The Scapegoat

The scapegoat that was sent away into the desert

Today, we remember the ultimate sacrifice Christ made for us.

But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the lord laid on him the sins of us all. (Isaiah 53:5, 6 NLT)

This past Wednesday, our church hosted a Messianic Jewish man who led us in a Seder Dinner.  During the dinner, each of the traditional symbols of atonement were explained.  During the Seder, he pointed out that before Christ, each person had to slaughter their own sacrificial lamb and spill the blood as atonement for our personal sins.  This was considered important, that the person feel the pain of the sacrificial animal that had to die to atone for the sins.  In this same manner, we need to understand that if it was not for our personal sins, Christ would not have had to die.  In this sense, we killed him.

Personal sacrifice was not enough in the Old Testament.  The priests also sacrificed a goat once a year to atone for the sins of the nation, laying on all the sins to a second goat, known as the scapegoat, which was driven out into the desert.

Let's explore the concept of a modern day scapegoat.  A scapegoat is the person that takes the blame for all the wrongdoings of an organization.  He is the "fall guy."   Every one else in the organization escapes the consequences of the action because this one guy accepted all the blame.  Usually that guy gets fired.

The last line of the Bible verse above, "Yet the Lord laid on Him the sins of us all." indicates that not only did Christ die for you and me, he also accepted the sins of the world.  He became both the sacrificial lamb and the scapegoat.

He paid, so we didn't have to.  Accept and believe.