Waybread:
Since the OT makes no mention of Jesus, this is an odd question. The scapegoat of ancient Judaism was an actual goat, not a human being or a deity. Then it was sent out into the wilderness, not crucified, buried and resurrected. (Leviticus 16:21-22.)
Of course, scapegoat has a metaphorical meaning applied to humans, notably those blamed for the sins of other people.
Only Christians believe that Jesus died to atone for the sins of the many.
Trying to find this online, I came upon the following:
No matter how hard you search, you will not find a single passage in the entire Bible that says anything about Jesus paying the penalty for our sins. That’s because this is a “Christian belief” that the Bible doesn’t teach. Rather it was a theology created by humans.
https://www.beliefnet.com/faiths/christianity/jesus-did-not-die-on-the-cross-for-our-sins.aspx
What I do know, is its impossible to argue the finer points such as this however, with dyed in the wool Christians. I love my young neighbor across the street who is very good to us, but she will argue the finer lines of her faith ad-infitum.
I "think", this is where they get that theological (man made) concept:
Isaiah 53:4-6 Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. 5
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. 6
We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each
of us has turned to
our own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
1 John 2:2 2He is the atoning sacrifice
for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the
sins of the whole world.
I've come to believe much as Edgar Cayce tried to explain. And this is how I've put this question to rest for me, because for me anyway, it makes the most sense out of a difficult idea.
Our souls (immortal souls) were so blotted with eons of grievous faults we've all created from the very beginning (
the beginning I take as the first time man or his counterpart came onto this plane) ....that it would take only a tremendous idea of a suffering servant of God to absolve this for us and move us into a "place" (spiritual/psychological?) space that could deal with this type of overload on our higher conscience.
IF we use him as a pattern for the way to behave and live, we then move further ahead in our karmic pattern.
So having died "for our sins", I think is more about the atonement on some levels of spirituality that enhances all of us to "make up" in one lifetime
as a martyr of sorts, that we ourselves could never accomplish.
"He too learned by the things which he suffered" (other lifetimes that weren't perfect) is how I read this.
This probably doesn't make sense to you or anyone else, but it does for me, although I'm not good at explaining myself either.