For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. ~ Matthew 26: 28

And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. ~ Hebrews 9:22

The word remission is a word that we see several times in the New Testament, and it has to do with the forgiveness of sins. In the Old Testament we have numerous accounts of God forgiving sin, and in the New Testament we see Jesus forgiving sin before he died on the cross. It is therefore fair to ask, If God forgave sin in the Old Testament, and Jesus forgave sin in the new, why did Jesus need to be sacrificed on the cross so that our sins could be forgiven?

It is because remission is forgiveness on a legal or judicial level, and not just on a personal offense level. God is a forgiving God because of his love and mercy. However, he is also the Just Judge whose law we have all broken with our sins.

The Greek word translated as remission is aphesis, meaning dismissal, release, pardon. Its usage has to do with, a sending away, a letting go, a release, pardon, complete forgiveness.

In the Strong’s Concordance Word studies helps, it has the same linguistic derivation as aphíēmi, meaning to “send away, forgive”, releasing someone from obligation or debt.

When Jesus died on the cross God dealt with our sins on a divine judicial level, by setting Jesus forth as an atonement sacrifice for all to behold. It’s interesting that the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes wanted to murder Jesus secretly, but because of God’s sovereign wisdom, it did not happen that way. Paul told the Galatians, Oh, foolish Galatians! Who has cast an evil spell on you? For the meaning of Jesus Christ’s death was made as clear to you as if you had seen a picture of his death on the cross. ~ Galatians 3:1 NLT

God did not allow those who put Jesus to death to hide the affects of our sins. God set him forth for all to see, and Jesus crucified is the the scales of justice by which God judges every man. Paul declares in Acts that God has appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. ~ Acts 17:31

For those who have faith in Jesus, God remits their sins and he is just in doing so, granting them full pardon and justification in his sight unto eternal life, and this is what the remission of sins is about!