Hebrews 9:11-14

Appetiser

When an unbeliever does something noble, can he expect that God will be pleased with Him for that? Can somebody, in other words, who is in no friendly relationship with God, be acceptable in His sight, on account on what they have done? Will they have something to show up on the Day of Judgment? “OK, I never acknowledged you, God, while I lived; but look at all the good I’ve done!”

On what basis are we acceptable to Him, Who dwells in unapproachable light, by Him, whose holiness is such that holy angels, who serve in His presence cover their faces and feet? Isaiah 6:2-3

Isaiah 6:2–3 NIVUK

2 Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: with two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.’

This is the message of Christianity. This is the topic of our passage today.

Main course

Christ obtained eternal redemption for His people, v11-12

“But when Christ came … he went”: the ascension is in view. In the previous verses have the entrance into the Most Holy Place is in view, which is the high priest’s exclusive privilege. Cf. 6:19-20, where we see Jesus entering God’s presence, as our high priest:

“as high priest of the good things that are now already here”: all the blessings of the new covenant. Especially in view is forgiveness of sin (the reason the high priest entered the Most Holy Place, v7), and the consequent restored fellowship with God. As we saw in 7:12, this forgiveness of sin is not for a while, but for ever. God remembers our sins no more. This is not “divine forgetfulness”, but covenant language: He eradicates our sin for all eternity.

v11b: this describes Jesus’ entering into what the Most Holy Place represented, namely, heaven itself, 8:1-2. But I believe there’s more still in this phrase. Notice that “he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle”. He entered God’s presence “through” this “greater and more perfect tabernacle”. But is not “the greater and more perfect tabernacle” heaven itself? If so, what does this “through” mean?

I believe we have a reference here to Jesus’s glorified body. Remember John 2:19-22?

John 2:19–22 NIV (Anglicised, 2011)

Jesus answered them, ‘Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.’ They replied, ‘It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?’ But the temple he had spoken of was his body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.

This body is “not part of this creation”: it is a part of the new creation. It belongs to “the time of the new order”, v10. It is interesting that the false witnesses spoke about what He said in John 2 like this, recorded in Mark 14:58:

Mark 14:58 NIV (Anglicised, 2011)

‘We heard him say, “I will destroy this temple made with human hands and in three days will build another, not made with hands.” ’

Like the crook high priest at the time, Caiaphas (cf. John 11:49-52), they spoke better than they knew!

This makes sense in light of v12a. The earthly high priest under the old covenant could only enter God’s presence bringing the blood of “goats and calves”, the goat having been offered up as atonement for the people’s sin, the calves or bull for his own, v7.

What is the purpose of the blood sacrifice? Leviticus 17:11 tells us:

Leviticus 17:11 NIV (Anglicised, 2011)

For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.

It is death in place of a death, a life for a life. In God’s presence now we have Christ’s life as an offering for sin: this is why forgiveness is possible, cf. 9:9b, 10:4.

Notice the implied contrast:

the “goats and calves” were passive sacrifices; Christ offers Himself willingly, carrying His own blood. As He said in John 10:17-18:

John 10:17–18 NIV (Anglicised, 2011)

The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.’

the life of an animal cannot possibly count for the life of human beings. 1 Timothy 2:5. We need a sinless man’s life as an offering for mankind’s sin. Not one of bulls and goats. And because Christ is God as well as Man, His sacrifice covers all His people’s sins. For the value of this sacrifice is infinitely higher than that of bulls and goats.

1 Timothy 2:5 NIV (Anglicised, 2011)

For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus,

v12b tells us what his offering has achieved: “eternal redemption.” God frees us from the bondage of our sin, and does so so that we may belong to Him. This reminds us of God rescuing the Israelites from Egypt, so they can be His people, and He can be their God. Under the old covenant, this was promised, but only experienced in a lesser way: the sacrifices were provided to look forward to better things. Christ is the “high priest of the good things that are now already here”: of the new covenant blessings, whereby God forever claims those in Christ for Himself. This is “eternal redemption”. This is the heart of the Gospel: God’s purpose is not to make us a better, more moral people, but to rescue us from sin, to Himself. This is our fundamental need, and only Christ can meet it.

Christ purifies His people for works of service, v13-14

Explanation: this is the purpose of v11-12

The effect of old covenant offerings: ceremonial cleanness, v13

To the sacrifices of the Day of Atonement (“the blood of goats and bulls”) a reference is added to the sacrifice that needed to be presented and applied if somebody came into contact with a dead body (“the ashes of a heifer”). You can read about this in Numbers 19. The heifer was burnt, and its ashes were mixed with water and applied to people who were made “ceremonially unclean” by this contact.

To be “ceremonially unclean” meant you were not fit for serving God. You were not fit to worship God, therefore, either. You were outside of God’s circle, as it were. God is holy: there is nobody like Him. Because He is holy, His people also needed to be holy, or more precisely: “sacred”, or “consecrated” to Him. Therefore, if anything defiled you, you had to be made “clean”. By whatever it was that defiled you (e.g., dead body), you were rendered “profane” or “unholy”, and something had to be done to you to “sanctify” you.

