The inspired book of Hebrews spends a great deal of time demonstrating that Jesus is superior to other prophets. He is superior even to angels. In fact, He is the exact representation of God. Because Jesus is superior to all others, He is also a superior priest and the sacrifice He made for sin is superior to all other sacrifices. The sacrifices specified by the Law of Moses were inadequate to take away sins. Jesus’ sacrifice, however is perfect. It accomplished what God intended.
Hebrews chapter 10, verses 11 through 18 summarizes it this way, “Every priest indeed stands day by day serving and often offering the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins, but he, when he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God; from that time waiting until his enemies are made the footstool of his feet. For by one offering he has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. The Holy Spirit also testifies to us, for after saying, “This is the covenant that I will make with them: ‘After those days,’ says the Lord, ‘I will put my laws on their heart, I will also write them on their mind;’” then he says, “I will remember their sins and their iniquities no more.” Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.”
This passage contrasts the work priests do to what Jesus has done. The duty of a priest is to represent people before God. Specifically, it is his responsibility to make sacrifices to atone for sins. The work of these priests is continuous. They stand before the altar and offer sacrifice after sacrifice. The reason they have to offer so many sacrifices is that the sacrifices are inadequate to take away sin. They are incapable of doing the very thing for which they were intended.
In contrast, Jesus offered only one sacrifice. He did not have to present a sacrifice for Himself for He was sinless. He made His sacrifice on our behalf and it was perfect for it was sufficient to pay for all our sin for all time. After offering His sacrifice, Jesus sat down at God’s right hand. He was able to sit down because His work of redeeming mankind was completed.
Being seated at God’s right hand not only indicates that Jesus has completed His work, it also indicates that He reigns. His sacrifice gave Him victory over His enemies. In another place the Scriptures say, “For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.” (1 Corinthians 15:25-26 NIV) Jesus has conquered both sin and death.
Because Jesus has conquered sin and death, those who follow Him are also made perfect. In one sense this is an accomplished fact. Jesus does not need to do anything more. In another sense, however, it is an ongoing process. As the text says, we are being made holy. We who follow Christ are still in the process of becoming like Him.
There are two other results from Jesus’ perfect sacrifice which affect us directly. In chapter 8, Hebrews quoted from the prophet Jeremiah where God promised that He would establish a New Covenant with the people. Verse 16 refers to this promise again. “I will put my laws on their heart, I will also write them on their mind;” This points to the new nature which God gives the followers of Christ. Jesus has already paid for their sin. But they refrain from additional sin, not because of external rules like the Law of Moses, but because they now have God’s standards and principles within them. They do God’s will because it is now the natural thing to do.
The second result from Jesus’ perfect sacrifice is that God no longer remembers our sins. They have been forgiven. Since they are forgiven, we no longer need additional sacrifices. Our consciences are clean and pure before God.
How should we respond to Jesus’ sacrifice? Verses 19 through 25 say, “Having therefore, brothers, boldness to enter into the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by the way which he dedicated for us, a new and living way, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; and having a great priest over God’s house, let’s draw near with a true heart in fullness of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and having our body washed with pure water, let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering; for he who promised is faithful. Let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good works, not forsaking our own assembling together, as the custom of some is, but exhorting one another; and so much the more, as you see the Day approaching.”
One result of Jesus’ sacrifice, is that heaven is open to us. We no longer need to fear God’s wrath and anger. We can come before Him with boldness. Jesus’ blood gives us assurance.
The words, “having our body washed with pure water” no doubt refer to baptism. This verse implies that it is when we are baptized into Christ that His blood is applied to our hearts and our consciences are cleansed. The priests under the Old Covenant could not enter the sanctuary without washing. Baptism allows us to come with confidence before God in heaven which is the true sanctuary. It is not the water which saves us or which cleanses our consciences. It is Christ’s blood which is sprinkled on our hearts when we are baptized which does this.
This cleansing from sin also gives us hope. Our text points out that our hope rests on the character of Christ. Because He is faithful and loved us enough to die on our behalf we can have confidence that He will also fulfill the rest of what He has promised.
The people to whom the book of Hebrews is addressed had experienced persecution for their faith. When we are going through difficulties it is easy to become discouraged. One reason the followers of Christ meet every week is to remind each other of the hope we have. Meeting together is not a duty in the sense that we do it to fulfill a command. Instead it is to draw strength from one another. It is to encourage one another to grow in love and in doing good. It helps us remember that Christ is coming again to give us the inheritance He has promised. It helps us strive to become the kind of people God wants us to be.