Christ In Leviticus

Christ in Leviticus

Bro Edward Low | 10 May 2026 | Hebrews 10:11- 14

The Book of Leviticus Points Beyond Itself

The book of Leviticus contains 27 chapters and follows the events of Exodus, when the children of Israel were in the wilderness at the foot of Mount Sinai. At first glance, Leviticus may appear to be mainly about laws, priests, sacrifices, cleanliness, and ceremonies. Yet at its heart, the book is about something far deeper: how sinful people may approach a holy God.

Leviticus is not merely a book of rituals. It is a book that points forward to Christ. The sacrifices, the priesthood, the tabernacle, the blood, and the Day of Atonement all reveal man’s need for reconciliation with God. They show that sin is serious, that God is holy, and that atonement is necessary. But they also show that the Old Testament sacrifices were never the final answer. They were shadows pointing to the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 10:11–14
“And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.

But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool.

For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.”

The contrast is powerful. The Old Testament priests stood daily because their work was never finished. Christ sat down because His sacrifice was complete. The sacrifices in Leviticus had to be repeated, but Christ offered Himself once for all.

Understanding Sacrifice

Sacrifice means giving up something valuable — whether time, possessions, comfort, position, or even life — for a higher purpose, a greater cause, or the benefit of another. In daily life, sacrifice can be understood in many ways. A person may give up comfort for family, time for service, wealth for opportunity, or even life for the protection of others.

An illustration may be seen in the game of chess. The queen is the most powerful piece on the board. A player does not sacrifice the queen lightly. If the queen is given up, it is because the player sees a greater purpose — perhaps a path to victory. Sacrifice involves cost, but it is made with a greater outcome in view.

However, not all sacrifices are the same. Some sacrifices are selfless. Others are made for personal gain. Some sacrifices are temporary; others are life-changing. The highest sacrifice is not man giving something to God, but God coming down to give Himself for mankind.

The Main Message of Leviticus: God Is Holy

The central message of Leviticus is holiness. God called His people to be holy because He Himself is holy.

Leviticus 19:2
“Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them:
‘You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.’”

This statement is key to understanding the whole book. God is not like man. He is pure, righteous, and holy. Therefore, sinful man cannot casually approach Him. Sin creates separation, and that separation must be dealt with.

Isaiah 59:2
“But your iniquities have separated you from your God;
And your sins have hidden His face from you,
So that He will not hear.”

The issue in Leviticus is not simply that people made mistakes. The issue is that a holy God was dwelling among a sinful people. Sin had polluted the people, and reconciliation was needed. Saying “sorry” was not enough, because sin is a transgression against God. It required atonement.

The Problem: Sin Separates Man from God

Leviticus teaches that God is holy, man is sinful, and atonement is needed for reconciliation.

This is one of the clearest ways to summarise the message of the book:

God is holy.
Man is sinful and separated from God.
Man needs atonement to be reconciled back to God.

This is why Leviticus provides a system of sacrifices. It was like an appointed way, or an “SOP,” showing how sinful people could continue in relationship with a holy God. The sacrifices were not random rituals. They were God-given instructions to teach the seriousness of sin and the need for cleansing.

Leviticus 16:16
“So he shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel,
and because of their transgressions, for all their sins;
and so he shall do for the tabernacle of meeting which remains among them in the midst of their uncleanness.”

The tabernacle stood among the people, but the people were unclean because of sin. Therefore, atonement had to be made. Sin affected their relationship with God, their worship, and even the place where God’s presence was represented among them.

Atonement Requires Substitution

In Leviticus, atonement required substitution. When a person sinned, life was required. The life of the animal was given in place of the sinner. This showed that sin has a cost.

Leviticus 17:11
“For the life of the flesh is in the blood,
and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls;
for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.”

Blood was important because it represented life. The shedding of blood taught Israel that sin is not small or harmless. Sin brings death. If atonement was to be made, life had to be given.

But these animal sacrifices were not perfect. The animals were not equal to the worth of a human soul. They could not finally remove sin. They served their purpose for that time, but they were always pointing forward to a better sacrifice — the sacrifice of Christ.

The Two Goats: Propitiation and Expiation

Leviticus 16 gives one of the clearest pictures of atonement through the Day of Atonement. Two goats were involved, and together they showed two important truths about sin.

The first goat was slaughtered, and its blood was brought into the Holy Place.

Leviticus 16:15–16
“Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering, which is for the people,
bring its blood inside the veil,
do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bull,
and sprinkle it on the mercy seat and before the mercy seat.
So he shall make atonement for the Holy Place,
because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel,
and because of their transgressions, for all their sins;
and so he shall do for the tabernacle of meeting which remains among them in the midst of their uncleanness.”

This first goat showed thatsin must be paid for. The blood was brought before God, and atonement was made. This relates to propitiation — the satisfying of God’s righteous judgment against sin.

The second goat was the scapegoat. The sins of the people were confessed over it, and it was sent away into the wilderness.

