Redemption through the Blood of Christ!

Redemption through the Blood of Christ!

Hebrews 9:1-28

I. Introduction

I would think that many of you have seen the last Star Wars movie: The Rise of Skywalker. กำเนิดใหม่สกายวอลเกอร์ This movie is episode 9 and the final part of the Star Wars series. Many think it was a great movie, and I agree. If you have seen the movie, you’ll see all these characters in the movie. But if you are true fans of Star Wars, you’ll see more than that. While watching episode you will see this. Episodes 1 to 8 will always be in the back of your head and you can see how the whole story connects and how the characters grow. This makes the final episode 9 so deep, rich and meaningful.

The book of Hebrews is a great book, but one of the reasons why it is difficult to understand, is because it is filled with Old Testament imageries and symbols. Reading Hebrews is like watching the last episode of Star Wars. In order to fully appreciate ซาบซึ้ง and understand the book we need to know about the Old Testament covenants, Levitical priesthood and sacrificial system ระบบเครื่องถวายบูชา . And I hope during the last 9 weeks, we have been able to give you a better understanding.

Today, we are still in the season of Easter and many of us associate Jesus’ death on the cross as the Passover lamb ลูกแกะปัสกา . Many of us are also familiar with the Passover story in the book of Exodus. Israel was delivered from the bondage of slavery and death by the blood of lambs. Similarly, we are delivered from the bondage of sin and death by the blood of Jesus on the cross, on the day of the Passover. Therefore, John the Baptist, calls Jesus “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world” จงดูพระเมษโปดกของพระเจ้า ผู้ทรงรับบาปของโลกไป (John 1:29) and likewise, the apostle Paul also calls Jesus our “Passover Lamb who has been sacrificed” พระคริสต์ผู้ทรงเป็นปัสกาของเรา ถูกถวายบูชาแล้ว in 1 Corinthians 5:7.

However, the book of Hebrews does not speak about the Passover sacrifice เครื่องถวายบูชาปัสกา but rather the sacrifice in the tabernacle เครื่องถวายบูชาในเต๊นท์พลับพลา on the Day of Atonement วันลบมลทินบาป (Yom Kippur). In chapter 9:12, we read that Jesus คือเสด็จเข้าไปในสถานศักดิ์สิทธิ์ครั้งเดียวเป็นพอ และพระองค์ไม่ได้ทรงนำเลือดแพะและเลือดลูกวัวเข้าไป (ไม่ใช่ลูกแกะ) แต่ทรงนำพระโลหิตของพระองค์เองเข้าไป จึงได้มาซึ่งการไถ่บาปชั่วนิรันดร์ “entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves (not lamb) but by means of His own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.” Both the Passover and Day of Atonement involved animal sacrifices เครื่องสัตวบูชา and they both represent Jesus’ death for our sins in different ways. Have a brief comparison between the 2 major Jewish festivals.

During the Passover

a) A LAMB ลูกแกะ is involved (sometimes goat)

b) High Priest sacrifices a national lamb but all FAMILIES also sacrificed their own lambs and then ate them. Everyone participates from the children to the adults.

c) Mood: CELEBRATORY – joyous feasting and celebration

d) Recalls the PAST deliverance from slavery

During Day of Atonement:

a) I BULL วัว , 2 GOATS แพะ and 2 RAMS แกะตัวผู้

b) Only the HIGH PRIEST – with help from the Levites/Priests

c) Mood: SOLEMN อยู่ในความสงบ – fasting, prayer and denying oneself.

d) PRESENT deliverance from sin

II. Day of Atonement

I am not going to go through the entire sacrificial system in the Old Testament, as it will take a few sessions. I am just going to focus only on the sacrifices on the Day of Atonement and hopefully it will give us a better understanding of Jesus’ death for our sins.

Do take note that sacrifices were made in the tabernacle on a daily basis – because sins were continually made by the people – like us. But on the Day of Atonement is about the offering of sin for the nation of Israel as the people of God. It is like this. It is like this. Every single Jew will have their own lives. They offer personal sacrifices for their sins throughout the year. But on the Day of Atonement, they all converge together as one people under God and offer a single sacrifice for their sins. Only when they have received atonement for their sins, then can they move on and continue as the people of God.

As mention, the Day of Atonement was a very sombre and serious feast. It is the holies day in the Jewish calendar. The only feast where the people were commanded to stop work and fast and repent over their sins for 10 days. On the 10th day, and for only 1 time a year, the High Priest would enter the Holy of Holies. It is where the ark of covenant is. It is where God’s holy presence is. Therefore, everything has to be perfect. During the whole ceremony, the High Priest has to change garments 4 times and undergo ritual bath 5 times to ensure he is clean.

This is the picture of the Old Testament Tabernacle. Outside in the courtyard you have the burning altar where sacrifices were made. The tabernacle itself was divided into 2 parts divided by a veil. The Holy Place where only the Priests can enter and then there is the Holy of Holies where only the High Priest can enter once a year during the Day of atonement.

During the ceremony, there would be 3 types of offerings (sin offering, burn offering and a “scapegoat”); 3 types of animals (bull, 2 goats and 2 rams), and 3 types of cleansing (for the Priest, People and Tabernacle). We all understand that the Priest and the people need to be cleansed from their sins, but why the Tabernacle? The tabernacle of God dwells among the people. The book of Leviticus describes the sins of the people like vile sewage that would pollute the Tabernacle. On the Day of Atonement, the High Priest would cleanse the tabernacle with the blood of sacrificed animals so that it was suitable for God to continue living in. Likewise, only when we are cleansed by the blood of Christ, then can become the temple of the Holy Spirit where God dwells.

