ONE FOR ALL, ONCE FOR ALL, FREE FOR ALL
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“If God were not willing to forgive sin, heaven would be empty.”German Proverb
introduction
What do you do when you’re hungry?
I’ve never heard of someone who says that they are starving go to a cookbook and start thumbing through it and reading the recipes.
I would think that looking at all the pictures would make them hungrier and hungrier. When they read the words “grill”, “roast”, “saute” and “bake”, their mouths would water. Nobody would finish up, close the book, say “Well, I’m full, pass me the desert recipes.”
Trying to be physically nourished by a cookbook is about the same as trying to be spiritually satisfied by the Law. Like a cookbook, the Law anticipates and points to something way better-the reality of Christ’s sacrifice for sin.
The Law made the people hungry for something better, something of real substance that would last and would finally take away the heavy guilt of sin and soothe the conscience with mercy and grace. It was a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things.
In this section we will look at the limitations and purpose of the Law-what it can’t do and what it continually does.
Then we will look at the contrast between the old covenant Law and the superior priesthood of Christ.
The offering of his own body was one for all, once for all and free for all.
Finally, we will see the benefits of Jesus’s person and work for us today.
Since the law has only a shadow of the good things to come, and not the reality itself of those things, it can never perfect the worshipers by the same sacrifices they continually offer year after year. Otherwise, wouldn’t they have stopped being offered, since the worshipers, purified once and for all, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? But in the sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year after year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
The author sums up his point in verse 1:
Since the law has only a shadow of the good things to come, and not the reality itself of those things, it can never perfect the worshipers by the same sacrifices they continually offer year after year.
It served a valid purpose in the unfolding history of redemption, but it was limited in what it could accomplish. It couldn’t make perfect those who draw near by animal sacrifices made year after year.
Imagine if a married couple had to get remarried every time they argued. Or if they had to buy a marriage license, find an official, and exchange vows every time there was a break in the relationship. It doesn’t work that way. It’s one trip to be married. It doesn’t matter how frequent the arguments or how loud they are, there’s no need to go through a second, third or fourth ceremony. If this were to happen, it would imply a repeated state of unmarriage and that would mean there would be no security. It would be hardly a marriage at all.
This is what the sacrificial system was like in the Law. If had been designed to perfectly and completely deal with the relationship-breaking power of sin and guilt, there wouldn’t be a need to keep returning to the altar.
Otherwise, wouldn’t they have stopped being offered, since the worshipers, purified once and for all, would no longer have any consciousness of sins?
Now, this is not to say the sacrifices were foolish, meaningless or sinful, they were given by God after all. But what was the purpose then?
But in the sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year after year.
Theologian, David Gooding said this:
“At no point did they feel that the price of sin had finally been paid completely. If they had, they would not have offered another sacrifice ever. After all, you don’t keep on paying monthly installments when the mortgage on your house has been completely paid off.”
The next line in verse 4 should be underlined and made in bold.
For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
Underline impossible in your Bibles. This isn’t improbable, difficult, unlikely or rare. It is impossible!
This isn’t because of the death of Christ. It was always this way. Even if Christ didn’t show up as the perfect sacrifice, it would still be true.
Why, because if it wasn’t, it wouldn’t have to be repeated. This is the limitation of the sacrificial system. This is true of any type of legalistic limits we put on ourselves. We don’t believe in a works based system because it would never work!
If they do anything permanently, it is to remind the people of Israel of the their sinfulness. Just as a speed limit sign reminds you of the law, and the ticket reminds us of the guilt, the Law of God is a constant reminder of sin.
For no one will be justified in his sight by the works of the law, because the knowledge of sin comes through the law.
But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been revealed, attested by the Law and the Prophets. The righteousness of God is through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe, since there is no distinction. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God;
With the old system, a tally of Israel’s sins were made day after day and then came the sacrifices on the Day of Atonement that temporarily covered them. But then it would pick back up the next day.
But the system of endless blood got old.
Therefore, as he was coming into the world, he said:
You did not desire sacrifice and offering,
but you prepared a body for me.
You did not delight
in whole burnt offerings and sin offerings.
Then I said, “See—
it is written about me
in the scroll—
I have come to do your will, God.”
After he says above, You did not desire or delight in sacrifices and offerings, whole burnt offerings and sin offerings (which are offered according to the law), he then says, See, I have come to do your will. He takes away the first to establish the second. By this will, we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all time.
Every priest stands day after day ministering and offering the same sacrifices time after time, which can never take away sins. But this man, after offering one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God. He is now waiting until his enemies are made his footstool. For by one offering he has perfected forever those who are sanctified.
