Jesus – The Scapegoat

Key Scripture

“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
—2 Corinthians 5:21

Why Love Requires Choice

Why did God create us?

The triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—existed in perfect unity before time began. He lacked nothing. And yet, He chose to create. At the heart of that choice is love.

Love longs to be shared. But love cannot be programmed. It requires freedom. Relationship. Choice.

That is why humanity was created with the capacity to say yes—or no. Not as machines built to obey, but as beings able to respond to love with love.

In the beginning, Adam lived in abundance. One boundary. One invitation to trust. One opportunity to say, “God, I believe You know what is best.”

But love must be free to refuse.

And Adam did.

In that moment, fellowship fractured. Death entered—not merely the loss of breath, but the loss of intimacy with the Giver of life. Yet even then, God was already moving toward restoration.

Covered by Grace

After the fall, Adam and Eve tried to cover themselves with fig leaves—human solutions stitched together by shame. It wasn’t enough.

So God did something astonishing.

“The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.”
—Genesis 3:21

The first shedding of blood was not an act of wrath, but of mercy. To cover guilt, something innocent had to die. It was the first lesson in atonement.

Sin costs life.
Covering requires sacrifice.

This was not merely clothing—it was prophecy.

The Pattern of Blood

Centuries later, God established a sacrificial system.

“It is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.”
—Leviticus 17:11

The message was unmistakable: holiness and sin cannot coexist without mediation.

Even Moses could not fully look upon God’s face. Access was limited. The people were marked not by perfection, but by blood—the sign of mercy standing between judgment and grace.

All of it pointed forward.

The Scapegoat

Once a year, on the Day of Atonement, two goats were chosen. One was sacrificed. The other—the scapegoat—had the sins of the people confessed over it and was sent into the wilderness, carrying guilt far away.

Innocence bearing guilt.
Substitution.
Removal.

And then came Jesus.

God did what the law could never do. He sent His Son as a sin offering. Jesus became the Lamb. Jesus became the Scapegoat.

On the cross, He carried our rejection, our shame, our death. And when He cried, “It is finished,” every sacrifice found its fulfillment.

No more barriers.
No more rituals.
Only grace.

Dead Men See His Face

Scripture describes sacrifices as “a pleasing aroma to the Lord”—not because of scent, but because of surrender.

God draws near to places where self-rule has ended. Pride, self-will, and flesh cannot survive His holiness.

Only those who have died to themselves can live in His presence.

This is why Jesus did not merely forgive us—He united us to Himself. Through His blood, we are invited behind the veil. Covered not in shame, but in righteousness.

When God looks at us now, He sees His Son.

Drawing Near

There have always been those willing to risk everything to truly know God—not just know about Him.

Enoch walked with God until he was no more.
John encountered Jesus in exile.
Revival has always followed surrender.

Fire does not fall on empty altars. But the sacrifice God desires is not performance—it is a life yielded in trust.

The closer we draw, the more we lay down.
The more we die to self, the more fully we live in Him.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank You for becoming the Scapegoat I could never be.
Thank You for carrying my sin, my shame, and my death.
Teach me to die daily—to surrender pride, fear, and self-will.
Draw me near, not to know about You, but to truly know You.
Cover me, cleanse me, and lead me deeper into Your presence.
Amen.

Takeaway Thought

Jesus did not come to cover your sin—
He came to carry it away.