One Sacrifice for All

Think with me for just a moment about the tasks you have to do repeatedly that you wish had a “once for all coupon”?

What would your life be like if you had a once for all coupon for oil changes…

you take your vehicle to the shop, they change your oil, and tell you you’ll never need another oil change, ever…would you like that coupon?

How about a once for all coupon for your laundry? For cleaning your house?

How about a once for all coupon for your taxes?

You’ll never get contacted by the IRS ever again, all your taxes are paid in full for the rest of your life.

Anyone down for that?

I would venture to say that if such coupons exist, every single one of us will do everything we can to get our hands on those coupons.

Let’s face it, none of us like to do those repetitive things over and over and over again…they easily get monotonous and frustrating…and to neglect those things would create some serious problems.

But have you ever stopped long enough to consider the greatest problem you have is not in a car that constantly needs an oil change, a house that always needs cleaned, laundry that always needs done, but the greatest problem you and I have is the condition of our souls...

We enter this life dead in our sin

We have a Creator who is perfectly holy who longs for a relationship with us.

Our inherited sinfulness makes us unholy in every way, completely separating us from Him.

To neglect the condition of our souls is a choice to ignore the demands of our Holy God which means our destiny is an eternity separated from God.

Our lack of holiness before our holy Creator means there is no way for us to have a genuine relationship with Him unless something happens to permanently fix that problem.

With all that in mind please turn to Hebrews 10:1-18.

Remember this book is written to a predominantly Jewish audience who left the Jewish temple and became associated with the church...

it would appear that they fell into two very distinct categories…

some were genuine followers of Jesus Christ…

others had just come to church because of convenience or intrigue…

but as time went on, either because of family pressure, or societal pressure…some are thinking about going back to the temple…or abandoning the worship of Jesus Christ and their faith in Him…

So this book is all about the sufficiency and superiority of Jesus Christ…

The big picture argument of this text goes all the way back to Hebrews 7:1 where the writer begins discussing what makes Jesus the superior High Priest.

He provides evidence after evidence that points to that truth and then finally concludes that argument here.

He wraps up that argument with a focus on the superiority of Jesus’ sacrifice over the Old Covenant sacrifices.

Main Point: Jesus’ Sacrifice is the Only All-Sufficient Sacrifice

He is the permanent, once for all solution to the problem of our souls!

So let’s look for 3 reasons why Jesus’ sacrifice is the all-sufficient sacrifice.

What makes Jesus’ sacrifice the sacrifice to end all sacrifices?

His Sacrifice Is Effective Permanently (1-9).

The Old Testament sacrifices were insufficient and designed to be replaced. (1-4).

Hebrews 10:1–4 “For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have had consciousness of sins? But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year by year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.”

What we see here are some key contrasts the writer doesn’t want us to miss...

the law pointed to “the good things to come.”

The writer doesn’t explain those good things, but I think we can reasonably conclude he is referring to the benefits of salvation.

Look at what the writer says about the OT sacrifices that show their insufficiency and design.

Only a shadow (1)

that doesn’t mean that it was unnecessary…it means it was not the reality itself.

the world needs to understand the God of the universe is holy…the Law proved that.

the world needs to comprehend all the ways human beings fall short…the law proved that...

Just read through the book of Leviticus and you will see over and over again how Israel should have been different from the nations around them...

No other nation had Laws like Israel

It was a seemingly endless set of laws revealing our rebellion and our sin…and it pointed to the only solution for that sin.

Galatians 3:24 “Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.”

Offered continually year after year (1)

There was a constant refrain of sin demands a sacrifice, sin demands a sacrifice...

The Day of Atonement was once a year and it happened every year...

Can never make you holy (1)

“perfect” — to make complete and without defect or blemish…in other words, holy as God is holy.

The holiness of God demands the holiness of his people…In the OT economy, God dwelt in the Holy of Holies and the only one allowed in there was the High Priest…you needed a representative…

There is no way you and I can draw near to a Holy God if our holiness is left to our holiness…

we need the holiness of another who is PERFECT…without DEFECT OR BLEMISH.

All the OT sacrifices could do was hold back the wrath of God…they were ineffective to take it away.

Turn to Romans 3:25–26 “whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”

Propitiation is God’s wrath being turned away…which is something the OT sacrifices could not do…they were unable to completely satisfy God’s holy demands so God had to continually passover their sin through the covering of the sacrifices.

Should have ceased if they were truly effective (2)

If the offerings could make you holy, they would have stopped.

They left the root cause—sin—untouched. Their repetition showed their inadequacy.

