Hebrews 9:11–15

Hebrews 9:11–15

The Perfect Offering
Hebrews 9:11–15

While many people will read these verses with a sense of foreignness, we need to remember God is progressively revealing Himself and His plan to redeem sinners as He guides history from one period to the next. Our verses today are relevant and we can learn much about our God who is rich in mercy.

Christ’s Entry (11–12)
The writer of Hebrews sees himself in the time of transition from the old to the new. The old system of relating to God through ritual and sacrifice and priest is becoming obsolete and is ready to disappear. The new order has been inaugurated by Christ and is replacing the old. Very soon the temple in Jerusalem would be utterly destroyed and the entire priestly sacrificial system would be finished.

Jesus appeared as a High Priest of the good things that had come. These verses describe Jesus’ ministry in heaven. Jesus’ ministry did not deal with shadows and copies of reality as did the Aaronic priests who served in the tabernacle. Jesus ministered in heaven before God and secured our acceptance.

Jesus’ redemptive work consisted of offering His own blood, not the blood of goats and calves. The blood of Jesus, our High Priest, was far more precious than the blood of animals. His was a once-and-for-all offering that never needed repeating. A single offering was eternally effective. Jesus secured our eternal redemption when He died on the cross. It was by the blood shed at the cross that we are able to enter heaven. All of Jesus’ work for our salvation occurred at the cross, not subsequent to it.

Christ’s Superior Sacrifice (13–14)
What happened when Old Testament worshippers offered sacrifices? These sacrifices sanctified the worshippers so they were outwardly clean. Goats and calves probably spoke of offerings occurring on the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:1–19). The ashes of a heifer spoke of an offering which provided purification to the ritually lean (Num. 19:1–10). These offerings were provisions for cleansing from fleshly defilement and provided temporary ceremonial purity. They could not give inner, spiritual cleansing. Only the blood of Christ could touch the conscience.

If the blood of animals can provide external cleaning how much more effective is the cleansing of Christ’s blood? Three truths reveal the effectiveness of Christ’s cleansing. First, Christ made the offering through the eternal Spirit. The Holy Spirit in some way aided Christ in making this offering to the Father. Second, Christ offered Himself. Christ voluntarily offered Himself and it represented an intelligent act of spiritual obedience to God. Third, Christ offered His unblemished character to God. Jesus responded in perfect moral purity. The sacrifice of Jesus was of infinite value.

Christ’s sacrifice produces a cleansed conscience for those who trust Him as Lord. Animal sacrifices cannot remove sin, but Jesus can. This inner cleansing produced a new aim and vision. A transformed heart results in service and commitment to God.

Christ’s Mediation (15)
Jesus secures forgiveness of sin. On the basis of giving Himself, Christ became a mediator of the new covenant and a ransom to free captives from their sin. The old covenant had no provision for removing offenses against God. In His death Christ removed the consequences of human sin for those who trust Him. The real cleansing from sin against God did not come from sacrificing animals but from the sacrifice of Christ.

These verses are relevant because there’s one thing modern life, scientific progress, psychological theories and medical discoveries have not made the slightest advance in solving. And that is, “How can I, a sinner, come to God when I feel so dirty?” God Himself has solved that problem through the death, burial and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ.