The Perfect Sacrifice
Heb. 9:11-14
Introduction
As we have seen, the earthly Tabernacle was a portable tent that served as God’s “dwelling place” among the Israelites in the wilderness. The people brought gifts and sacrifices and receive ceremonial cleansing. Forgiveness of sins was obtained annually when the high priest offered blood sacrifice in the holy of holies. The greater tabernacle is in heaven where Christ’s ministers now.
Illustration/Application: I Gave Gold for Iron
During his reign, King Frederick William III of Prussia found himself in trouble. Wars had been costly, and in trying to build the nation, he was seriously short of finances. He couldn’t disappoint his people, and to capitulate to the enemy was unthinkable. After careful reflection, he decided to ask the women of Prussia to bring their jewellery of gold and silver to be melted down for their country. For each ornament received, he determined to exchange a decoration of bronze or iron as a symbol of his gratitude. Each decoration would be inscribed, “I gave gold for iron, 1813. The response was overwhelming. Even more important, these women prized their gifts from the king more highly than their former jewellery. The reason, of course, is clear. The decorations were proof that they had sacrificed for their king. Indeed, it became unfashionable to wear jewellery, and thus was established the Order of the Iron Cross. Members wore no ornaments except a cross of iron for all to see. When Christians come to their King, they too exchange the flourishes of their former life for a cross.
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I. A greater and more perfect tabernacle (Heb.9:11)
A. But Christ being come. Now that the Messiah has come, a more perfect system is introduced, by which the conscience will be made free from guilt.
B. The phrase, “high priest of good things to come,” seems to refer to those “good things” which belonged to the dispensation that was to come; that is, the dispensation under the Messiah. Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ fulfilled the types of both Melchizedek and Aaronic priesthood in bringing the “good things to come.”
C. “Greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands”. Christ as “A Better Priest” has a “Better Sanctuary,” a description of the presence of God, in which our Lord as High Priest ministers (Heb. 8:2, 5). The Holy of Holies for the Christian is heaven. (Heb. 9:23-24). Our Holy Place is the Church (Eph. 2:20-22). We are the “temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you” (1 Cor. 6:19-20).
1. Not made with hands means it is God’s creation only
2. Not of this building means not of this creation or not of this world.
3. We can say that the Tabernacle built by Moses was a sanctuary of this world, the True Tabernacle not made by hands is in heaven.
Illustration/Application: Why Christianity Has No Temples
When Christianity came to be known among the heathen, they taunted the Christians for having no temples or altars.
“The Christians assemble wherever it is convenient,” said Justin Martyr to the Roman prefect, “because their God is not, like the gods of the heathens, enclosed in space, but is invisibly present everywhere.”
To a similar taunt from Celsus, Origen answered, “The humanity of Christ is the highest temple and the most beautiful image of God, and true Christians are living statues of the Holy Ghost, with which no Jupiter of Phidias can compare.” Encyclopedia of 15,000 Illustrations: Signs of the Times.
II. The Power of the Blood (Heb. 9:12)
A. The high priest on the annual Day of Atonement brought the blood of bullock for himself and that of a goat for the people (Lev. 16:6,11,14,15-16). Here in our text, the words calves and goats (plural) were used to represent the numbers sacrificed as the Day of Atonement was observed year after year
B. Christ offered His own spotless blood. Christ carried His own blood when He entered the Holy of Holies above.
C. Christ made the atonement with His blood once for all (“by his own blood he entered in once,”.
D. By that one atonement Christ obtained eternal redemption for us (“having obtained eternal redemption for us,” Heb. 9:12). Jesus Christ gave His blood for our redemption. And His blood is so powerful that it cleanses us from all sins. (1 Jn. 1:7).
E. The word redemption comes from the Greek “lutrosis” and means “to release on receipt of a ransom.” It carries the idea of satisfactory price to release from or set free from bondage. It is a word that was used in secular Greek of buying freedom for a slave by making a satisfactory payment. That is what Christ did for the Christian. The sinner himself cannot make a satisfactory payment for his sin.
F. The law demanded the death penalty and Jesus Christ, God’s sacrificial Lamb, took the sinner’s place and paid that penalty in full. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace. (Eph. 1:7).
G. When Christ entered the most holy place once for all by His own blood rather than by animal blood, He proved the superiority of His service because His blood had obtained eternal redemption. Thus, the value of His sacrifice is immeasurably greater than the animal offerings of the Levitical priesthood. A perfect ransom price had been paid for human “redemption,” and because it need not be paid again, (this sacrificial act was “once for all,”. A perfect sacrifice that completely satisfied the requirements of God the Father.
H. In comparison, the high priest entered once a year, Chrit entered once for all. The high priest obtained Annual redemption; Christ obtained eternal redemption. The high priest offered the blood of animals, Christ offered His own blood.
