Hebrews 9 | Once and For All: The Power of Christ's Sacrifice

Hebrews 9 offers a powerful comparison between the Old Covenant's sacrificial system and the ultimate sacrifice of Christ under the New Covenant. The chapter begins with a vivid description of the tabernacle, its furnishings, and the regulations for worship, highlighting the limited access the high priest had to God's presence. This imagery emphasizes the insufficiency of the Old Covenant sacrifices, which had to be repeated year after year, ultimately unable to cleanse the conscience of the worshippers. The temporary nature of the tabernacle and its rituals points to a greater reality—the perfect and eternal work of Christ.

The focus shifts to Christ as the ultimate High Priest who entered not a man-made sanctuary, but heaven itself, offering His own blood for the eternal redemption of humanity. Unlike the blood of goats and bulls, Christ’s sacrifice was once for all, achieving full and permanent purification. This act not only cleanses outwardly but purifies the conscience, enabling believers to serve the living God with freedom and confidence. The author emphasizes that Christ's death inaugurated a new covenant, fulfilling what the Old Covenant foreshadowed.

The concept of blood is central, underscoring the idea that without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins. Yet, the blood of Christ surpasses all prior sacrifices, securing an eternal inheritance for those who are called. His sacrifice abolishes the need for repeated offerings, demonstrating God’s ultimate plan for reconciliation through Jesus. This fulfills the promises of the Old Testament and establishes Christ as the mediator of a better covenant.

As the chapter concludes, it looks ahead to the return of Christ, not to deal with sin again, but to save those eagerly awaiting Him. This hope of salvation reinforces the call for believers to persevere in faith, trusting in the sufficiency of Christ's work. The chapter ties together the overarching narrative of Scripture, showing how the Old Testament prepares the way for the New, with Christ as the fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan.

Hebrews 9 challenges readers to reflect on the depth of Christ’s sacrifice, the perfection of the New Covenant, and the assurance of salvation it brings. It invites believers to stand firm in faith, eagerly awaiting Christ’s return and living with the freedom and boldness granted by His once-and-for-all sacrifice.

#FaithInChrist #JesusOurHighPriest #EternalRedemption #NewCovenant #Hebrews9 #DailyBibleStudy #BibleChapterADay #Chr

Transcript

 Hebrews 9

Hebrews 9

[00:00:00] Hey everyone, welcome to God's Plan, Your Part, Year Two, where this year we're reading through and studying the entire New Testament one chapter at a time. Thanks again for joining us in discovering God's plan and your part in it. Today we are digging into Hebrews chapter nine, continuing this thread of proving once and for all.

Uh, that under Christ, we have a new and better covenant. Again, uh, the author of Hebrews is speaking to, um, Christian believing people of a Jewish background. The imagery in this chapter is very strong and it continues to point to the fact that what we are doing now, what we are under now, what is happening now is newer, it is better.

Uh, it is once for all, and it is effective. So, uh, excited to dive into this chapter. And I think Jenny, you specifically were really resonating with all the imagery. Mm hmm. I was just gonna say that. Um, I do actually also just appreciate and I guess kind of like marvel at the idea of the original temple tabernacle because it [00:01:00] was actually like our way to um approach god and what is so crazy to me is like all of the Almost red tape to approach god and like it was still possible, but for one man To do it on our behalf.

Um, but I do like the imagery going back and forth, back and forth of how, although, yes, we had a high priest that was able to approach God and like offer sacrifices for the sins of the people. It is crazy to me how that was just like this cheap, almost, uh, maybe not cheap, but like, like I, not even counterfeit either, but it's, I don't know.

I think of like, When I was in college, I used to want a really nice handbag, and I got one that looked like the real thing, but it wasn't the real thing, and it was obvious that it wasn't the real thing, but I thought it was great. I don't know. So, just this back and forth of like, Jesus is the one who is like the ultimate sacrifice.

Like, He is far better and perfect compared to what we like to see. We had to do this like copy of it almost, um, [00:02:00] I would call it foreshadowing. I think it's a little bit more of a, of a way to capture it. It's that, um, God was not, God was not surprised by Jesus. God was not surprised by the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Jesus is God. So obviously he was not surprised, but Um, all of these things had, that had been set up, were put in place to draw attention to the fact that something better was coming. And so if, if you want to track this idea of blood, uh, covering sins, um, I would say like, you can look back to the, the Exodus account of when the people are coming out of Egypt, um, they, they had to make sacrifice.

They had to kill this lamb and they had to put the blood of the lamb on the on the doorpost. So it was this idea that this house was covered by the blood of the lamb. Uh, then you get into the actual, the law of Moses and there's lots of laws, um, appealing to blood, requiring blood for the sacrifice, requiring sacrifice [00:03:00] and requiring blood for the covering of sins.

The author here of Hebrews nine is referring to, uh, the high priest needing to go into the Holy of Holies once a year covered by the blood, but then he has to do it again Yeah. And what's interesting in verse seven, it says, but into the second, only the high priest goes and he, but once a year and without take and not without taking blood because he himself also needs to offer for himself.

