Leviticus 16:9-10, “And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the LORD's lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering. But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness.”
A “scapegoat” is someone who is punished for the wrong of others. A scapegoat takes the blame for someone else. Jesus is our scapegoat. The Lord was completely innocent, yet He suffered as an evildoer in our place on the cross.
As we learn in our text verses above, God instructed the Old Testament Levite priests to take two goats. The first one was to be slain, representing the slain Lamb of God. The second was to be led outside the gate and released into the wilderness, which represents Christ's innocence, Who joyfully became our scapegoat because He loves us.
Just as
Christ was rejected and crucified outside the city gate, even so will we
also be rejected and persecuted by the world if we identify with the risen
Christ (John 15:19; 2nd Timothy 3:12). Thank God for Jesus' sacrifice for
our sins!!!
THE GODHEAD BECAME INCARNATE IN JESUS CHRIST
My friend, when you worship the Lord Jesus Christ, you are worshipping God in all His being, fulness and glory. There is only one true and living God (Deuteronomy 6:4), but our God exists and has manifest Himself to the world as three unique persons; namely, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). Our own Lord humbled Himself under the mighty hand of His Father in Heaven, becoming obedient even unto death on the cross.
Philippians 2:8, “And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” Jesus set a perfect example to all humanity of the way in which we are supposed to live as men. All men must humble themselves in the sight of God (James 4:6). Jesus was 100% man and 100% God while upon the earth. The Lord DIDN'T give up His deity to come to earth; but rather, He humbled Himself as a man, being obedient to His Father's will in Heaven (John 6:40).
Until we come to the place in our life where we empty ourselves of SELF and are willing to become weak, despised and fools for Christ, we'll never know what it truly means to serve God. 1st Corinthians 4:10, “We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised.” 1st Corinthians 3:18, “Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.” 1st Peter 5:6, “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.”
To God be all the glory!
