Welcome to Defenders, the teaching class of Dr. William Lane Craig.

Today, the Doctrine of Christ, Part 9.

For more information and resources from Dr. Craig, go to reasonablefaith.org.

We began our study of the atonement wrought by Christ, and we saw last time that the predominant motif

in the New Testament for the atonement wrought by Jesus' death is that of a sacrifice to God,

a sacrificial offering. And we began to look at the Old Testament background to the notion of sacrifice.

And we saw that in the Levitical sacrifices, which were offered in the tabernacle, and then later

in the temple in Jerusalem, that these sacrifices in general served twin functions.

They would expiate sin, that is they would cleanse or purify of sin, and then they

would propitiate God, that is to say they would satisfy God's justice and wrath.

Now let's look today specifically at propitiatory sacrifices.

At least some of the Old Testament sacrifices were clearly propitiatory in nature.

A premier example is the sacrifice of the Passover lamb.

This sacrifice was not originally intended for the expiation of sin.

Rather, the blood of the lamb smeared on the door frames of the

Israelite homes served to shelter them from divine wrath and judgment as it swept over Egypt.

In Exodus chapter 12, verses 1 and 2, the Lord says, when I see the blood, I will pass

over you and no plague shall fall upon you to destroy you when I smite the land of Egypt.

Had they not offered these sacrifices, then God's deadly judgment would have fallen

on the Israelites as well as the Egyptians. But these sacrifices of the Passover lamb served

to safeguard them from the wrath and judgment of God.

Propitiation is also in view in the various priestly sacrifices

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