November 11 Sermon: On Our Behalf

Consider these questions as we look at Hebrews 9:24-28 today:

1. Can you recall a specific moment in your life when someone stepped in to help or advocate for you in a significant way? How did that experience impact you, and did it leave a lasting impression?

2. How does the concept of blood sacrifice illustrate the seriousness of sin and the need for atonement? Why was it crucial for Jesus to offer his own blood as the ultimate sacrifice?

3. In light of the discussion about Jesus' role in atonement and the promise of his return, how does this knowledge shape your perspective on facing mortality and the prospect of judgment? How does it inspire hope and comfort in your faith?

Transcript:

Have you ever had someone step in for you? Maybe you have been in a situation where you things were not going your way and a friend stepped to be an advocate for you. Perhaps you were in a tough spot financially and a friend or family member helped you out of a tight bind either with financial help or by lending their name to help your cause. These are things that we do not forget and my guess is whether it was a situation on the playground where someone stepped in to defend you or whether it was someone who co-signed a loan to help you get a business started you remember that event and you are very grateful for what has been done for you.

‌It doesn’t take much to make a connection here to what our attitude is to be for the saving work of Jesus for us. Is there anything greater that has done our behalf than the saving work of Jesus to satisfy the wrath of God for our sins that we might receive his perfect righteousness in our place? Of course there isn’t.

‌That is the point that the author of Hebrews is making in our New Testament passage for today. It was a few weeks ago that we were in an earlier passage of the book of Hebrews and when we were there I pointed out the big point of the book of Hebrews. It is written to a group of Hebrew Christians who are tempted to return to the Jewish religion. Why bother with following Jesus if all it is going to get you is persecution. And following Jesus is hard. In the Jewish religion there were rituals that you could see and understand. Sacrifices that could be made and you knew that you were fulfilling your ritual duties. The author of Hebrews pushes back against this idea hard. He wants them to understand that while they have a natural desire to go back to what they know those things were not the real thing. They were pointing to what Jesus had done for them and they shouldn’t go back to the shadows when the could worship the real, actual Jesus.

‌As we arrive in Hebrews 9 there is a pretty weighty idea being talked about. The old covenant sacrifices for sins. Chapter nine is telling us that Jesus is far greater than the sacrifices that were offered under the old covenant. It even brings up the language that Moses used when he spoke of the institution of the covenant.

‌​If we are going to understand what this passage has to say about the work of Jesus we have to understand this concept. Blood is a really important part of how the covenants work in the Bible. In fact, Hebrews 9:22 tells us that without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.

‌​Why is this? Is this just some rule set up for ancient, savage rituals of sacrifice? Not at all. It is rooted in the idea of the holiness of God. If we understand that God is holy and just and that he is king of the universe then sin isn’t just an oopsy daisy. Instead, it is a big deal. In the beginning God said that the price for rebellion against him would be death. The idea that shedding of blood is needed to forgive sins is that something has died for that blood to be obtained. That blood of sacrifice was standing in on behalf of the people. That was what the sacrifices were about. They were showing that sin was serious but they also showed that God was merciful. He allowed a stand in. He stayed his hand of judgment at allowed for the blood of an animal to temporarily pay the price for sin.

‌We see this all the way back in the garden. After our first parents fell into sin they were naked and ashamed. They were deserving of God’s punishment for their sin but instead of ending his creation right then and there God had a substitute on their behalf.

‌‌God covered the shame of their sin with cloths made from an animal. Even all the way back in the garden an animals blood was shed for the covering of sin. All of this background stuff is really important because we can understand this. We can have it taught to us and we can grasp it as best we can and understand our sinfulness and need for God but this was like the operating system for the Hebrew people that this letter was written to. It is how they are wired deep down. It’s how they think and when you factor in all of the ritual laws that were connected to this it even affects how they eat and who they interact with. It is the system that directs them. Now they have come to faith in Jesus but the temptation is to go back to what they knew before.

‌To give it a little bit of a modern framework it’s a bit like when you get a new piece of technology. I don’t know how many times in helping people with their computers and phones I’ve heard the sentiment of “why does this have to change? The way I had it before worked just fine.” If you have thought that way or can empathize with that statement then you can kind of understand part of the temptation these people felt to leave their new found faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and return to the way things were before.

