One Perfect Sacrifice

Hebrews 9:23-28

 

INTRODUCTION:  Winston Churchill was honoring members of the Royal Air Force who had guarded England during the second world war.  Recounting their brave service, he declared, "Never in the history of mankind have so many owed so much to so few."

  A similar sentiment appears on a memorial plaque in Bastogne, Belgium, where raged the famous Battle of the Bulge, one of the bloodiest conflicts of World War II.  The inscription, in honor of the U.S. 101st Airborne Division, reads: "Seldom has so much American blood been shed in the course of a single action.  Oh, Lord, help us to remember!"

  These are fitting and well-deserved tributes to the courageous men and women who sacrificed so much in battle.  But there is One whose selfless sacrifice resulted in even greater benefits for mankind.  Jesus Christ died on a cross and shed His blood to pay for the sins of His people. Of Him it can be said: Never in the history of mankind have so many owed so much to one Man.

 

THESIS:  The one perfect sacrifice of Jesus completely saves from our sin.

 

TEXT:

  • VERSE 23 – Picture of the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippor) - The heavenly sanctuary purified…but was it ever defiled by sin?  No…but now prepared that  as a meeting place for sinful people to enter, drawing near to God through the blood of Jesus.
  • Hebrews 10:19-22  Since therefore, brethren, we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, [20] by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, [21] and since we have a great priest over the house of God, [22] let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
  • VERSE 24 – Jesus has appeared as our Great High Priest and has made the atoning, substitutionary sacrifice for our sins
  • Leviticus 16:32  "So the priest who is anointed and ordained to serve as priest in his father's place shall make atonement: he shall thus put on the linen garments, the holy garments, Leviticus 16:33  and make atonement for the holy sanctuary; and he shall make atonement for the tent of meeting and for the altar. He shall also make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly.
  • VERSE 25 - The repetition of sacrifices was evidence that they were not effective to remove guilt  -  The high priest’s offering contrasts with Christ’s offering.  The high priest needed atonement (v. 7 ), but no  Levitical high priest could offer himself as an unblemished substitute for others
  • VERSE 26 – Notice the phrase foundation of the world … end of the ages - These phrases set forth a vast span of time, during all of which Christ had to offer Himself only once.  HE APPEARED ONCE FOR ALL WHO ARE SAVED… to do away with sin,  He literally (Greek ἀθέτησις   ath-et'-ay-sis;) dismantled, cancelled it, put it away, to make void…..MY SIN IS A DONE DEAL…MY SALVATION IS COMPLETE..
  • VERSE 27 - to die once, but after this the judgment. Thus both reincarnation and the belief that physical death is the end of personal existence are excluded. Christ suffered the common human destiny of death and judgment (v. 28 ), but for Him the judgment consisted in resurrection and vindication. This vindication will be fully manifested when He comes.
  • Jackie Vernon  My grandfather would look through the obituary   columns and say to me, "Strange, isn't it, how everybody seems to die in alphabetical order.
  • VERSE 28 – Jesus took up our sins and took them away… Isaiah 53:12 Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, And He will divide the booty ith the strong; Because He poured out Himself to death, And was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors.  APPEAR AGAIN WITHOUT SIN>>

 

 

NOTICE THESE FEATURES OF THE FINALITY OF THE ATONING SACRIFICE OF JESUS

 

First, it  will not be repeated because it took place as a Historic Objective event - The atonement took place in actual history.

  • There is no erasing what happened no one can take back the past…
  • Galatians 4:4-5  But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law,  [5] in order that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

 

Secondly, the atonement will never be repeated because it was completed, never again to be repeated…It is final and absolute…

·        Hebrews 1:3 And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high; 

·        2.     Hebrews 9:12 and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. 

  • Christ’s sacrifice is the climax of sacrifices.—for elect it is the ~perfect sacrifice. It is inconceivable that any man can ever have, or  give to God, a better sacrifice than Christ gave. DO YOU THINK YOU CAN MATCH IT WITH YOUR GOOD WORKS…DO YOU THINK YOU CAN IMPROVE UPON IT THROUGH RITUAL OR YOUR EFFORT TO BE GOOD?

 

Thirdly, this atonement is never to be repeated because it is totally and forevermore exceptional and totally unique…

 

  • A singular accomplishment – It is matchless…

·        Murray, p. 56, “The Scripture representation is that the Son of God incarnate and he alone, to the exclusion of the Father and Spirit in the realm of the divine, to the exclusion of angels and men in the created order, gave himself a sacrifice to re­deem us to God by his blood. From whatever angle we look upon his sacrifice we find its uniqueness to be as inviolable as the uniqueness of his person, of his mission, and of his office. Who is God-man but he alone? Who is great high priest to offer such sacrifice but he alone? Who shed such vicarious blood but he alone?  Who entered in once for all into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption, but he alone?”

·        Murray quoting Hugh Martin, pp 57, “It is one solitary, matchless, Divine trans­action-never to be repeated, never to be equalled, never to be approached. It was the splendid and unexpected device of Divine wisdom, which in its disclosure flooded the minds of angels with the knowledge of God. It was the free counsel of the good pleasure of God's will. It was the sovereign ap­pointment of His grace and love.”

 

FOURTHLY and most importantly the atonement is final because of its Intrinsic Efficacy

  • Christ’s work was a full satisfaction of the justice of God 
  • Murray - Christ discharged the debt of sin. He bore our sins and purged them. He did not make a token payment which God accepts in place of the whole. Our debts are not canceled; they are liquidated. Christ procured redemption and therefore he secured it. He met in himself and swallowed up the full toll of divine condemnation and judgment against sin. He wrought righteousness which is the proper ground of com­plete justification and the title to everlasting life.
  • Ephes. 2:4-5  But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,  [5] even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

Bottner (Atonement, p. 37)  puts it well, “The cross is not a compromise, but a substitution; not a cancellation, but a satisfaction, not a wiping off, but a wiping out in blood and agony and death.  Thus mercy does not cheat justice.  Holiness is rewarded, sin is punished, and the moral order of the universe is maintained in its perfection.”

 

William D. Matheson, in My Grandfather's War, tells of a veteran who walked through the streets of his hometown with an empty sleeve.  When a passerby commented on the loss of his arm, the veteran replied, "I didn't lose it. I gave it."

   That describes what Jesus did for us.  He didn't lose His life on the cross, He gave it.

 

CONCLUSION -

The one perfect sacrifice of Jesus completely saves from our sin.

 

Trust Him for eternity…

 

"Never in the history of mankind have so many owed so much to so few."

 

Never in the history of mankind have so many owed so much to one person….

  Lord, help us to remember!