The most sacred day on the Jewish calendar is the Day of Atonement. In Leviticus 16, God established a system where two goats were involved in covering the people’s sins—one was sacrificed for forgiveness, and the other, the scapegoat, carried the sins of the people out of the city.

Here’s the amazing part: Jesus fulfilled both roles. He became the perfect sacrifice, offering forgiveness, and He also became the scapegoat, taking on our sins and being driven outside the city. The difference? We don’t have to wait for this to happen once a year. Jesus did it once and for all, making it possible for us to be fully reconciled to God forever. That’s the good news.