I. “Eternal Redemption” tells us about the safety and security which true believers possesses in Christ. It speaks also of our future eternal glorification. This proves further that the doctrine we uphold which is “Once saved, saved forever” is truly scriptural.
Illustration/Application: Revelation 12:11
And they overcame Him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. (Rev. 12:11)
This is the last reference in the Bible to the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ; here it is the overcoming blood, enabling believers to withstand the deceptions and accusations of Satan. There
are at least 43 references to the blood of Christ in the New Testament, all testifying to its great importance in the salvation and daily life of the believer.
Judas the betrayer spoke of it as “innocent blood (Matt. 27:4) and Peter called it “the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Pet. 1:9). It is the cleansing blood in I John l:7 and the washing blood in Rev. l:5, stressing that it removes the guilt of our sins. Paul calls it the purchasing blood in Acts 20:28 and the redeeming blood twice (Eph. 1:7); Col. 1:14, see also I Peter l:18-19, Rev. 5:9), thus declaring the shedding of His blood to be the very price of our salvation. Therefore, it is also the justifying blood (Rom. 5:9) and the peacemaking blood (Col. 1:20). Its efficacy does not end with our salvation, however, for it is also the sanctifying blood (Heb. 13:12). There is infinite and eternal power in the blood of Christ, for it is “the blood of the everlasting covenant” (Heb. 13:20). The first reference in the New Testament to His blood stresses this aspect. Jesus said, at the last supper: “This is my blood of the New Testament (same as ‘covenant’) which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matt. 26:28). Let no one, therefore, even count the “blood of the covenant. an unholy thing” (Heb. 10:29), for the blood of Christ is forever innocent, infinitely precious, perfectly justifying, always cleansing and fully sanctifying.
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III. Better Guarantee (Heb. 9:13-14)
A. “For if the blood of bulls and of goats…: This animal blood was shed for the outward purification of the people on the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:1-34).
B. “The ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: Refers to the ceremony described in Num. 19:2-9, 13, 20-21. The ashes of a heifer, which had been offered as a sacrifice were mixed with water and this “water of separation” (v. 9) (i.e., water of cleansing or water of purification) was sprinkled to those who were from any cause, ceremonially impure. They were thus fit again to engage in worship. The sin offering of the goat was made only once a year on the great Day of Atonement, but this water separation (i.e., water of cleansing or water of purification) could be used anytime in the year for the purpose of cleansing from pollution. So, Christ’s sacrifice was made once for all eternity, making full atonement for sin. By virtue of that sacrifice made long ago, we Christians may also have daily cleansing from sins (1 Jn. 1:9)
C. How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? (Heb. 9:14). If the sprinkling of the ceremonially defiled persons with animal blood and the ashes of a red heifer could cleanse or purify outwardly, how much greater shall the blood of Christ purify us?
1. Christ offered Himself without spot. The only reason that He could take our place and satisfy God’s law was because He was the sinless Son of God (1 Pet. 1:19). The sacrificial lamb had to be without blemish (Lev. 22:20; Deut. 15:21) and without spot (Num. 28:3, 9, 11).
2. Christ offered Himself through the eternal Spirit (Heb. 9:14). It was the Spirit that sanctified Christ’s offering to the Father. This teaches that the Holy Spirit is eternal, which is one of the characteristics of God. In this verse, therefore, we see the Trinity: The Son offering Himself through the Spirit to the Father. (WOL)
D. The high priest’s sacrifices cleansed the flesh (externally and ceremonially), Christ sacrifice cleanses the conscience, cleanses us inwardly and helps us obtain eternal and complete salvation.
E. All Jewish ceremonies were but “dead works” they are worthless.
F. To serve the living God. Salvation is not the end in itself. The believer has been freed from sin to serve God. Saved to serve (Rom. 6;16-18, 1 Thess. 1:9).
Illustration/Application: Clear Conscience.
A little boy was seen one day lounging around a circus tent. If there is anything in the world tempting to a boy it is a circus, and, knowing this, a gentleman said:
“Come, Johnny, let us go into the circus.”
“No,” said the boy, “father would not like it.”
“But your father need not know it,” said the man.
“But I will know it,” said the boy, “and when father comes home tonight, I could not look up into his face.”
Ah, how important! Able to look -into our Father’s face! He has been very good to us. No good thing has He withheld from us, and yet so many times we find ourselves unable to look into His face. God help us to live so close to Himself, so pure, and so holy, that all the time we can be able to look into His face. —L. G. Broughton.
IV. Conclusion:
Christ our great High Priest ministers in a perfect Tabernacle in heaven. He shed His own blood so that we will have eternal redemption. We are redeemed by His precious blood. Truly He is the perfect sacrifice. He died for you and me. Repent from your sins now and receive Him as your personal Saviour if you want to go to heaven when you die.
