Born to Die pt.3

18 December 2022 PM – Hebrews 9:11-14 – Christmas – Scott Childs
Introduction: So far in this series, we have learned that Christ was born the perfect God/Man, the second Adam, crowned with man’s original glory and honour so that he could taste death for every man (Heb 2:9). Next, we learned Christ came to this earth as the God/Man to die in order to save sinners (1Ti 1:15). In this final message, we will see that Christ came to earth as the God/Man to become the ultimate and final sacrifice for sin.
Transition: Hebrews 9:11-14 reveals to us important facts about sacrifices for sin that we must understand in order to be saved.
  1. Animal sacrifices were insufficient (v.13)
a.         They were limited in provision.
1)         They did fulfil the requirements that God laid down in the Law for temporarily covering their sins (Ps 32:1). Even then, God rejected those offerings if they were preformed insincerely (Hos 8:13), or if the offering was less than perfect (Mal 1:7-8).
2)         Peter Pett reminds us that animal sacrifices, “could never purify the heart, making men clean within. They were a picture of what would be, not a genuine means of purifying (Heb 1:3), of propitiation (Heb 2:17), of dealing with sin (Heb 7:27) and cleansing (Heb 1:3).” Emphasis added
3)         Paul confirms this in the next chapter. (Hebrews 10:4) “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.” Those countless sacrifices covered sin, but never took it away permanently.
b.         They were limited in duration.
1)         Those O.T. sacrifices were offered repeatedly. (Hebrews 10:11) “And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:“
2)         There were daily sacrifices, monthly sacrifices, yearly sacrifices, and holiday sacrifices.
3)         Those sacrifices only covered sins already committed. After each new sin, a new sacrifice was needed.
2.        Christ’s sacrifice was all sufficient (v.14)
a.         It provided the ultimate provision.
1)         The blood of Christ was the blood of the God/Man, the perfect Lamb of God. It was divine because Christ was divine.
2)         Christ, through eternal Spirit offered himself. To what does “eternal Spirit” refer?
a)         First, the article “the” was supplied. It is not in the original. Eternal Spirit is not qualified.
b)         It is not likely the Holy Spirit, as the Bible never refers to Him in this way.
c)         Angels are not eternal, so it could not refer to an angelic spirit.
d)         Many conservative commentators believe it is speaking of Christ’s eternal Spirit. If Christ had not been eternal, He could not pay the eternal debt for every person in the human race.
3)         Christ voluntarily shed His blood as our substitute. No bull, goat, lamb or bird ever volunteered to become a sacrifice. They went ignorantly, against their will. Christ gave himself willingly and intentionally.
4)         Christ was the spotless Lamb of God. As the eternal God, the second Person of the Trinity, He became the God/Man, the innocent, perfect Second Adam. He lived a spotless life well into manhood. He resisted Satan’s greatest temptations without yielding. He alone was qualified as the perfect sacrifice for man’s sin.
b.         Christ’s sacrifice atones for an eternal duration.
1)         He entered the Holy of Holies ONCE to obtain our eternal redemption. Read v.12.
2)         Paul repeated this fact several times in this book.
a)         (Hebrews 7:27) “Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.“
b)         (Hebrews 9:25-26) “Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.“
c)         (Hebrews 9:27-28) “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.“
3.        Christ’s sacrifice purged thoroughly (v.14)
a.         Animal sacrifices
1)         They purified only the flesh (v.13). Sinners did get some outward relief when they offered animal sacrifices. God was pleased with their obedience. God was able to bless their obedience.
2)         These sacrifices did nothing for the troubled, guilty conscience. Read v.9.
3)         Animal sacrifices did not clean the conscience.
a)         It is important that we understand the conscience. Here are some attempts to define the conscience. It is the inward faculty of moral judgment. It evaluates one’s conduct in a moral sense. It is an inner prompting to shun bad and do good. It is an inward moral impression of one’s actions and principles.
b)         Perhaps we could say that our conscience is the inner part of us that ought to feel badly when we sin. I say, “ought” because ignoring it and continuing to sin will weaken the conscience’s sensitivity.
4)         Albert Barnes gives us this insight. “The offerings of the Jews related in the main to external purification, and were not adapted to give peace to a troubled conscience. They could render the worshipper externally pure so that he might draw near to God and not be excluded by any ceremonial pollution or defilement; but the mind, the heart, the conscience, they could not make pure.” Yet they could know the blessing of forgiveness. David wrote, (Psalms 32:1) “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.“
5)         Frustratingly, animal sacrifices required ongoing dead works. The sinner had to repeat regularly the rituals of the O.T. Law. Any religion that adds anything to faith in Christ ALONE for salvation is attempting to merit God’s salvation by doing dead works. Such religious people have not had their consciences purged. They are not saved.
b.         Christ’s sacrifice
1)         It purifies the conscience, not just the flesh (v.14). The blood of Christ did not just cover our sin, it fully atoned for our sins (Rom 5:11), fully propitiated our sins (1Jn 2:2), and took away our sins (Joh 1:29). (Acts 3:19) “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;” This enables Christ to purge our consciences (Rom 8:33). That is a wonderful privilege not enjoyed by the Old Testament saints.
2)         KJBC states, “If God accepted the former ritual as a purifying of the flesh, how much more will God be satisfied by the sacrifice of His Son! He accepts it so completely that it inwardly regenerates the individual and purifies his conscience.” p.1695
3)         Having a cleansed conscience enables us to serve the living God, not in outward form, but in sincerity and in truth. He then promises us that we can maintain a pure conscience if we will practice 1 John 1:9. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.“
Conclusion: Jesus was born to die. That is an amazing truth and an even more amazing blessing. Because Christ died in our place, we can have clean hearts and purified consciences. We can now serve the Lord with pure motives of love, with no thought of meriting His favour. Ponder these truths and let them motivate your service for the Lord.
            If Christ has not yet purged your conscience, He wants to. He will this very evening if you repent and trust in His atonement.
Song: Jesus Paid It All 125 #3