Salvation and Atonement

Christians believe that Jesus saved them – but how? sin – wrong- To understand Christian ideas about salvation and atonement, we need doing, behaviour to start by looking back to the Old Testament. This passage comes from which is against God’s will and Leviticus, an Old Testament book of laws. It describes how the people of which puts a Israel tried to remove the sins they had committed through a ritual which barrier between was carried out once a year. people and God.

The ‘most holy place’ was a place set aside for God. At this The Scapegoat point in their story, the Israelites After you have puri ed the most holy place, the sacred were nomadic, and set up a tent, and the bronze altar, you must bring the live goat sanctuary for God wherever to the front of the tent. There you will lay your hands they were at the time. on its head, while confessing every sin the people have committed, and you will appoint someone to lead the goat into the desert, so that it can take away their sins. To do... Finally, this goat that carries the heavy burden of Israel’s sins must be released deep in the desert. Highlight what the goat carries when it is led out into Leviticus chapter 16 verses 20-22 the desert.

The ritual of the scapegoat was about atonement. Atonement is the idea that because people’s sins have put them far from God, they need a way to remove their sins to put things right again. You can remember this in the form of the word ‘at-one-ment’, making things at one again.

By being sent into the desert while symbolically carrying the Israelites’ sins, the scapegoat took the sin away and so restored a good relationship between the Israelites and God.

To do... How would the Israelites’ feelings be diff erent before and after the scapegoat was sent into the desert? You can draw your answer if you want to.

© Bible Society 2017. Permission is granted for copies to be made for use by your school. Jesus spoke about undergoing physical suff ering for the sake of others. This would have recalled a prophecy (in which God revealed his future plans) made by the prophet Isaiah in the eighth century BCE. Although it is written in the past tense, Isaiah is actually describing future events in which a person will come and will suff er on behalf of others.

To do... We despised him and rejected him; he endured su ering and pain. The character in this passage is No one would even look at him— often known as the ‘suff ering we ignored him as if he were nothing. servant’. But he endured the su ering that should have been ours, the pain that we should have borne. It doesn’t give his name or say All the while we thought that his su ering who he was, but it does give was punishment sent by God. some information about what But because of our sins he was wounded, he was like. beaten because of the evil we did. We are healed by the punishment he su ered, Use three diff erent colours made whole by the blows he received. to highlight where the All of us were like sheep that were lost, passage shows that the suff ering servant: each of us going his own way. But the Lord made the punishment fall on him, • was blameless the punishment all of us deserved. • suff ered He was treated harshly, but endured it humbly; he never said a word. • was killed Like a lamb about to be slaughtered, like a sheep about to be sheared, he never said a word. He was arrested and sentenced and led o to die, and no one cared about his fate. He was put to death for the sins of our people. He was placed in a grave with the wicked, he was buried with the rich, even though he had never committed a crime or ever told a lie. Isaiah chapter 53 verses 3-9

To do... Christians often make comparisons between Jesus and the scapegoat and the suff ering servant. They might refer to these passages as being prophecies which foretell or predict what Jesus would be like and what he would do. Can you see any comparisons between: The scapegoat and Jesus?

The suff ering servant and Jesus?

© Bible Society 2017. Permission is granted for copies to be made for use by your school. Christians sometimes refer to Jesus as being like the scapegoat, because they believe that his death on the cross brought atonement for the sins of the whole world. While the scapegoat only took away the sins for one year, Christians believe that Jesus’ death took them away for all time.

Christians also identify Jesus with the suffering servant, because they believe that he was blameless and without sin, and that he suffered and died. They might read the passage from Isaiah as a prophecy which predicted that Jesus would come and die for people’s sins.

They would say that Jesus' atonement for their sins means that they don’t have to take the punishment for themselves, so they are fit to receive salvation and can reach heaven when they die.

Photography by iStock/Alex Terrill

All Christians believe that Jesus is the saviour of the world, and that his death on the cross atoned for human sinfulness.

Some see salvation as God’s free gift to people who are Christians. Others believe that behaving well and living as they believe God wants them to is essential for their salvation.

Some, especially members of the Catholic Church, believe that being baptised and taking part in the sacraments, such as Mass, are also important in achieving salvation.