A Moment of Unexpected Kindness
April 2008. Western Oregon vs. Central Washington. Win and advance, lose and go home.
Late in the game, Sara Tucholsky — a light‑hitting player who had never hit a collegiate home run — stepped to the plate. With two runners on, she connected with a curveball and launched it over the fence.
In her excitement, she missed first base. Her coach yelled for her to return, and as she pivoted, a sharp pop echoed from her knee. She collapsed, unable to stand, unable to walk, unable to finish the greatest moment of her athletic life.
Crawling back to first base, tears streaming, she looked up and asked the umpire and her coach, “What do I do?”
The umpires huddled. Her teammates couldn’t help her — that would result in an out. The home run would be erased.
Then something remarkable happened.
Mallory Holtman, the opposing first baseman, approached the umpires with a question: “Can we help her?”
Receiving permission, Mallory and the second baseman lifted Sara gently, letting her good leg touch each base. They carried her around the diamond, step by step, until she reached home plate.
The game ended. The celebration began. And sportsmanship became a living parable.
Their act of grace revealed a depth of character — and it illustrates something far greater: the work of Jesus, who intervenes for broken humanity and carries us where we cannot go on our own.
THE SHADOW OF ATONEMENT
From Moses through the New Testament era, the holiest moment of the Jewish year unfolded during Passover week. Families gathered, fires crackled, stories were shared, and the city overflowed with pilgrims. One historian wrote that it was impossible to find a patch of ground not covered by people.
But the week’s most solemn moment came on the Day of Atonement.
The High Priest’s Dangerous Mission
On that day, the High Priest entered the Most Holy Place — the only day he was allowed inside. He carried the blood of a sacrificed goat, approaching the Ark of the Covenant and the mercy seat resting upon it.
His mission was simple but terrifying: Sprinkle the blood on the mercy seat and hope God accepted the sacrifice.
If he acted improperly, or if the people’s sin was too great, he could be struck dead. A rope was tied around him so his body could be retrieved if necessary.
Outside, the people waited in silence. If God accepted the offering, their sins would be covered for another year. But the problem was obvious:
- A flawed man offered an imperfect sacrifice.
- The people remained sinful at their core.
- The sacrifice covered sin but never changed the sinner.
They were like Sara Tucholsky lying in the dirt — unable to finish what needed to be done, hoping someone could intervene.
THE DAY THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING
One year, the pattern broke.
While crowds gathered at the temple, others stood on a hill outside the city, watching an execution. The condemned man was Jesus — a name familiar to everyone in Jerusalem.
Most expected His story to end that day. Instead, His death changed history.
The Great High Priest
Consider the parallels:
- The High Priest entered the Holy Place with the blood of an animal. Jesus, our Great High Priest, offered His own blood on the cross.
- The High Priest sacrificed for his own sins and the sins of the people. Jesus offered a pure and perfect sacrifice, needing no atonement for Himself.
- The High Priest hoped to appease God’s anger. Jesus satisfied God’s wrath once and for all.
- The High Priest left the Holy of Holies and would not return for another year. When Jesus died, the veil separating God and humanity was torn from top to bottom. The way to God was opened permanently.
We no longer wait outside the temple. We no longer hope our sins are temporarily covered. We no longer rely on a flawed priest.
We come boldly.
THE POWER OF ATONEMENT
Jesus’ sacrifice changed everything:
- Our sins are fully paid for.
- Our unrighteousness is covered.
- Our relationship with God is restored.
- The hostility between God and humanity is gone.
John 4:9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
Atonement means the offense is blotted out. God’s anger is satisfied. Fellowship is restored. What Adam lost in the Garden is regained through Christ.
Romans 3:25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement,[a] through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—
Hebrews 2:17 For this reason he had to be made like them,[a] fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.
Through His death, we enter a new covenant — reconciled, made righteous, adopted.
THREE TRUTHS TO HOLD CLOSE
- God provided the perfect sacrifice through His Son.
- There is no hostility between you and God.
- You now live in a new relationship because of Jesus’ atoning work.
THE FINAL WORD
Just as Sara Tucholsky could not finish her journey around the bases, we cannot reach God on our own. We collapse under the weight of our sin. We lie broken on the path.
But Jesus — our Great High Priest — lifts us, carries us, and ensures we reach home.
