Paul's Epistles – Hebrews – Part 15: The Blood of Christ

Paul's Epistles – Hebrews – Part 15:

The Blood of Christ

Pastor Bruce A. Shields

House of Faith Church | www.PS127.org | www.TruthDigest.org | Online Audio Files

SERMON INTRODUCTION

The “official” writer of this epistle is unknown. However, I obviously believe it is Paul since I have included it in the “Paul’s Epistles” Sermon Series.

I believe there is enough evidence from early scholars to agree this was more than likely Paul’s work.

We have already seen in Hebrews so far;

·        Jesus is greater than angels

·        And that we are to pay the most careful attention to Jesus and His way so we do not stray

·        And how Jesus (New Covenant) is greater than Moses (Old Covenant)

·        Paul’s warning about unbelief

·        A Sabbath Rest for the People of God

·        Jesus the Great High Priest

·        Jesus the Perfect High Priest

·        Therefore, It is Time to Grow Up

·        The Certainty of God’s Promise

·        Melchizedek the Priest

·        Jesus like Melchizedek

·        The High Priest of the New Covenant

·        Worship in the Earthly Tabernacle

TODAY’S SERMON

“The Blood of Christ”

  

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE

Hebrews 9:11-28

But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation. ¹² He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. ¹³ The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. ¹⁴ How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!

¹⁵ For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.

¹⁶ In the case of a will, it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, ¹⁷ because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living. ¹⁸ This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood. ¹⁹ When Moses had proclaimed every command of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves, together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people. ²⁰ He said, “This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep.” ²¹ In the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies. ²² In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

²³ It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. ²⁴ For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence. ²⁵ Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. ²⁶ Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. ²⁷ Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, ²⁸ so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

The overall message of this epistle to the church is;

“The Cure for Lacking Boldness or Courage in your Christian Faith and Backsliding is a Right beginning for the Glory and Work of Christ”

I. A COVERING AND A CLEANSING

a. Christ as our High Priest

                                                                 i. Just as the earthly high priest was mediator for the old covenant with God, Christ is our mediator for the New Covenant with God

b. Christ did not enter the Holy of Holies with the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood

                                                                 i. earthly high priests only had a covering

                                                              ii. But Christ, by His own sinless blood, was the cleansing itself

Genesis 3:9-13;21

But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” {Sin caused separation}

¹⁰ He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” ¹¹ And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”  {Disobedience is Sin}

¹² The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” ¹³ Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” {Sin blames others}

²¹ The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. ²² And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” ²³ So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. ²⁴ After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.

c. Christ offered so  much more

                                                                 i. Not a covering for sin, but a cleansing of sin

                                                              ii. cleansing our conscience from useless rituals (earthly representations of what Christ would, and did accomplish)

                                                           iii. So we may serve the Living God

                                                            iv. Verse 15 For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.

II.      THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT

a. A will only goes into effect when the one who made it dies, so it’s necessary to prove death

                                                                 i. A will does not take effect while one is living (it is not a living will like they have today)

                                                              ii. the word will in Greek is the same as covenant

b. This is why even the first covenant (will) was put into effect with blood

                                                                 i. To show death took place to make it in effect

                                                              ii. Verse 19-21 When Moses had proclaimed every command of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves, together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people. ²⁰ He said, “This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep.”^[e] 21 In the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies.

c. Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness

                                                                 i. Verse 22 In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

                                                              ii. Without the evidence of death, the will does not go into effect

III.   ONCE FOR ALL

a. Because the True heavenly Tabernacle would be cleansed with the blood of Christ

                                                                 i. Not the Earthly copy, which was only covered by sacrificial blood

b. Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands, a mere copy of the True Sanctuary in Heaven

                                                                 i. He entered the True sanctuary the earthly one represented in heaven and stood before God on our behalf to put into effect the New Will (Covenant)

c. Nor does He enter again and again for a covering, but once for a cleansing

                                                                 i. Verse 26 “once for all”

1. FOR ALL, means His actions are suitable for all to accept, not that all will accept.

2. 1 Timothy 2:4 It is God’s will all are saved and come to a knowledge of Christ, but not all will come to the Lord

                                                              ii. One perfect sacrifice to enact the New Covenant for those who died before Christ, during the time of Christ, and long after Christ’s sacrifice

                                                           iii. Verse 26b “...he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.”

                                                            iv. Culmination means full end of, conclusion, finale, termination

1. of what? The age of the Law, Old Testament, Sin

d. He cleansed the Sanctuary, and did away with sin (end of age) by the sacrifice of Himself

                                                                 i. And by entering the Holy of Holies, standing before God on our behalf, made the Will (God’s Will) in full effect, and beginning the dispensation, or age of the Church, this age of God’s Grace we are now in.

                                                              ii. Now, working in the Body of Believers through the Holy Spirit, Christ continues His ministry as High Priest

                                                           iii. Drawing the lost to Himself through the church, allowing them the opportunity to become part of this Will, this New Covenant, and be made clean for the day they stand in judgment before the Lord.

CONCLUSION – JUST AS PEOPLE ARE DESTINED TO DIE ONCE, AND AFTER THAT FACE JUDGMENT

So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many (not ALL PEOPLE. All have the opportunity, but not all accept it)

...and He will appear a second time, not to bear (or remove) sin, but to bring Salvation to those who are waiting for Him.

Salvation from what if they are saved?

Salvation means deliverance, rescue, escape...but it also means recovery.

At the Second Coming, Christ will not come to remove sin, that was already done at the cross, but to bring the fulfillment of the promises that come with the New Covenant.

For right now, we only have the Firstfruits of what is to come! 

Romans 8:18-25

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. ¹⁹ For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. ²⁰ For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope ²¹ that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.

²² We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. ²³ Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the Firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. ²⁴ For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? ²⁵ But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

Next week we will look at Hebrews 10

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