The Way to True Worship (Hebrews 9:1–14)

Introduction

We're continuing our series in the book of Hebrews. Today, we'll be in Hebrews 9:1-14. I did something a little different today. There is a handout. It will be helpful for you later on in the sermon, so please ensure you have one.

The verses today are going to get into the topic of rituals. A ritual is a repeated action people do, often without thinking, because it feels meaningful or comforting.

Years ago, I was a "don't talk to me in the morning until I've had my coffee" guy. Standing at the coffee pot was part of my morning ritual. (Now it's tea.)

Maybe you do this. Every time I leave the house, I must tap my pockets or feel my bag to ensure that the phone, wallet, and keys are there. It’s my phone-keys-wallet ritual.

A lot of us have these little rituals. Some are comforting. Some are just habits. But do you know that your faith can become a set of rituals if you're not careful?

Your Christianity can get reduced to prayer before a meal, prayer hand text emojis, and showing up to church because it's the thing to do. Our Christianity can become a set of religious actions instead of true devotion to Jesus.

In Hebrews 9, the writer will describe how the Jews became focused on the rituals instead of understanding the message of Jesus within them. In Jesus Christ, God doesn't invite us to rituals. Instead, God draws us into a relationship with him by faith in Jesus Christ.

How can we avoid mistaking religious actions for true worship? We'll look at that today in Hebrews 9:1-14.

Scripture Reading

Hebrews 9:1–14 CSB

1 Now the first covenant also had regulations for ministry and an earthly sanctuary. 2 For a tabernacle was set up, and in the first room, which is called the holy place, were the lampstand, the table, and the presentation loaves. 3 Behind the second curtain was a tent called the most holy place. 4 It had the gold altar of incense and the ark of the covenant, covered with gold on all sides, in which was a gold jar containing the manna, Aaron’s staff that budded, and the tablets of the covenant. 5 The cherubim of glory were above the ark overshadowing the mercy seat. It is not possible to speak about these things in detail right now. 6 With these things prepared like this, the priests enter the first room repeatedly, performing their ministry. 7 But the high priest alone enters the second room, and he does that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offers for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance. 8 The Holy Spirit was making it clear that the way into the most holy place had not yet been disclosed while the first tabernacle was still standing. 9 This is a symbol for the present time, during which gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the worshiper’s conscience. 10 They are physical regulations and only deal with food, drink, and various washings imposed until the time of the new order. 11 But Christ has appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come. In the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands (that is, not of this creation), 12 he entered the most holy place once for all time, not by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow, sprinkling those who are defiled, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works so that we can serve the living God?

Pray

Hebrews 9:1-14 gives us clues about the person who wrote Hebrews and when the author wrote it.

When was Hebrews written? Hebrews 9 gives us evidence of an early date for this letter. The book of Hebrews shows us the early church's theology, especially how the early Christians were wrestling between Jesus as their Messiah and the context of their Jewish faith.

In the timeline of the early church, Jesus resurrects sometime around AD 30-33. The church starts in Acts 2, which was about 50 days after the resurrection. The letter of Hebrews has to be written early on in the church, not only because of the Jewishness of the letter but also because, in Hebrews 9, it describes the Jerusalem Temple as still in operation.

The Temple that Jesus went to in the Gospels was destroyed later on in the first century, in AD 70, by the Romans during the First Jewish-Roman War. The destruction of the Temple in AD 70 ended the Old Covenant sacrifices, since the Temple was essential for them.

Why is that important? When the writer of Hebrews talks of the priests at the Temple, he describes them in the present tense. In Hebrews 9:1-14, the priests are repeatedly entering the first room. The high priest enters the second room. They are offering gifts and sacrifices. For the writer of Hebrews, it is not something that used to happen. The priests are busy doing it now.

That means that when we read Hebrews, we get a very early look at how Jewish Christians understood Christ in light of the existing Jewish Temple.

What does Hebrews 9 tell us about the author? We don't know who wrote Hebrews, but there are clues within the letter. The writer of Hebrews is very Jewish. Not only is he well acquainted with Judaism, but he also writes in the style of Jewish writing and poetry.

Chiasm

Hebrews 9:1-14 is in a Hebraic form of writing called a chiasm. A chiasm is very poetic. In chiasm, the writer puts phrases in a particular order until they get to a central point, and then it repeats them in reverse order.

Why is this important? Understanding the structure helps us see the writer’s main point.

A good example of this is in a verse you may be familiar with in Psalm 23:4, "Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for you are with me; your rod and your staff—they comfort me."

