Hebrews 10:1-25 (4.7.23) Good Friday - 7:00 p.m.

Introduction to the Text

As the writer of Hebrews reflected on the impact of Jesus in the world, he turned to the Old Testament. In the Old Testament, he found parallels between the priests of the Old Testament and Jesus. Throughout Hebrews, the writer looks in the rear view mirror and makes some startling claims about Jesus the cross.

Let’s read the text from Hebrews 10:1-25

The New Revised Standard Version

10:1 Since the law has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the true form of these realities, it a can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered year after year, make perfect those who approach.

2 Otherwise, would they not have ceased being offered, since the worshipers, cleansed once for all, would no longer have any consciousness of sin?

3 But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sin year after year.

4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

5 Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said,“Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body you have prepared for me;

6 in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure.

7 Then I said, ‘See, God, I have come to do your will, O God’(in the scroll of the book it is written of me).”

8 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, “See, I have come to do your will.” He abolishes the first in order to establish the second.

10 And it is by God’s will that we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

11 And every priest stands day after day at his service, offering again and again the same sacrifices that 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 and since then has been waiting “until his enemies would be made a footstool for his feet.”

14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.

15 And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us, for after saying,

16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord:I will put my laws in their hearts ,and I will write them on their minds,”

17 he also 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.

19 Therefore, my friends, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus,

20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through his flesh),

21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God,

22 let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

23 Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful.

24 And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds,

25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Prayer

Dear heavenly Father, may you be pleased with our worship tonight.

Introduction to the Sermon

Every week or so, a message will appear on my computer screen that says I have some computer applications that need updating. The updates usually improve the function of the application or it may update the protection of the application against a computer virus. The updates seem to never end.

In our text today, there is an update on the Old Testament sacrificial system. The writer of Hebrews describes the update that is available to all people.

What is this update and why is it important?

The update is Jesus Christ who replaces the Old Testament priests. The why of the update we will explore after we read the text.

I. Jesus’ Sacrifice was Costly. (v. 5)

The New Revised Standard Version

(vs. 5) Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said,“Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body you have prepared for me;

Jesus sacrifice was costly because God prepared a human body, the body of Jesus, to serve as a sacrifice. When the angel announced to the Virgin Mary that she would have a baby, little did she know that her baby would grow up to become the bodily sacrifice for the sins of the world. The reason Jesus had a body is so that he could serve as the sacrifice for the sins of the world. God prepared a body for Jesus so that the body could be sacrificed on a cross.

The body that Mary caressed as a baby, the fingers that touched blind eyes, the feet that walked from town to town, the mouth that spoke the teachings that amazed even his enemies, the ears that listened to the pleadings of a distraught father, the feet that Mary washed with her tears and wiped with her hair, head bowed in prayer in garden of Gethsemane twas the same body that bore the lashes of the whip, the crown of thorns, and the nails in the hands.

Jesus’ sacrifice concluded the need for further sacrifice.

The term “body” shows that the contrast the writer wishes to establish is not between the sacrifice of animals and the sacrifice of obedi- ence, but between the ineffective sacrifice of animals and the personal offering of Christ’s own body as the one conclusive and effective sacrifice (cf. F. J. Taylor, ExpTim 12 [1960-61] 168-69; W. Manson, Epistle to the Hebrews, 144-45; di Pinto, Volontd di Dio, 54, 59).

William L. Lane, “Hebrews 9-13” (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1991) 265

II. Jesus’ Sacrifice was was Conclusive. (vv. 11 and 12)

11 And every priest stands day after day at his service, offering again and again the same sacrifices that 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,” (Hebrews 10:11-12, NRSV)

The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version. Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989, p.

Jesus’ sacrifice concluded the need for further sacrifice.

In his letter, Peter says:

1 Peter 3:18, The New Revised Standard Version

18 For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit,

Why was it conclusive?

First, it was conclusive because his perfect sacrifice was God’s will. (Hebrews 10:7)

Second, it was conclusive because his single sacrifice was sufficient for all time. (Hebrews 10:12)

III. Jesus’ Sacrifice was Complete (vv. 17-18 )

17 he also adds,

“I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.” (Jeremiah 31:34)

18 Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.

f Gk on their minds and I will remember

The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version. Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989, p. Heb 10:16–18.

When Jesus sacrificed himself on the cross, his sacrifice completely did away with sin.

Jesus doesn’t sweep sin under the rug. His sacrifice was so complete that even God can’t remember the sin of people.

The terms ‘remember’, ‘remembrance’, ‘remembrancer’, are semitechnical terms. Ancient kings had a court official known as the ‘remembrancer’ or ‘recorder’ (2 Sa. 20:24). It was his duty to keep the royal records of all significant happenings. And when the king called for it, the recorder had to bring him the books so that the king could examine the record of any particular citizen he was interested in; and if that citizen’s record was found to be bad, the king gave sentence and the citizen was executed. That is what is meant by ‘remembering’ someone’s sins (see Rev. 16:19; Esther 6:1-3).

David Gooding, “The Unshakeable Kingdom.” (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1989) 200.

God has guaranteed that he will not remember our sins and lawless acts any more. That is, he will not raise the question of the penalty they deserve and will never demand that it be paid. Why not? Because it has been paid already! (Gooding 204)

Jesus’ sacrifice was so complete that our sins will not be remembered anymore.

Carl had not kept his marriage vows. During his 40 year marriage with Carol, he had engaged in numerous extra-marital affairs. He desperately want to know if God would completely forgive him. He worried about God’s wrath because of his affairs. He couldn’t forget his shame, guilt, and treachery. His sins haunted him nightly.

One Sunday, Carl answered the invitation call. He asked the pastor to pray that God would forgive him of his affairs. “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”

On Good Friday, Jesus sacrificed himself for your sins. It was a complete sacrifice. He could be completely forgiven.

IV. Jesus’ Sacrifice Prepares Us For Worship.

(Hebrews 10:19-25

Hebrews 10:19–25 NRSV

Therefore, my friends, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through his flesh), and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

In the Old Testament, after the worshiper made the proper sacrifice for sins, he or she was ready to worship.

In the similar way, the blood of Jesus prepares us to worship God.