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23 It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence. 25 Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. 26 Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. ~ Hebrews 9:23-28
We come to our final study in Hebrews 9 wherein the writer of Hebrews has been comparing the Old Covenant with the New. The New Covenant teaches us that the sacrifice of Christ needs not to be repeated. In fact, His last words were, "It is finished." The sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ is never to be repeated because it was perfect. While the Old Covenant demanded the use of blood for purification, it could not accomplish what was needed most, a new heart.
Christianity is not a mere set of rules to follow. Nor is it something we do to earn or maintain God's favor. Christianity is what God has done in and for the willing of heart. In sending His Son to earth, God fulfilled and sustained the truth, making it possible for the believer to know and love God. And, when we see His big heart for us through the lengths through which He went to save us, we will want to be pleasing to Him.
In v.23 of today's passage we read, "It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these."
The death of the Lord Jesus was a must. He had to die in order to purify all that had been tainted by sin. And, since the Old Testament sacrificial system was limited in what it could accomplish, God sent His Son not only to purify the system but also to substantiate the heavenly one. The Lord Jesus is infinitely superior to any animal. If it was necessary that the copy had to have sacrifices, how much more necessary for the real one. All the blood of the Old Covenant was nothing but a picture of the shed blood of Christ. And, it was only the death of the Lord Jesus Christ that satisfied the righteous demands of God on earth and in heaven.
In v.24 of today's passage we read, "For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence."
The Lord Jesus Christ did not go into an earthly Holy of Holies; He went into the very presence of God for us. When He went in, He took us with Him. In fact, the Apostle Paul reminds us in Ephesians that we have been raised with Christ and seated at the right hand of God. All of this because He died and we have trusted in His finished work on the cross for the forgiveness of our sin.
In v.25 of today's passage we read, "Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own."
There has never been the need for the Lord Jesus to repeat His sacrifice because He is and His sacrifice was perfect. His sacrifice is better because when He finished it, He entered into the presence of God and remained there seated at the right hand of God. Unlike the Old Testament priests, the Lord Jesus had no need "to offer Himself again and again," proving His sacrifice conquered our greatest enemy sin and death.
In v.26 of today's passage we read, "Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself."
Since His sacrifice was propitious, the Lord Jesus need not die over and over and over. "But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself."
Christ's sacrifice was so totally effective, it was done once and that was it. When He died, it was the culmination of the ages which means the sacrificial system of the Old Testament is now fulfilled and no longer needed. His sacrifice was the last. The Messiah has satisfied life and truth and love and mercy so that we can have all of that and more. When the Lord Jesus put away sin, He died. And, He not only took care of the details, He took care of the principle of sin. So, when God looks at you and me, having trusted solely on the death of the Lord Jesus for the forgiveness of our sin, He sees His Son. We are perfect in Christ.
In v.27-28 of today's passage we read, "27 Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him."
Due to sin, all men have to die, and our death is appointed. And immediately after death will come judgment. But, since Christ was judged, believers will not be judged. And, when He comes back a second time, He will judge those who will have not a willing heart to receive the free gift of forgiveness of sin from God. This is the very heart of Christianity: Christ died to bear our sins. He took on sin Himself on His own. He suffered for sins that we had done, so that we could have a personal relationship with God.
