The Finished Work of Christ

The Supremacy of Christ Over the Old Covenant Order

What does the writer to the Hebrews do? He demonstrates the supremacy and superiority of Christ in numerous different ways to the old way. He demonstrates that there's in essence nothing to go back to.

In that process, for example, he demonstrates the eternal nature of Christ, the deity of Christ in Hebrews chapter 1, his supremacy over the angels, his supremacy over Moses, and then, most interestingly enough for us this evening, he begins an extended section where he demonstrates that Jesus Christ is our one high priest and that he has made one offering and the contrast is drawn between the many offerings which took place in the temple, not in multiple temples, but in the temple.

The contrast is drawn between those repeated offerings and the people coming to that one offering, especially on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, with the singular sacrifice of Jesus Christ. In the process, the author addresses the issue of, for example, the priesthood and he says that the old priesthood has been done away with.

The Levitical priesthood traced through Aaron and Aaron only, no one who is not of the family of Aaron, can hold that priesthood. Remember what happened in Numbers when the ground opened up and swallowed Korah, Dathan, and Abiram for daring to claim priesthood authority when they did not have it.

That particular priesthood is contrasted with Christ's priesthood. In fact, in Hebrews 7, verse 12, we're told where there is a change of law, there's a change of priesthood. The two are connected together and, in point of fact, that priesthood which offered the sacrifices, which had charge over the temple precincts, was done away with.

Its purpose is fulfilled. Why? Because a greater priesthood, he is called the mediator of a better covenant, with better sacrifices, better promises, a better hope. Each of these placed in contrast with the old covenant and that old covenant and its old priesthood was part and parcel of the old temple and the worship that took place within it.

And so you will notice that while we have the one incident of Paul and a Nazarite vow, we do not have sin offerings any longer by anyone, even those in Jerusalem. And never do you find in the New Testament or in the history of the early church, those Christians going out and building buildings and offering sacrifices within those particular structures.

Christ the One High Priest Who Enters the Holy Place Once for All

And so we have the contrast that is presented to us by the writer of the Hebrews where he says all of these things, the priesthood and their offerings, the sacrifices, the things that took place, were pointing forward.

In fact, remember in Hebrews you have the discussion. Well, you have all of the the furniture and the way that was arranged in the holy place and it specifically asserted all of this God gave us the exact way it was supposed to be built.

For what reason? For what reason? So that it might represent its fulfillment in Jesus Christ. And so then the writer says, so you see what's going on here is even though the the high priests who were not able to continue their work because they have death, they would die and a new high priest would have to come along.

Jesus Christ, because he does not die, is able to save the uttermost, those who draw not near unto God, by him. It talks about him entering into the holy place, which the high priest could only do once a year to offer that sacrifice for the people.

He has entered in and unlike the old high priest who had to just enter in and perform his work and then leave, Jesus enters in and he stays. And the old high priest, there was no place to sit. There is no place to sit because his work was never completed.

One Offering, Perfected Forever, and Christ Seated at the Father's Right Hand

But Jesus, as the one high priest, the only Melchizedek priest, because the Melchizedek priest has to be able to save the uttermost, those who draw nigh unto God, by him. Hebrews chapter 7, he enters into that holy place and what does Hebrews chapter 10 tell us?

By one offering he has perfected forever those who are sanctified and he has sat down in the presence of the Father. He has sat down. He is no longer in a situation where he is having to work in the sense that the old priest had to continuously be doing the offering again, again, again.

The writer of Hebrews says he does not do so. He has perfected by one offering for all time those who are sanctified.