These outward rites put you right for a while. They dealt with the outside, though, and not with the nature of things, v9-10. That’s not to say they were superficial and trivial; not doing them could literally mean your death. They did make you “outwardly clean.” But it was only a matter of time before you had to be sanctified again. Because of their inability to deal with the nature of things, they were “not able to clear the conscience of the worshipper.” For the problem is not really with the world around us, but our inherent unfitness to be with God.

The effect of Christ’s offering Himself: internal cleanness, v14.

“How much more”: underlying the effectiveness of the sacrifices under the old covenant, but now pointing to the greater reality. Here come “the good things that are now already here”!

“will the blood of Christ … cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death”: here is the risen and glorified man Christ Jesus, appearing in God’s presence, bringing Himself. If God looked with favour on a defiled man because he’s been sprinkled with the blood of a bull—and He did!—, will He not look with favour when He sees, as it were, the blood of Christ applied on you, Beloved? But we get so much more than a second chance: Christ’s blood cleanses not our body, not even only our status with God, but our “consciences”! And the cleansing not only involves the effect of contact with a dead body, but we can be cleansed from the very “acts that lead to death”: all our sins. All our guilt that we inherited from Adam, each and every sin we’ve ever committed, or thought of committing, or dreamt about while we were asleep, or will commit, or will say, or will think, these have all been washed away from us. From us: we become clean, acceptable to God. And our worship also becomes acceptable to God, since we are lifting up clean hands and pure hearts.

It was “through the eternal Spirit” that Christ “offered himself unblemished to God”. Christ’s entire ministry on earth was in the power of the Holy Spirit. He was conceived in the virgin’s womb by the Spirit of God; He was taken by the Spirit of God into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil; the Spirit of God came upon Him in His baptism by John the Baptist; He was sustaining Him on the cross of Calvary, as He was made the sacrifice for our sin; He was the raised by the Spirit, His body transformed by the Spirit: and now He is there, in the Father’s presence, in this Holy-Spirit-body, having “offered himself unblemished to God”. He is the offering that truly cleanses from actual sin. No wonder He makes the promise of the new covenant a reality: “For I will forgive their wickedness and and will remember their sins no more.” (Hebrews 8:12)

Purpose: “so that we may serve the living God!” Remember, that Christ went into God’s presence as “our forerunner” (6:20). What does that imply? We will follow Him there. We will enter where He is. That is the glorious future God has prepared for His people; “I will be their God, and they will be my people.” (8:10) But because Christ already is there, we can now serve the living God. Our consciences have been cleansed, we are free now. This explains why Paul, a persecutor of the church of God, could be so bold and unflinching, uncompromising in his service of God. Can you imagine the guilt trips Satan could take him down on? Yet what does Paul say in 1 Corinthians 15:9-10?

1 Corinthians 15:9–10 NIVUK

9 For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.

And so too, can we, Beloved. Whatever our sin, coming to Christ we’ve lost it. He truly cleanses us. He purifies us from all unrighteousness. Blessed be His name.

Application

Christ forever restores us to God. The old covenant rites purified the worshippers, the priests, for a time. But Christ sanctifies us forever. We will no longer be without God. Do you ever fear for losing your salvation, even though you seek to live a life pleasing God? This is where you must look: to Christ, in God’s presence, having offered Himself so that you may belong to God.

Only actual removal of sin can lead to a freed conscience. Friends, there is nothing worse than a conscience that troubles you. To know you are guilty, and to carry this around; this can kill you over time. No amount of entertainment can quieten this after a while. No amount of good deeds can do away with the gnawing of a guilty conscience. No number of pep-talks can lift its burden or TED talks help you deal with it. Only if somehow our guilt, our sin is dealt with, can this longed-for rest be ours. And so hear Jesus, Matthew 11:28-30.

Matthew 11:28–30 NIVUK

28 ‘Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.’

Only with a free conscience can we serve God. Have you taken possession of this free conscience? Have you come to Christ in repentance and faith? If so, do you still look to Him? As we sing: “When Satan tempts me to despair and tells me of the guilt within”, where do I look? “Upward I look and see Him there, who made an end of all my sin. Because the sinless”—“unblemished”, v14—“Saviour died, my sinful soul is counted free, for God the just is satisfied to look on Him and pardon me.” If you want to live freely, serve God freely, worship God freely, you need to take hold of this. And we need to keep reminding each other of this.

Only by serving God can we live truly happy lives. We can, I will not deny it, achieve long-lasting happiness by chasing and achieving our dreams. Many unbelievers die happy; perhaps happier than many believers. But “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” (Mark 8:36) Only he who dwells with Almighty God can claim to be truly happy, for their eternity is secure. That, in turn, gives further encouragement to live for Him, no matter the cost. This is why Stephen could give up his life, for even as he was being stoned to death, he saw his Saviour; Acts 7:55-56.

Acts 7:55–56 NIVUK

55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 ‘Look,’ he said, ‘I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.’

Pudding

If Jesus had not offered Himself up to God, we could never be free to serve Him. Our works could never be acceptable by God. We could never live out our full humanity. We would be forever guilt-burdened, unhappy, unwelcome by God, unaccepted by Him. But thanks be to God for Jesus: He has obtained for us eternal redemption, so that we may freely serve the living God.