Sermon: Jesus the Mercy Seat Bible Passage: :25 cf. 9:5

I. Romans 3:251 God publicly displayed him [Jesus] at his death as the mercy seat (kapporet, hiasterion) accessible through faith (NET Bible)

1. The word kapporet appears first in Exodus 25:17, where it refers to a piece of furniture: it is translated as “seat of ,” “seat of atonement,” and “mercy seat” (here on, we use the term “mercy seat”)

2. It was placed on the but was different from the Ark—it was not just a lid

3. It was meant to be the place where God would meet with sinful humanity ones every year on the Day of Atonement2—v. 22 “I will meet with you” (Exodus 25:17-25)

4. In Romans 3:25, the word “mercy seat” hilasterion refers to the piece of furniture mentioned in (Exodus 25:17-22)

5. i.e., Paul calls Jesus the “Mercy Seat” hilasterion—the seat that was placed on the Ark of the Covenant (it is a typology)

6. (Let’s compare the hilasterion of Exodus 25:17 with Romans 3:25)

Exodus 25:17 Romans 3:25 The mercy seat is a platform/furniture The Mercy Seat is Jesus Enter with the blood of Jesus (cf. John Enter with the blood of the lamb 17:19)3 After the sanctification of the priest By the faithfulness of Jesus Priest + Sacrificial Lamb Jesus + Jesus Through the mediation of the priest By faith in Jesus (to everyone) Once a year on the Day of Atonement 24/7

1 It is part of a long sentence vv. 21-26 2 25:17 “You are to make an atonement lid of pure gold; its length is to be three feet nine inches, and its width is to be two feet three inches. 25:18 You are to make two cherubim of gold; you are to make them of hammered metal on the two ends of the atonement lid. 25:19 Make one on one end and one cherub on the other end; from the atonement lid you are to make the cherubim on the two ends. 25:20 The cherubim are to be spreading their wings upward, overshadowing the atonement lid with their wings, and the cherubim are to face each other, looking toward the atonement lid. 25:21 You are to put the atonement lid on top of the ark, and in the ark you are to put the testimony I am giving you. 25:22 I will meet with you there, and from above the atonement lid, from between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you about all that I will command you for the Israelites. Leviticus 16:15 “He must then slaughter the goat which is for the people. He is to bring its blood inside the veil-canopy, and he is to do with its blood just as he did to the blood of the bull: He is to sprinkle it on the atonement plate and in front of the atonement plate. 16:16 So he is to make atonement for the holy place from the impurities of the Israelites and from their transgressions with regard to all their sins, 3 He [Jesus] entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. Cf. John 17:19And I set myself apart on their behalf, so that they too may be truly set apart. II. Why does Paul call Jesus the Mercy Seat (hilasterion)?

1. Per Romans 1:18–3:20, the “wrath of God” is/was in store for all

2. All stood guilty before God and thereby liable to be condemned (Romans 3:23)

3. The Good News is that God offers Jesus as the Mercy Seat by whom humanity will be able to come to God

(a) Accessible by faith in Jesus (b) Removing God's wrath (vv. 25b & 26) (c) Removing the stain of their sins (vv. 25b & 26)

III. Take Away

Draw near to God (Hebrews 10:22)