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Earthly and Heavenly Worship
Hebrews 9:11-14
Good News Translation (GNT)
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11 But Christ has already come as the
High Priest of the good things that are already
here. [a] The tent in which he serves is greater
and more perfect; it is not a tent made by
human hands, that is, it is not a part of this
created world.
12 When Christ went through the tent and
entered once and for all into the Most
Holy Place, he did not take the blood of goats
and bulls to offer as a sacrifice; rather, he took
his own blood and obtained eternal salvation
for us.
13 The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of
a burnt calf are sprinkled on the people who
are ritually unclean, and this purifies them by
taking away their ritual impurity.
14 Since this is true, how much more is
accomplished by the blood of Christ! Through
the eternal Spirit he offered himself as a
perfect sacrifice to God. His blood will purify
our consciences from useless rituals, so that
we may serve the living God.
Footnotes
Hebrews 9:11 already here;
some manuscripts have coming.
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Copied from The Bible in One Year, a free
Bible commentary app with readings by
Nicky and Pippa Gumbel from HTB in London.
Earthly and Heavenly Worship
Hebrews 9:11-14
Meet Your Blood Donor
Our god-daughter's second child, Hazy, was diagnosed with leukaemia in 2015.
Medically, her only hope was a matching donor.
A young German man, who has to remain anonymous, sacrificially gave his bone marrow.
Wonderfully, his donation saved Hazy's life.
Can you imagine what it would be like for Hazy to meet her donor?
In an even more remarkable way, you can meet your blood donor.
Jesus came 'to give his life as a ransom for many'
(Mark 10:45).
At the last supper, when Jesus took the cup, he said: 'This is my blood of the covenant'
(Matthew 26:28; Mark 14:24).
'Most people, most of the time, have something which hangs heavy on their hearts, something they have done or said which they wish they hadn't, something which haunts them and makes them afraid of being found out,'
writes Bishop Tom Wright.
'How wonderful to know that the sacrifice of Jesus and the sprinkled blood which results from it has the power as we accept it in faith and trust, to wash every stain from the conscience so that we can come to God without any shadow falling across our relationship.'
The book of Hebrews explains how under the old covenant, only the high priest could enter the Most Holy Place 'only once a year [on the day of atonement], and never without blood' (v.7).
The blood of a sacrifice represented the life of the animal that had been killed
('the life is in the blood', Leviticus 17:11).
Their life was given in exchange for that of the person making the sacrifice.
The priests were not allowed to enter the Most Holy Place.
Their work was done in the outer tent.
Except on the annual occasion, the way into the throne room of God was barred to all, even to the high priest himself.
When the high priest did receive permission to enter, his entry was safeguarded by sacrificial blood.
However, this sacrificial blood was not totally effective.
Fresh blood had to be shed and fresh entry made into the Holy of Holies each year.
Further, although they might have brought about outward cleansing
(Hebrews 9:13),
they were not able to cleanse 'the conscience of the worshipper' (v.9).
In reality, it was only an 'illustration' (v.9), 'a visible parable... a temporary arrangement until the complete overhaul could be made'
(vv.8-10, MSG).
It pointed beyond itself. It was fulfilled through the blood of Christ.
When Jesus came, he 'bypassed the sacrifices consisting of goat and calf blood, instead using his own blood as the price to set us free once and for all'
(vv.11-12, MSG).
By doing this 'he brought together God and his people in this new way' (v.17, MSG).
What does this mean?
You are clean inside and out
Jesus makes it possible for your conscience to be cleansed:
'The blood of Christ cleans up our whole lives, inside and out... through the Spirit' (v.14, MSG).
You have been set free
'Christ offered himself as an unblemished sacrifice, freeing us from all those dead-end efforts to make ourselves respectable, so that we can live all out for God' (v.15, MSG).
The Holy Spirit and the blood of Christ go together.
Joyce Meyer writes,
'The Spirit could not be poured out on the Day of Pentecost until the blood was poured out on the cross of Calvary.'
Lord Jesus, thank you, that you make it possible for me to have a clear conscience and to live all-out for God.
Thank you that you paid the ransom price, setting me free by shedding your blood for me.
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