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How Does the Gospel of John Reflect the Day of Atonement? #675 · Scripture Central

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  Jesus, therefore, knowing all things that should come upon
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  him, went forth and said unto them, whom seek ye they answered
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  him, Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus saith unto them, I am he, Hey,
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  listeners, this is Nick from Scripture Central and today's
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  podcast addresses the question, How does the Gospel of John
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  reflect the Day of Atonement? Many scholars have recognized
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  within the Gospel of John deep connections to the Temple and
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  its rituals. The emphasis throughout John's
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  Gospel account depicts the way we can return to God's presence.
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  Thus, in several ways, John draws upon imagery of the main
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  temple feast of ancient Israel that celebrated and enabled this
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  return to God's presence, the Day of Atonement.
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  Rabbinic writings have helped us understand how the Day of
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  Atonement rights were practiced in the Second Temple period.
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  Building upon how the Old Testament rights were initially
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  performed, these Jewish texts have likewise been helpful in
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  understanding how Jesus and his immediate disciples would have
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  understood the Day of Atonement, and the Gospel of John appears
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  to reflect many of these themes. Jackson of how has recently
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  observed how the sacred feast is portrayed in the Gospel of John
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  throughout the life and sacrifice of Jesus Christ,
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  primarily with four themes. The first image that John
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  employs in his gospel involves the declaration of John the
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  Baptist. Behold, the Lamb of God, which
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  taketh away the sin of the world.
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  While the image of Jesus as a lamb has clear connections to
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  the springtime Passover sacrifice, especially near the
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  end of his life, scholars have noted that the Pascal lamb has
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  no role in remitting sins. Rather, the only sacrificial
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  animal that was understood to remit sins were those offered on
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  the Day of Atonement. Thus of how notes that while
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  Jesus is clearly connected with the Pasco Lamb and other places
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  in the Johanna narrative, the broader concept of the Lamb of
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  God appears to be a composite figure allowing for multiple
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  strands of symbolism at the same time.
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  Seeing the Lamb of God in this light shows how Jesus fulfilled
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  the entire Law of Moses and properly frames his death in the
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  context that ancient Israelites and early Christians would have
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  understood more clearly. The account of Jesus's trial and
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  subsequent death appear to be framed in John as a reflection
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  of two goats in Leviticus chapter 16, namely the
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  sacrificial goat and the scapegoat.
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  Every year on the Day of Atonement, lots were cast upon
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  the two goats, one lot for the Lord and the other lot for the
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  scapegoat. The goat selected for the Lord
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  would be sacrificed and it's blood sprinkled on the Ark of
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  the Covenant. While the scapegoat would be
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  cast into the wilderness, bearing upon him all the
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  people's iniquities. Additionally, later rabbinic
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  teachings claimed that the scapegoat was driven off a Cliff
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  after being humiliated by the people.
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  While modern Christians may see Jesus as the scapegoat carrying
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  their sins out into the wilderness, such was not always
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  the case about notes. The earliest exit jets saw Jesus
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  not as the fulfillment of the scapegoat.
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  But is the fulfillment of the sacrificed goat.
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  This is especially evident in the Epistle to the Hebrews,
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  which views Jesus as the great High Priest who by his own blood
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  entered in once into the holy Place, having obtained eternal
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  redemption for us. This passage specifically refers
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  to the ritual of the sacrificed goat, conducted exclusively by
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  the high Priest on the Day of Atonement, Barabas, who was
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  released by pilot into the hands of the people.
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  Then thematically fits the role of the scapegoat.
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  Based on ambiguities in the Greek text, some scholars
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  believe that far from being set free, Barabbas is not pardoned.
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  Rather, he is lynched by the mob, humiliated and mistreated
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  like the scapegoat on its way out of the city.
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  In any event, it is clear that the two goats from Leviticus 16
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  were symbolically involved in John.
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  The one was sacrificed and the other carried away the
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  impurities. Just as the Epistle to the
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  Hebrews viewed Christ as both the High priest and sacrifice,
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  so too does John portray Jesus as the high priest.