And so that's where I kind of think that it's like Jesus compared to some high priest in the Old Testament. Like there's no comparison, I guess is what my thought process was. Like it's not the same at all. Like it's a copy and it's like trying to be what Jesus is going to accomplish, but it's not the same thing.

And so I've really, I really liked that. And also like the wording in verse 14, I think it was like an overarching theme. How much more, um, Because we just, we think of Jesus, how much more powerful, [00:04:00] how much more perfect he is. Actually, he is perfect, period. Um, so I just, I, I like that. I think that part is just, it's really cool and it helps, I believe, those people of that time to recognize like there is something better.

has a very extent. He's a YouTube guy. Um, he's a theologian. Um, he has, he has an extensive series on Hebrews and he talks about how you like Hebrews is like the key that unlocks the whole Bible. And so his whole case is that when you, like a lot of people talk about, Reading through the Old Testament and being confused by the structure of all of it and and how it seems so different Hebrews is unlocking.

I think and it's not me. It's him that Mike Ware that makes the case that Hebrews helps us new Testament people. I hate to even make that distinction, but people that know about the death and resurrection of Jesus, it helps us understand what all those old Testament stories, all those old Testament laws and requirements [00:05:00] were, um, requiring and leading up to.

And again, I would use the term foreshadowing. Um, we're looking forward to something that's coming because like the the tabernacle, it's, it's not really. The heavenlies, like the tabernacle is like a shadow of a greater thing. Mm-hmm . The temple. It's not where God really dwells, eternally, uh, it's just a shadow of things to come.

And so the, the, the blood and the sacrifice again, because they had to continually do it because these sacrifices for sins were, um. Cyclical, like they were required on a regular basis. They did not cover sin once and for all, but that should actually help us understand the fact that because Jesus gave his life and then took his life back up and conquered death, his sacrifice is once and for all.

And you'll see throughout the New Testament that the, uh, the writers are making the case that Jesus came, He is God, He conquered death, He paid for our sin with His blood, with His life, and [00:06:00] now He has risen again, He has conquered death, and we can trust Him, He is our great, eternal High Priest. Well, I like, uh, you were talking about, like, Calling us the New Covenant, or whatever you said.

Usually he didn't really like that. Um, I did appreciate the wording, too, in verse 8 and 9. Verses 8 and 9. Um, when he's talking about, like, the holy place is not yet opened as long as the first section is still standing, which is symbolic for the present age. Okay, so they're, like, still under this mindset that this is, like, what has to happen.

But then Jesus comes. fulfills all of that. And then we're in like this new, almost like this new era. Our study Bible calls it like a new time of reformation. Um, and it will be completed when Christ returns. And what's crazy about his return, the very last verse, um, he's not coming to deal with the sin of the world again.

This time he's coming to save those who are eagerly eagerly waiting for him. So that's kind of cool too. Like there's no confusion. He already came, he got the first part done. He was the, he was the part that the whole new, like Old Testament was waiting for. Now we [00:07:00] are waiting for him to return again, eagerly awaiting him, um, not to save our sins or not to save us from our sins again, but to.

I guess be with us eternally. I think something is really interesting because I resonated with that, that those final couple of lines as well, um, that, that Jesus is coming to return, um, not to, what's, what's it actually say? Um, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are because he's already dealt with sin.

Right. Um, so that again, the author of Hebrews is asking these Christian believers of Jewish background to pray. Persevere in their faith and not be fooled into nonsense. And so this is a first century Christian perspective, just one of, there are other ones, a first century Christian perspective on what it will be like when Jesus returns.

And what I think is really interesting is that the, the note, the final piece of chapter nine is that Jesus is returning not to deal with this, with the sin, um, but to save those who are eagerly. [00:08:00] Waiting for him. So this audience is being encouraged to persevere in their faith. And the author is saying, Hey, Jesus is coming back.

There's no question he will return. Uh, but the purpose of his return will be to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. That's that original audience. That's also us. What's interesting to me is that when you think about. The return of Christ. And if you think about like what, you know, in contemporary times, what we think of as the return of Christ, usually it is that he's coming to destroy those who are wicked.

Um, but the author of Hebrews is actually saying he's coming to save those who believe in him and follow him and persevere. Isn't that funny? Like, say the world goes on for another 200 years and they look back on this time, like, man, that's crazy. They thought like airplanes were going to come crashing out of the sky.

And it's just kind of funny to think of how our time might be viewed. I think it's very likely that the world will just continue on for quite a while. Um, I also do believe that Jesus [00:09:00] is coming back. Jesus will return and we will rule and reign with him. And we look forward to that time. And I think that's, what's sticking out to me is that that's what the author of Hebrews was trying to say is.

Look forward to that time because Jesus is returning for you and for your benefit. And a lot of times these like pop culture views of Jesus return are airplanes falling out of the sky and death and destruction. And there's a reason I do say that this is one perspective of the return of Christ in the Bible.

Obviously there are other ones. The more famous one is probably revelation and it has a lot more detail than this. Uh, but this author of Hebrews is saying, Hey, like. Jesus came, He paid the debt for sin, uh, we have eternal salvation in Him. He does not need to go back into the Holy of Holies every year and sprinkle with blood again.

