Hebrews 10:19-25: Because of Christ's Sacrifice Let us...

Introduction

Scripture

Hebrews 10:19–25 ESV

19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Outline

Hebrews 1-2 - Jesus is Greater Than the Angels

Hebrews 1:1-4 - God has Spoken

Hebrews 1:5-14 - The Son is Superior to the Angels

Hebrews 2:1-4 - A Warning

Hebrews 2:5-9 - Lowliness to Crowning Glory

Hebrews 2:10-18 - Jesus has Delivered His Brothers

Hebrews 3:1-4:13 - Jesus is a Greater Rest

Hebrews 3:1-6 - Jesus is Worthy of More Glory Than Moses

Hebrews 3:7-19 - Disobedience After the Exodus

Hebrews 4:1-13 - A Sabbath Rest for God’s People

Hebrews 4:14-7:26 - Jesus is Greater than Melchizedek

Hebrews 4:14-16 - Jesus is the Great High Priest

Hebrews 5:1-10 - Jesus is the High Priest After the Order of Melchizedek

Hebrews 5:11-6:20 - Warning and Exhortation

Hebrews 5:11-14 - Failure to Mature

Hebrews 6:1-8 - Pursue Maturity

Hebrews 6:9-12 - Loving Motivation

Hebrews 6:13-20 - The Promise of God’s Word and God’s Oath

Hebrews 7:1-10 - The Greatness of Melchizedek

Hebrews 7:11-19 - Jesus’ Priesthood is Needed

Hebrews 7:20-28 - Jesus Guarantees a Better Covenant

Hebrews 8:1-10:18 - Jesus is the Greater Covenant

Hebrews 8:1-6 - Jesus Mediates a Better Covenant

Hebrews 8:7-13 - The Promise of the New Covenant

Hebrews 9:1-10 - The Earthly Tabernacle Points to What Would Come

Hebrews 9:11-14 - Christ is The Mercy Seat

Hebrews 9:15-22 - Blood is Necessary for Forgiveness

Hebrews 9:23-28 - Christ’s Sacrifice Permanently Removes Sin

Hebrews 10:1-10 - Christ’s Sacrifice Replaces the Law

Hebrews 10:11-18 - Christ's Sacrifice Fully Forgives Sin

Hebrews 10:19-12:29 - Assurance of Faith

Hebrews 10:19-25 - Because of Christ's Sacrifice Let us...

Hebrews 10:19-22 - Exhortation to Draw Near

Hebrews 10:23 - Exhortation to Persevere

Hebrews 10:24-25 - Exhortation to Encourage One Another

Purpose of Book

Christ, who has accomplished salvation through His atoning sacrifice, is greater than all things; therefore, persevere in true faith and encourage others to do likewise

Main Point

As a result of Christ’s high priestly work, we are exhorted to draw near to God, persevere in true faith, and encourage one another

Hebrews 10:19-22 - Exhortation to Draw Near

Hebrews 10:19–22 ESV

19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

***Close connection to Hebrews 4:14-16***

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus,

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence

Therefore - Hebrews 4:14-16-now

Confidence

Unimpeded behavior before both God and humanity

Enter the holy places

Hebrews 9:8–10 ESV

By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the holy places is not yet opened as long as the first section is still standing (which is symbolic for the present age). According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper, but deal only with food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until the time of reformation.

Hebrews 9:24–25 ESV

For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own,

God’s presence

Why is entrance possible? Obedience to the Father’s will

Hebrews 10:5–10 ESV

Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’ ” When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), then he added, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second. And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

By the blood of Jesus

Hebrews 9:14–18 ESV

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. Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant. For where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established. For a will takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive. Therefore not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood.

By the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh,

New and living way that he opened for us through the curtain

Matthew 27:51 ESV

And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split.

Access to God is available to everyone, not simply the high priest, through the death of Christ

Opened

Hebrews 9:18 ESV

Therefore not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood.

New

The death of Christ inaugurates the new covenant

Living

Christ is not dead, but LIVING

Hebrews 7:15–16 ESV

This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek, who has become a priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life.

Through his flesh

Access to God is granted through the flesh of Christ

And since we have a great priest over the house of God,

We have a great high priest

Hebrews 4:14 ESV

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.

Over the house of God

Hebrews 3:5–11 ESV

Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son. And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope. Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness, where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years. Therefore I was provoked with that generation, and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart; they have not known my ways.’ As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest.’ ”

Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith

Exhortation

Hebrews 4:16 ESV

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience

Internal purification

Hebrews 9:14 ESV

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.

An entirely changed heart, unlike the Mosaic covenant

Our bodies washed with pure water

Ezekiel 36:25–26 ESV

I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

Also referring to baptism - Outward sign of the cleansing that has happened internally

Hebrews 10:23 - Exhortation to Persevere

Hebrews 10:23 ESV

23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering,

Let us hold fast the confession

Exhortation

Hebrews 3:6 ESV

but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son. And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.

Hebrews 3:14 ESV

For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.

Of our hope

An eschatological joy for those who persevere in true faith until the end

Hebrews 13:14 ESV

For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.

Revelation 5:9–14 ESV

And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.” Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.

Without wavering

Hebrews 4:1 ESV

Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it.

Not sinless, but perseverance

For he who promised is faithful.

Promised

Promised the eternal rest

Faithful

The reason we can hold fast to the confession is because God is the one who is faithful

The promises of God secure the hope of His children

Past promises have been attained and we await the promises of the eternal rest

Hebrews 10:24-25 - Exhortation to Encourage One Another

Hebrews 10:24–25 ESV

24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,

And let us

Exhortation

Moves from two vertical exhortations to a horizontal exhortation

Consider how to stir up one another to love and good works

Careful reflection on the needs of other believers

Love goes beyond mere emotions

Good works reveal the transformative power of the gospel within

Not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another,

Not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some

Persecution from the Jews was very real

Individuals had wrongfully abandoned the gathering of the saints which may result in no Christ-centered relationships at all

Failure to meet, as a habit, reveals that a person may truly not be saved because the gathering looks forward to the eschatological gathering

But encouraging one another

Christians are to be together in fellowship to both give and receive ministry from one another

Furthermore it meant to exhort one another to persevere in true faith remember that God is faithful

And all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

And all the more

Exhortation and encouragement was needed because the author wanted them to persevere until the Day

The Day drawing near

This Day, eschatological, involves both salvation for those in Christ and judgement for those who do not repent

Hebrews 9:28 ESV

so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

Application

Draw near to God because Christ’s work makes you clean

Persevere in true faith knowing that our God is faithful

Do not neglect the gathering, but encourage and exhort one another to persevere in true faith

Main Point

As a result of Christ’s high priestly work, we are exhorted to draw near to God, persevere in true faith, and encourage one another