Theme · theological

Atonement

The logic of atonement is established at Sinai: the life is in the blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. The Day of Atonement ritual — two goats, one slain and one sent away bearing sin — dramatizes both the cost of sin and its removal. The prophets increasingly point toward a final sacrifice that will deal with sin once for all. The New Testament identifies Jesus as that sacrifice: the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Hebrews argues that the entire Levitical system was a shadow; the reality is Christ's self-offering.

Passages expressing this theme

1Pet 2:24 — Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
1Pet 3:18 — For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
2Chr 29:24 — And the priests killed them, and they made reconciliation with their blood upon the altar, to make an atonement for all Israel: for the king commanded that the burnt offering and the sin offering shou
2Cor 5:21 — For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
Dan 9:24 — Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting right
Eph 5:2 — And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
Exod 12:13 — And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Eg
Exod 30:10 — And Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of it once in a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonements: once in the year shall he make atonement upon it throughout your generations: it
Gen 3:21 — Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.
Gen 22:13 — And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his
Heb 2:17 — Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the p
Heb 9:22 — And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
Heb 9:26 — For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
Heb 10:10 — By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Heb 10:12 — But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;
Isa 53:5 — But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
Isa 53:10 — Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall
Lev 1:4 — And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.
Lev 4:35 — And he shall take away all the fat thereof, as the fat of the lamb is taken away from the sacrifice of the peace offerings; and the priest shall burn them upon the altar, according to the offerings ma
Lev 16:15 — Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the m
Lev 16:30 — For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the LORD.
Lev 17:11 — For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.
Matt 20:28 — Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
Matt 26:28 — For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
Num 28:22 — And one goat for a sin offering, to make an atonement for you.