Leviticus 16:21–22
“Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat,
confess over it all the iniquities of the children of Israel,
and all their transgressions, concerning all their sins,
putting them on the head of the goat,
and shall send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a suitable man.
The goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to an uninhabited land;
and he shall release the goat in the wilderness.”

This second goat showed that sin must be removed. The burden of sin was symbolically transferred to the goat, and the goat carried it away.

The two goats therefore teach two key truths:

Propitiation: Sin must be paid for before God.
Expiation: Sin must be removed from the people.

The first goat addressed guilt before God.

The second goat addressed the burden and pollution of sin.

Together, they showed that sin must be fully dealt with.

The Levitical Sacrifices Were Imperfect

Leviticus chapters 1–7 describe different offerings: the burnt offering, grain offering, peace offering, sin offering, and guilt offering. These offerings taught Israel how to worship, give thanks, seek forgiveness, and make restitution. Yet they were not the final solution to sin.

Leviticus 4 speaks especially of sins committed unintentionally.

Leviticus 4:2
“Speak to the children of Israel, saying:
‘If a person sins unintentionally against any of the commandments of the LORD in anything which ought not to be done, and does any of them…’”

This shows that the sacrificial system dealt especially with sins of weakness, ignorance, and failure. But deliberate rebellion was treated with great seriousness.

Numbers 15:30–31
“But the person who does anything presumptuously, whether he is native-born or a stranger,
that one brings reproach on the LORD, and he shall be cut off from among his people.
Because he has despised the word of the LORD, and has broken His commandment,
that person shall be completely cut off; his guilt shall be upon him.”

This reminds us that sacrifice was never meant to make people casual about sin. God’s mercy was not a licence for rebellion. The sacrifices taught the people to fear God, honour His holiness, and understand the cost of sin.

The Priest Himself Was Imperfect

Another weakness of the Levitical system was that the priest himself was sinful. Aaron had to offer sacrifice not only for the people, but also for himself and his own household.

Leviticus 16:6
“Aaron shall offer the bull as a sin offering, which is for himself,
and make atonement for himself and for his house.”

This is significant. The priest who represented the people before God also needed atonement. He was not perfect. He could not be the final mediator between God and man.

The sacrifices also had to be repeated every year.

Leviticus 16:34
“This shall be an everlasting statute for you,
to make atonement for the children of Israel, for all their sins, once a year.
And he did as the LORD commanded Moses.”

The repetition showed that the work was not complete. If the sacrifice had truly removed sin forever, it would not need to be offered again and again. The yearly sacrifices reminded the people that sin still needed a final answer.

Hebrews Explains the Weakness of the Levitical System

The book of Hebrews looks back at Leviticus and explains that the old system was temporary, imperfect, and incomplete. It served a purpose, but it could not bring perfection.

Hebrews 7:11
“Therefore, if perfection were through the Levitical priesthood
(for under it the people received the law),
what further need was there that another priest should rise according to the order of Melchizedek,
and not be called according to the order of Aaron?”

If the Levitical priesthood could make people perfect, there would be no need for another priest. But another priest was needed — Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 7:18–19
“For on the one hand there is an annulling of the former commandment
because of its weakness and unprofitableness,
for the law made nothing perfect;
on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope,
through which we draw near to God.”

The law made nothing perfect. It showed the way, but it could not complete the work. It pointed forward to a better hope.

The Tabernacle Was a Shadow, Not the Reality

The tabernacle and its ceremonies were copies and shadows of heavenly realities. They were not meaningless, but they were not the final reality either.

Hebrews 8:5–6
“Who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things,
as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle.
For He said, ‘See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.’
But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry,
inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant,
which was established on better promises.”

The old covenant had value, but Christ brought something better. He is the Mediator of a better covenant, established on better promises.

Hebrews 9:9–10
“It was symbolic for the present time
in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered
which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience—
concerned only with foods and drinks, various washings,
and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation.”

The old sacrifices could cleanse outwardly, but they could not perfect the conscience. They dealt with ceremonial uncleanness, but they could not fully cleanse the heart.

Christ Is the Better High Priest and Perfect Sacrifice

The good news is that Christ came as the true High Priest. He did not enter an earthly tabernacle with animal blood. He entered the true Most Holy Place with His own blood.

Hebrews 9:11–12
“But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come,
with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands,
that is, not of this creation.
Not with the blood of goats and calves,
but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all,
having obtained eternal redemption.”

This is the great fulfilment of Leviticus. The blood of goats and calves could only point forward. The blood of Christ accomplished what animal blood could never do. Through Christ, there is eternal redemption.

The summary of Hebrews regarding the Levitical system is clear:

The Levitical priesthood was imperfect.
The tabernacle was a shadow, not the final reality.
The cleansing was outward and temporary.
Christ’s blood is far superior to animal blood.
Christ’s sacrifice is perfect and complete.

The Old Sacrifices Could Not Take Away Sin

Hebrews 10 explains why the sacrifices had to be repeated. They could not fully remove sin.