In that verse, the first and last parts relate: When I go through the darkest valley, I am comforted. That is A and A'. Two middle phrases also relate: I fear no danger because God's rod and staff protect me. That is B and B'.

It goes to David's central and main point in Psalm 23:4. The central focus of everything is that God is with him: "For you are with me." Everything hinges on that central point. That's the beauty of Hebrew poetry.

How does this relate to Hebrews 9? A Hebrew chiasm can be in a single verse or a long stretch of verses. as we have in Hebrews 9:1-14.

If you don't know the literary structure, you can get lost in all the descriptions about how the Temple was set up, with the incense, the lampstand, the ark of the covenant, and everything else. Even the writer says he doesn't have time to describe it all (Heb. 9:5).

Take a look at how these verses are structured.

Verses 1-5 relate to verses 11-14. The first five verses describe the earthly temple, and the last four describe the "greater and more perfect tabernacle" (Heb. 9:11), A and A'.

The middle sections, verses 6-7 and 9-10, also relate to each other. The priests are busy making sacrifices, but their sacrifices are ineffective, B and B'.

Looking at it this way, just like in Psalm 23:4, everything points you to the central point. These verses are a Hebrew chiasm that gets you to the central point, Hebrews 9:8. All of Hebrews 9:1-14 hinges on the central point in verse 8,

Hebrews 9:8 CSB

8 The Holy Spirit was making it clear that the way into the most holy place had not yet been disclosed while the first tabernacle was still standing.

The central point is this: as long as the old system of rituals and sacrifices was in place, the true way into God’s presence remained blocked. The Holy Spirit showed us that rituals can never open the way to God. Only Christ can. Everything before was a shadow, pointing to the greater reality that came through Jesus.

This central truth is what the rest of the passage builds toward and flows from: only the blood of Christ can cleanse our conscience and bring us into true worship of the living God.

That brings us to our first point,

I. The Old Covenant Could Not Cleanse the Conscience

The first ten verses describe the Old Covenant system as limited and temporary because it could not create a transformation in the soul.

A. The Tabernacle Was Designed for Ritual, Not Relationship

Everything in the Temple reminded the Israelites of God's beauty, righteousness, and holiness. Inside, incense filled the air, gold glimmered from the lampstand, and the priests busily worked.

The lampstand symbolized God's light and his guidance. The curtain symbolized a barrier between God and man. The most holy place would symbolize the sacred presence of God. The ark of the covenant would represent God's covenant relationship with his people. The animal sacrifices symbolized the severity of our sin before God and our desperate need for forgiveness and salvation.

But what happened with the Jews is they made what God gave them more than what it was. The physical things at the Temple became the focus, rather than the message God intended to share through those symbols. Whenever you make something more than what it is, prioritizing it over God, even good things, you end up making idols of those things. You fall into idolatry.

Can this happen to Christians? Sure. Sometimes, Christians can fall into bibliolatry. That's a description of when the physical Bible becomes the object of your reverence rather than the God it points to.

When I was younger, some families kept a big family Bible on a table in their home, or some would put one on a high shelf to symbolize its importance.

I'm not saying not to appreciate your Bible, but I am saying not to mistake the symbol for the message. The Bible sitting on a table or a shelf will not do you any good.

The Bible contains symbols meant to communicate a message, but it won’t help if the words stay on the page. The message of God's Word inspired by the Holy Spirit must move from the pages to your heart. Don't mistake the symbol for what God intends to do with it. God brought the good news message for you to believe, and then he brings you into a relationship with him, transforming your soul.

Hebrews 9 points out that the priests' work under the Old Covenant was symbolic and couldn't bring any lasting soul change.

B. The Priests Served Repeatedly, Yet the Way to God Remained Closed

This repeated act is key to understanding the symbolism of the Old Covenant because if the blood of an animal sacrifice could truly cover sin, there wouldn’t be any need to continue to do the same thing repeatedly.

When you eat, you satisfy your hunger for the moment, but the hunger comes back. You don’t solve the problem of your hunger for the rest of your life because you ate a burrito today. That would be some burrito! You must come back and eat again because the problem of hunger returns every day.

The same was true for animal sacrifices. They didn’t have any lasting effect before God. David realized this under the Old Covenant, and he wrote about it in Psalm 51:16-17, where he says,

Psalm 51:16–17 CSB

16 You do not want a sacrifice, or I would give it; you are not pleased with a burnt offering. 17 The sacrifice pleasing to God is a broken spirit. You will not despise a broken and humbled heart, God.