Reminder of the seriousness of sin — (3)

Sin was a very serious problem and God wanted them to know how costly it was…so he gave them an annual reminder…the Day of Atonement

Could never take away sin — (4)

When the writer talks about the conscience and removal of sin he is referring to a removal of the guilt sin brings...

Physical pain is an indicator God created to inform you something was wrong in your body.

Guilt is the spiritual pain that ought to inform you something is wrong in your soul…

it’s that yellow “check engine” light that comes on in your vehicle.

Yes it can be ignored and what happens if you continue to ignore that check engine light?

In the OT economy, that check engine light went out with a sacrifice, but then came back on the moment the sacrifice was done...they were never truly free of that guilt.

Implications for you and me!

The Jewish audience of Hebrews should have known these animal sacrifices were totally inadequate.

Even though God established the requirements of the animal sacrifices, time and time again the OT writers would remind God’s people he did not delight in them.

Look at what God says in 1 Sam 15:22

1 Samuel 15:22 (NASB95)

Samuel said, “Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams.

God was looking for a broken and contrite heart in the worshipper that moved them to obedience.

Look at Heb 10:4 more intently with me for just a moment…if the writer of Hebrews were to write this today....

…the amount of money you give to the church doesn’t save you

your “stockpile of good works” doesn’t save you

(YOUNG PEOPLE) …the faith of your mom and dad doesn’t save you

…your self-evaluation of “I’m not as bad as the other guy” doesn’t save you

…your attempts to be righteous on your own doesn’t save you...

I need to ask you two very simple questions…

How Holy is Your God?

Is he only a little bit holy and shouldn’t be bothered by my “little bit” of sinfulness?

or is he perfectly holy and completely justified in demanding my sinfulness needs a permanent fix?

Do you think that your holiness is enough for you to dwell in His presence?

Jesus’ obedience sufficiently fulfilled God’s plan of redemption (5-9).

Wholehearted obedience was the only sacrifice God really wanted, and he found this response supremely in Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 10:5–9 “Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says, “Sacrifice and offering You have not desired, But a body You have prepared for Me; In whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You have taken no pleasure. “Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come (In the scroll of the book it is written of Me) To do Your will, O God.’ ” After saying above, “Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You have not desired, nor have You taken pleasure in them” (which are offered according to the Law), then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will.” He takes away the first in order to establish the second.”

The writer quotes here from Ps 40:6-8 and attributes these words to Jesus…He quotes from this Psalm to show them God himself didn’t like the old system and they needed to let go of it.

Now our natural argument then is “Well, if He didn’t like it, why did He start it?”

And the point is, He started it the way He liked it, but it got messed up along the way, and it turned into a ritual without any reality. (EXPLAIN)

God’s will from the beginning was for Jesus to be the ultimate sacrifice, once for all.

So what we see here is Jesus has a conversation with the Father…1000 years before it ever took place He was talking about a body that was prepared for him that was far better than any animal sacrifice.

What Jesus did for you and me, by offering Himself as a substitutionary sacrifice, was an act of obedience to the plan/will of God…

Twice in these verses he makes that point…in verses 7 & 9

His sacrifice is effective permanently because it showed a volitional commitment to do God’s will.

Jesus showed a continuous awareness that he was to do the Father’s will, and he pursued it relentlessly.

The key phrase is found at the end of verse 9…Hebrews 10:9 “then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will.” He takes away the first in order to establish the second.”

takes away = destroy, abolish

God says I don’t want that old system anymore I want to take their sin away permanently.

Jesus says I’ll do that…I’ll obey your will…I’ll be the sacrifice you require...so He brings in the new...

So what does that mean for people like you and me?...

We have to decide if we want to benefit from His perfect obedience.

For anyone to benefit from his obedience there must be repentance and belief.

Acts 17:30–31 ““Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.””

this means that the gospel is not just a gift to be received, or a message to be embraced…it is a command to be obeyed…

I want to love you enough to say to you that a decision to reject Jesus as your Savior is a decision to live in rebellion to a Holy God.

Believers, this free gift of salvation ought to be what motivates and empowers our desire to follow God’s will and obey Him more progressively each and every day.

We don’t obey because we are trying with all our might to keep ourselves saved and in favor with God...

We obey because we love our Savior who used His body to die in our place…we obey because His obedience made it possible for us to obey.

His Sacrifice Sanctifies Us Completely (10-14).

Hebrews 10:10–14 “By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time onward until His enemies be made a footstool for His feet. For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.”

The writer now makes a transition and begins talking about the believer’s sanctification…v. 10 and v 14.

