Most of us understand the term, "scapegoat," to mean one who is blamed for the offences committed by someone else. The word is found in the instructions Yahweh gave to Moses for the Day of Atonement. The high priest, Aaron, was to first wash himself in water, put on holy garments, and offer a sin offering for himself and his household. Then he was to present two goats before Yahweh. After casting lots for each of the goats, one would be offered to Yahweh as a sin offering and the other one would be let go in the wilderness as the "scapegoat:"

The first goat, the one for Yahweh, was to be sacrificed and its blood shed to atone for the sins of the congregation:

After the sacrifice was finished and the blood of the slain goat was sprinkled for the atonement of sins, the second goat was brought forward. This time, Aaron was to lay his hands upon the head of the live goat and "confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins." Then, the sin-ladened goat was to be released into the wilderness:

While Yahweh instructed Israel to keep the law, such as this ordinance concerning the two goats on the Day of Atonement, we are reminded that their purpose was to serve as a "shadow" of the true, showing the good things that were yet to come:

These sacrifices were instituted to served as a "type" or a "pattern" of the true sacrifice. If they had really taken away sins, then there would have been no further need to continue the sacrifices:

Clearly, the first goat, even though it was offered as a "sin offering," could not take away sins. It was used to show the sacrifice that Yahshua the Messiah (Jesus Christ) would make as the final sacrifice for sin. He entered into the holy place only once and fulfilled the pattern of the law, obtaining our "eternal redemption:"

What about the "scapegoat?" What does it show?

As the crowds gathered in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost (Feast of Weeks) that followed the Passover when Yahshua (Jesus) was crucified, Peter reminded them what they had done. They had actually crucified the One who was both "Lord and the Messiah!"

That meant the sacrifice had been made for their sins, just as the goat, being offered year after year on the Day of Atonement, had demonstrated. Once the crowd realized what had happened, they felt the emotion of godly sorrow as they were "pricked in their heart." Now what? They asked Peter and the other apostles, "what shall we do?"

Peter clearly told them what they must do:

By being baptized in the name of Yahshua the Messiah, they would confess their belief that He had died as the offering for their sins (see Romans 6:3-7). By repenting, they would confess their sins before God and send them away from themselves, much like Aaron had done with the "scapegoat." Through repentance and believing that Yahshua was our sin offering, our sins are completely (as far as the east is from the west) taken away from us:

The same Greek word, "aphesis," is translated in English as "remission" and as "forgiveness." It is based on a Greek word which means "to send away." (see Strong’s Concordance). Therefore, Yahshua, as our Savior, bore our repented sins as they are forgiven (remitted or sent away):

Yahshua commands us to repent and believe the gospel:

The good news of the gospel is that the sin offering has already been made. However, only our past sins (those for which we have repented) have been forgiven:

Yahshua died for the sins of the whole world:

Even though He died for the sins of the whole world, many in the world still retain sin. They keep the sin either because they do not believe that Yahshua was the sin offering and/or because they have not repented for their sins.

They also retain sins because they have not forgiven others for the sins (trespasses) that they have committed against them. Unless we forgive (remit or send away) the sins that others have committed against us, we cannot expect God to forgive (remit or send away) the sins (trespasses) we have committed against Him:

After Yahshua’s disciples received the Holy Ghost, He gave them clear instructions concerning retaining and remitting the sins of others:

The word "retain" means "to have power of," "to get possession of," or "to hold in the hand" (see Strong’s Concordance). Therefore, if we hold onto the sins (trespasses) of others, then we take possession of them. Adopting them as our own, we hold onto them in the form of an unrepentant grudge. However, if we "remit" (forgive or send away) those sins, then they are sent unto the ones that committed them. When we release them, they no longer belong to us. The ones who committed the sins can then either "retain" them or they can repent (send them away as a thing of the past), believing that God has forgiven them by the power of the blood of Yahshua.

God has given us a choice. We can hold onto our sins (as well as the sins of others). Or, remembering the example of the sin-ladened "scapegoat," we can release them and send them away through repentance, believing that they are forgiven.

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