The Good Friday sacrifice

By Peter Espeut

The foundation myths of the Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) begin with the notion that there is a natural order of right and wrong, and departing from it leads to social disorder and internal disquiet of the soul. The story of Adam and Eve was not so much about the origin of the earth, but about the origin of sin. Original justice (represented by the Garden of Eden) was lost, leaving humanity and all creation in a degraded condition less than they could be not up to their full potential. Regaining original justice (called the Kingdom of God in Christian theology) becomes a struggle with sin, seen as wrong behaviour resulting from wrong impulses within.

In the Levitical tradition, it was possible to get rid of sin by making atonement for it by shedding the blood of an animal offered in sacrifice for sin. Aaron shall bring the bull for his own sin offering to make atonement for himself and his household, and he is to slaughter the bull for his own sin offering. He is to take a censer full of burning coals from the altar before the LORD and two handfuls of finely ground fragrant incense and take them behind the curtain. He is to put the incense on the fire before the LORD, and the smoke of the incense will conceal the atonement cover above the tablets of the covenant law, so that he will not die. (Lev 16:11-13)

In this tradition, the shedding of the lifeblood of an animal could cancel out my personal sin, once I am truly sorry. The wages of sin is death, and only the death of an animal (instead of my death) can give me back my life. And every year, I would have to offer up the life of a lamb or a goat kid to bring me back to square one. And every year, the high priest would have to make the sin offering for the transgressions of the people.

Atonement begins with me admitting that I have sinned, being sorry for my sin, and wishing my sin to become far removed from my person. Levitical symbolism envisioned the sins of the people being transferred to an animal like a goat which we can call a scapegoat. The scapegoat itself quite innocent bears the burden of sin, and when it dies, the sin also disappears. When Aaron has finished making atonement for the Most Holy Place, the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall bring forward the live goat. He is to lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites all their sins and put them on the goats head. He shall send the goat away into the wilderness in the care of someone appointed for the task. The goat will carry on itself all their sins to a remote place; and the man shall release it in the wilderness. (Lev 16: 20-22).

Today, Good Friday, in the Christian tradition, is the day when believers remember when Jesus, the Lamb of God, took away the sins of the world, fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah: He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. (Is 53: 5)

Jesus, the innocent, sinless one, was the scapegoat of the world, voluntarily offering Himself as a living sacrifice. In Roman Catholic liturgy, when the priest imposes both his hands over the bread and wine (soon to become the body and blood of Jesus), this symbolises all the sins of the world coming down upon Jesus, the victim, about to be offered in sacrifice. This is such an important moment that bells are rung so that those present do not miss it. Jesus the High Priest, being Himself without sin, offers himself as a sacrifice only once once and for all (Heb 10:12).

Those present then have the opportunity to eat His flesh and drink Gis blood so that we may share in eternal life (which, for believers, has already begun).Many are not comfortable with the primordial, earthy symbolism within Jewish and Christian tradition and theology. But that is our history and our tradition.

But as I said above, all this begins with the sense that daily we battle with the reality of sin in our lives. One of the reasons (I believe) that Christianity is losing ground, and secularism is on the increase, is that modern humanity is losing the sense of sin, of good and evil. Nothing so says the modern mindset is really wrong anymore; and modern man ignores his internal disquiet of soul. Its about time we be honest and listen to the murmurings within.

Peter Espeut is a development scientist and Roman Catholic deacon. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com.