SERIES: 10 Days of Repentance
The Day of Atonement
Leviticus 16:32-34
MESSAGE PREVIEW:
In the Old Testament, God commands His people to observe seven feasts or holidays: Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, Shavuot, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot. Each of these feasts or holidays has significant meaning and importance. In them, God is wanting to remind His people of something important and wants to use these seasons to speak into their life and faith.
As a church, we are walking through a series and emphasis called, 10 Days of Repentance. Repentance is an important practice in the life of a Jesus follower. It was also important to the people of God in the Old Testament. The 10 days in between the holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur were set aside as a season of repentance. Having a better understanding of these two holidays, how God used them in the lives of his people, how they pointed to Jesus, and how God can use these same ideas in our lives today will encourage and grow our faith. Let’s take a look.
Last week, we studied Rosh Hashanah, or the Festival of Trumpets. This week, we are going to look more closely at Yom Kippur.
Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is the most solemn day of the year for Judaism. It was also very important to the New Testament writers because, for the most part, they too were Jewish. But they saw something even more significant in this day. They saw Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of the Day of Atonement.
As we take a closer look at Yom Kippur, let’s look at the significance of Christ being the fulfilment of this day. What does this mean? Well, to understand that, we have to know a little more about Yom Kippur.
WHAT IS THE DAY OF ATONEMENT? (Inside the Curtain)
- The Role of the Day A day to make atonement between you and the LordLeviticus 23:26-32
- The Role of The High Priest Leviticus 16:1-2 // Exodus 30:10Purify himselfPurify the tabernacle or temple Atone for the people
- The Role of the People Fast Afflict yourselves Sabbath
THE FINAL ATONEMENT (Torn Curtain)
- Matthew 27:50-51 // Hebrews 9:7, 9:11-12, and 9:24
WE CAN ENTER THE HOLY PLACES DAILY (Open Curtain)
- Hebrews 10:19-22
- Draw Near
- With a true heart
- In full assurance of faith
- Sprinkled Clean – mind and body
OUR RESPONSE:
How should we respond to the truth of God today? Put all of your trust in the Great High Priest. Enter the Holy Place. Come humbly. Forsake the sin. Regret the breach. Confess the truth. Accept forgiveness.
ICEBREAKER QUESTIONS
Begin your session with prayer and use the following questions/discussion to get the conversation started…
As a church, we are in a series called, 10 Days of Repentance. One element of this focus is the challenge for us to take time daily, over these 10 days, to focus on God, read His Word, and practice the discipline of repentance. As Pastor Brian shared last week, there are Four Aspects of Repentance:
- Forsake the Sin
- Regret the Breach in Relationship
- Confess the Truth and Make Amends
- Accept Forgiveness
Each day, we are being encouraged to read the daily reading and walk through these four aspects of repentance. We are being encouraged to ask God to reveal our sin, write it down, confess it to the Lord and to repent fully accepting his love and restoration. Hopefully, you’ve made time each day to do this. If not, it’s not too late. You can find the daily scripture readings and the Home Repentance Guide at www.bayarea.church/readingplan. You can also join the church’s Facebook page at 12:00pm every day except Sunday for a short devotion.
Let’s share a little about your experience this past week focusing time on repenting.
Q: How did God specifically speak to you during these times this past week What scriptures or thoughts stood out to you the most?
Q: What was the most difficult part of this spiritual exercise?
Q: What was the best part of this spiritual exercise?
Q: What specific action steps did God call you to take this past week?
Q: How do you see repentance being an on-going, intentional part of your relationship with God?
Encourage your group to stay committed to this exercise over the next several days and if they have not jumped in, encourage them that it’s not too late to start.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: Read Leviticus 16:32-34. Ask and discuss the following questions.
Q: How would you explain the Old Testament purpose, meaning, and significance of the Day of Atonement to someone who was asking? Why was this day so important to the Jewish people?
Q: What was the role of the High Priest on this day? What was significant about this to the Jewish people?
Q: What is the significance and symbolism of the 2 goats sacrificed by the high priest?
Q: Read Matthew 27:50-51. What is the significance of the curtain being torn in two? What does this mean for us as Jesus followers? How should this impact our faith?
Q: Read Hebrews 9:11-12. The writer describes Jesus as the High Priest. How does Jesus fulfill the role of the high priest? How is this the fulfillment of what was celebrated at Yom Kippur?
Q: What does it mean that we, as followers of Jesus, can “enter the holy places daily”? What keeps us from taking advantage of this incredible blessing?
Q: Read Hebrews 10:19-22. How do we “draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith?” What might this look like in the everyday rhythms of our life?
Q: What is your personal “take-away” from this week’s message? What is one specific thing the Lord spoke to you this week?
Q: What is your “action step” this week? How are you planning to apply what God has spoken to you?
WRAP-UP:
Jesus is the fulfillment of the Day of Atonement. He is the Great High Priest, he is the final sacrifice, he is the one who atones for sin, and he is our way to the Father! We have the opportunity to live in a relationship with God daily…to approach his throne with confidence because of the work of Jesus. We no longer have to watch from the outside as a priest entered the Holy Place once a year. We can enter into His presence daily.
This great blessing and gift of God should motivate us to respond. What is our response? It starts by placing all of our trust in the High Priest. We need to daily enter the Holy Place of God’s presence. We need to come humbly. We need to forsake our sin, regret the breach in relationship it causes, confess the truth, make amends with others, and accept His forgiveness.
As you end your gathering this week, pray for your group. Ask God to awaken them again, in a fresh way, to the truth we learned this week. Encourage them to take advantage of this great gift. To daily come before God. To daily walk with Him through Jesus. Encourage them to use these next several days to continue in this 10 Days of Repentance, seeking what the Lord wants to say and do in this time.
Reminder: Here is how they can be a part of this special focus:
As Pastor Brian shared, we are inviting our church to join in a 10 Days of Repentance emphasis beginning Monday, September 21st. What does this look like?
- Check out the Home Repentance Guide and Daily Bible Reading Calendar at this following linkwww.bayarea.church/readingplan or by going to www.bayarea.church/live and clicking on the “Reading Plan” button.
- Plan time each day for the next 10 days to get alone with a Bible, something to write on, and something to write with.
- Read the Daily Bible Reading and work through the 4 Aspects of Repentance.
- Join us at 12:00pm each day (except Sunday) on our Facebook page for a short devotion and prayer time.
SCRIPTURES FROM THIS WEEK’S MESSAGE:
- Leviticus 16:32-34, 16:1-2 // Exodus 30:10 // Matthew 27:50-51 // Hebrews 9:9, 9:11-12, 9:24
NEXT WEEK’S MESSAGE: God on Race: The Rise and Fall of the Human Race