[3] NAB John 10:18

[4] NAB Matthew 26:47-50

[5] NAB Hebrews 10:3-6

[6] NAB Hebrews 7:23-27