Yom Kippur

This evening at sundown begins the most solemn day in Judaism, Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, ushered in a period of ten days called Yamin Noraim, the days of awe. This is a time of introspection and self-examination with special prayers in the synagogue climaxed by special services on Yom Kippur beseeching the Lord for mercy and forgiveness. The truly penitent are assured that a merciful God will indeed forgive and, in effect, wipe the slate clean for a new year.

This communal act of catharsis and reflection is doubtless a good thing and, for those who take their Judaism seriously, it must be a quite meaningful experience.

All of this prompts me to reflect on how this compares with and differs from Christianity. There can be no doubt that in several places the language of the New Testament echoes the ancient traditions of Yom Kippur. The most obvious example is the book of Hebrews. The centerpiece of this clearly Jewish Christian writing is the portrayal of Jesus as our great High Priest after the order of Melchizedek in chapters five through ten.

Just like the ritual of Yom Kippur, Christians are urged to "approach the throne of grace with confidence so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need" (Heb 4:16). But there is a very significant difference: Jesus our high priest does something for us that is non-repeatable and non-replaceable. He has entered into the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, on our behalf and offered himself, not the blood of bulls and goats but his own blood (Heb 6:19-20; 7:18, 26-28; 10). How effective was the self-sacrifice on our behalf and in our place? The author of Hebrews says it cleanses our consciences so that we may serve the living God! (Heb 9:14). He says it cleanses us once for all and that we no longer have to feel guilty for our sins! (Heb 10:2). The redemption Jesus accomplishes is called eternal (Heb 9:12) and it saves us completely (Heb 7:25).

As the author of Hebrews makes abundantly clear, believers in Christ are under a new covenant arrangement mediated by the blood of Jesus. There is no need to repeat the Yom Kippur ritual of the old covenant because our sins have been dealt with once and for all by the sinless one.

On the other hand, is there still some relevance for Christians in the Yom Kippur traditions of Judaism? I think there is. Although the guilt and penalty of our sins have been atoned for by Christ's death on the cross on our behalf, we are not turned into sinless people when we accept Christ as Savior. We still possess a fallen nature and we still commit sins. These must be dealt with. The penalty has already been paid but sin disrupts fellowship with a holy God. This break must be repaired. Here is where the Yom Kippur ceremonies can be helpful. The New Testament epistle make clear that post-conversion sins must be confessed and turned away from. In the words of John the Apostle: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). The difference from Judaism is that we shouldn't wait until once a year to confess our failings and faults: this should be on a daily or as needed basis. We need to keep short accounts with God. Don't let sins build up and choke our fellowship with God and neighbor. Let's clean house regularly. In the Christian tradition, the Lord's Supper serves as a wonderful opportunity to do precisely as the Apostle Paul requires: examine ourselves before we eat the bread and drink the cup (1 Corinthians 11:28).

In short, Yom Kippur can serve to awaken our Christian consciences to the seriousness of sin and the urgent necessity to seek daily his forgiveness and cleansing. Through the work of our great High Priest this is not an impossible dream; it's a living reality.

Modern Judaism has a dilemma. They have no sacrificial ritual anymore. The hope of a rebuilt and restored Temple complete with a sacrificial ritual is a pipe dream for a minority of Jews. Judaism in both its Orthodox and Reformed expressions substitutes good deeds and good intentions for blood sacrifice. I do not discount these expressions of piety; they are praiseworthy. The problem is they are woefully insufficient to deal with the root problem. Here is where the glory of the Gospel shines forth. In Christ our most basic problem has been dealt with and we have divine resources to deal with our ongoing struggle with sin. In Paul's words, we are saved by grace and it is by that same grace that we work out our salvation. May Jesus Christ be praised!