6 basic steps in the Ceremony

#1. Preparation

During the preparation process, the people would offer 2 unblemished goats to the High Priest. He would then cast lots between two live goats – one goat will be designated for “Yahweh” will be sacrificed and the other designated as a “scapegoat” which will be released to the wilderness.

#2 Sin Offering for the High Priest

First thing the High Priest would do is sacrifice the Bull as a sin offering for himself as the High Priest. He will then take the blood of the bull into the Holy of Holies and sprinkle the blood on the Ark of Covenant. This cleansed the Holy of Holies from the High Priest’s sins.

#3 Sin Offering for the People

Next the High Priest go out and sacrifice the goat for Yahweh to atone for the sins of Israel. This sacrificed atoned for the sins of the people that polluted the Holy of Holies.

#4 Cleansing the Holy Place and Burning Altar

The Priest would move out and sprinkle blood in Incense Altar in the Holy Place and the Burning Altar in the Courtyard, thus cleansing the entire place polluted by sin.

#5 Scapegoat Ritual แพะรับบาป

After this, the High Priest would go to the 2nd goat, the scapegoat. He would then place his hands on the goat’s head and confessed all the sins and wickedness of the people. Symbolically transferring the sins of the people onto the goat, which will lead away into the wilderness by another person. In practice, to prevent its return to human habitation, the goat was led to a cliff outside Jerusalem and pushed off its edge. 2 goats demonstrating 2 aspects of atonement through Jesus – shed blood to satisfy God’s judgement and sin that is “carried away” from the people. Just like what Hebrews 8:12 tells us, เพราะเราจะเมตตาต่อการอธรรมของพวกเขา และจะไม่จดจำบรรดาบาปของพวกเขาไว้เลย “I will be merciful toward their iniquities and I will remember their sins no more.”

III. Jesus and the Day of Atonement

It is interesting that the book of Hebrews describes Jesus as God’s High Priest because no other books calls Jesus a priest, let alone a High Priest. Priests were powerful figures in Israel in ancient societies for they exercise both political and spiritual power over the people. Jesus is our High Priest who offers Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the atonement our sins and our “scapegoat” who take away our sins.

Verses 13-14,เพราะว่าเลือดแพะและเลือดวัวตัวผู้และเถ้าของลูกวัวตัวเมีย ที่ประพรมลงบนคนที่มีมลทินสามารถชำระเนื้อตัวให้บริสุทธิ์ได้ มากยิ่งกว่านั้นสักเท่าใด พระโลหิตของพระคริสต์ผู้ทรงถวายพระองค์เองที่ปราศจากตำหนิแด่พระเจ้าโดยพระวิญญาณนิรันดร์ ก็จะทรงชำระมโนธรรมของเราจากการประพฤติที่เปล่าประโยชน์ เพื่อเราจะปรนนิบัติพระเจ้าผู้ทรงพระชนม์อยู่ “13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, 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, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.”

Charles Simeon was a godly Anglican pastor and he wrote that while he was reading about the Old Testament sacrifice – “the Jews knew what they did, when they transferred their sin to the head of the animal sacrifice. Then a thought came to his mind, “What if I can also transfer my sins to another? Has God not provided an offering for me, that I may lay my sins on His head? Then, God willing, I will not bear my own sins any longer. I then sought to lay my sins upon the sacred head of Jesus.” Have you done that? You can trust Jesus - lay your sins upon him that you may be forgiven and given a new life – eternal life? Amen?

#6. Burnt Offering for the High Priest and the People

If you have been concentrating, you would realise that the sacrifices for the Day of Atonement has not finished. There are still 2 more rams to be sacrificed! Only after the person who has led the scapegoat to the wilderness has return – ensuring that their sins are truly removed then High Priest will make the Burnt Offering - 1 rams for the Hight Priest and the other ram for the people.

Now, what is the difference between the Sin offering and the Burnt offering? The focus of the sin offering is the blood of the animal. The shed blood to atone for the sins of the people and the blood sprinkled around the tabernacle to cleanse the place from the pollution of sin. The body of the bull and goat was not burnt at the Bronze altar.

In the Burnt offering, the animal is also sacrifice and the blood sprinkled over the Bronze altar but the focus is the burning of the animal. The animal is offered as Burnt offering, a fragrant, sweet-aroma that rises to the sky - that please the Lord. While this sacrifice also atones for sins, it is also an image of whole hearted-dedication of people to appease God. Lives which are a fragrant offering to the Lord. After the sin offering and the removal of sins by the scapegoat, Israel not commits herself to live in obedience to God’s law. Israel received atonement for their sins in order to be a holy nation, to be God’s chosen people.

Likewise, Romans 12:1-2 tells us, ดังนั้นพี่น้องทั้งหลาย โดยเห็นแก่ความเมตตากรุณาของพระเจ้า ข้าพเจ้าจึงวิงวอนท่านทั้งหลายให้ถวายตัวของท่านแด่พระองค์เพื่อเป็นเครื่องบูชาอันบริสุทธิ์ที่มีชีวิต และเป็นที่พอพระทัยพระเจ้า ซึ่งเป็นการนมัสการโดยวิญญาณจิตของท่าน “I appeal to you therefore brothers, by the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God which is your spiritual worship.” This sacrifice is a burnt offering. And what are we to do? 12:2, อย่าลอกเลียนแบบอย่างคนในยุคนี้ แต่จงรับการเปลี่ยนแปลงจิตใจ แล้วอุปนิสัยของท่านจึงจะเปลี่ยนใหม่ เพื่อท่านจะได้ทราบพระประสงค์ของพระเจ้า จะได้รู้ว่าอะไรดี อะไรเป็นที่ชอบพระทัย และอะไรดียอดเยี่ยม “Do not conform to this world (of sin), but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.