Christ is identified as our scapegoat by bearing all our sins, just as the goat in Leviticus 16 bore the sins of the Israelites into the wilderness.
In Leviticus 16, the scapegoat carries away the iniquities of the people, which served as a powerful symbol of Christ’s work on the cross. The high priest, by laying his hands on the goat and confessing the people’s sins, illustrates the transference of guilt. This act signifies that Christ, our ultimate scapegoat, bore all of our sins—past, present, and future—removing them completely from the sight of God. As stated in Isaiah 53:6, all our iniquities were laid upon Him, demonstrating that He is uniquely qualified to take away the sins of His people, fulfilling the shadow of the Old Testament in His redemptive work.
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