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Christ's Sacrifice Once for All
Hebrews 10:11-25
Good News Translation (GNT)
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11 Every Jewish priest performs his services
every day and offers the same sacrifices many
times; but these sacrifices can never take
away sins.
12 Christ, however, offered one sacrifice for sins,
an offering that is effective forever, and then
he sat down at the right side of God.
13 There he now waits until God puts his enemies
as a footstool under his feet.
14 With one sacrifice, then, he has made perfect
forever those who are purified from sin.
15 And the Holy Spirit also gives us his witness.
First he says,
16 "This is the covenant that I will make with them
in the days to come, says the Lord: I will put
my laws in their hearts and write them on their
minds."
17 And then he says, "I will not remember their
sins and evil deeds any longer."
18 So when these have been forgiven, an offering
to take away sins is no longer needed.
Let Us Come Near to God
19 We have, then, my friends, complete freedom
to go into the Most Holy Place by means of the
death of Jesus.
20 He opened for us a new way,
a living way, through the curtain - that is,
through his own body.
21 We have a great priest in charge of the house
of God.
22 So let us come near to God with a sincere
heart and a sure faith, with hearts that have
been purified from a guilty conscience and
with bodies washed with clean water.
23 Let us hold on firmly to the hope we profess,
because we can trust God to keep his
promise.
24 Let us be concerned for one another, to help
one another to show love and to do good.
25 Let us not give up the habit of meeting
together, as some are doing. Instead, let us
encourage one another all the more, since you
see that the Day of the Lord is coming nearer.
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Commentary taken from
'The Applied New Testament Commentary'
(Kingsway)
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Christ's Sacrifice Once for All
Hebrews 10:11-25
The writer here repeats the thoughts of Hebrews 1:3; 7:27; 9:25-26.
The priests of the old covenant had to offer sacrifices again and again.
They could never come and sit down in the presence of God.
Their work was never finished.
But Christ has not only sat down in God's presence; He has sat down on a throne at God's right hand.
God has raised Jesus up from a shameful death on the cross and has exalted Him to the highest place of glory.
In verse 10, the writer says that we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ.
Here in verse 14, the writer says that by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.
The writer's meaning is this: We have been justified (declared righteous) in God's sight (Romans 5:1); Christ's work is finished.
All who believe in Him have been made perfect forever.
Why, then, does the writer say in verse 14 that we are still being made holy?
The reason is this.
Even though all that has been written above is completely true, we in this present life have not yet become fully holy or perfect.
From time to time we sin.
God wants us to increase in holiness.
He wants to make us holy in this life.
Therefore, we can understand that in one way we have already been made holy and perfect for all eternity; but, in another way, we must continue growing in holiness in our daily behaviour here on earth
The writer here again quotes from Jeremiah 31:33-34.
Notice that now the Holy Spirit is speaking through Jeremiah (verse 15). We must understand that every word in the Bible is God' word spoken through the Holy Spirit.
In repeating these verses from Jeremiah, the writer of Hebrews wants to show that the new covenant is final and complete.
God's law is now written in men's minds and on their hearts.
Their sins are remembered no more.
And where sins are forgotten, there is no longer any need for sacrifices (verse 18).
A New and Living Way (10:19-25)
Now a very important part of this letter has come.
In the first nine chapters, the writer of Hebrews has described the old and new covenants, the old and new priesthoods, the old sacrifices of animals and the new sacrifice of Jesus' body.
Now what are we to understand from all this?
Therefore - because of all that is written above - since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place18 ... let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith (verse 22).
We don't have to wait until after we die to draw near to God; through faith we can come into His presence right now.
Let us think for a moment about the first word in this verse: Therefore.
In the New Testament, many important statements follow the word "therefore"
(Good examples are found in Romans 5:1 and 8:1.)
God is holy; "therefore" He will render judgment against sin.
God is merciful; "therefore," He is ready to forgive our sins.
Christ is our righteousness; "therefore," through faith we have been declared righteous.
Christ has freed us from the law of sin and death; "therefore," we are no longer under condemnation (Romans 8:1).
Christ is our great high priest, through whose perfect sacrifice of Himself we are made perfect forever; "therefore," we can now enter the Most Holy Place by [His] blood.
