No Grave 1

Text: Hebrews 10:1-22

The Once for all Gospel.

The Point: Jesus is greater than all the offerings ever offered.

You will notice in this passage a theme emerge and it starts in verse one. That is the continual labour of the religion. You can hear it in the second statement. “those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually…”

This is the point and the author will go to lengths to help us feel the burden it must have been to be in this worship system. His argument is simple if the blood of goats and bulls was enough to save men then why do you have to keep doing it.

And by the way he is right…

In an article on nbcnews.com titles Animal sacrifice at temple powered ancient Jerusalem's economy in Sept of 2013 Tia Ghose says:

An analysis of bones found in an ancient dump in the city dating back 2,000 years revealed that animals sacrificed at the temple came from far and wide.

(referencing the Talmud) Some passages in the text depict priests wading up to their knees in blood, and others describe 1.2 million animals being slaughtered on one day. And the ancient Jewish historian Flavius Josephus also describes an enormous slaughtering operation.

But historians wondered whether these descriptions were hyperbole or fact.

A few years ago, archaeologists unearthed a massive dump on the outskirts of the old walled city of Jerusalem. Dating revealed the dump was used between the start of King Herod's reign in 37 B.C. and the Great Revolt in A.D. 66.

https://www.nbcnews.com/sciencemain/animal-sacrifice-temple-powered-ancient-jerusalems-economy-8c11073738

(back to Hebrews)

Then to stress the continual nature of this bloody religion He points to the work of the poor priests that would be administering all these sacrifices at the Temple.

A portion of the Jewish encyclopedia posted on wikipedia traced the high priests from Aaron to Phinehas son of Samuel during the reign of Aggrippa II.

They place the number of High priests at 82. This is not counting all the family of Aaron that would be serving over the country side. Generation after generation, High priest after high priest would serve the people of Israel with their offerings.

Can you feel the weight of a religious system that the author opens as describing as a shadow. The reason was that it was a shadow and not the real thing. It wasn’t of any value because it wasn’t real.

He can’t help but start to conclude

Hebrews 10:4 KJV 1900

For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.

But there those priest are on their feet continually working and striving for something that can’t be gained the way they are working.

Illustration: notice verse 11-12 the earthly high priests are seen on their feet standing in the place of sacrifice all day just one labor after another. Nothing is changing with each passing animals cry. But Christ with one sacrifice as a high priest sits down at the right hand of the father. No longer carrying the burden of a religious system. But in his completed work of reconciliation. Sitting is always better than Standing

Why? because man’s religion must be worked at over and over again.

This isn’t unheard of today? You ask someone

I have heard it many times how a person knows they’re going to heaven because they are a good person. Can you imagine the work of that person. Religion can only help you in one of two ways.

Religion helps you minimize your own sin.

I’m not that bad of a person. I don’t do that many things wrong. Surely my good out-weighs my bad. The religious person has to work non stop at trying to come up with a way to explain away their sin.

A church in Topeka put up a billboard years ago that said…

“No sin no need be forgiven”

But it can do nothing about your conscience. See your conscience is that tattle tale that reminds you over and over that you are indeed a sinner and until you can clean the conscience no religion can relieve you of that burden.

Religion helps you maximize your own goodness.

Religion fills your life with lots of opportunities to do good all with a promise of moving you closer to a status of good enough. It offers baptisms, prayers, offerings, status. Religions go so far as to allow you to atone for your own sin. Churches in latin countries will allows you to carry your own cross. be beaten and flagged. They will even put you on a cross in hopes of redeeming your lost soul. But it doesn’t nothing to wash you pure.

But the issue is that all this must be done continually. If you do the radical observances, and the conscience minimization it is a daily task. This is why the world hates guilt because it is always with them. But Jesus offers a…

“ONCE FOR ALL SALVATION”

Real Sanctification… (10-14)

Remember to whom he is talking. He is discussing sanctification with the Jews. He is not talking about the progressive sanctification of cleaning up the Christian’s life he is dealing with the identity that the Jews have as ‘children of God.’ He is here telling them that sanctification is not found in a religion, and it is not found in a worship system it is found in Jesus alone.

Hebrews 10:14 KJV 1900

For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

Real Rest… (16-18)

He puts the law in the heart and does the work on the inside out not by pressing the law down on us.

But I don’t have to stress about the sin out their.

Their sins and iniquities I will remember no more.

Then he declares if Sin is handled you don’t need another sacrifice.

Real Confidence…(19-22)

Remember he is speaking to the Jews. When he says draw near he is saying let go of the offerings and walk back to Christ. Placing all your trust in him. He can handle your sin and he can set you free from the burden of making yourself righteous.

It is in coming to God through Jesus that he gives us the author calls Jesus ‘a new and living way’ to come into the presence of God.

Coming to God thru Jesus gives assurance of faith.

You are accepted in Him. You are cleaned through Him. You are kept through Him. You are at peace with God through Him. You can rest in Him.

Coming to God thru Jesus this gives a clean conscience.

Application

Living the Christian life is Hard.

It is so hard to keep a good testimony.

I am now living a life that is paid up and paid for. I am daily living in my once for all salvation.

If Christ is seated then I can rest in that.