“A Tale of Two Goats”

BIBLE PASSAGE Leviticus 16:1–3, 11, 17, 30 and Hebrews 10:10
STORY “A Tale of Two Goats”
​GOSPEL CONNECTION The Israelites were almost ruined by a cow (remember last lesson?), but once a year they were rescued by two goats. Remember Forgive and Forget? How could we forget them? But of course, we’re not actually rescued by goats. The animals were just symbols or signs. Like a street sign that tells you, “This way to New York,” these two signs pointed to the perfect, final sacrifice that would be offered for our sins: Jesus Christ. Our Savior. Our sin substitute! “For our sake [God] made [Jesus] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor. 5:21). Like the first goat, Jesus would die for our sins. Like the second goat, Jesus’s death would cause our sins to be forgotten. Because of Jesus—the only perfectly holy man, our high priest—God says, “I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more” (Heb. 8:12). That should make us so happy! Our holy God loves us so much that through Jesus he made a way to be in a relationship with us. What good news!