“For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Therefore, as he was coming into the world, he said: You did not desire sacrifice and offering, but you prepared a body for me. You did not delight in whole burnt offerings and sin offerings. Then I said, “See— it is written about me in the scroll— I have come to do your will, God.” After he says above, You did not desire or delight in sacrifices and offerings, whole burnt offerings and sin offerings (which are offered according to the law), he then says, See, I have come to do your will. He takes away the first to establish the second. By this will, we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all time.” —Hebrews 10:4-10
Christ’s sacrifice is everything we need.
“It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sin.” —Hebrews 10:4
Jesus is a
Hebrews 10:5-7; 11-12
“It was the attitude of the worshippers which was his concern. The history of Israel had shown the tendency for the sacrificial system to be regarded as an end in itself, become a mere formality. The need for fulfilling of the will of God had been neglected, hence the pointedness of the Psalmist’s words.” —Donald Guthrie
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. God presented him as the mercy seat by his blood, through faith, to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his restraint God passed over the sins previously committed.” —Romans 3:23-25
Jesus is a
Hebrews 10:8-9a, Leviticus 16:11
“He doesn’t need to offer sacrifices every day, as high priests do—first for their own sins, then for those of the people. He did this once for all time when he offered himself.” —Hebrews 7:27
“This is how Christ’s offering of himself was made. It was once for all, or, as we say, “once only.” It never happened before that time, nor will it ever happen in the future. Through Christ’s sacrifice the church was perfectly sanctified, so there is no need for the sacrifice to be repeated.” —John Owen
Jesus is a
Hebrews 10:9b-10
“keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” —Hebrews 12:2
“For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow, sprinkling those who are defiled, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works so that we can serve the living God?” —Hebrews 9:13-14
“The incarnate Christ’s perfect accomplishment of God’s will is the source of our holiness…by his obedience, Christ makes [our] obedience possible.” —Gareth Lee Cockerill
For further study:
Scripture: Leviticus 16, Romans 3, Hebrews 9
Resources: “Covenant and Completion” – R Kent Hughes
(https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/sermon/covenant-and-completion/)
Discussion Guide:
Have you encountered seemingly impossible problems in your life? How do you handle them?
How has God shown up in those problems?
“Jesus is our perfect sacrifice, therefore there is no more for us to do.” What is your response to that statement?
For you, is following Jesus more about “getting it right” or listening in faithfulness?
How does the complete permanence of what Christ has done affect how you look back at past sin and struggle?
Is there something in your life that you struggle to believe Jesus is more powerful than?
How does the quote “by his obedience, Christ makes our obedience possible” encourage you?
To prepare for next week: Easter; Romans 6:3-11