One of my favourite words in the Bible

In a little village in Germany in 1483 Martin Luther was born. Martin Luther was, under God, the instigator and one of the biggest drivers of the protestant reformation in Europe - with its subsequent break from the Roman Catholic Church. By the 15th Century Roman Catholicism was dominant religion in Europe. After school Luther went on to university and studied law. He decided to become a monk in one of the strictest orders in the Catholic Church. Priests taught Luther and the general public that one could save yourself by prayer, fasting and penance. The result being that Luther’s teachers were wearied by constant prayers, fasting and penance! Luther later wrote: “If ever a monk got to heaven by his monkery, it was I”. Yet he faced a long spiritual crisis, anxiously anguishing over how sinful man can come to a holy God. Luther finally experienced great joy and his eyes were opened to understand a radical, biblical truth. He wrote later, “I felt myself to be reborn, and to have gone through open doors to paradise.” What happened? What truth did he grasp?

No ordinary death

Andries Tatane’s death and the death of Jesus of Nazareth bear some remarkable similarities and differences.

Both men were 33 years old, guilty of no crime, yet treated with contempt, beaten, and killed by the authorities of the day. Both men’s death was terrible and tragic. Both men’s death also achieved results for their people.

Jesus’ death, however, was voluntary. Andries’ death was involuntary. Andries Tatane did not wake up planning and knowing he would die. On the other hand, from the beginning of his public ministry, Jesus said that he must die and give his life as a ransom for many.

Jesus death was also vicarious. Jesus unambiguously said that he must die for others. He said that the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. Jesus suffered, was abandoned, and died to take upon himself the full wrath of God for the sin of God’s people. Jesus died not for his own sin, but that of others.

Jesus death was also infinitely valuable. Andries Tatane’s death may have some short term service delivery benefits for his community. Jesus’ death however has infinite benefits for people of every generation, every nation, every culture and every age. Through trust in Jesus as Lord and God your eternal salvation is secured, you are adopted in God’s very own family, and your sins are completely, utterly forgiven.

The violence of Andries Tatane’s death has rightly angered the people of South Africa. Let us remember another violent death. And be angered at our sin. And then be driven to the cross, where God’s anger was poured out on Jesus so that we may experience his love.

The definitive sacrifice and scapegoat

This past Friday was especially good. We remembered specifically Jesus' death to secure our ultimate good. For the first time ever I preached from the book of Leviticus in the Old Testament. What was I smoking you may ask?!What drew me to Leviticus was the recent popular denial of Jesus' death as a sacrifice to appease the wrath of God. Jesus is seen as an enlightened teacher from the realm of light, or a good moral example for our children to follow or even the ultimate chinese ying-yang who restores balance to the universe.

The bible, on the other hand, pictures Jesus' death in terms of sacrifice and scapegoat. Leviticus 16 describes what should have happened on the day of atonement. The key words are blood and death. Amongst other violent deaths, a bull had to die to cover the sins of the high priest and his family. Why does God demand violence and death? Should we report God to the SPCA as an animal-torturer? God was teaching the guys back then and us today that sin is serious. Sin is our personal offense to a righteous God. The priest should have his throat slit for offending God, but God graciously permits the animal to die in the sinner's place. The next sin offering consisted of two goats. The lucky one got to live. The unlucky one got his throat slit to make atonement for the sins of God's people. The priest then put his hands on Billy the breathing goat's head and confessed the sins and offenses of God's people. A certain man then lead Billy into the wilderness, and that scapegoat was never seen again. Ever.

The Bible says that this two-fold sin-offering pictures the means and results of atonement, including our definitive atonement through the death of Jesus. Sin is atoned for by a subtituionary sacrifice and the results are that our sin, guilt and shame are removed from us forever. Hebrews 9 spells this out.

You deserve to have your puny throat slit for disobeying a holy, infinite God. If you feel insulted right now, you either have too high a view of yourself or too low a view of God.