Paying: Paying the Price for Sin Jesus Died & Rose Again

Introduction:

Last week we looked the letter “O” in our acrostic…Our sins separate us from God. Let’s review the acrostic once again...

G-God Created us to be with Him

O-Our Sins Separate us from God

S-Sins Cannot be Removed by Good Deeds

P-Paying the Price for Sin Jesus Died and Rose Again

E-Everyone who Trusts in Jesus Alone has Eternal and Life

L-Life, Abundant and Eternal Can be Yours Today

Today we will take a look at letter “P”: Paying the Price for Sin Jesus Died & Rose Again...

While there are many different texts that we could look at this morning to reflect upon the death of Christ, this morning I want to focus upon the book of Hebrews, especially Hebrews 9:24-28

Hebrews 9:24–28 NKJV

For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another—He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.

It’s really important that we have a clear understanding of what God’s Word is saying to us from this passage of Scripture.

In order to do that we must take a little bit of time to review the Old Covenant.

Under the Old Covenant sacrifices were being made all the time, and one a year the supreme sacrifice was made when the High Priest would go into the Holy of Holies located in the temple and make a sacrifice for the sins of the people.

It was a bloody scene, which would lead to the bloodiest scene of all the sacrifices. You see the need to daily, and yearly sacrifices would come to an end when the Lamb of God, Jesus Himself would offer Himself as the ultimate sacrifice and make a FINAL sacrifice for the sins of the world.

You may remember what John the Baptist said when he saw Christ...

John 1:29 NKJV

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

You see when Jesus laid down His life on the cross, He wasn’t a common criminal being crucified by the Romans. They crucified hundreds and thousands throughout the years.

He wasn’t just another yearly sacrifice, that had been done for thousands of years…

He was making the FINAL SACRIFICE! He was making a DIFFERENT SACRIFICE…Hebrews 9:12 alludes to this...

Hebrews 9:12 NKJV

Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.

In doing so...

God the Son Entered the Presence of God on our Behalf

Look again at...

Hebrews 9:24 ESV

For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.

He didn’t enter the temple in Jerusalem, He entered into the very presence of God, into Heaven itself and appeared there ON OUR BEHALF!

Jesus, the Son of God, appeared before God the Father on YOUR BEHALF. He made a way for YOU to be forgiven. For YOU to be cleansed. For YOU to be right with God. For YOU to be able to have RECONCILIATION with God and spend ETERNITY with Him in Heaven.

Not only DID He appear to God on YOUR behalf, making a way for YOU to be saved, but He stays in the presence of God the Father, praying for you and interceding on your behalf for what you need! Think about what the writer of Hebrews said in...

Hebrews 7:25 NKJV

Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

Don’t miss this. Not only did He appear to God on YOUR behalf and paid the ultimate price for your forgiveness and reconciliation to God, but He remains in the presence of the Father, EVERY LIVING to INTERCEDE for YOU!

He’s talking to Father non-stop about what you need and is PRAYING FOR YOU!

Not only that, but He has accomplished for YOU something you, nor any other person could ever accomplish...

God the Son Paid the Price in Full

Maybe you remember these verses from our Colossians series…Colossians 2:13-14

Colossians 2:13–14 NKJV

And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

Notice again...

Hebrews 9:25–26 NKJV

not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another—He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.

Among other things we learn two important truths from these two verses. First...

Unlike the OT Sacrifices, Christ’s Payment was Final

The High Priest had to enter the Most Holy Place EVERY YEAR...

Although the Day of Atonement took place once a year, there were also “daily sacrifices” that would take place. Hebrews 7:27 reminds us of this…but it also reminds us that CHRIST’S SACRIFICE WAS FINAL!

Hebrews 7:27 NKJV

who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.

The writer of Hebrews also reminds us of this truth in...

Hebrews 10:10 NKJV

By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

The repetitive sacrifices under the Old Covenant had to be repetitive because they were never fully adequate.

However, when the Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus Christ offered Himself, He was MORE THAN ADEQUATE! Therefore His sacrifice for sin would NEVER, EVER be repeated!

Donald Guthrie said this:

…one sacrifice was adequate for continual access…Christ is continually before the face of God, which shows the sacrifice to be sufficient. The effectiveness of that offering is always before the Father’s eyes.

A second thing we learn from this passage is that...

Unlike the OT Priests, Christ Offered His Own Blood

Notice again Hebrews 9:25

Hebrews 9:25 NKJV

not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another—

The High Priest always brought the “blood of another.” Namely the blood of a spotless lamb. However, Jesus as the Great High Priest didn’t offer the blood of “a lamb” but rather offered HIMSELF as the LAMB OF GOD slain before the foundation of the world. He shed His own blood, not the blood of another.

Isaiah put it this way...

Isaiah 53:5–6 NKJV

But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

Notice also...

Hebrews 9:12 NKJV

Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.

Try to imagine with me this morning, that God views YOU as so valuable, so treasured, so loved, that He was willing to step into a human body, to leave the glories of heaven, to fully suffer all of the horrors of the cross and eternal hell so YOU, YES YOU, could be RESCUED from the penalty and power of YOUR sin!

But that’s not the end of the story...

God the Son Will Return to Save Those who are Eagerly Waiting for Him

Notice

Hebrews 9:27–28 NKJV

And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.

What Christ did ONCE for all in the past, has an effect upon our PRESENT life TODAY, and our FUTURE life in eternity! Al Mohler says:

Our salvation is a past, present, and future salvation. It is past in the sense that what Christ accomplished by his blood happened long ago. It is present in the sense that we are saved and united with Christ right now. And it is future in the sense that we will be saved out of this broken world into eternal communion, peace, and freedom from sin when Christ returns. So, as we eagerly wait in the present, we rejoice in the past and anticipate the new heaven and a new, restored earth in the future. Every generation of Christians has been waiting for the coming kingdom. This is true of our generation as well. So as long as we are living, we are waiting. We must do so eagerly.

Can you think of any greater news than this? Can you imagine a greater story ever told?

As recipients of this message we need to do the following:

Believe on Jesus for Ourselves

No one can do it for you. No one can trust Jesus for you. No one can call on the name of the Lord for you. No one can surrender for you.

WILL YOU BELIEVE ON JESUS FOR YOURSELF, TODAY?

Share Jesus with Others

It’s a story too good to keep to ourselves. Later this year we are going to talk a lot about being a Great Commission Christian. Part of this is related to sharing with others what Jesus has done in your life and how He can do it in theirs!

Occupy Until Jesus Returns

God has left us here for a reason. Yes, He is returning, but until He returns we need to be occupied with Him, His Word and His Work!