Leviticus 5-7 Atonement

One of the most important words we come across in this book is the word atonement.  Here we are told that it is the priest who will make atonement for man or woman who has been found in sin. But, what does that word mean to us today? So I went looking up that word to try to harmonize my thoughts and understanding. Here is what I found:

• Atonement is primarily the act of repairing a broken relationship between a holy God and a sinful humanity.
• Sacrifice: It views Jesus’ death on the cross as the ultimate “once-for-all” sacrifice that fulfills and replaces the animal sacrifice systems of the Old Testament.
• Satisfaction: It is often described as satisfying the demands of divine justice, where the penalty for sin—death—is paid by Christ on behalf of others. 

Jesus was our atonement, if I understand correctly. He paid the price of my sin and your sin by his death on the cross. When you stop to consider this, it is a weighty answer. How can a sinful man do this but He could because He is without sin. He was sinless and therefore could make atonement for me and you. That makes 1 John 1:9 not only true but helpful. If we say we have no sin, then we are only deceiving ourselves. But, if we recognize that sin and go to God and confess that sin, He alone, that is Christ alone, can make atonement for me. 

Perhaps this verse would better explain it: 1Jo 3:5 And you know that Jesus was revealed to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. And that is why He could make atonement for us.