Archive for October 21st, 2008
In these words we have Jesus Christ described: -1. By his external function, as being an advocate and a propitiation for our sins. -2. By his inward qualification, as being righteous. We have studied his office of advocate; we come now to his second office. “He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world.”
Doct. Jesus Christ is the propitiation for the sins not only of believing Jews, but likewise of believing Christians all the world over.
Some translations render it, “He is the reconciliation; but that does not express the full meaning. Propitiation includes three things.
-1. It requires that he should expiate our sins, that is, make satisfaction for them. A man may be a means of reconciliation without satisfaction, but he cannot be a propitiation without offering satisfaction for the wrong done. Now Christ did make satisfaction for our sins (Heb, 2:17); and to make satisfaction, he offered a satisfactory sacrifice for our sins (1 Pet. 2:24). Since he bore the sin and punishment due to it, it is as much as if we had done it.
-2. To be a propitiation it is required that he make peace and reconciliation; for though a man sometimes may recompense and satisfy a wrong, yet the party wronged will not be at peace with him. But Christ has taken it upon him to reconcile God to us, so that his wrath is turned from us and his favor restored (Col. 1:21). Now this reconciling implies three things: that once we were friends with God, that we fell out with God, and that, having fallen out, we are reconciled again and made at peace with him. Now this last is procured by Christ; whereas we were once friends with God in Paradise, and fell from him and his favor, Christ has come and made up that breach and reconciled us again.