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  This is especially seen at the end of his narrative when Jesus
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  performs a high priestly intercession for his disciples
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  in John chapter 17 for example of how observes that both
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  Jesus's intercessory prayer. And the prayer of the high
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  priest on the day of Atonement have a tripartite structure and
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  focus on sanctification. In John chapter 17 Jesus prays
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  for himself, for his disciples, with him, and finally for all
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  who will believe on the disciples words.
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  Similarly, the high priest would sacrifice for himself, for his
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  family and for the community of Israel on the Day of Atonement.
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  Rabbinic tradition records a version of the prayers offered
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  in preparation for the sacrifice immediately preceding Jesus's
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  atonement in Gethsemane and on the cross.
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  The intercessory prayer appears to likewise be a preparation for
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  Jesus's infinite and eternal sacrifice.
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  Following Jesus's death, the scene shifts to the High
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  Priestly, Holy of Holies as the veil of the temple was torn from
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  top to bottom. Opening the heavenly realms to
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  all people throughout all the world, Finally unique to the Day
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  of Atonement was the use of the sacred name of Jehovah.
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  On the Day of Atonement, the High Priest would say the name
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  Yahweh, which was likely the original pronunciation of
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  Jehovah in his prayer, and Rabbidic tradition asserts that
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  all those present would then prostrate themselves upon the
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  earth. Throughout all of the Day of
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  Atonement rights, the High Priest would utter the name
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  Jehovah 10 times. This is reflected in John's
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  Gospel through the tenfold repetition of the phrase I am or
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  Igu IMI. This is, of course, a reference
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  to Exodus chapter 3, verse 14, in which the Lord told Moses I
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  am that I am. While these statements are often
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  obscured in English translations that render the statement I am
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  he or it is I. Scholars have noted the repeated
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  use of this phrase, especially throughout John's Gospel.
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  Significantly, John records 10 utterances of this phrase that
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  typically evokes strong reactions from the crowd and
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  display the features of a fixed formula identifying Jesus as
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  Jehovah. This formula culminates in the
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  Garden of Gethsemite, with the final three instances of Jesus
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  declaring I am. In an interaction unique to
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  John's gospel, Jesus approaches the group of soldiers who have
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  come to arrest him, and asks whom seek ye They answered him,
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  Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus saith unto them, I am he igu EMI.
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  Literally I am significantly, John also records that as soon
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  then, as he had said unto them, I am he Igu EMI, they went
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  backward and fell to the ground. Similar to how people would
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  prostrate themselves on the Day of Atonement, upon hearing the
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  High Priest speak that Holy Name, Jesus again declares I am
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  before his arresters regain their composure and capture him
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  in proclaiming I am. Throughout John's Gospel, Jesus
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  declared two of the most significant aspects of his life
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  and ministry, namely, that He is Jehovah and he is the Great High
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  Priest of the Heavenly Temple. As expressed throughout the New
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  Testament, Jesus Christ is our Savior and the only One who is
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  capable of performing the infinite and eternal atoning
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  sacrifice that permits us to be reconciled or atoned with God.
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  He alone is the great High Priest of our salvation who
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  sacrificed Himself so that we might be able to enter into
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  God's presence. Furthermore, as expressed in the
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  Epistle to the Hebrews. Jesus's atonement allows us to
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  have boldness, to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
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  by a new and living way which he had consecrated for us through
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  the veil, that is to say, his flesh.
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  We are able to come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may
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  obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
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  Through Jesus's infinite atonement we can all be
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  sanctified, cleansed from all sin.
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  And made worthy to enter again the holy presence of the Father.
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  Ultimately, despite all the problems, sickness, temptations,
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  and sins we experience in this life, we can look forward with
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  solemn confidence to a glorious future, receiving comfort
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  through the guarantee promised by Jesus to His disciples.
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  These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have
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  peace in the world. Ye shall have tribulation, but
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  be of good cheer. I have overcome the world.
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  Thank you for listening to this presentation from Scripture
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  Central. For more information, please
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  visit scripturecentral.org.