I. Introduction
A. Today we complete the hard part of the book of Hebrews, which the author himself introduced in 5:11-6:2.
1. A roller coaster may seem boring at first as you slowly go up, but very few find the rest of the trip boring. And you can’t take the second, downhill half of the trip without taking the first, uphill half.
2. Next week we begin the downhill part of the ride.
B. The whole letter of Hebrews is written to try to persuade the readers not to leave Christ and go back to Judaism.
1. To that end, the author has been showing how Christ is better than anything they could go back to.
2. In chapters 8-9, he shows how Christ is better than the things in the old covenant.
3. And today in 10:1-18, he emphasizes the superiority of the sacrifice of Christ over the OT blood sacrifices.
II. Let’s walk through Hebrews 10:1–18 in chunks:
A. 1 For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near.
1. “the good things to come” = the coming of Christ and His sacrifice upon the cross.
2. “the law has but a shadow of the good things to come” – The OT sacrificial system foreshadowed Jesus the lamb of God being sacrificed for the sins of the world. The OT sacrifices were mere shadows of Christ, who is the reality.
3. Shadows have no actual substance. Peter Pan loses his shadow, and it ends up in a drawer, and they pull it out and sew it back on him. Well, even the children chuckle at that, because they know that that’s not really what shadows are like. Shadows have no substance. Shadows are nothing in themselves, they are mere images of some actual thing.
4. Shadows don’t save. Symbols and signs don’t save. Pictures don’t save. Ceremonies don’t save. Ceremonies don’t actually accomplish anything of eternal reality.
5. These things have no power in themselves. The power is in the Reality.
6. The shadows, symbols and pictures only point to the reality. And the reality is Christ.
B. 2 Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins?
1. They would have stopped the sacrifices if they actually worked. But since they didn’t actually produce forgiveness, they had to keep offering them.
2. You see, forgiveness isn’t progressive, where a person gradually gets forgiven by doing good works or by going to church or by doing penance or by saying Hail Marys or by participating in the Mass or by spending time in purgatory.
3. Why do you even need to come up with the doctrine of purgatory unless you really don’t believe the cross fully addresses the guilt of sin?
4. The fact is, we ARE forgiven! Jesus accomplished our forgiveness fully at the cross!
C. 3 But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year.
1. Instead of being a reminder of forgiveness, the fact that the sacrifices had to be performed perpetually was actually a reminder of sin remaining.
D. 4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
1. It is impossible for animal sacrifices to take away sins.
2. It is impossible for any kind of ceremony to take away sins.
3. It is impossible for communion to take away sins.
4. It is impossible for baptism to take away sins.
5. We’re not saved by ceremonies. We’re forgiven only and totally by the sacrifice of Christ.
E. 5-7 Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me; 6 in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. 7 Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’ ”
1. Here the author quotes Psalm 40:6-8, written probably 1000 years before Jesus.
2. But notice how he introduces the quote: “Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said”
a. Is it strange to put the psalmists words into the mouth of Jesus? After all, there’s nothing in the psalm which says that the messiah is speaking this.
b. But it’s not so strange when you read the psalm. In the first part of the psalm, the psalmist is talking to God in a way that is typical for the psalms, but then something strange happens in v.7-8.
c. Suddenly we read the words “Then I said” followed by some very messianic-sounding statements: “Behold, I have come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me: I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.” It doesn’t sound like the psalmist talking anymore!
d. A few years ago, before my study of Hebrews, before I even realized that these verses are quoted in Hebrews 10, I was reading through the psalms and was struck by this, and wrote these words in my notes: “I think Jesus inserts Himself here and speaks.”
3. So, the psalm says that really God doesn’t desire sacrifices but the key to salvation is the messiah (the Christ). And there are three things said about the messiah here:
a. To him a body is given = Jesus’ incarnation.
b. He has come to fulfill the Father’s will.
c. He’s written about in the scroll of the book (i.e. this is the one you’ve been told about in God’s word).
