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"THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS"
The Superior Sacrifice (He 10:1-18)
INTRODUCTION
1. In showing the superiority of the New Covenant, we have seen the
author discuss...
a. The better promises - He 8:7-13
b. The better sanctuary - He 9:1-28
2. The author now reaches a climax in his discussion with a look at
"the better sacrifice"...
a. Not that he hasn't already made mention of it -
He 7:26-27; He 9:11-14; He 9:24-26
b. But now there is a contrast to the Old Covenant sacrifices in the
clearest of terms
3. In this section, we will find the author...
a. Bring together the main ideas he has alluded to earlier
b. Add a further thought not stressed before
[In the first four verses of chapter ten, then, we find...]
I. THE SUPERIOR SACRIFICE: ITS NEED (Vs 1-4)
A. ANIMAL SACRIFICES DID NOT PROVIDE TRUE REMISSION OF SIN...
1. The Law was only "a shadow of the good things to come"
- He 10:1a
a. Its gifts and sacrifices were a "copy and shadow" of the
heavenly things - He 8:4-5
b. They symbolized what Jesus would actually do - He 9:11-12; He 9:24
c. The "good things" included such things as:
1) His better sacrifice
2) The better hope
3) The eternal redemption and the eternal inheritance
2. The sacrifices did not make the worshippers "perfect" - He 10:1b-2
a. Perfect in regard to the conscience - He 9:9
b. The repetitive nature of the sacrifices prevented this
B. ANIMAL SACRIFICES PROVIDED A REMINDER OF SIN...
1. Every year there was the constant reminder of sins - He 10:3
a. In addition to the daily and monthly sacrifices, there were
the annual sacrifices on the Day of Atonement
b. The constant sacrifices reminded them of their sin and need
for cleansing
2. It was not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take
away sins - He 10:4
a. The blood of animals could not really take away sin
b. Their purpose was to impress upon the people their need,
and to foreshadow what would one day be accomplished in
Christ
[The sacrifices of the Old Covenant accomplished their purpose; they
served as "a shadow of the good things to come". Those "good things"
involved the sacrifice found in the New Covenant, of which we now
read...]
II. THE SUPERIOR SACRIFICE: ITS PROVISION He 10:5-9
A. IT WAS PROVIDED BY GOD...
1. From Ps 40:6-8, we see the attitude of Christ when He came
into the world
2. Burnt offerings and sacrifices did not meet His Father's
ultimate desire - He 10:5-6
3. But what did meet God's desire, God provided Himself: a body
- He 10:5
-- This reminds us that propitiation for sin was provided by God,
not man - 1 Jn 4:10
[DEF: Propitiation - Regain the good will; become favorably inclined;
appease or conciliate ]
B. IT WAS OFFERED FREELY BY CHRIST...
1. Christ came as prophesied to do the will of God - He 10:7-9a
2. Here is a striking difference between Christ's sacrifice and
the animal sacrifices...
a. Animal sacrifices were offered against their will
b. Jesus freely offered Himself in accordance with His
Father's will! - cf. Jn 6:38
C. IT ESTABLISHED A NEW COVENANT...
1. In doing the will of His Father, Jesus has taken away the
first covenant - He 9:9b; cf. Co 2:14-17
2. Making it possible to establish the second covenant, of which
He is the mediator - cf. He 9:15
[So what animal sacrifices could not accomplish, God did by the sending
of His Son who freely accepted the task of offering Himself for sin.
But was His sacrifice adequate? Read on...]
III. THE SUPERIOR SACRIFICE: ITS ALL-SUFFICIENCY (Vs 10-18)
A. IT PROVIDES TRUE SANCTIFICATION...
1. We have been sanctified through the offering of His body -
He 10:10
[DEF: Sanctify - To make holy; to make free from sin; purify
2. Its sufficiency is seen in that He only had to offer it "once"
a. The repetition of the daily sacrifices illustrated their
inadequacy - He 10:11
b. But with Jesus, it was "one sacrifice for sins forever"
- He 10:12-13
1) Illustrated by His sitting down at God' right Hand
- cf. He 1:3; He 8:1
2) Where He waits (and reigns - 1 Co 15:25-26; Psa 110:1-2)
till all His enemies are made His footstool
3. Thus "by one offering" He has provided true sanctification
- He 10:14
a. "He has perfected forever" (doing what animal sacrifices
could not - He 10:1 )
b. "those who are being sanctified"
1) Note the present tense - sanctification is an on-going
process - He 2:11
a) In one sense we have been sanctified -
1 Co 1:2; 1 Cor 6:11; He 10:10; He 10:29
b) In another sense we will be sanctified - 1 Th 5:23
2) Made possible by the one-time sacrifice of Christ -
1 Jn 1:7-9
B. IT PROVIDES TRUE REMISSION OF SINS...
1. As the Holy Spirit bore witness through Jeremiah in
Jer 31:31-34 (quoted earlier in He 8:8-12) - He 10:15-17
2. With true remission of sins, there is no need for repeated
sacrifices for sin - He 10:18
CONCLUSION
1. By providing complete sanctification and remission of sins, the
sacrifice of Jesus is truly "The Superior Sacrifice"!
a. Why would anyone want to return to sacrifices...
1) That did not make the worshiper "perfect"?
2) Were there is the constant reminder of sin that weighs heavy
upon the conscience of man?
b. With the sacrifice of Himself, offered freely keeping with the
will of God, Jesus provides what the Law could not!
2. With verse eighteen, we come to the end of the two main arguments in
this epistle...
a. That Christ is superior, for He is:
1) Better than the prophets, as a much better Spokesman - He 1:1-3
2) Better than the angels, by virtue of His Deity and humanity
- He 1:4-2:18
3) Better than Moses, for He is the Son who provides a heavenly
rest - He 3:1-4:13
4) Better than Aaron, as His priesthood is a superior one -
He 4:16 thru He 8:6
b. That the New Covenant is superior, for it is:
1) Based upon better promises - He 8:7-13
2) Based upon a better sanctuary - He 9:1-28
3) Based upon a better sacrifice - He 10:1-18
One can conclude the happiest moment in any person's life is when they
realize that they can no longer be counted among the sinners but have
been made free from sin, purified by Christ and have regained the good
will of God. He is now favorably inclined toward us and we have returned
to the grace of God that was known before sin entered the world.
The purpose of the Hebrew writer has been to encourage his brethren to
accept the new and better way. Though one may not be a Hebrew by race,
the same arguments should encourage all persons to obey the Gospel call
and abide by the conditions of the New Covenant of which Christ is the
Mediator!
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