Sanctification = set apart, set apart from sin to God, set apart by Jesus’ righteousness being imputed to our account, to make holy

Completed sanctification means our position with God is secure.

Hebrews 10:10 “By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

Hebrews 10:14 - For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.

Here’s the beauty of what we see here…you’ve heard me say it before…until Jesus comes to get us, we live in the realm between the already but not yet.

v.10 — we have been sanctified…v14…He has perfected — both are written in the perfect tense…meaning it was a one time action that has a continuous result…this is the realm of the already, it’s done, completed

…His sacrifice brought holiness to every believer…we are IN Christ, and nothing can change that...

Are sanctified — present tense — meaning our sanctification is a process…it is progressive…it is the realm of the not yet

Our position with God is a settled reality of complete holiness and then we spend the rest of our life walking in obedience to Him proving the reality of that new position.

Believers, we can stand against the powers of sin and Satan with full confidence that no matter how hard the devil wants to accuse us, we can say “my eternal security is not based on how holy I can be, it is based on the holiness of my Savior”

…I may fall, and I may falter, but I stand confident in Him, knowing that I am already perfected and in the process of that becoming a full reality.

Completed sanctification ensures our eternal victory.

The point of verses 11-13 is to see the stark contrast of Jesus’ sacrifice to the OT sacrifices.

Year after year the same sacrifices were offered, moving from one priest to the next…that check engine light never went out.

But Jesus, offered one sacrifice, himself, and then what did he do?

HE SAT DOWN!

IT IS FINISHED…HIS WORK OF SECURING OUR SALVATION AND PROCURING OUR SANCTIFICATION IS OVER!

Now he waits for the time for when His enemies will be his footstool…that is a statement of complete VICTORY!

What that means for us is that we don’t have to live in guilt and shame.

and we can be honest about the ways we need to change this side of heaven instead of trying to cover it up or blame it on someone else…why?… because of the truth of Gal 2:20.

Galatians 2:20 (NASB95)

“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

We don’t have to strive to be perfect because we rely on His perfection...

Jesus lives His life in us through the ministry of the Holy Spirit empowering us to live a disciplined life...

It is a life focused on putting off our unrighteousness, renewing our mind with the truth of Scripture, and putting on the righteousness of Christ…progressing everyday towards greater displays of His life being lived in us.

His Sacrifice Provides Forgiveness Eternally (15-18).

Hebrews 10:15–18 “And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us; for after saying, “This is the covenant that I will make with them After those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws upon their heart, And on their mind I will write them,” He then says, “And their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin.”

Here we see the Holy Spirit testifies to the reality of what Jesus accomplished on our behalf.

The writer now turns back to the New Covenant found in Jeremiah 31…

Because the perfect Son of God was willing to die in His body on the cross for us…where is God’s law now written?...on our hearts…this isn’t behavioral modification…it’s transformation at the level of the heart…His sacrifice was so comprehensive that it could change us from the inside out…

God has written his law within us and will no longer remember our sins and lawless acts…this is complete forgiveness

The old covenant provided for an annual remembrance of sin (v. 3).

The new covenant promised no more remembrance of sin.

Complete forgiveness means we are released from the penalty of sin, we are freed from the power of sin to control us at every level, and someday we will be freed from the presence of sin.

Since Jesus offered Himself once for all, our sins have been forever forgiven, there is no need for any further offering.

There is no other way…we have the once for all solution to our greatest problem.

Lesson for Life: Take Your Next Steps of Obedience.

Believer — you’ve been freed from the guilt and shame of sin and now are indwelt by the Holy Spirit who wants to empower you to walk in obedience.

What does that look like for you?

Baptism — making a public declaration of your faith and desire to follow Christ

Membership — to make a specific commitment to unite with this body of believers to do your part of building lives to know and live for Jesus Christ

Sharing — who in your sphere of influence needs to see and hear about the difference Jesus makes in your life

Growth — what thoughts, desires, and actions need to be put off and replaced with the righteousness of Christ…

Faithfulness — perhaps God is moving you to be more faithful to grow in His word and draw nearer to Him than you have been…there are things, people, or events that you’ve allowed to get in the way.

Service — what gifts, skills and abilities do you need to employ for His glory and to fulfill your mission to make disciples. (If time talk about the kids/ark workers)

Unbeliever — Your first step of obedience is to accept the forgiveness God makes available to you in Jesus Christ alone…stop living in rebellion…answer God’s call to trust in Jesus, the only permanent solution for your soul!

Close out with song and call to respond