4. Re: verse 6, the ESV Study Bible notes say: “The ESV translates Ps.40:6 as ‘you have given me an open ear.’ Literally, the Masoretic (Hebrew) text reads, ‘ears you have dug for me.’ The Hebrew metaphor has been understood by the Septuagint translators and by the writer of Hebrews to indicate the physical creation of a person’s body.”
F. 8-10 When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), 9 then he added, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second. 10 And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
1. “He does away with the first in order to establish the second.” The author is interpreting Psalm 40 for us. He says that the first part — about God not taking pleasure in the sacrifices and offerings — depicts the old covenant. And the “Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’” in v.7 depicts the new covenant.
2. “Behold, I have come to do your will.” You see, salvation isn’t based in what you and I do. It’s not based on the spotlessness of a bull or goat. Salvation is based only on the Messiah (Christ) doing God’s will, specifically when He gave up His life on the cross.
3. (Sanctification in the NT doesn’t always refer to the process of being progressively fashioned into the image of Christ. The word means to be set aside or to be made holy. And here and in v.14 it refers to salvation.)
G. 11-13 And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet.
1. Here we see the everyday Jewish practice of priestly sacrifices contrasted with the once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.
2. Pay special attention to the contrast of posture: “Every priest STANDS daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices,” but “when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he SAT down at the right hand of God.”
3. While he’s on duty, the priest never sits because his work is always on-going. You sit when your work is done. And that’s the significance of Jesus sitting.
4. We see this once-for-all nature of Christ’s self-sacrifice on the cross in the fact that He ascended into heaven and SAT at the right hand of the Father. His atoning work was done. “It is finished.”
5. Verse 13 shows us the stage we’re in right now. Jesus has gone. His work of atoning for sin is done. He’s sitting at the right hand of the Father. But the story is not over. He is waiting for the time when His enemies will be made a footstool for His feet.
H. 14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
1. There is a group of people: those who are being saved (cf. 1Cor.1:28; Acts 2:47). And by one act – namely dying on the cross – Jesus has perfected these people.
2. Now this can’t mean we’re perfect in the sense that we’re no longer able to sin. The rest of the NT makes that clear. But they’re perfected in the sense that they are now perfect in God’s eyes. Why? Because He sees them through His Son. They have been cloaked in the righteous robes of Jesus (read Revelation 7:9–14).
3. He’s already accomplished salvation for His people, but the salvation of the cross is not just once-for-all, it is for all time. In other words, once you are truly saved, you are saved forever.
I. 15-18 And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying, 16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,” 17 then he adds, “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.” 18 Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.
1. The author now goes back to his quote of Jer.31 in 8:8-12 and says that this prophecy also proves that Christ’s sacrifice was a once-for-all thing.
2. He argues that the announcement of forgiveness promised in the new covenant (in Jer.31:34) implies a once-for-all sacrifice.
3. Real forgiveness can’t just deal with yesterday’s sins. If merely my former sins are forgiven I am immediately under sin again, since I sin every moment. Forgiveness that actually removes all guilt must also forgive my future sins.
III. Application
A. The stumbling block of the cross
1. As I mentioned last week, so many modern people can’t handle the bloodiness and the wrathfulness of the cross. They can’t accept the concept that someone had to die, someone had to shed His blood to satisfy the wrath of a just God.
2. If you haven’t already, you’re going to run into plenty of folks who claim to be Christians who can’t go along with the idea that Christ was punished for our sins as our substitute on the cross.
3. Jesus said and did many wonderful things, can’t we just leave out the “stricken and smitten by God” part? Can we leave out the “pierced for our transgressions” part, the “crushed for our iniquities” part, the “Lord laid upon him the iniquity of us all” part? (Isaiah 53:4–5)
4. We cannot treat this as a mere friendly disagreement over a doctrine.
5. Denying Christ’s atoning work on the cross is denying the heart of Christianity, even if there’s much we can still agree on.
6. So, a person still believes in God’s Son Jesus. But which Jesus? 2Cor.11:4 tells us that some preach another Jesus. The true Jesus is the One who took the place of sinners on the cross.
