Last night at sundown Yom Kippur began and Jews in Israel flocked to the Western Wall. The 25-hour day of fasting and praying is a time observant Jews strive to have their names written in the book of life, at least for the next year. To “balance the scale” of sin means striving for righteousness. Harkening back in Jewish tradition, they recall the once-a-year day of atonement when the high priest entered the Holy of Holies on behalf of the Jewish people to accomplish that mission.

According to tradition, during a ceremony, a scarlet thread was tied to a goat which was sent off into the wilderness. That was the scapegoat, the sacrificial animal meant to carry away the sins of the people. When the string turned white, it symbolized the washing away of sin by the sacrifices offered at the Temple.

That thread turned white every year until Jesus, the sacrificial Lamb of God, died once for all sin. The string never turned white again because the sacrifice of Jesus was once and for all. When we accept His free gift of salvation our names are written in the book of life. It is not dependent upon our yearly praying and fasting, or the scarlet thread of a scapegoat turning white…it truly is the free gift of God. (Read more about the scarlet thread here.)

Jews focus on sin and atonement more on this day than on any other. Acknowledging sin is the first step in receiving the free gift of salvation, so our Jewish friends certainly start out on the right track. They just don’t finish the transaction. Let’s pray that many will go beyond simply being sorry for sin. Salvation is as easy as ABC, but requires all three:

A = Acknowledge sin. The truth of Romans 3:23 is that we ALL sin and fall short of the glory of God.

B = Believe that Jesus was indeed the sacrificial Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, and that He rose from the grave to make salvation possible. (Romans 10:9)

C = Confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord, which leads to salvation. (Romans 10:10)

It truly is as easy as A-B-C. The apostle Paul wrote earlier in Romans 10:

10 Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. ² For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. ³ For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. ⁴ For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

~Romans 10:1-4

Let’s join Paul in his desire and pray for Jewish eyes and minds to be open to that truth, that many will be saved. BTW – if you have never applied the ABC’s to your own life, do so today! There is never a better day than today!

PS: In late-October I will be at that very spot with a tour group. While that tour is filled, I’m taking another group in February 2024! There are a few seats available, so come go to the land of Jesus, the place our Christian faith takes root!