From Atonement to New Life

From Atonement to Victory“God looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. Everyone has turned away, all have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.”
—Psalm 53:2-3

Scripture ReadingsPsalm 53 – A sobering reminder that all have fallen into sin.
Leviticus 23:26-41 – The Day of Atonement and the call to repentance.
Revelation 19:1-8 – Rejoicing in heaven when sin and evil are finally defeated
Psalm 53 offers a stark and uncomfortable truth: we are all sinful. There is no escaping this reality—no one is truly righteous. It is easy to see corruption in the world around us, yet harder to admit that we, too, fall short of God’s holiness.
This is why the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 23) was so critical in Israel’s worship. Once a year, the high priest would enter the Holy of Holies, offering a sacrifice for the sins of the people. It was a day of fasting, repentance, and humility—an acknowledgment that sin is real and costly. The people would cease from their work, recognizing their total dependence on God’s mercy.
But this atonement was only temporary. Year after year, sacrifices had to be made. Sin remained, and the people needed redemption again and again.
Revelation 19 offers the final resolution to this struggle. The great multitude in heaven shouts:
"Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for true and just are his judgments." (Revelation 19:1-2)
This is the vision we long for--the final conquering of sin.  It is depicted as a beast defeated, and the world restored. The moment when sacrifices of atonement are no longer needed, because Christ has made us whole.
Marcus Borg wrote:
“Salvation is not about the afterlife; it’s about transformation in this life—about personal and social transformation.”
This is what Lent calls us to: transformation. We fast, repent, and prepare our hearts, not just for the suffering of Good Friday, but for the victory of Easter. Just as the Day of Atonement called Israel to recognize its sin and seek renewal, Holy Week calls us to turn from sin and embrace the redemption that Jesus offers.
As we approach Passover and Holy Week, let us remember:

• We are all in need of atonement.
  
• Jesus is the final and perfect sacrifice.
  
• The victory of Revelation is coming—our world, so full of corruption, will be made new.
  

Let this Lenten season be a time of deep reflection and anticipation. We repent because we know redemption is near. We lament because we know joy is coming. The beast of sin will not have the final word—Christ will.

Lenten PrayerRighteous God,
We confess that we, like all humanity, have fallen into sin. But You have made a way for redemption, first through atonement, and finally through Christ’s victory he saves us all. As we walk through this Lenten season, may we turn away from sin and prepare our hearts for the joy of Easter. May we long for the day when all things will be made new. In Jesus’ name, Amen.