Jesus is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
– 1 John 2:2
Yes. What an amazing verse. This flows from what we prayed according to in 1 John 1:9. How Jesus has paid the penalty for our sins. This is what it means for him to be the propitiation for our sins.
He is the one who stands in the gap, who endures the just judgment, the just wrath of God. Due sin on our behalf, turns aside that wrath. That justice from us in such a way that we are saved, we are free. We are rescued from the just judgment we deserve. This is the gospel in a word, propitiation. Oh, it’s a great word. Just meditate on that word. Jesus has endured the just judgment you deserve, but not just you. That’s the point.
1 John 2:2 teaches us about Christ’s atoning sacrifice.
1 John 2:2. He’s the propitiation for our sin and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. And there’s a lot we could discuss here theologically. But the picture is clear. Exactly what John wrote in John 3, from the mouth of Jesus. God so loved the whole world that He gave His son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life. Jesus loves the whole world.
As we prayed according to 2 Peter 3:9, Jesus desires all people in the world to come to repentance. He loves them so much, he gave his life to make the way for them to be able to be saved from their sin, to not endure the just judgment of God. And so today, praise Jesus for his propitiation for your sins, but not for yours only, for the sins of the whole world, including people all around you today who don’t know Jesus.
Let’s share this good news with somebody today. Share this good news with somebody today who doesn’t know Jesus and not just right around us. This is why we pray all the time for unreached people in the world, people who’ve never even heard this good news, who don’t have access to Christians who can share this good news with them. We actually didn’t pray for an unreached people group yesterday in 1 John 1:9, so we’re going to pray for two today, because Jesus has died out of love for the whole world, including every people group on the planet. And we are praying that they would come to know his propitiation for their sins.
1 John 2:2 teaches us about the efficacy of Christ’s atonement.
So, we pray. All glory be to your name, Jesus, as the propitiation for our sins, as the one who paid the prize for us. We praise you. We deserve to be in hell right now. And here we are in communion with you, walking with you, praying to you, in fellowship with you, with confidence of eternal life with you. All glory be to your name, the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but for the whole world. So God, we pray for boldness today to share the gospel with somebody in our family, our circle of friends, or coworkers, or neighbors or classmates.
Just, God, help us whether we call somebody up, whether we have an in-person conversation, we send texts. God, help us, lead us by Your Spirit to share about the propitiation of Jesus, whether we use that word or not, the good news of what Jesus has done on the cross for others. God, help us to share it today.
Prayer for the Gaddi and the Bobo Madare People
And God, we pray for the spread of this good news all around the world. We pray for the Gaddi people of Pakistan, India and Nepal, no known followers of Jesus.
God, we pray that the Gaddi people would be reached with the good news of Your propitiation for their sins. We pray for the Gaddi of India and Pakistan and Nepal.
And God, we pray for the Bobo Madare people of Burkina Faso, both of these Muslim people groups who don’t know the truth about Jesus. God, we pray for the hundreds of thousands of Bobo Madare people and Burkina Faso.
Please God, cause the good news of Jesus to spread to them. Raise up your church to go to them, to give until they are reached with the good news of your grace, of your propitiation. Lord Jesus, we praise you for your love for them, we pray that you would help us to reflect your love for them as your church. As we intercede for them even now, I pray all of this according to your Word in 1 John 2:2, which we love, in Jesus’ name, amen.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
