The purpose of this lesson is to increase awareness of the incredible thing God did when He made Jesus sin.
In the early history of the Israelite people, God authorized a day of atonement (Leviticus 16). On this day, the high priest entered the most holy place inside the tabernacle. First, he atoned for his own sins with animal blood. Then, as the purified high priest, he entered a second time before the mercy seat and cherubim with animal blood to atone for the nation's sins. The purpose of this day was the conscious separation of God's people from sin. God authorized the practices which centered on two events: sacrifices for sin and a scape goat [or goat of removal]. As you read Leviticus 16, carefully note this emphasis: the sins of Israel were transferred to the scape goat. On this occasion, God's forgiveness purified Israel. The removal of their sin allowed them to be pure. God's forgiveness was real, but it was a temporary solution to a continuing problem (see Hebrews 10:1-4). The day was [God's intention] to be a conscious separation of Israel from their sins. However, it became a day of remembrance of their need. The day became a symbol of spiritual failure because it was not a permanent solution.
Read Leviticus 16 as preparation for a better understanding of the day of atonement. Israel was to be God's people. If they were to belong to the holy God, they had to be separated from their sins. On the day of atonement, they were made conscious of that need and of God's provision for that need.
God's achievements in Jesus' sacrifice followed the pattern of Israel's day of atonement. Jesus was God's permanent sin offering and eternal scape goat. God's actions produced a permanent solution (see Hebrews 10:10; 9:12,14; 9:23-28. Note the emphases on the permanence of Jesus' sin offering, the cleansing of the conscience, and the "once for all" nature of Jesus' atonement).
What God did in Jesus for humanity was a form of what was to occur in Israel on the day of atonement.
First, we must understand God is absolute, perfect holiness and purity. Humans do not grasp those concepts. We never experienced or saw absolute, perfect holiness or purity. We are accustomed to evil in us. We are thoroughly acclimated to evil's presence. Often we do not even "see" or "recognize" evil as evil. We even justify evil's presence as "natural," "the way the world works," "the way people are," "understandable" or "acceptable," and "being real." What humans consider holy and pure is far from what the pure, holy God knows to be pure and holy. Evil in any form is the opposite of God. The holy God cannot tolerate evil. James told Christians not to blame God for temptations to do evil because (a) it is impossible for evil to tempt God [the holy God's purity is repulsed by any form of evil] and (b) the holy, pure God does not use evil's lure (James 1:12, 13).
The first essential awareness is a realization of God's holiness and purity. God 's holiness and purity make Him the exact opposite of Satan. That which comes from God [righteousness] and that which comes from Satan [evil] are total opposites in complete opposition. God abhors evil in any form. Evil has no appeal to God. Evil does not and cannot exist in God's presence.
Second, when the pure, holy Jesus was allowed to be covered with our sins, the son in whom God was well pleased became the son God could not watch. When Jesus' body was clothed in the sins of humanity (1 Peter 2:24), the presence of the holy, pure God could not remain in him. Because Jesus sinned? No! (See Hebrews 3:14,15) Because Jesus wore our sins in his body! Evil and the holy God cannot coexist in the same place or the same person! Just as God allowed the transfer of Israel's sins to the scape goat, God allowed the transfer of humanity's sin to the dying Jesus.
When God permitted humanity's evil to be transferred to the dying body of the pure and holy Jesus, Jesus at the moment of transfer became everything God abhors. Jesus was covered with that which opposes God. Since evil cannot exist in God's presence, God withdrew His presence from Jesus when Jesus was covered with sin. Make certain that your students realize that God did NOT withdraw His presence because Jesus sinned. God withdrew His presence because Jesus was covered with humanity's sins. When Jesus was covered with humanity's sins, he became God's scape goat.
Jesus felt this transfer. Though he had never sinned, had never rebelled against God, had never rejected God's will or purposes in anything, he died with the feelings of a human who had sins. Our sins separated Jesus from God. In his anguish, he quoted Psalm 22:1 as he cried out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" In death, Jesus experienced the ultimate human experience: he was covered with sin and separated from God. He endured this horrible experience in order to become humanity's opportunity for permanent atonement before the pure, holy God.
