“Once for All!” FBC Morning Light (10/26/2023)

Well good Thursday morning to you. Today in our Bible reading schedule we're beginning a new book in the Old Testament, the book of Lamentations, reading chapters 1 and 2, and then in the New Testament reading Hebrews chapter 11, and then back to the poetical books, we're wrapping up the book of Ecclesiastes with chapter 12.

The Contrast Between Christ's Priesthood and the Old Testament Sacrifices

I want to look at Hebrews 10 this morning. It's really kind of following up on what we talked about yesterday from Hebrews chapter 9. In chapter 9 the writer of Hebrews is drawing a contrast between the priestly ministry of Jesus with the Old Testament priestly ministry, that Jesus is a high priest.

Back in chapter 7 he talked about Jesus a high priest after the order of Melchizedek and not after the order of Aaron. He had a different order in his priesthood. Jesus is the priest king, and chapter 9 he emphasizes that Jesus offered the blood sacrifice, but it was his own blood, not the blood of bulls and goats and so forth.

He continues the contrast in chapter 10, and he points out that these Old Testament sacrifices under the old covenant were incapable of bringing about complete and once-for-all forgiveness. He brings this out in verse 1.

He says the law could never with these same sacrifices which they offer continually make those who approach perfect. It couldn't make them perfect because, he says in verse 2, wouldn't they cease to have been offered?

If they could have made those who came and offered the sacrifices perfect, they would never need to offer another sacrifice. But he says the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more conscience of sin.

But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. They were repeated year after year after year. He says in verse 4, here's why, it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

Animal sacrifices, the blood of animals, cannot take away sins forever. Here's where the contrast is with the Lord Jesus Christ, where the God-man came into this world to offer that one-time sacrifice for sin.

He says in verse 5, Jesus came into the world, he said, sacrifice and offering you did not desire. He didn't want Jesus to serve as just another Aaronic priest offering up animal sacrifices, but a body you have prepared for me.

In the burnt offerings and sacrifices for sins you had no pleasure. This isn't what you wanted of me. He says, behold, I've come to do your will, O God. What is that will that Jesus came to fulfill? It was the sacrifice of himself.

Verse 9, when he says, behold, I've come to do your will, he takes away the first, that is the first covenant that he may establish the second. It is by that will, the fulfillment of that will, that we have been sanctified, we have been set apart, we have been made holy.

How? Through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Then he moves back to a comparison again, or a contrast. He says, every high priest, every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.

But this man, speaking of the God-man, Jesus, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God. Then verse 14 says, for by one offering he has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.

Do you get the significance of that? That in Jesus' one-time sacrifice for sins, he has perfected forever those who put their faith and trust in him, and who through this lifetime are growing in sanctification.

This is a one-time work of the Lord Jesus Christ, a one-time sacrifice that saves and sanctifies you, and it is by that one sacrifice that he perfects you forever. There's no need for a repeated sacrifice.

As the chapter continues in verse 19, it comes to a conclusion of therefore, on an account of this, he says, therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the holiest by the blood of Jesus. You see the implication here?

Because Jesus offered a one-time sacrifice, we therefore have boldness to enter into the very presence of God by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, he says in verse 20, which he, Jesus, consecrated for us through the veil, that is, through his flesh, and having a high priest over the house of God, so because we have access to the holiest of all places into the very presence of God by the blood of Christ, and having a high priest over the house of God, which is the Lord Jesus Christ himself, he says in verse 22, let us draw near with a true or a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, fully confident in our faith that Jesus has secured this way for us and that Jesus is interceding for us, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

Oh, the wonder-working power of the blood of the Lamb and his one-time sacrifice for sins, he has made the way for us to go into the very presence of God, the holiest of all, through his blood, through his work, he's accomplished this for us, and by his high priestly intercession for us.

Oh, what a wonderful privilege is ours. Let us, therefore, draw near, let's draw near with a heart of confidence and full assurance of faith. And so our Father and our God, we are so grateful for what Christ has done for us, and that even right now, in this very moment, we can come into your presence through the merits of Christ and on the basis of his intercession for us.

Thank you for his blood that purifies and cleanses and secures us. Oh, Lord, I pray, bless these thoughts to our hearts today, and we ask it in Jesus' name and for his sake. Amen. All right, listen, have a rest of your Thursday.

I hope the Lord will bless you in it. Good day.