Introduction

Every blessing of God, every grace He bestows, every ion of forgiveness, is made possible wholly and solely by the work of Jesus Christ, performed either in His flesh as the Lamb of God or now in heaven as our great high priest. Jesus' earthly life was not simply a means of moving from the Old Testament to the New, or of providing material for the first four books of New Testament Scriptures. The divine incarnation did not occur simply to give man an example, nor did Jesus come primarily as a lawgiver. Rather, His life was in view of His death, and both led to His perfection forever as sacrifice and priest - in short, as Savior. We are reminded of this each time we pronounce His name, for "Jesus" means "Savior" (Matthew 1:21).

The author of Hebrews addressed Jewish Christians who were undergoing hardship for their faith and were tempted to forsake Christ for Judaism. Most that he says is set against a background of the Old Testament system. His addresses were familiar with that economy, and so ought Christians to be today to best understand and appreciate their own (Romans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 10:11). This lesson considers Hebrews 10:1-31, and involves three major points: the work of Jesus Christ, blessings based on that work, and warnings growing out of that work.

Body

I. THE WORK OF JESUS CHRIST.

   A. The Old Testament sacrifices were weak and imperfect.

        1. The Law contained shadows of good things to come. Its imperfect sacrifices left the people imperfect as well (verse 1).

        2. This is seen in the repetition of sacrifices. If they perfected the conscience, they would not be repeated (verse 2).

        3. Rather than taking away consciousness of sins, these sacrifices made remembrance of sins (verse 3). Each sacrifice offered reminded the one bringing it that he was a sinner in need of forgiveness. The next time he sinned another sacrifice was necessary and his past sins were again brought to mind.

        4. In short, it is impossible for the blood of animals to "take away" sins (verse 4). Such sacrifices could remind men of sin, and by them God could provisionally forgive sin (see Romans 3:24-26; Hebrews 9:15-16). Yet they could not deal with sin effectively, once for all, or on their own merit.

        5. The reason is that the blood offered in sacrifice represented the life given to acquire that blood (Leviticus 17:11-12). An animal sacrificed did not involve simply the animal's death, but also the presenting of its blood before God. Since the blood represented the life, the presenting of sacrificial blood was actually the presentation of a life. God accepted that life in the place of the sinner's life, and spared the sinner. The blood of animals could not take away sin because the animal's life was not suitable. It was an amoral life - with no consciousness of right or wrong. God responded to the faith obedience of the man bringing such a sacrifice by forgiving his sins, but He could not on that basis take away sins forever or perfect the conscience. Something was lacking - the obedient life of a moral human being.

   B. The preparatory life of Jesus looked forward to His offering for sins .

        1. Once more, what the law could not do, Jesus did. His purpose in coming to earth is described in words from Psalm 40:6-7. He came not to offer more animal sacrifices, but to do the will of God (verses 5-7).

            a. God had always wanted human obedience first of all; sacrifices were required because of disobedience and had never been God's first request from His people (see I Samuel 15:22; Psalm 51:16-17; Jeremiah 7:2123; Micah 6:6-8).

            b. Jesus came to do the will of God, to obey God as a man, in fulfillment of prophecy (verse 7). For this purpose, God prepared Him a human body in the womb of the virgin Mary (verse 5). His purpose in coming to earth, as a man in a human body, was to live the acceptable life God had always desired but had never received.

        2. By doing the will of God, Jesus made further animal sacrifices unnecessary (verses 8-9).

            a. In a divine commentary on the psalm quoted, the writer of Hebrews makes note of two elements in the quotation: first, sacrifices and offerings; second, doing the will of God (verses 8-9a).

            b. Jesus, he says, took away the first (sacrifices and offerings) to establish the second (doing the will of God, verse 9b).

   C. Jesus' obedient life was then offered as a perfect sacrifice (verse 10).

        1. Jesus' body was offered to God, the same body given Him for doing the will of God.

        2. Because Jesus had done God's will perfectly in that body, God accepted the offering as complete satisfaction for sin and perfect substitution for the sinful lives of other men. "By the which 'will' " speaks of the will of God which Jesus performed in His body (Greek: thelema); it is not "will" in the sense of "testament" or "covenant" (diatheke ).

        3. Because we are in union with Christ, "we are sanctified" through that will of God which Jesus perfectly demonstrated in His human body. God is pleased to accept us in Christ. He is pleased to bless and forgive us as if our lives were worthy, because we are one with His Son and His life is worthy!

        4. Because Jesus' sacrifice was completely pleasing to God, no further sacrifice is needed. Nor is another possible which can please God. Christ's sacrifice was once for all. This fact contains both basis for great blessing and grounds for severe warning. Both will be discussed later.

   D. Jesus' present ministry for us is that of high priest, calling attention to the offering already presented and accepted .

        1. Unlike the Old Testament priests and their many offerings, Jesus has made His single offering and taken His seat as King - Priest (verses 11-13. See the wealth of New Testament Scriptures dealing with Psalm 110).

        2. His sacrificial work is completed; the job is done and His people have no additional need of sacrifices forever (verse 14).

