What Is the Atonement?

It is quite simply this: “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment for our peace was upon Him . . . .” Isa. 53:5. He paid for our punishment. He took upon Himself the punishment we should have had. This was the great work that took place on Calvary, so that we might have peace. That is the atonement.

Who is the atoner? The Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, is the atonement for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. 1 John 2:1-2.

Jesus did not just finish the act of atoning for sin; now we meet His very Person as the living, exalted Christ at the Father’s right hand, and in that connection it says about Him, “He is the atonement for our sins . . . .” He has not only atoned for our sins, but He Himself is the atonement. What surety this is for salvation! He entered the Most Holy Place with His own blood into heaven itself, to be manifested before God’s face for our sake and obtained eternal redemption. What Jesus did on earth, God acknowledged in heaven. There Jesus’ blood speaks better things than Abel’s, for Abel’s blood called out from the ground, and God cursed Cain away from off the face of the earth because he had killed his brother. Gen. 4:10-11. Jesus’ blood does not call out from the earth as Abel’s did, because Jesus went with His own blood into heaven itself before God’s face for our sake. Jesus’ blood calls out in heaven before God’s face, and God does not curse us away from the face of the earth as He did with Cain, but He is merciful and saves. Therefore Jesus’ blood speaks better things than Abel’s. When Jesus walked on earth, it was said about Him, “No man ever spoke like this Man!” John 7:46. And we say, “Neither has anyone spoken in heaven as He has; therefore He is the most excellent One. He speaks to us on earth through His Spirit, and by means of His blood He speaks in heaven.” What a consolation and what a salvation this is!