Hebrews 10:1–4
“For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come,
and not the very image of the things,
can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year,
make those who approach perfect.
For then would they not have ceased to be offered?
For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins.
But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year.
For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.”

The sacrifices reminded the people of sin year after year. They did not erase sin completely. They were provisional. They were good for their purpose, but they were not the final solution. They were like a debt being rolled over, but not fully settled. The final payment had not yet been made.

Christ Offered Himself Once for All

Christ did what the Levitical sacrifices could never do. He put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.

Hebrews 9:23–28
“Therefore it was necessary that the copies of the things in the heavens should be purified with these,
but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true,
but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us;
not that He should offer Himself often,
as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another—
He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world;
but now, once at the end of the ages,
He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.
And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,
so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many.
To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time,
apart from sin, for salvation.”

Christ did two things for mankind.

He satisfied the righteous judgment of God, and He bore away the sins of many.

He fulfilled what the two goats in Leviticus pictured. He is the true sacrifice whose blood was offered before God, and He is the true sin-bearer who carried sin away.

Without Christ, man stands condemned. With Christ, there is forgiveness, redemption, and hope.

Christ’s Sacrifice Is Complete

The completeness of Christ’s sacrifice is seen in the fact that He sat down at the right hand of God. The priest in Leviticus stood because the work continued. Christ sat down because His work was finished.

Hebrews 10:11–14
“And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices,
which can never take away sins.
But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever,
sat down at the right hand of God,
from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool.
For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.”

This is the heart of the Christian’s confidence. The believer does not stand before God on the basis of personal goodness, religious performance, or repeated sacrifices. The believer stands because Christ has offered the perfect sacrifice.

Hebrews 10:17–18
“Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.
Now where there is remission of these,
there is no longer an offering for sin.”

Where sin has been remitted, no further offering is needed. Christ’s sacrifice is enough.

God’s Sacrifice Was Prophesied and Fulfilled in Christ

The sacrifice of Christ was not an accident or afterthought. It was part of God’s eternal plan. The prophets spoke of it, and the New Testament reveals its fulfilment.

Isaiah 53:10
“Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him;
He has put Him to grief.
When You make His soul an offering for sin,
He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days,
And the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand.”

Isaiah looked forward to One whose soul would be made an offering for sin. This was fulfilled in Christ.

John 1:29
“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said,
‘Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’”

Jesus is the Lamb of God. He does not merely cover sin temporarily. He takes away sin.

Romans 3:25
“Whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith,
to demonstrate His righteousness,
because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed.”

Christ is the propitiation by His blood. In Him, God’s righteousness is demonstrated, and sin is dealt with justly.

2 Corinthians 5:21
“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us,
that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

Christ had no sin, yet He bore sin for us. He took what was ours so that we might receive what is His.

1 Peter 1:18–19
“Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold,
from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers,
but with the precious blood of Christ,
as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”

The price of redemption was not silver or gold. It was the precious blood of Christ.

From a Mind of Sin to a Godly Mindset

The sacrifice of Christ does not mean that believers may continue casually in sin. Forgiveness is not permission to rebel. Grace is not a licence to live carelessly. The sacrifice of Christ calls people to transformation.

Leviticus says, “You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.” Christ’s sacrifice brings believers back to God so that they may live a new life before Him. The purpose of redemption is not only to escape punishment, but to be changed — from a mind of sin to a godly mindset.

A person who understands the cost of Christ’s sacrifice cannot treat sin lightly. The blood of Christ should move the heart to gratitude, reverence, obedience, and holiness. The believer is called to live differently because the price paid was unimaginably great.

The Good News of Leviticus Fulfilled in Christ

Leviticus shows the problem: God is holy, and man is sinful.
Hebrews shows the fulfilment: Christ is the perfect sacrifice who brings man back to God.

The animal sacrifices were temporary. Christ’s sacrifice is eternal.
The priests were imperfect. Christ is the perfect High Priest.
The tabernacle was a shadow. Christ entered the true heavenly place.
The blood of animals could not take away sin. Christ’s blood brings eternal redemption.

Without Christ, mankind has no hope. Sin separates man from God, and judgment is certain. But God did not leave man without hope.

He came down.

He gave His Son.

He provided the sacrifice that man could never provide for himself.

The chess illustration reminds us of the helpless condition of man without Christ. In a game of chess, there can come a point where no matter what move a player makes, the outcome is already certain — checkmate. In the same way, because of sin, mankind is already in a losing position before God. No human effort, wisdom, goodness, or religious action can change the final outcome on its own.

Without Christ, every move still ends in defeat. But God, in His mercy, made the decisive move for us. What looked like loss at the cross became the victory of God. Through Christ’s sacrifice, sin is paid for. Through Christ, sin is carried away. Through Christ, the believer is no longer condemned, but given redemption, forgiveness, and eternal life.

The proper response is a life of faith, gratitude, and holiness. Since Christ has offered Himself once for all, believers must not live as though His sacrifice means little. They are called to draw near to God, turn away from sin, and live a life that honours the One who gave Himself for them.