7. John the Baptist was sent specifically to introduce Jesus to the world. And how did he do so, what did he say when Jesus arrived on the scene to tell the world who Jesus was? “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” (John 1:29) This is not just one minor detail of who Jesus was and what Jesus is. It is the central feature of why He came as a man to earth.
8. But shouldn’t we emphasize the things we agree on? That question is so much more complicated than it sounds. I couldn’t agree more that we need to work for unity with other Christians. But there’s more to it than that.
9. 2Cor.11:14-15 talks about how Satan comes as an angel of light. That means that Satan disguises his lies in the midst of a lot of truth. So you can emphasize the things you agree with & have a friendly relationship with demonic lies.
10. Now I agree that some issues aren’t enough to make a big deal about. But when someone denies or significantly distorts something at the very heart of the gospel of Christ, I don’t think we can just agree to disagree.
11. In Philippians 3:18 Paul refers to some people in his day: “For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ.”
a. He’s not referring to people who want nothing to do with Christianity.
b. The indications point to the conclusion that the men being referred to here are Judaizers. (For explanation, see my Philippians devotional on gpcweb.org: #185 The Judaizers.)
c. They were people who believed Jesus was the messiah. They believed He died on the cross redemptively.
d. And yet because of the way they distorted the gospel, Paul calls them enemies of the cross.
12. In Galatians 1:8–9 Paul uses strong words to make a similar point: “Even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.”
a. We must not be soft on teachings which twist the very heart of the gospel of Christ.
13. We have a rich treasury of hymns which powerfully articulate the heart of Christ’s crucifixion. We can’t consider these preious truths to be optional. E.g.
a. O sacred Head, now wounded, with grief and shame weighed down, Now scornfully surrounded with thorns, Thine only crown; O sacred Head, what glory, what bliss till now was Thine! Yet, though despised and gory, I joy to call Thee mine!
b. What Thou, my Lord, hast suffered, was all for sinners’ gain; Mine, mine was the transgression, but Thine the deadly pain. Lo, here I fall, my Savior! ’Tis I deserve Thy place; Look on me with Thy favor, vouchsafe to me Thy grace.
c. What language shall I borrow to thank Thee, dearest friend, For this Thy dying sorrow, Thy pity without end? O make me Thine forever, and should I fainting be, Lord, let me never, never outlive my love to Thee.
B. We need to understand the nature of our salvation.
1. We are not saved by a ceremony, or a system of ceremonies.
2. We are not saved by an institution.
3. We are not saved by obeying a set of laws.
4. We are not saved by a belief system.
5. We are saved by a Person and specifically by an act which that Person did in history.
6. The NT anchors our salvation in Jesus Christ, and His act of sacrificing Himself on the cross in Jerusalem 2000 years ago.
7. Sin can’t be dealt with through religion or through religious ceremony. When it is construed that way, it ruins grace, it ruins the concept that salvation is something done for us instead of something we do or help do.
C. Mothers of young children
1. Do you feel like being a mother has turned you into a monster? The picture of a sweet, happy mother, always delighting in her children is not always accurate, is it?
a. It’s the same for all of us. I remember taking my turn to wake up in the middle of the night, and how easy it was to be impatient and even resent the child. Testing brings out the worst in us.
2. So, hear’s my advice in light of our passage: Never ever end your day mourning over your sin. I don’t mean it’s bad to mourn over your sin. Just never end your day doing it.
a. Instead, end your day, whether rocking your child or alone, end your day singing a gospel lullaby to yourself.
3. There are so many wonderful gospel lullabies!
a. Just as I am, without one plea, but that Thy blood was shed for me, and that Thou bidd’st me come to Thee, O Lamb of God I come, I come.
b. There is a fountain filled with blood, drawn from Immanuel’s veins, and sinners plunged beneath that blood lose all their guilty stains, lose all their guilty stains, lose all their guilty stains, and sinners plunged beneath that blood lose all their guilty stains.
c. Alas, and did my Savior bleed, and did my Sovereign die? Would He devote that sacred head for such a worm as I?
d. When I survey the wondrous cross, on which the Prince of glory died, my richest gain I count but loss, and pour contempt on all my pride.
e. That’s the way to end your day!