Hebrews – Lesson 10 A Better Sacrifice Hebrews 9:15-10:18

Hebrews - Lesson 102 Review A Better Sanctuary and a Clean Conscience The Tabernacle was the site of numerous, never- ending sacrifices – none of which could clean the conscience ONCE FOR ALL Jesus’ sacrifice of His own blood, ONCE FOR ALL, forgives sin, cleans the conscience and paves the way into God’s presence – eliminating the need for ongoing sacrifice The atoning death of Christ gives us right relationship with God; it also provides the purification that enables authentic relationship with God

Hebrews - Lesson 103 Salvation Under the Law A question left over from last week: How were people saved under the Old Law? The same way we are By faith, through the finished work of Christ A difficult concept for our linear-thinking Western minds They sinned before Jesus’ sacrifice A visual analogy …

Hebrews - Lesson 104 The Coming of the New Covenant Read Hebrews 9:15-18 Why did Jesus have to die? From one commentator: A testament demands death Forgiveness demands blood Judgment demands a substitute

Hebrews - Lesson 105 What His Death Accomplished What was achieved by Jesus death? Freedom! Freedom from what? Sins committed under the Old Covenant Who has been set free? All those who are called Those who were held hostage by the Old Covenant

Hebrews - Lesson 106 The Need for Jesus’ Death According to this passage, why did Jesus have to die? The writer transitions from the concept of the covenant as a promise to the concept of the covenant as a will The covenant (will, testament) could not be implemented without the death of the one who made it Death activates the promises!

Hebrews - Lesson 107 Jesus’ Death (cont.) Read Hebrews 7:27 Read Hebrews 9:12 What is the purpose of Jesus’ death according to these passages? Is the concept presented here inconsistent with the writer’s new concept? In a sense, Jesus’ death is both the promise and the activator the promise

Hebrews - Lesson 108 The First Covenant Read Hebrews 9:19-22 Compare with Exodus 24:1-8 What stands out in the writer’s description of the implementation of the First Covenant? “the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood” Blood was everywhere

Hebrews - Lesson 109 Purification by Blood Moses sprinkled the blood of the sacrifice on: The scroll (Heb 9) The people (Ex 24, Heb 9) The Tabernacle (Heb 9) Everything used in the ceremonies (Heb 9) The altar (Ex 24) How does blood cleanse anything?

Hebrews - Lesson 1010 Without Blood … What is significance of the statement that “without blood there is no forgiveness of sins”? Read Romans 6:23 Sin REQUIRES death Animal sacrifices were a demonstration and reminder of this inescapable fact MY sin requires MY death, MY blood – justice is done, but it only compensates for MY sin Jesus shed HIS blood for ALL sin

Hebrews - Lesson 1011 The Second Covenant Read Hebrews 9:23-28 Copies of the heavenly things were purified by imperfect sacrifices (animals) Not because the things were unclean, but because of the uncleanness of the people The heavenly things themselves purified with a better sacrifice (Jesus) Why would the heavenly things require purification?

Hebrews - Lesson 1012 Purification by Blood It is not the heavenly things that require purification It is us who need purification for the heavenly realm and this requires the better sacrifice Read Matthew 26:28 Read Luke 22:20 Read John 19:28-30 Read 1 Peter 1:1-2 Read 1 Peter 2:24

Hebrews - Lesson 1013 One Might Say … Jesus consecrated with His blood: The Book (scroll) of the New Covenant The Christian Sanctuary (Tabernacle) of the Heavenly Zion The New Israel (people) of His church

Hebrews - Lesson 1014 Jesus’ Sacrifice – Once for All The author stresses AGAIN that Jesus sacrificed: Himself Once For All Jesus’ first appearance was to bear sins His second appearance will not be to bear sin, but to bring salvation to His children Sacrifice accepted!

Hebrews - Lesson 1015 Limitations of the Old Law Read Hebrews 10:1-4 What are the limitations of the First Covenant? It is only a shadow of what is to come Sacrifices can never make anything perfect Repeated continuously as a result Sacrifices were a reminder of sin No freedom from guilt Paul says that the Law brought death

Hebrews - Lesson 1016 The Heart of the Matter … The writer’s argument reaches a crescendo in verse 4: IMPOSSIBLE “It is IMPOSSIBLE for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” Why? Another sacrifice under another system is required Only Jesus’ sacrifice can remove man’s sin 100% God, 100% Man

Hebrews - Lesson 1017 Sacrifice You Did Not Desire Read Hebrews 10:5-10 The writer quotes from Psalms, but attributes the statement to Jesus Why would the Psalmist say: “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire” “With burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased” After all, the Law required these sacrifices The problem was in the heart

Hebrews - Lesson 1018 An Inconsistency? Read Psalm 40:6-8 Writer quotes this passage, but its reading is different from Hebrews 10:5-7 Why do they differ? Hebrew writer quotes from the Septuagint Our Psalms are translated from the original Hebrew text Septuagint translators interpreted the figures of speech differently

Hebrews - Lesson 1019 Legal Terms The author uses legal terms in verse 9 “Sets Aside” = “annuls” “Establishes” = “institutes” The Old Covenant has been annulled – legally abolished – and superseded by the New Covenant

Hebrews - Lesson 1020 Four Comparisons Read Hebrews 10:11-14 The writer makes four comparisons here: Old Covenant offerings were made daily; Jesus offered Himself once Priests offered sacrifices while standing; Jesus sat down at God’s right hand when finished Numerous sacrifices under the Old Covenant; Jesus made only one The Old Covenant could never take away sins; Jesus’ sacrifice covered all sin

Hebrews - Lesson 1021 Closing Arguments Read Hebrews 10:15-18 The writer goes back to Jeremiah 31 to complete the argument he began back in Chapter 8 at the same passage Sin has been completely forgiven because of the decisive, new covenant sacrifice of Jesus End of sacrifices; end of sermon!

Hebrews - Lesson 1022 Next Week’s Lesson Lesson 11 – Hall of Fame of Faith Hebrews 10:19-11:40