He has done it once and for all, and we can trust Him and believe that His sacrifice has covered the penalty for our sin, and we [00:10:00] have accomplished right relationship with God when we trust Him. I also, I don't know, I'm just kind of going back on this, like, I think to go back yourself, or even listen at the end of this episode, to just really see all of the parallels between Jesus and the offering, Jesus and the high priest, Jesus and the heavenly places, like, where he ends up, I just, I don't know, I think it's really cool to see all of this, like, all those, those, like, Little phrases I used to hear as a kid growing up.

He is our sacrificial lamb. That never really totally made sense to me as a child. But like, it is so cool when you, when you back up, you think of all these parallels, but also at the same time, how they all fit together so well. And that we aren't this disconnected bunch from the Old Testament because they were waiting for Jesus just like we are.

Um, thankful and excited this side of things for what he has done and his second coming. Uh, we look forward to that. So I don't know. I just think it's really cool how Hebrews does kind of feel like it ties all of this together for us. Um, and like I said, I would encourage you to go back and just really read through [00:11:00] that.

Like there's so much about how Jesus, like he didn't have to be sacrificed over and over and over and over again, like one time because his blood was pure. Um, he went in as the high priest as the sacrifice and all of it was pure and perfect. So it's just cool. I really like it. It's fun to, like, dig into some of those details and parallels.

Yeah, and so I think, and we've probably made this case already, but as you read over the Old Testament, it's not disconnected from the New Testament. In fact, I think it's entirely unhelpful that we have split this into the old and new. That darn 400 year gap. Yeah, so this is a continuation of what God has been doing.

All of these things under the Old Covenant, under the old law, were foreshadowing of the things to come. Now we know what was to come. It's Jesus. And Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of what was being foreshadowed. Um, you know, actually as early as Genesis three. And so this is not some new, crazy, surprising thing like, Oh man, the old Testament is dark and scary.

And then we get to the new Testament and it's [00:12:00] fantastic. It's not how this is. Um, this is like a, Continually unfolding story. And, uh, Jesus is newer and better than all of the things that came before. It doesn't, um, de legitimize the things that came before. It doesn't nullify the things that came before.

Um, but it does, um, like show that those things are foreshadowing of what, of what was to come and we can be thankful. And so, uh, the, your part. For today. What do you got, Jenny? Do you have your part for today? Well, I kind of said it for myself already. It's just really cool to go back and look at these things, like go back and look at those parallels.

And honestly, to me, it just felt like this. Unveiling of how God has been consistent throughout and he's been preparing us for his coming in the form of Jesus And I don't know. It's just it's really cool to observe those things and Really reflect on how Jesus was that ultimate sacrifice. So if you have time to go back and do that It's just it's kind of powerful to [00:13:00] I don't know see it for yourself read it for yourself and just reflect on God's sovereignty and all of it.

So anyway, thanks for joining us today for this really Packed chapter of hebrews chapter 9. We'll be back again tomorrow with hebrews chapter 10. See you then Hey guys, if you enjoyed the episode today and are enjoying god's plan your part We would love it. If you could help us in two ways first if you would Give us a rating and review for our podcast.

We would really appreciate that. And second, tell your friends, tell all your people that you rub shoulders with every day, uh, to listen to the podcast and also give us ratings and reviews as well. That being said, here is the reading for today, Hebrews chapter nine. Now, even the first covenant had regulations for worship and an earthly place of holiness.

For a tent was prepared, the first section, in which were the lampstand and the table and the bread of the Presence. It is called the Holy Place. Behind the second curtain was a second section, called the Most Holy Place, having the [00:14:00] golden altar of incense and the Ark of the Covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden urn holding the manna and Aaron's staff that budded, and the tablets of the Covenant.

Above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail. These preparations having thus been made, the priests go regularly into the first section, performing their ritual duties, but into the second only the high priest goes, and he but once a year, and not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the unintentional sins of the people.

By this, the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the Holy Place 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 the food and drink and various washings regulations for the body imposed until the [00:15:00] time of Reformation.

But when Christ appeared as High Priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent, not made with hands, that is, not of this creation, He entered once and for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves, but by means of His own blood. Thus securing an eternal redemption.

For if the blood of goats and bulls and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer 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, 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 one who made it must be established.

For a [00:16:00] 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. For when every commandment of the law had been declared by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, saying, This is the blood of the covenant that God commanded for you.

And in the same way, he sprinkled with the blood, both the tent and the vessels used in worship. Indeed, under the law, almost everything is purified with blood. And without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins. Thus, it was necessary for the copies of heavenly things to be purified with these rites.

But the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 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 [00:17:00] repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy place every year with blood not his own.

For then he would have had to suffer repeatedly, since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all, at the end of the ages, to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, 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.

Thank you so much for listening to today's episode of God's Plan, Your Part. Don't forget, you can find us on just about every social media platform and YouTube. Let us know what you thought of today's episode, and if you have any questions, go ahead and post them there. You can also reach out to us directly at godsplanyourpartatgmail.

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