How can a man atone for the sins of mankind?

The King James Version (KJV) is mostly used in these lessons. Click here to access the KJV online.

Answer: Only a man with flesh and blood, living sinless life, could be the perfect sacrifice and die for our sins. If Yahushua was G-d, he could not atone for the sins of mankind.

If Yahushua is a man, then how can a man atone for the sins of mankind? Many Christians believe, that mankind has sinned against an infinite G-d and therefore it takes an infinite being to atone for infinite sin. Therefore Yahushua must be G-d. But this is wrong assumption and speculation. This is not what the Bible says.

Romans 5:15-19
But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of G-d, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Yahushua Christ, hath abounded unto many.

And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.

For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Yahushua Christ.)

Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

Apostle Paul is speaking here about two men: the first Adam and the second Adam, Yahushua. The first is a man and the second is also a man. By one man's (Adam) disobedience many were made sinners and by the obedience of one man (Yahushua) shall many be made righteous. Simple as it is said.

1) Was Yahushua a man?

1 Timothy 2:5
For there is one G-d, and one mediator between G-d and men, the man Christ Yahushua;

Acts 2:22
"Men of Israel, listen to this: Yahushua of Nazareth was a man accredited by G-d to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which G-d did among you through him, as you yourselves know.

Acts 2:23
This man was handed over to you by G-d’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross.

Acts 17:31
For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.

The Greek word for "man" in these verses is anthropos (G444). It means "a human being, whether male or female, generically, to include all human individuals, to distinguish man from beings of a different race or order."

Anthropos is used to describe Adam, the first man. Same word is used in Romans 5:15 to describe Yahushua Christ. If words mean anything, one must believe that Yahushua Christ was a flesh and blood human being just like Adam.

Romans 5:15
But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of G-d, and the gift by grace, which is by one man (anthropos, G444), Yahushua Christ, hath abounded unto many.

Anthropos is used 560 times in the New Testament always describing men like me and you. For example:

Mat 4:19
And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men (anthropos).

Mat 8:9
For I am a man (anthropos) under authority, having soldiers under me...

Mat 8:27 But the men (anthropos) marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!

Yahushua is described as a man, similar to other men (anthropos) in the Bible.

2) Was Yahushua a man + G-d?

Again, Yahushua as G-d+man is pure speculation, not supported by the Scripture. Bible clearly says that G-d is not a man. A person is either G-d or man, he cannot be both.

Numbers 23:19
G-d is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man…

Hosea 11:9
I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger, I will not return to destroy Ephraim: for I am G-d, and not man; the Holy One in the midst of thee: and I will not enter into the city.

Yahushua Christ was a man (anthropos), not G-d. G-d is only one, Yahuwah, his and our Father in heaven.

3) What is Atonement?

The Bible's central message is atonement, that is, that Yahuwah has provided a way for humankind to come back into harmonious relation with Him. From the first stories in Genesis to the last visions of Revelation, Yahuwah seeks to reconcile His people to Himself.

1 Corinthians 15:28
And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that G-d may be all in all.

The breadth of the use of the concept in the Old Testament is striking. Atonement is provided for inanimate objects such as a mildewing house, the altar in the temple, the sanctuary (i.e., the Holy of Holies within the Tent of Meeting), the holy place, and the tent of meeting/temple itself.

Atonement is clearly the action of G-d and not of man throughout the Bible, but especially in Leviticus 16. Here G-d gives Aaron precise instructions concerning how He wants the sacrifices to be made, down to the clothes Aaron is to wear, the bathing rituals in which he is to engage, and the types of sacrificial animals he is to bring. His sovereignty is further emphasized by the fact that the lot is used to choose which goat will be sacrificed and which goat will serve as the scapegoat.

The purpose for the ritual is made very clear in several places. It is to cleanse you "from all your sins" (Lev 16:30). Other passages make it clear that such cleansing results in saving the life of the participant (Lev 17:11). The restoring of pure relationship is an important result, too, since the atonement is for all "uncleanness and rebellion of the Israelites, whatever their sins have been" (Lev 16:16). Thus Israel is reunited in purity to its G-d by the atoning sacrifice for sins.

Atonement covers all the sins — intentional, unintentional, heinous and trivial of those for whom it is intended.

The second Gospel passage relating to atonement appears in the words of Yahushua recorded in all three Gospels (Matt 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-25 ; Luke 22:15-20). At Luke 22:19-20, Yahushua asserts that both the bread and the wine symbolize the fact that his death would be "for you", a phrase not found in the other Gospel. The key element linking the passage in all three Gospels to atonement is the sacrificial nature of the language; the poured-out blood is the blood of the lamb of Leviticus 16, sacrificed "for the forgiveness of sins" (Matt 26:28).

4) Did the man Yahushua die for our sins?

Hebrews 9:27-28
Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

1 Peter 3:18
For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to G-d, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

Romans 5:10
For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to G-d by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

1 John 3:16
Hereby perceive we the love of G-d, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

John 10:11
I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

Isaiah 53:5
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

Isaiah 53:6
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and Yahuwah hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

1 John 2:2
And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

5) The man Yahushua - the Lamb of Yah

Can you for a second imagine a man walking to you and you know, he is the man, who will be offered as pure sacrifice for your sins? Yahushua Christ was the Lamb of Yah to be offered for our sins. That was what John saw:

John 1:29
The next day John seeth Yahushua coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of G-d, which taketh away the sin of the world.

All Israel knew, that such a man, a prophet, one of them, son of Yah, will be born once, will live a sinless life and die for their sins. That was their hope and now John saw this man coming unto him. What an experience! Also our only hope is in the blood of the Lamb.

Revelation 7:14
... These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

Revelation 14:4
These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto G-d and to the Lamb.

Revelation 13:8
And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

Revelation 17:14
These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

Conclusion: Yahushua was born a man from flesh and blood. He was "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world" in the plan of salvation. He was born of the Spirit and without sin and therefore could be the perfect sacrifice for our sins. He was the second Adam, obedient to his Father. He died on the cross for our sins as the sacrificial Lamb and only believing in him we can have eternal life and receive his righteousness.

John 15:13
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.