You do not delight in sacrifice and offering;
you open my ears to listen.
You do not ask for a whole burnt offering or a sin offering.
Then I said, “See, I have come;
in the scroll it is written about me.
I delight to do your will, my God,
and your instruction is deep within me.”
By saying therefore, the author is saying because all these sacrifices could never take away sin, the Son of God came into the world. He did what no thing or person could do.
Ultimately God doesn’t desire a continuous, endless line of smoke from an altar. This is repeated in 5 and 6
Therefore, as he was coming into the world, he said:
You did not desire sacrifice and offering,
but you prepared a body for me.
You did not delight
in whole burnt offerings and sin offerings.
Here is the contrast between the old and new.
With the old, the shed blood or burnt body of a beast did not bring lasting satisfaction to God. When it comes to sacrifices, the animals are done so ignorantly against their will. If you have ever seen an animal slaughtered for food, like a cow or goat, they are ignorant to what is going to happen.
Also, within this system, the worshippers who brought the animals and priests making the sacrifices could do so without understanding, emotion or will. I think the monotonous routines can reduce the meaning.
It’s like a weekly lord’s supper.
This is where the contrast stands out between the old and new. Jesus represented real will that was involved-his was a truly human will that submitted obediently to the will of the Father.
Again, a second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.”
And, for someone to be a true person with mind, emotion and will who would voluntarily submit to God, the divine Son had to be truly human.
By taking on full humanity in the incarnation, Jesus came to do the will of God in fulfillment of everything written about him in the OT.
Then I said, “See—
it is written about me
in the scroll—
I have come to do your will, God.”
By doing this, he sat the old, inferior system aside in order to accomplish on behalf of humanity what no other human could have accomplished-complete obedience to the father.
After he says above, You did not desire or delight in sacrifices and offerings, whole burnt offerings and sin offerings (which are offered according to the law), he then says, See, I have come to do your will. He takes away the first to establish the second.
What was impossible for us, was only possible for the perfect God-man Jesus.
He accomplished what no animal sacrifice could do.
By this will, we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all time.
He reminds the readers that the priests would have to make sacrifices all the time and that they could never take away sin.
Every priest stands day after day ministering and offering the same sacrifices time after time, which can never take away sins.
This contrast to Jesus’s was this....what did Jesus do?
He sat down at the right hand of God. Why? Because his one sacrifice accomplished for all time what could never had been done before.
But this man, after offering one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God.
For by one offering he has perfected forever those who are sanctified.
Christ sits enthroned at the right hand of the Father to wait for his second act when his enemies will ultimately be vanquished in judgment and the kingdom of God will be manifested in its fullness.
He is now waiting until his enemies are made his footstool.
The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. For after he says:
This is the covenant I will make with them
after those days,
the Lord says,
I will put my laws on their hearts
and write them on their minds,
and I will never again remember
their sins and their lawless acts.
Now where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.
In these last few verses the author points out the benefits of Christ’s superior priesthood. He returns to the language of the new covenant and reminds us what Christ accomplished with his sacrifice.
The Holy Spirit testifies to us that this new arrangement will put the Law on our hearts and minds. This signifies the internal transformation with eternal effects:
Our sin will be forgiven and remembered no more.
The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. For after he says:
This is the covenant I will make with them
after those days,
the Lord says,
I will put my laws on their hearts
and write them on their minds,
and I will never again remember
their sins and their lawless acts.
With the new arrangement, all the resources we need are placed within us. Peter said this:
His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
The sin issue that hindered our relationship and growth toward God has been dealt with. In addition to that, we have a new ability to follow in Christ’s footsteps-to offer ourselves.
Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship.
Remembering the context of who this was originally written to, the Hebrews were constantly being tempted to go back to the sacrifices they were familiar with. This is why the author stresses what we have talked about..the limits of the sacrificial system. They needed to hear that slaughtering animals did not take away sins. It only covered them like a bandaid.
They needed to hear the good news about the perfect sacrifice, Jesus Christ, that was once and for all and free for all.
end (length)
Because of Christ’s supreme sacrifice, we don’t need to drag our feet when he says go, or cringe when he says come.
By accepting this gift, we should have a life of righteousness motivated by grace, not guilt.
We don’t live by a checklist of rules and in the shackles of the Law.
We have the Law on our hearts on not on a stone. With his spirit, we can live life fully, fruitfully and freely, unfettered by sin and from the slavery of legalism.
Christ has set us free and we need to live like it!