Therefore, He had to be like His brothers in every way, so that He could become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. Hebrews 2:17 HCSB
Vocabulary.com reports that “propitiation” is an action meant to regain someone’s favor or make up for something you did wrong. Propitiation comes from a form of the Latin verb”propitiare,” which means “to appease.” If you are doing something in propitiation, your basic goal is to regain favor. Propitiation often involves a god or gods.
In Biblical times the High Priest was the mediator between God and the people. He would regularly offer animal sacrifices to intercede on behalf of the people, asking for God’s forgiveness. Jesus Christ is our High Priest. His death on the cross appeased God’s wrath and judgment on sin. It is through Jesus Christ that we are made right with a holy God. Through His death He has paid the penalty for our sins. Just as the High Priest made propitiation for the sins of the people, Jesus now makes propitiation for our sins.
Challenge: Thank Jesus for being your propitiation and appeasing the wrath and anger of God through His death on the cross.