Jesus felt the simultaneous covering with sin and withdrawal of God's presence. Jesus experienced a form of loneliness known only to humans--the loss of life [death] outside God's presence. Both were new experiences. Jesus had never sinned. Jesus had never been outside God's presence. Jesus can truly identify with our humanity--though he never sinned, he knows what sin and the loss of God's presence feels like.
Paul stated what happened when Jesus died to the Corinthian Christians. Remember, Paul wrote to Christians. He told these Christians with many spiritual problems, who without opposition allowed evil to express itself in their motives and actions, God wanted reconciliation, not confrontation. How much did God want this reconciliation? God wanted reconciliation so much that He did the unthinkable. God made Jesus to be sin! (2 Corinthians 5:21) God allowed His own son to be sin! God did not do that for His own sake. God did not do that for Jesus' sake. God did that for our sake. That is how committed God is to reconciliation with humanity! God did that so we who are Christians could be the righteousness of God. In Christ unholy people can be forgiven. In Christ forgiven people can belong to the holy God.
Paul wanted the Christians at Corinth to understand the enormous price God invested in reconciliation between Himself and humanity. He wanted them to realize that God allowed Jesus to be the precise opposite of God. The realization that God made Jesus sin is astounding! That should make the realization that God makes humans His righteousness equally astounding! Those realizations should make this abundantly evident to persons who choose to accept God's gift: there must be a conscious rejection of evil in those who belong to God. We cannot accept God's gift, let Jesus Christ rule us, let God's Spirit live in us, and deliberately, knowingly justify doing what repulses God. Salvation is such an incredible gift that the person who belongs to God cannot continue rebelliously to live in and do evil.
If people love God for what He did and does for them in Christ, they cannot knowingly, willingly, freely do, feel, and think the things that cause God grief! They cannot knowingly, willingly, freely do, feel, and think the things that demanded God make Jesus sin so we could be forgiven! When you love someone, you do not knowingly, deliberately cause them unbearable pain and intense grief! That was Paul's message to Corinthian Christians who were living and interacting in ungodly ways! That is Paul's message to Christians today when we live and interact in ungodly ways!
The nature of love involves respect and appreciation. It is impossible to respect and appreciate God's gift while deliberately causing God grief and pain. Paul wanted the Christians at Corinth to realize they could not continue to act, feel, and think as people who were ruled by evil. They needed to understand the meaning of reconciliation to God. Their actions needed to reflect their understanding. We have the same needs!
We can live in God's presence because we are forgiven. We can be forgiven because God atoned for us. God transferred our sins to the sinless Jesus to create our opportunity to live in God's perfect atonement for our evil.
It is a privilege to live in God's presence as a part of God's family! Our forgiveness cost God a price that we cannot imagine.
Discussion Questions
A scape goat had the sins of people transferred to itself through an act of God by the actions of a high priest.
He placed his hands on the head of the goat.
He confessed the sins of Israel (not merely the fact that Israel had sinned).
It was led into the wilderness. It carried "the sins of Israel" away from the people. Note the person who lead the goat into the wilderness and loosed it had to have a complete washing [cleansing] before he returned to the camp. He was not to bring any of the sins back to the camp.
He was on the cross dying. It was 3 o'clock in the afternoon.
He felt God's presence leave him as he assumed humanity's sins.
No human understood Jesus' loneliness. Witnesses did not understand what God was doing. Not even the twelve grasped what was happening. God was not with Jesus. People did not realize what was happening.
Some thought Jesus was calling for Elijah to come help him.
God wants reconciliation with people.
He demonstrated His seriousness by making Jesus sin.
He did not retaliate in any manner. He placed his trust in God.
He assumed humanity's sins as he died.
Humanity's sins were placed on Jesus' body (in a manner similar to the scape goat having the sins of Israel placed on its body).
Link to Student Guide
Lesson 2