David is describing the symbolism of the sacrifice. God intended the sacrifice, the symbol, to drive the person to the message, which was their need for God. The message of the sacrifice was to repent and be humble before the Lord.

The Old Covenant physical things provided external rituals for the people of Israel, but those physical things were not meant to be the end. The end is a clean heart and a relationship with God.

We don’t need rituals. We need a heart cleansing that only the Holy Spirit can do through Jesus. Religious activity without it leaves you stuck in guilt and unhealed. We need God’s healing work in our souls.

That brings us to the second point,

II. Christ’s Sacrifice Cleanses the Conscience Completely

In verses 11 to 14, we pivot from the symbols to the substance. It is a call to understand the message behind the symbols.

If you see a red octagon with white lettering, with the letters “S-T-O-P,” there is a message that the symbol is there to convey. The red octagon sign doesn’t do anything by itself unless you interpret the symbol correctly. You see the symbol and know the message is to stop your vehicle.

The symbol is only good if you understand the message it is trying to convey. The earthly Temple and everything within it was ultimately there as a symbol pointing to Christ’s death and resurrection work.

Through Jesus’ death and resurrection work,

A. Christ Entered the Greater and Heavenly Sanctuary

In Hebrews 9:11,

Hebrews 9:11 CSB

11 But Christ has appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come. In the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands (that is, not of this creation),

Human hands could not create salvation. We need God’s powerful work, and when Jesus rose from the dead and ascended into heaven, he entered the heavenly places, a greater and more perfect place than anything we’ve ever seen on this earth.

We live in an earth suffering under the weight of sin, but Christ has left to prepare a place for us, as it says in John 14:2,

John 14:2 CSB

2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?

There’s an interesting connection between our text in Hebrews 9 and this verse. The priests had only two rooms, a holy place and a most holy place. Jesus is preparing a place with many rooms because people from every tribe, nation, and language are coming, and we will be before him amid his holiness and grace. In Jesus Christ, the barriers are gone. There is a holy room in the heavens for you to enter into the presence of God.

The Lord providing a place for us cost him his blood.

B. Christ Offered His Own Blood, Not Animal Sacrifices

When Christ entered into the heavenly sanctuary, the writer of Hebrews states in Hebrews 9:12

Hebrews 9:12 CSB

12 he entered the most holy place once for all time, not by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption.

Jesus fulfilled the symbolism of the Old Covenant through the New Covenant, as he said in Luke 22:20, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.”

Why did Jesus have to offer his blood? This connection is where the Old Covenant symbolism meets with the power of the New Covenant. Under the Old Covenant, the Bible explains in Leviticus 17:11,

Leviticus 17:11 CSB

11 For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have appointed it to you to make atonement on the altar for your lives, since it is the lifeblood that makes atonement.

Sacrifices under the Old Covenant were not meaningless. You say, “Jason, I thought they were symbols?” Yes, but the sacrifices were ordained by God at that time to have a temporary function of atonement for the people of Israel.

The key to understanding atonement in the Old Covenant was that they were forward-looking to something greater. The blood of goats and calves was an earthly symbol pointing forward to the heavenly reality, when the Son of God would enter the heavens in power, offering his lifeblood as atonement, “for it is the lifeblood that makes atonement” for you and me.

We see the symbolism of the Old Covenant pointing to the future reality of the New Covenant in Revelation 5:9, where there is a picture of heavenly beings bowing before the Son of God, presenting the prayers of the saints to him, and they sing a new song. It says,

Revelation 5:9 CSB

9 And they sang a new song: You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slaughtered, and you purchased people for God by your blood from every tribe and language and people and nation.

Something is worth buying if it is valuable. Do you know that you have so much value to God that he purchased you through the lifeblood of his Son?

Hebrews 9 tells us more about the blood of the Lamb of God and what it does for us. It says,

C. His Blood Purifies the Conscience

In Hebrews 9:14,

Hebrews 9:14 CSB

14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works so that we can serve the living God?

What does the Bible describe when it talks about the conscience? The conscience represents the inner experience within humanity that intrinsically understands morality. It is an inner awareness within the human soul of right and wrong.

The Old Testament describes the conscience as the heart. For instance, in Psalm 51:10, David prays this,

Psalm 51:10 CSB

10 God, create a clean heart for me and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Do human beings have an inward life, a soul, where one’s conscience lives? The reality of our soul shows in several ways.

We physically change as we grow with new memories and opinions, but the inner self remains throughout our lives.

