耶稣是替罪羔羊

“两手按在羊头上，承认以色列人诸般的罪孽过犯，就是他们一切的罪愆....” - 利 16:21

在利未记，为了补偿人的罪而宰杀动物这长长经文中，我们找到了更多指向耶稣的图画。

其中一个图画就是替罪羊。“替罪羊”这个词至今还在我们的语言中被使用，意思是“替别人承受责备的人”。然而通常，人们寻找替罪羊都是想避免承认错误。

利未记中替罪羊的图画并不是这样。百姓会被叫去悔改，承认他们的罪过，祭司会按手在山羊的头上，承认百姓所有的罪愆。这并不是什么神奇的魔咒，而是神在祂的恩典中，接受了替代百姓的祭物，除去他们的罪，把罪带去旷野烧毁，称祂的百姓为义。

这是一幅指向就主耶稣的图画，祂来为人类所有的罪承受了咒诅。祂为我们所有人做了替罪羊。正如使徒保罗后来所说：“神使那无罪的替我们成为罪。好叫我们在他里面成为神的义”（林前 5:21）。

神啊，为着耶稣在十字架上的死感谢祢。透过祂——我们的替罪羔羊，我们的罪被洗净，我们得以与祢和好。我们的心为着祢为我们所作的一切充满感恩。奉耶稣的名祷告，阿们。

20 “亚伦为圣所和会幕并坛献完了赎罪祭，就要把那只活着的公山羊奉上。
21 两手按在羊头上，承认以色列人诸般的罪孽过犯，就是他们一切的罪愆，把这罪都归在羊的头上，藉着所派之人的手，送到旷野去。
22 要把这羊放在旷野，这羊要担当他们一切的罪孽，带到无人之地。

The Scapegoat

“He is to lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites—all their sins. . . .” — Leviticus 16:21

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Here in Leviticus, in a lengthy passage about slaughtering animals to atone for people’s sins, we find more imagery that points to Jesus.

One such image is the scapegoat. The word scapegoat is still used in the English language today, meaning “someone who bears the blame for others.” Usually, though, when people today are looking for a scapegoat, they want to avoid admitting wrong.

The scapegoat image in Leviticus didn’t work that way. The people were called to repent and acknowledge their guilt as the priest laid his hands on the goat’s head and confessed over it all of the people’s sins. This was not some magical mumbo-jumbo. God, in his grace, was accepting a substitute for the people, taking away their sin, sending it out into the wilderness for destruction, and counting them righteous.

This is a picture that points to the Savior, Jesus, who came to take on himself the curse for all human sin. He became the scapegoat for us all. As the apostle Paul put it later, “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).

Prayer

Lord God, thank you for the death of Christ on the cross. Through him, our scapegoat, we are cleansed of our sins, and we have peace with you. Our hearts overflow with gratitude for all you have done for us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.