We have become God's children; "therefore," just as children can go to their earthly fathers with confidence, so we believers can draw near to our heavenly Father with confidence.
In what other religion, through what other priesthood, through what other Saviour, can weak and sinful men be made righteous and come into God's presence as His children?
There is no way this is possible except through faith in Jesus Christ.
In verse 10, the writer says that we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ.
Here and in verse 29, he says that we are made holy by the blood of Jesus.
In both instances, the writer is saying the same thing: namely, that through Jesus' death and sacrifice we are made holy and righteous.
At the time Jesus offered Himself as a sacrifice, His body was broken and His blood was shed.
Both Jesus' body and His blood are important for us.
At the last supper, Jesus said to His disciples: "This is my body given for you.... This cup is the new covenant in my blood.
On another occasion, Jesus said to His followers: "... unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life".
Just as under the old covenant there was no forgiveness without the shedding of blood, so under the new covenant it was necessary for Jesus not only to die but also to shed His blood in order to make us holy.
How can we enter the Most Holy Place?
Jesus has opened up for us a new and living way into God's presence.
This way is living, because Jesus Himself is living.
Jesus said: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me".
Jesus' body was like the curtain that hung between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place.
We can say that Jesus stood between man and God - between men outside the curtain and God inside the curtain.
Thus, when Jesus died, the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.
The way into God's presence was now fully opened.
Not only did Jesus enter into God's presence, but we also, having been cleansed by His sacrifice and having received His righteousness through faith, can now enter God's presence.
Here the heavenly sanctuary or tabernacle is called the house of God.
We believers are God's house. Christ is both the Son and the great priest in God's house.
Through faith in Christ, we have received full rights as children of God.
We also have become sons and heirs.
Therefore, we can draw near to God.
But even though we are God's children, we must go to God with a sincere heart and in full assurance of faith.
Without faith, even God's children cannot please their Father.
A sincere heart is a heart that has been cleansed and purified.
Only the pure in heart will get to see God.
Jesus our high priest has cleansed us from a guilty conscience.
Our hearts have been sprinkled; that is, our hearts have been cleansed through the blood of Jesus.
Not only our hearts have been cleansed; our bodies, too, have been washed - washed with pure water.
This bodily or outward "washing" occurs at our baptism.
Baptism is not only a "washing" of the body with water; it is also a sign of our inner spiritual cleansing.
Thus, through Christ, we have been made clean both outwardly (ceremonially) and also inwardly (spiritually).
Again the writer of Hebrews exhorts us to hold unswervingly to the hope we profess - that is, to stand firm in the faith we profess.
Let us not waver. God never wavers.
Man's promises may fail, but God's promises are sure.
God is faithful to fulfill His word.
Therefore, since our hope is placed on the sure promises of a faithful God, we have no reason to waver.
If anyone begins to waver, let us be quick to encourage and strengthen him.
Let us spur each other toward love and good deeds.
Let us see that no one among us falls back.
Together we are strong, but alone we are weak.
Some of these Hebrew believers had stopped meeting together.
Let this not happen among us.
Only by meeting together in fellowship can we encourage and strengthen one another.
There are many reasons why Christians stop meeting together.
In some countries, it may be fear of government authorities that keeps Christians from meeting.
Others may stop meeting because of ill feelings toward other believers.
Some may refuse to meet together because of pride; they think they don't need the fellowship and support of others.
Sometimes we don't go to church because of some sin in our lives.
We know that we cannot continue in sin and at the same time have true fellowship with other believers, so we choose to give up the fellowship instead of our sin.
Our conscience is unclean; we find it hard to look into our brother's face.
All these reasons for avoiding fellowship are wrong reasons, sinful reasons.
Therefore, we should never give up meeting together for any of these reasons.
... but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
The Day is the day of Christ's second coming.
The Hebrews expected that Day to come quickly.
They were suffering persecution; but they hoped that their suffering would not last long, and that Christ would return soon.
Therefore, the writer says to them: Do not be discouraged; in a little while your suffering will end.
Let us also have that same mind.
We do not know what day Christ will return; but we must remain firm in faith until He comes, so that we will not lose our inheritance in heaven.
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