Good Friday (4/7/2023)

Hebrews 10:1-18

A Supreme Sacrifice

Supreme: Studies in the book of Hebrews

4/7/2023 (Good Friday)

Intro:

Christ Jesus, who though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

God became man, and dwelt among us. As John the Baptist laid eyes on Him, he exclaimed, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

But, the Lamb of God was sent to be slain. And some 2,000 years ago, Jesus Christ, God incarnate, stood on trial.

He was wrongly accused. Pilate could find no wrong in Him, but under the pressure of the Jewish leaders, he turned Jesus over to them.

Christ was flogged, brutally whipped.

According to Isaiah 52, He was beaten beyond recognition.

Then, He was marched to Golgotha, the place of the skull, and there, He was crucified between two criminals.

The Jews reviled Him.

The Romans mocked Him.

Some of His disciples denied Him and deserted Him.

At about noon, darkness covered the land as He hung upon the cross.

And, after spending hours in excruciating agony, finally, He cried out “eli, eli, lema sebachthani.” Then, He said, “It is finished!” and gave up His life.

It is finished.

Surely, these words weigh upon the author of Hebrews as he pens the 10th chapter of the book.

But, as his audience treats the death of Christ as optional, he must make clear that Christ died to be the sacrifice that they need.

Big Idea: Christ died to be the sacrifice you need.

Point 1: Reminders of sin (vv. 1-4)

Under the Law, consciences can never be cleared.

Brothers and sisters, apart from Christ, we lived under the Law.

And all it did was condemn us.

We could not be free of it.

And so our sins were ever before us.

For the Jews under the Old Covenant, they sought to atone for their sins through the sacrificial system, but their sacrifices were only perpetual reminders of their sinfulness.

Though they repeatedly offered up bulls and goats, those sacrifices never took away their sins.

And apart from Christ, we strived to justify ourselves, to convince ourselves that we were worthy, that we could be the captains of our own fates. But, in our heart of hearts, we stood condemned.

Point 2: Jesus gave Himself as the sacrifice we needed (vv. 5-10)

But, God so loved the world, that He sent His one and only Son into the world, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.

So, when Christ came into the world, He came not to continue the offerings and sacrifices, but to be offer Himself as the ultimate sacrifice.

Jesus came to do the will of God, as was written in the prophecies, that the Messiah would be pierced for our transgressions, and crushed for our iniquities.

Jesus came to do the will of His Father. In the Gaden of Gethsemane, Jesus wrestled with the anguish and grief and sorrows of the impending cross. But, though He was burdened to the point of sweating drops of blood, His final resolve was “Nevertheless, not what I will, but what you will.”

And because Jesus was faithful to His Father’s will, we have been made holy, only through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all.

Point 3: Jesus’ sacrifice changed everything for us (vv. 11-18)

Vs. 12- We do not have to labor for God’s forgiveness

Vs. 13- His death defeated our great foe, the accuser who seeks to condemn us (D Day and V Day)

Vs. 14- The once for all offering has made you perfected in the eyes of God for all time. Neither death nor life, angels, nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Vs. 15-16- He has sealed an eternal promise to guarantee our salvation through the shedding of His blood

Vs. 17- He will no longer hold your sins against you. You are free!

Vs. 18- Christ has gone to the cross, so stop your strivings, and worship.

Transition to the Table:

Jesus hung there, upon the cross, willingly, for you and for me. In His agony, He did not just endure a horrific physical agony, He endured, in a finite amount of time, the eternal punishment that your sin deserved.

This is beyond comprehension for us. This caliber of love and sacrifice for rebels and enemies is the most beautiful and most powerful moment in eternity past or eternity forward.

And He did it for you, knowing all the wrongs that you would do. Knowing all the times that you would keep messing up. Knowing all the times that you would be ashamed to talk about Him to someone else. He knew it all, and He hung on the cross for you.

The night before Jesus was crucified, He instituted a new meal, which we call the Lord’s Supper. It’s just a small piece of bread and a small cup of juice, but Jesus commanded us, His followers, to keep doing this to remember how His body was broken upon the cross and how His blood was spilled, so that we could have a sacrifice that could bring us close to God forever.

So, it is fitting that as we remember Christ on the cross in our place today, that we remember the way He instructed by taking communion together.

If you didn’t grab a communion set on your way in, just raise your hand and an usher will bring you one.

This is only for those of us who have trusted in Jesus’ saving work on the cross. If that’s not you, please don’t take this. No one will notice or say anything if you don’t.

But this is a sacred thing that we do as those who love Jesus for what He has done for us.

It can be a little tricky to open these prepackaged bread and cup. There is a thin layer that opens the bread and a thicker seal that opens the juice. If you need help opening yours, just tap the person next to you or in front of you, and we will serve one another in that way.

Let’s prepare to take the bread together.

Communion:

In the Gospel of Luke, on the night that He would be betrayed, the night before His crucifixion, He ate a final Passover meal with them. In chapter 22:19, it says, “And He took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them saying, ‘This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.’” Let’s pray, then we will take the bread together.

In the same account, it says, “And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, ‘This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.’” Let us pray again, then take the cup together.

Final prayer.