“The goat will carry on itself all their sins to a remote place; and the man shall release it in the wilderness.” (Lev. 16:22)
Expanded Passage: Leviticus 16:20-22
The scapegoat is fascinating. The priest would take two perfect goats and roll the cosmic dice to see which animal would die to cleanse the Tabernacle and which would carry the people's sins away to the wilderness. While you may think that the one who lived won, think again.
The priest would lay his hands on the scapegoat's head and confess all the people's sins so that they could be forgiven. The sins that were placed on the goat now had to be carried off. This goat did nothing wrong, and yet it carried the weight of the people’s sins into the wilderness, never to return. The quick end seems merciful in this wager.
Israel’s atonement required both sacrifices: one perfect sacrifice’s blood to cleanse the Tabernacle and another to take away the sins of the people. Christ does both with his atoning sacrifice. His blood cleanses the temple—our hearts—and he takes away our sins. He did not have any sin in his life, yet he took our sin and carried it into the wilderness. Christ lived in constant communion with God, yet he loves us so much that he carries our sins out of God’s presence so that we can join in that same communion.
We tend to focus on Christ’s cleansing blood, but I hope we never lose sight of the weight of carrying our sins away.
Offer praise to God for his sacrifice of hauling our sins away.
Caleb Strickland is the lead pastor of Christ Wesleyan Church (CWC) in Winston Salem, NC.
© 2025 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
