Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is the most solemn day in the Jewish calendar. It is a day centred on repentance, forgiveness, prayer and reconciliation with God.
For Christians, Yom Kippur also provides a powerful opportunity to explore the biblical foundations of atonement and to consider how the Day of Atonement points, in Christian understanding, towards the sacrifice of Jesus.
But does that mean Christians should celebrate Yom Kippur?
What is Yom Kippur?
Yom Kippur means “Day of Atonement.” It takes place on the tenth day of the Hebrew month of Tishrei, following Rosh Hashanah and concluding the period commonly known as the Ten Days of Awe.
In 2026, Yom Kippur begins at sunset on Sunday 20 September and ends at sunset on Monday 21 September.
Today, Jewish communities around the world observe Yom Kippur through fasting, prayer, confession, repentance and extended synagogue services. The fast traditionally lasts approximately 25 hours.
At the heart of the day is teshuvah — repentance or, more literally, “returning.” It expresses the desire to turn away from wrongdoing and return to God and right living.
The Biblical Origins of Yom Kippur
The foundations of Yom Kippur are found particularly in Leviticus 16 and Leviticus 23:26–32.
God instructed Israel that once each year the high priest should enter the Most Holy Place to make atonement for himself and for the people.
Central to the ceremony were two goats.
One was sacrificed as a sin offering. Over the second, the high priest confessed the sins of Israel before it was sent away into the wilderness, symbolically carrying the people’s sins away.
This is the origin of our word “scapegoat.”
The Day of Atonement therefore brought together several powerful biblical themes:
- the seriousness of sin;
- humanity’s need for forgiveness;
- confession and repentance;
- sacrifice and the shedding of blood;
- a mediator entering God’s presence;
- cleansing and reconciliation;
- and sin being carried away.
The high priest’s annual entrance into the Holy of Holies was at the centre of the biblical observance.
Yom Kippur and Jesus
For Christians, the significance becomes particularly clear when we read the book of Hebrews.
Hebrews deliberately uses the imagery of the high priest, the sanctuary, blood and sacrifice to explain what Christians believe Jesus accomplished through His death and resurrection.
Hebrews 9:11–12 describes Christ entering the greater and more perfect tabernacle, obtaining eternal redemption through His own blood.
The contrast is important.
Under the Old Covenant, the high priest entered the Most Holy Place repeatedly, and the Day of Atonement returned every year.
Christ’s sacrifice, according to Hebrews, is different:
“But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God.”
Hebrews 10:12
The Christian understanding of Yom Kippur therefore isn’t simply, “This is an interesting Jewish festival.”
It reveals something fundamental about the gospel.
The high priest points towards the greater High Priest.
The sacrifice points towards the cross.
The removal of sin points towards forgiveness.
The entrance into God’s presence points towards the access believers now have to God through Christ.
So, Should Christians Celebrate Yom Kippur?
The New Testament does not command Christians to observe Yom Kippur as a requirement for salvation or acceptance with God.
Christians believe that atonement has ultimately been accomplished through Jesus Christ rather than through an annual sacrifice.
Hebrews 10:14 declares:
“For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.”
At the same time, Christians can find great value in remembering and learning from Yom Kippur.
There is an important distinction between believing Christians must keep Yom Kippur and choosing to use the day as an opportunity for prayer, repentance and reflection.
Paul writes in Romans 14:5–6 that one person may regard one day as special while another regards every day alike, and that each should act in honour of the Lord.
Similarly, Colossians 2:16–17 warns believers against judging one another regarding religious festivals and describes such observances as a shadow pointing towards the reality found in Christ.
Therefore, Christians do not need to observe Yom Kippur in order to obtain forgiveness. But the biblical themes represented by the day can provide a profound opportunity to appreciate more deeply what Christians believe Jesus has accomplished.
Five Reasons Christians Might Mark Yom Kippur
1. To remember the holiness of God
Yom Kippur reminds us that entering God’s presence should never be treated casually. The elaborate preparations of the high priest demonstrated God’s holiness and humanity’s need for cleansing.
2. To examine our own hearts
Grace should never make Christians indifferent towards sin.
Yom Kippur presents an opportunity to pray the words of Psalm 139:23–24:
“Search me, God, and know my heart… See if there is any offensive way in me.”
Repentance remains central to Christian discipleship.
3. To appreciate the cross afresh
Understanding Leviticus 16 makes passages such as Hebrews 9 and 10 much richer.
The Day of Atonement provides the background against which the New Testament explains Jesus as both our High Priest and the one whose sacrifice brings reconciliation with God.
4. To pray for the Jewish people
Yom Kippur is one of the most significant days of the year for Jewish communities. Christians can use the occasion to pray respectfully for Jewish friends, neighbours and communities, while rejecting antisemitism and remembering the Jewish roots of the Christian faith.
5. To pursue reconciliation with others
Yom Kippur isn’t only concerned with private spirituality. Jewish teaching strongly emphasises making things right with people we have wronged; sins against another person require seeking forgiveness from that person.
That principle should challenge Christians too.
Jesus taught:
“If you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you… first go and be reconciled to them.”
Matthew 5:23–24
From Atonement to Intercession
Yom Kippur can also become a meaningful day of prayer.
We can pray for:
Personal repentance — asking the Holy Spirit to reveal areas of compromise, unforgiveness or disobedience.
The Church — praying for holiness, humility, repentance and renewed passion for Jesus.
Reconciliation — praying for broken relationships, divided churches, communities and nations.
The Jewish people — praying for peace, protection and God’s blessing upon Jewish communities, particularly amid antisemitism and hostility.
Those who do not yet know Christ — asking God to reveal His mercy and draw people to Himself.
The Invitation Behind the Day of Atonement
Perhaps one of the greatest lessons Christians can take from Yom Kippur is that sin is serious, but God’s desire is reconciliation.
The Day of Atonement reminds us that humanity cannot simply ignore the separation caused by sin.
Yet the Christian message does not finish at Leviticus 16.
It takes us to Jesus.
The curtain has been opened. The sacrifice has been offered. The invitation to approach God has been given.
Hebrews 10:19–22 therefore encourages believers to draw near to God with confidence because of what Christ has accomplished.
Christians do not need to observe Yom Kippur in order to earn forgiveness or complete the work of Christ. But we can allow this biblical day to lead us into deeper gratitude, repentance, prayer and worship.
This Yom Kippur, perhaps the question for Christians is not simply:
“Should we celebrate it?”
Perhaps a better question is:
“What does the Day of Atonement teach us about the holiness of God, the seriousness of sin, the wonder of forgiveness and the sacrifice of Jesus?”
And having remembered the price of our reconciliation, may we draw near to God — and pray that many others will discover His mercy too.
Natasha Ruddock is the Communications Manager at World Prater Centre Birmingham.