We reflect on what we've done. We think about our actions. We self-reflect, have guilt, and make judgments. A lion doesn’t feel bad after killing its prey. It doesn’t live with guilt for the rest of its life. But humans do.

We think about the morality of our actions, and we all agree on the same thing: We’re not perfect. We understand perfection and know that we fall short.

The Bible says that the person on the inside, that inner self that stays the same throughout our lives and understands right and wrong, is the part of us designed for eternity. The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 3:11 that God has “put eternity” on our hearts. 2 Corinthians 4:16 says, “Even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day.”

We have an inner self that God designed for eternity, and the Bible gives only two paths: Either in the presence of God for eternity in heaven or apart from God for eternity in hell.

The Son of God came to purchase you by his blood, so you don’t have to live eternally in hell. You are valuable, and he has prepared a room for you to be in his presence in the heavenly sanctuary forever.

When you trust Christ, his blood cleanses you and brings you into worship. Our last point is,

III. Christ’s Sacrifice Enables True Worship of the Living God

Finishing Hebrews 9:14, it says there,

Hebrews 9:14 CSB

14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works so that we can serve the living God?

The goal of the blood of Christ is not just forgiveness. It is not just eternal life. The goal of the blood of Christ is for you to come into a life-giving relationship with God that results in worship and praise.

Remember, these verses hinge on Hebrews 9:8. There, it said that in the Old Covenant, the Holy Spirit had not yet disclosed the way to the holy place. Now, the way to God's presence is known.

In the New Covenant, the Holy Spirit points the way to the holy place. We enter into the holy place through the blood of the sinless Lamb of God, who purchased us by his blood so that we can have his life.

When his blood purifies the conscience, it does these two things. First,

A. We Are Freed from Dead Works

What are dead works? Dead works are actions done apart from faith in Christ. They come from a spiritually dead life.

Dead works are religious activities without a redeemed heart in Christ.

Dead works are trying to fix yourself instead of running to Jesus.

Dead works are people going through the motions without a life of faith.

Dead works are all your attempts at being a good person while rejecting the cross.

Jesus Christ had freed you from dead works, and that’s a reason to worship God. The blood of Christ purifies our conscience and,

B. We Are Now Able to Worship with a Clean Heart

Many around the world are trying to worship God, but they do it without Christ from a place of sin.

All of the prayers toward Mecca in Islam

All of the meditation in Buddhism

All of the temple offerings in Hinduism

All of the moral striving in secularism

It is all dead works apart from Jesus. All good deeds without a heart in Christ can never know the power and freedom of true worship because true worship comes from a heart purified by Jesus Christ. There is no worship without him.

What does it mean that we can now worship with a clean heart? It means that we don’t have to perform. We don’t have to strive to be accepted by God because we are more than accepted. God purchased us by the blood of the Lamb, saying, “You are valuable, and I’m giving my atoning lifeblood for you.”

When you know that you are free from the chains that held you back, from the dead works that poisoned your soul, and you are now his, what is stopping you from worshipping him? You are free. You are loved. You are his.

Conclusion

What is God calling us to respond to today in his Word? He says,

No more rituals.

No more going through the motions.

No more trying to do things apart from Jesus.

Only Jesus can purify your soul and bring you to true worship.

We can leave behind the dead works.

We can leave behind the guilt.

We can leave behind the pretending.

Instead, when you run to Jesus, you don’t run to somebody who wants you to do rituals. You run to someone who draws you into a relationship with him, a relationship that cleans your heart and brings you into true worship because he is worthy. Let us worship God from hearts transformed by Jesus.

Prayer

Communion

We will have communion, remembering Jesus and his sacrifice for us. Meditate on the Lord and where your heart is with him.

1 Corinthians 11:23–26 CSB

23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

Last Song

Doxology

Numbers 6:24–26 CSB

24 “May the Lord bless you and protect you; 25 may the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 may the Lord look with favor on you and give you peace.” ’

Jude 24–25 CSB

24 Now to him who is able to protect you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of his glory, without blemish and with great joy, 25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority before all time, now and forever. Amen.

You are dismissed. Have a great week in the Lord!

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Sermon Reflection Questions

What is the main focus of Hebrews 9:1-14 according to the sermon?

What is the difference between rituals and a true relationship with Jesus?

What does the author of Hebrews say about the effectiveness of the Old Covenant sacrifices?

What is the significance of Christ's sacrifice in relation to the Old Covenant?

What does Hebrews 9:14 say about the impact of Christ’s blood on our conscience?