DID YOU KNOW?
A scapegoat is someone upon whom blame, guilt, or sin is placed, someone who bears what others do not want to carry. In Scripture, God uniquely connected the idea of the scapegoat to Israel more than 3,000 years ago, through the sacred service of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.

On Yom Kippur, the High Priest (Kohen Gadol) selected two identical goats.

• One goat was sacrificed in the Temple as a sin offering.
• The second goat—known as the Azazel or scapegoat—had the sins of the nation confessed over it and was then led into the wilderness, carrying the iniquities of the people away.

Before either goat could function in atonement, a sacred act called Semikhah had to take place.

Semikhah required physical contact. The priest had to place both palms of his hands on the head of the sacrifice and confess the sins of the nation.

As written in Leviticus 16:21:

“Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat and confess upon it all the iniquities of the children of Israel…”

Only after Semikhah could atonement occur.

Now consider Jesus.

Jesus is the final sacrifice—the atonement for sin. But before the sacrifice could be offered, Semikhah had to be performed.

Who delivered Him to death?

The priests.

Scripture records that after condemning Jesus, they struck Him repeatedly with the palms of their hands (Mark 14:65). In doing so—without realizing it—they fulfilled the act of Semikhah, placing guilt upon the sacrifice.

When the high priest tore his garments and accused Jesus of blasphemy, he was, in effect, confessing the sins of the nation upon the Lamb.

Only after this was Jesus led away to be slain.

But Yom Kippur required two identical lives.

Leviticus 16:7–10 tells us the two goats had to be alike. Lots were cast:

• One goat was marked “for the LORD” and sacrificed
• The other was marked “for Azazel” and released

Now look at the crucifixion.

Two men were presented before the people.
One would die.
One would go free.

And the one released was Barabbas (Matthew 27:15–24).

Here is the astonishing detail:

The two goats had to be identical.

Jesus is called the Son of God, or more literally, Son of the Father.

And Barabbas is not just a name.
It comes from two Aramaic words:

• Bar = son
• Abba = father

Bar-Abbas means… Son of the Father.

Two “sons of the father.”
One sacrificed.
One released.

Jesus took the place of the guilty one so the guilty could go free.

He became like us, flesh and blood, so that we could walk away free.

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TODAY:
Live as one who was sentenced to judgment,
but released because another took your place.

Walk in freedom.
Walk in humility.
Walk in gratitude.

For you were set free
by the love and sacrifice of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.