Sermon Tone Analysis

Intro:

Transition:

CONTEXT:

From the sanctuary and what is needed to purify it the author turns to the sacrifice that perfectly cleanses, a sacrifice that was offered once and for all.

That one sacrifice, once offered, has effectively put away sin.

And the author looks forward briefly to the time when our Lord will come back again, this time not to do anything in connection with sin (all that is necessary has been done) but to bring salvation.

BACKGROUND: Who writing to?

WHY?

After reading this chapter, the Hebrew Christians who received this letter had to realize that there is no middle ground.

They had to make a choice between the earthly or the heavenly, the temporary or the eternal, the incomplete or the complete.

Why not return to the temple but also practice the Christian faith?

Why not “the best of both worlds”?

Because that would be compromising and refusing to go “without the camp, bearing His reproach” (Heb.

13:13).

So there is no middle way.

OLD AND NEW COVENANT

Definitionally, a covenant is an agreement between two parties, whether equals or not, that signified a relationship whereby the two bound themselves to each other, either conditionally or unconditionally.

Theologically, the term was used to describe the relationship God initiated by His grace between Himself and humankind to those who were willing to bind themselves through a personal commitment of faith.

This is reflected in the oft-occurring phrase in the OT “I will be their God and they shall be my people.”

Under Old Testament law, sin could technically be expiated—God’s anger appeased by substitution—only by bloodshed.

When he appears (cf.

v. 24) again, it will be to consummate the future salvation (just as the emergence of the priest into the outer court traditionally assured the people that the sacrifice had been accepted and their sins forgiven; cf.

1:14).

“Bear the sins of many” is from Isaiah 53:12.

9:1–10 In these verses, the author gives a brief description of the tabernacle, to which some 50 chaps.

in the OT are devoted, including the tabernacle service (cf.

Ex. 25–40).

The section is marked off by its beginning with a reference to “ordinances” (v. 1) and closing with a reference to “ordinances” (v.

10).

9:9 symbolic.

The Gr. word is parabolē, from which the Eng.

word “parable” is derived.

The Levitical system was a parable, an object lesson, about what was to come in Christ.

The sacrifices of the OT did not remove the offerers’ guilty conscience or provide them with full forgiveness for their sins (cf.

10:1–4).

It was only “symbolic” of something else that would—namely Christ.

The conscience is a divinely given warning device that reacts to sin and produces accusation and guilt (see notes on Rom.

2:14, 15) that cannot be relieved apart from the work of Christ (cf.

v. 14; 10:22).

At the time of salvation it is quieted from its convicting ravings, but it is not deactivated.

Rather, it continues its work, warning the believer about sin.

Believers should seek a clear conscience (see notes on 2 Cor.

1:12).

9:23–28 Christ’s High-Priestly ministry is to be exercised in the perfect tabernacle of heaven.

The real High-Priest who offered the real sacrifice for sin serves in the real tabernacle.

He is the complete fulfillment of the shadowy copies in the Levitical system.

9:24 copies.

The term is not the same as that used in v. 23 and 8:5.

This is lit.

“antitype.”

It is used only twice in the NT.

The antitype either prefigures the type (as here), or is a later illustration of the type (as in 1 Pet.

3:21).

In both cases, the antitype is not the real thing, but only a copy of it.

The earthly “holy places” in the tabernacle were only types of the heavenly abode of God.

now to appear.

On the Day of Atonement, the High-Priest entered the Most Holy Place where God made an appearance (Lev.

16:2).

The High-Priest, however, was hidden from the presence of God by the cloud of incense (Lev.

16:12, 13).

See also “has appeared” (v.

26) and “will appear” (v.

28).

Each verb is a different term in the Gr.

The term for Christ’s present appearance in heaven (v.

24) alludes to His official presentation to report to the Father on the fulfillment of His mission.

The concept of making an appearance or being revealed is involved in the incarnational appearance in order to die once for sin (v.

26).

At Christ’s appearing at the Second Advent (v.

28), the term used stresses the visible nature of the appearance (cf.

2:8; 12:14).

All 3 tenses of Christ’s soteriological ministry are also covered: 1) His First Advent to save us from the penalty of sin; 2) His present intercessory ministry in heaven to save us from the power of sin; and 3) His Second Advent to deliver us from the presence of sin.

for us.

Christ is our representative and the provider of our spiritual benefits (cf.

2:9; 6:20; 7:25; John 14:12–14; Eph.

1:3).

Its ministry is effective to deal with sin (vv.

12–15).

We have here a series of contrasts that show again the superiority of the heavenly ministry.

Ceremonial cleansing and conscience cleansing (vv.

13–14).

The Old Covenant rituals could not change a person’s heart.

This is not to say that a worshiper did not have a spiritual experience if his heart trusted God, but it does mean that the emphasis was on the external ceremonial cleansing.

So long as the worshiper obeyed the prescribed regulations, he was declared clean.

It was “the purifying of the flesh” but not the cleansing of the conscience.

(For “the ashes of an heifer,” see Num. 19.)

We learned from Hebrews 8 that the ministry of the New Covenant is internal.

“I will put My laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts” (Heb.

8:10).

This work is done by the Holy Spirit of God (2 Cor.

3:1–3).

But the Spirit could not dwell within us if Jesus Christ had not paid for our sins.

Cleansing our consciences cannot be done by some external ceremony; it demands an internal power.

READ v.23-28

Did you notice that the word “appear” is used three times in Hebrews 9:24–28?

These three uses give us a summary of our Lord’s work.

He has appeared to put away sin by dying on the cross (Heb.

9:26).

He is appearing now in heaven for us (Heb.

9:24).

One day, He shall appear to take Christians home (Heb.

9:28).

These “three tenses of salvation” are all based on His finished work.

Did you notice that the word “appear” is used three times in Hebrews 9:24–28?

These three uses give us a summary of our Lord’s work.

He has appeared to put away sin by dying on the cross (Heb.

9:26).

He is appearing now in heaven for us (Heb.

9:24).

One day, He shall appear to take Christians home (Heb.

9:28).

These “three tenses of salvation” are all based on His finished work.

PAST APPEARING

Weirsbe lists why what was before was inferior then shows… (see below)

The five deficiencies of the Old Covenant sanctuary are matched with the five superiorities of the New Covenant sanctuary.

In every way, the present sanctuary is superior.

9:27 to die once.

This is a general rule for all mankind.

There have been very rare exceptions (e.g., Lazarus and the multitude who were resuscitated at Christ’s resurrection died twice; cf.

John 11:43, 44; Matt.

27:51–53).

Those, like Lazarus, who were raised from the dead by a miraculous act of our Lord were not resurrected to a glorified body and unending life.

They only experienced resuscitation.