It is Finished!

The Need for the Atonement

            Why do you believe in Jesus? Is it to escape the wrath of God in hell? While this is a benefit, it is not the purpose. The whole Bible is devoted to revealing how humanity can be restored to dwelling with Almighty God. It is through the atonement of Jesus Christ.

            The Heidelberg Catechism states in the answer to question six that “God created man good and in his own image…so that he might truly know God his creator, love him with all his heart, and live with God in eternal happiness, for his praise and glory.”[1] To live with God in eternal happiness is such a beautiful thought! What went wrong? The sin of Adam brought death and sin to all people (Rom 5:12). God gave the law to Moses to provide a way for their sins to be covered or atoned for. God is Holy and cannot dwell or fellowship with sinful people. Therefore God commanded his people to make atonement for their sins through the blood sacrifices of animals in Leviticus. Yahweh explained to Moses “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life” (Lev 17:11 ESV). The author of Hebrews teaches that these animal sacrifices were only a shadow of the things to come (He 8:5; 10:1) and pointed to the greater heavenly sacrifice that would purify (He 9:14), perfect (He 10:1), and permanently save (He 5:9; 9:12, 14). The atonement of Jesus Christ pays for the sin of God’s people (redemption), appeases God’s wrath (propitiation), and restores fellowship (reconciliation) with him so that man can live with God in eternal happiness, for his praise and glory.

Redemption Received

            Redemption has two aspects. It is freedom from the curse of the Law and the payment for the sins of God’s people. The apostle Paul teaches the Galatian church that the atonement of Jesus frees them from the curse of the Law (Gal 3:13-14). Their righteousness is no longer based on obeying the Law with absolute perfection because Jesus fulfilled the Law and took the curse of the Law for God’s people. Those who have faith in Jesus are declared righteous through the atoning work of Jesus.  

            The other aspect of redemption involves the payment for that freedom from the curse of the law. The apostle Peter explains that the payment for the sins of the people is the “precious blood of Christ” (1 Pt 1:18-19). The atonement is how God pays for the sins of His people. God’s holiness and justice demand that blood must be shed to pay for sin (Lev 17:11, He 9:22). This leads us to the next accomplishment of the atonement, propitiation.

Propitiation Provided

            Propitiation means that Jesus took the wrath his people deserve by shedding His blood on the cross and restoring favor with Him. Since God is just, a penalty must be made for sin. God cannot just forgive without executing His wrath for that sin. Paul explains in Romans 3 that He had to put Jesus “forward as a propitiation by his blood… so that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Rom 3:25-26 ESV). The atonement satisfies God’s justice by pouring out His wrath on Jesus for the sins of His people.

Reconciliation Restored

            The purpose behind redemption and propitiation is reconciliation, the third accomplishment of the atonement. The sin of Adam in Genesis 3 separates him and all of mankind from the presence of God. L. Michael Morales argues that the Day of Atonement in Leviticus 16 is the theological center of the Pentateuch and points to the atonement of Jesus as “YHWH’s opening a way for humanity to dwell with the divine presence.”[2] Paul points this out by stating that God reconciles His people through the blood of Jesus (Rom 5:6-11). This reconciliation is much more than going from enemies to friends but from enemies to sons and daughters (Eph 1:4-7).

Atonement Applied

            The atonement of Christ is how one can live with God in eternal happiness, for his praise and glory.[3] The apostle John writes his gospel so that his readers will know that his testimony of Jesus is true, believe in Jesus, and have eternal life (Jn 11:15;13:19; 14:29; 19:25; 20:31; 21:24). John establishes Jesus as God coming in human flesh to be the atonement Lamb of God ( Jn 1:1,14; 6:38-40; 8:58-59; 14:8-11) that came from heaven because only the incarnation of God in the person of Jesus is a worthy sacrifice. Therefore, he records John the Baptist proclaiming Jesus as “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (Jn 1:29). The sacrifice of the lamb is the atonement for the sins of God’s people. John records the last words of Jesus on the cross near the end of his gospel with “it is finished” (Jn 19:30) because Jesus’s death on the cross is the final atonement that permanently redeems, propitiates, and reconciles God’s people. I urge you to repent and believe in Jesus so you can dwell with God!

[1] Chad Van Dixhoorn, Creeds, Confessions, & Catechisms, (Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway 2022), pg 292.

[2] L. Michael Morales, Who Shall Ascend the Mountain of the Lord (Downers Grove, Illinois: IVP, 2015), 34.

[3] Paul’s main argument in his letter to the Galatians is that faith in Jesus is the only way to be justified and restored to God (Gal 2:16; 3:7-14, 22, 24, 26; 5:5-6). He states in 3:26, “for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God through faith.” Faith is the “vehicle” that applies the atonement to the Christian.