On this most important day in the Jewish year, the high priest was to dress down for the occasion.
Those of us who are at least a little familiar with the New Testament know “that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God” (Heb 4:14). That gives us a clue to watch for links and likenesses between the office and functions of the high priest in Israel and the Lord Jesus. The Great Day of Atonement obviously prefigures the wonderful redemption work of Christ, so we can expect to see many links between the two. Here, in Leviticus 16, even the wardrobe changes are significant. Aaron, on this day, was to lay aside his garments of glory and beauty, wearing only the simple garb of white linen. “He shall put the holy linen tunic and the linen trousers on his body; he shall be girded with a linen sash, and with the linen turban he shall be attired. These are holy garments. Therefore he shall wash his body in water, and put them on” (v 4). In a similar way, the Lord Jesus laid aside the outward display of His glory and beauty to come on His saving mission into our world. Isaiah would write of His coming, “when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him” (Isa 53:2). Like those holy linen clothes, there was a beauty in the life of Christ, what David would call “the beauty of holiness” (Ps 29:2), but it was not what they were looking for. Of His glory, He would pray at the end of His earthly visit, “And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was” (Jn 17:5). Which is exactly what the high priest did in a figure, after the sacrifice was complete, laying aside the linen garments (Lev 16:23-24) and taking up again his high priestly garments, having finished His atoning work. Oh the glories and beauties of our great High Priest now!