11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation;
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.
13 For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh,
14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
15 For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.
16 For where a covenant is, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it.
17 For a covenant is valid only when men are dead, for it is never in force while the one who made it lives.
18 Therefore even the first covenant was not inaugurated without blood.
19 For when every commandment had been spoken by Moses to all the people according to the Law, he took the blood of the calves and the goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people,
20 saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which God commanded you.”
21 And in the same way he sprinkled both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry with the blood.
22 And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
23 Therefore it was necessary for the copies of the things in the heavens to be cleansed with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
24 For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us;
25 nor was it that He would offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the holy place year by year with blood that is not his own.
26 Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.
27 And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment,
28 so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.
“But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come,” that is the New Covenant priesthood, “He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation”. Rather, Jesus entered into the heavens, the throne room of God and made the eternal offering in the true Holy of Holies. And He entered “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.” Jesus as the great high priest went into the very presence of God and offered up the perfect sacrifice that is able to take away the sins of men, that is His own blood. The blood of goats and calves could not do what had to be done. Therefore God designed for His Son to pay the death penalty for His chosen people. And so Christ sacrificed Himself before the Father.
“For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” In the Old Covenant the offering were made for the people’s sins and it cleansed their flesh, that is to say that it worked as a remover of sins before God as He looked on them in light of what Christ would do for them. However, year after year they would have to offer these sacrifices to God to be cleansed and the constant sacrifices served as reminders of their sin. So even if their flesh was cleansed, they were left with guilty consciences. Thus, moving from the lesser to greater, Christ’s sacrifice is far superior because it insures eternal peace with God, because one sacrifice has secured it. There is therefore no longer a reminder of sins, but a free and gracious conscience before God. Thus, we can serve Him in joy and hope and not in fear.
“For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. For where a covenant is, there must be the death of one who made it. For a covenant is valid only when men are dead, for it is never in force while the one who made it lives. Therefore even the first covenant was not inaugurated without blood. For when every commandment had been spoken by Moses to all the people according to the Law, he took the blood of the calves and the goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, saying, ‘This is the blood of the covenant which God commanded you.’” For a covenant to be set in action there has to be a dying. We see in the Abrahamic covenant a dying of animals and the death of the party if it is broken. The Mosaic covenant was enacted by the blood of animals. Therefore, Christ had to die for this New Covenant to be instituted and not only do the New Covenant members enjoy its inheritance, but all of the Old Covenant members who trusted in its promise. “And in the same way [Moses] sprinkled both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry with blood. And according to the Law, almost all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”
“Therefore it was necessary for the copies of the things in the heavens to be cleansed with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.” This does not mean that the heavenly place was at all defiled, for God cannot dwell in a defiled place. Rather, this is making reference to the New Covenant people’s need of a sacrifice in order to enter the holy place of God. Until the blood was sprinkled on the holy place the sins could not be forgiven. “For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; nor was it that He would offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the holy place year by year with blood that is not his own. Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.” Thus, the New Covenant priesthood and sacrifice is much better, because in one act it does what the Old Covenant could never do. It has been away sins for an eternity – all of those from the past, every sin in our present, and including all sins to come in the future. Christ now acts as our high priest in heaven as a mediator and no longer as a sacrifice.
“And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.” And here is the great hope of the New Covenant, a longing and eager waiting on Christ return, who will not come to deal with sin for who trust in Him because that sin has already dealt with. Thus, though a judgment awaits us, it is not one to be feared or to be anxious over – but joyful over.
No comments:
Post a Comment