Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Last week we were in Hebrews 9:1-14.

We looked at the idea that we were not saved to sit, but we were saved to serve.

Meaning, we were saved to go and by any means possible, tell the rest of the world about the Amazing work of Jesus Christ.

We saw that tabernacle worship is dead, and that any works done outside of working for the Kingdom is dead.

Jesus Christ shed his blood so that we may be purified by God so that God will live with us and we with him.

So, this purification does not mean that we sit back and wait for death or his return, but that we may worship him by telling others by any means necessary of his goodness!

I hope to build off of that this morning!

Keep in mind that the author of Hebrews had an audience that was composed of three types of people[1].

1) Those who are holding fast to their confidence even in the midst of persecution 2) Those who had shrunk back from their faith in time of persecution and 3) those who haven’t trust in God to do what he said he is going to do.

So, chapter 9 is highly evangelistic so that all three groups might be fully convinced of the Goodness of God.

So, my aim this morning is that all around we would see the incredibly majestic nature of Jesus.

If you don’t have a relationship with him: I plead with you that you would devote your life to him for there is not another Lord, they are dead.

But Jesus is alive and wants you and will come back for you.

My second aim is that you who have at one time or another trusted in the name of Jesus would fall in love with him all… over… again.

That whatever may be on your mind this morning, whatever excuse you have that you have shrunk back, or whatever is weighing you down in your life would not come close in comparison to the divine mercy of your creator.

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I) To Partake in the New Covenant, Believing Jesus is Necessary (v 15)

A) He is the Mediator

Jesus is the mediator.

Meaning that he brought the new covenant from God, between God and his people reconciled.

Bringing an opportunity for peace rather than wrath.

B) The Mediator gives eternal inheritance

There is a circular pattern here, do you see it?

This is actually the main point of this chapter and dare I even say this book.

God has called some, these who are called receive the eternal promise that God will dwell with his people, then remember from last week, we take that power and go and herald this message to others.

So that, they can heed the call of God and receive power!

That is the only way we show that we believe Jesus.

“We don't believe something by merely saying we believe it, or even when we believe that we believe it.

We believe something when we act as if it were true.”

C) The Mediator breaks all old bonds

Remember the audience here.

Some of them would have been Jews under the old covenant and would have offered sacrifices to God via the high priest and sacrifices.

It would have been their normal way of life.

Let’s pause here and ask…Why is Christianity so radical?

Why in a secular world such as ours do millions of people reject Biblical Christianity and seek to redefine it?

Because Jesus has said, I am the ONLY way to eternal life… nothing else will do!

not works, not sacrifices, not doing your best, not paying giving your best etc.

Only through Jesus!

Jesus is better!

… SO why did Jesus come?

II) For the NC to be Guaranteed, Jesus’ Death was Necessary (v 16-17)

A) A “will” is legal terminology

v 16a – Again, from last week.

This covenant is a legal bond.

Our relationship to God is best described in a legal manner.

That’s why you find a lot of legal terminology in the Bible.

Since we are by nature, sinners (we are disobedient to God) we have a legal debt to God.

We have done so much wrong to him if we wrote it all down it would be an eternity long.

We could never repay our debt.

Just like our court system today, payment for crime is doing time.

God’s standards say that our payment should be an eternal amount of time in hell, away from his glory.

But being a just judge, God provided a way for humanity to not only spend eternity with him, but for God to start living with his people immediately!

This way was Jesus.

He desires to be your payment when the just judge has his eternal say.

He desires to take your punishment.

But he also wants God to come to you now….

B) A will only takes place when there is death

v 16b -17 – So, for the promised eternal inheritance to be available, the one who owns it had to die.

Picture our modern day will…Don’t miss this!

Why did God send Jesus?

Why not send someone else?

Because God had to die so that the will could take effect… This is proof for the doctrine of Incarnation, meaning that Jesus is God.

God the father sent his son, a real part of the triune God, to sacrificially become a human.

So that he could be 100% God and 100% man.

That was the only way for the perfect sacrifice to do the work on Humanities behalf.

Christ came to take humanities place, so that all the wrath of God the father toward sin could be poured out on himself, because no other sacrifice would do.

no other sacrifice would completely guarantee God’s promise.

III) For the NC to go into Effect, Blood Payment was Necessary (v 18-22)

A) The first Covenant was symbolically initiated by blood

v 18-21 – Exodus 24

B) The better Covenant needed a better initiation of blood

v 22- There were times that exceptions were made in the law for a sacrifice to be made for sin without blood.

That was if someone was not able to afford an animal for sacrifice.

They would make take one tenth an ephah, or 9 cups, of choice flour and offer that to the priest.

This was EXTREMEMLY RARE.

The point is that a life is to be offered as sacrifice….

God is spirit, which doesn’t have blood.

So, Jesus, was 100% God in spirit mind and soul, but was 100% human in that the vessel God was in was 100% real flesh, real flesh has real blood, and blood was necessary for payment

IV) Only one death was Necessary (v 23-26)

A) Jesus’s blood was a one-time purification

v 23-24 – On the cross, Jesus died.

Think about that.

Ever seen anyone die?

Jesus died, so that he could enter in to the throne room of God (remember God’s comments made to Moses, no man could do that with out dying), in that throne room to present the blood and death necessary to initiate the policy of the new covenant… Signed, sealed, and delivered, once and never again….

B) Repeated atonement is heretical

v 25-26 – Let’s get something straight, Jesus does not die every time we sin, nor do we re crucify him during each communion time for the forgiveness of that week’s sin, as some believe we Christians so.

If that was true, Jesus would still be on the cross.

He is most certainly not still on the cross but is in the Holy Place with God….

The belief that Jesus is still on the cross is a heretical belief that is not from God, it is from Satan.

Jesus’ last words on the cross before he gave us his life was “it is finished” … done… never happening again.

He appeared once on earth as the God man, to offer his body as a sacrifice of blood, to appear to God with that sacrifice once, and will come back once more only this time with a new title, The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords… This is the title that is given to him in the Book of Revelation when Christ comes back to save his people and judge the world.

Whether we meet death first, or Christ comes back, one this is assured…

V) A Substitutional Death for Salvific Judgement is Necessary (v 28)

At the end of that eventful passover week when Jesus was finishing his ministry, the Romans had prepared three crosses for three criminals.

On two of the crosses theives were to hang.

The third cross was for an insurrectionist named Barabbas, who had been found guilty of treason against the empire.

But Barabbas never made it to the cross.

He was guilty and condemned, but he was not executed - Because someone took his place.

On the middle cross that day hung not a violent, profane rebel, but the sinless son of God.