        3. This is in keeping with the "new covenant" prophecy of Jeremiah 31:31-34, for that speaks first of a new "covenant," then adds, "and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more" (verses 16-18).

II. A SUMMARY OF BLESSINGS BASED ON THE WORK OF CHRIST.

   A. The author speaks of two blessings possessed by the one in union with Jesus .

        1. The Christian has boldness in the presence of God (verses 19-20).

            a. Boldness involves confident trust and assurance, but not audacity or irreverence.

            b. Coming before God is pictured in terms of the inner sanctum of the Old Testament sanctuary. The veil no longer prevents our coming into God's presence, for Jesus has passed "through the veil" by His life, death and resurrection, and He is our forerunner and present representative.

            c. We do not approach God on our own merit, our own reputation, our own record, or in our own name. We have boldness through the blood of Jesus. We come "in His name." We come because He is worthy and He has invited us to come. We come with His life as our passport, His death as our key and His resurrection as our sacred invitation.

        2. The Christian has a high priest who mediates for him (verse 21).

            a. The death of a sacrificial victim was necessary, but its death looked forward to the presenting of its life (blood) before God. The high point of the Day of Atonement came with the high priest's entrance into the most holy place, and his presenting the blood there before God.

            b. Jesus first died and shed His own blood. He then entered with that blood (spiritually speaking) into the most holy place of heaven itself (9:11-12, 24-28).

            c. By virtue of His resurrection and exaltation, Jesus has a life that never ends. He is a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek (7:16-17).

            d. In this eternal priesthood, He "ever lives to make intercession" for His people (7:25). On the basis of the perfect sacrifice offered once for all (7:27), He abides forever as "minister of the sanctuary and the true tabernacle" (8:2). There He calls out to God on our behalf, pointing eternally to the single sacrifice already given. His priestly work on earth involved the preparation and death of the sacrifice; His priestly work in heaven involves the continual intercession for His people on the basis of that sacrifice.

   B. The author then gives three specific exhortations based on these blessings .

        1. Let us draw near (verse 22). Confident faith is possible as we approach God in sincerity, because our hearts have been sanctified by the blood of Christ. The pairing here of "hearts sprinkled" and "bodies washed" probably refers to baptism; the "inner" and "outer" elements of baptism are elsewhere spoken of in the New Testament Scriptures (John 3:5; 1 Corinthians 10:13; Colossians 2:12; Titus 3:5; I Peter 3:21-22). See also the remarks above on verse 19.

        2. Let us hold fast (verse 23). We should maintain our personal profession of faith in Christ unwaveringly, knowing that any default will be ours - not His. "He is faithful that promised."

        3. Let us consider one another (verse 24). The Christian's responsibilities are directed toward God (draw near), himself (hold fast) and his fellow saints (consider one another).

            a. Such "considering" is directed toward stirring up one's fellows to love and good works.

            b. It is not accomplished by giving up assembling together, but by exhorting one another with increasing frequency 'as time passes (verse 25). Whatever "the day" is in this verse, the point is the same for the larger context. Those who love the Lord will not quibble regarding minimum service. Faithfulness and diligence in effective worship assemblies will allow each saint to exhort and encourage the others to common faithfulness to Christ.

III. A WARNING BASED ON THE PERFECT SACRIFICE OF CHRIST.

   A. Because Jesus' sacrifice was "once for all," it is the only sacrifice God will ever accept for sin, and it will never be repeated (verse 26).

   B. The Christian who turns from Christ's offering by willfully leaving Him as Lord or Savior has no other basis of salvation . "There remaineth no more sacrifice for sins." This verse does not say there is no more forgiveness for the sinner who penitently returns to Christ. It does emphasize that His once-for-all sacrifice (which gives the blessings of verses 19-21) carries also a severe warning for deserters, inasmuch as it is the sinner's only basis for forgiveness and salvation.

   C. The drastic proportions of desertion from Christ are explained in three terms (verse 29).

        1. It is to tread under foot the Son of God.

        2. It is to regard the covenant blood an unholy thing, the very blood which alone provides the Christian's sanctification (holiness).

        3. It is to insult the Spirit of grace openly by rejecting the grand expression of divine goodness and all its benefits.

   D. An analogy illustrates the severity of punishment that awaits such a deserter (verses 28-29). If the rebel under Moses' law died without mercy, how "much sorer punishment" awaits the rebel against the Son of God? This question is not really answered, but each saint is left to ponder it for himself ("suppose ye . . . ?"). Only "judgment and fiery indignation" loom ahead of such a sinner (verse 27).

   E. Three final sayings heighten the dread of such punishment (verses 30-31).

        1. "Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord" (Deuteronomy 32:35).

        2. "The Lord shall judge His people" (Deuteronomy 32:36).

        3. "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Hebrews author, verse 31).

Conclusion

Because of Christ's accomplishment for us in His flesh, because of the blessings that work provides for us now in union with Him, because of the terrible punishment awaiting the rebel and deserter, let each Christian draw near to God, hold fast his own faith, and watch his brethren to encourage them in love and good works.

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