‌‌It is with all of this in mind that we can come to understand what is being said in verse 24. What is being said is that there were all these rituals and ceremonies and they were important but when they went into offering the sacrifice they were entering into a sanctuary that was made with human hands. It was not perfect. It was just a model of what God was showing them. The tabernacle was meant to be a representation of heaven and going into the presence of God. It was never intended to be the big deal. It was intended to be a model. At some point you may have been subject to a prank by someone who told you that they were going to give you a new car. You initially felt pretty good about this bit of news until they brought you a Hot Wheels or Matchbox car. Think of the original covenant in sort of the same way in proportion. The tabernacle and the temple were like the Matchbox car. It represented the car in pretty good levels of detail but the doors don’t open and it doesn’t even have an engine. If you have to choose between driving a nice new Silverado pickup or the corresponding toy car we all know which one you are going to pick. One is infinitely more valuable than the other and one of them doesn’t really do anything other than sit there and look nice.

‌That’s what the author of Hebrews is trying to get them see. The priests offered sacrifices, yes, but those were in a temple that was just a small representation of what was going to come in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The book of Hebrew’s is saying look. That was just the copy. Jesus entered the real deal. He went into the presence of God for us. To do what the whole thing was pointing to in the first place. To shed his blood on our behalf.

‌But there is something else significant in what Jesus did.

‌‌The sacrifices in the Old Testament had to be repeated over and over again. Why? What was it about the sacrifices offered by the priests that made it necessary to be repeated. The reason is found in six words in verse 25. Blood that is not his own. There were two problems with the blood offered by the priests. First, it was the blood of an animal. It was merely standing in for humanity. It was not what was actually required to pay the price for sin. Secondly the biggest problem of the whole thing was that the one who was going in and offering the sacrifice was someone who needed the sacrifice for himself too. We get the idea of a substitute for our sins. We often use illustrations of someone offering to take the punishment for an offense done by someone else. Well, in this case what we have is like someone saying they will serve a life sentence for someone else but they are already serving a life sentence for themselves. You get the point. The priest needed the blood offered in that sacrifice just as much as the people who were in the outer parts of the temple waiting for the priest to offer the sacrifice.

‌We see that Christ did not do that. Instead of suffering since the creation of the world he has instead appeared and one and for all done away with sin. How? By the sacrifice of himself. Jesus was without sin and so the wrath he bore for our sin was undeserved. He bore that punishment in our place. He was without sin in the very same flesh that you and I have. This is why in a few weeks we will make such a big deal about Christmas. The idea that Jesus was born is absolutely crucial to our understanding of the gospel. God took on flesh in the person of Jesus Christ because the price paid for our sin needed to be our very own flesh. The blood shed needed to be human blood. This is why Jesus appeared.

‌Hebrews makes this very clear. Jesus did not appear to be a guru who would show us the path to enlightenment. He was also not a teacher who was showing people how to achieve prosperity and have a really good life. He also was not showing us how to climb the ladder of good works to heaven. The message of scripture is clear on this and Hebrews makes it even clearer. It’s like a giant sign that you can read without your glasses but when you put on your glasses it all becomes clearer and the letters have defined edges. Jesus came to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. This is why we proclaim Christ and his crucified. It is the point of the whole thing. We hear this good news and we believe by faith trusting in the one who paid the price for our sin and entered not into a temple but into heaven itself to sit at the right hand of the Father to be our mediator between us and God the Father.

‌This is the gospel. That God has reconciled the world to himself through the blood of Jesus Christ. That is the foundation of the faith and it is that same faith that the book of Hebrews is telling those reading it to believe in and cling to. Don’t go after the things that are but the shadows, instead, trust in the real things and in what Jesus has done for you.

‌‌And the point is driven home to us that Jesus is the once and for all sacrifice for our sin. Just as we die once and then face judgment. Jesus was sacrificed once and for all. To take away our sins. The point that is being driven how to us is that Jesus suffered the same punishment that every human has to face. Death. But for he was victorious over it and so he will come again to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

‌This brings to us a very important fact that we do not often enough consider. We are going to die and face judgment. In an era where we have extended lifespans and push off sickness to hospitals and nursing homes we don’t face this like people have had to in the past. In eras past many churches had cemeteries near them and in some cases people had to walk past the tombstones of their deceased family members on their way to worship. That was a sobering reminder of the importance of the gospel message that they were going to hear inside the walls of that church. Despite medical advances these bodies of ours are giving out. In fact, you may have heard sounds indicating that fact when you got out of bed this morning. Our mortality is the bad news that we need to hear. It reminds us that death is the judgment of God against sin but that bad news is overwhelmed by the good news of the gospel. That despite my sin and unbelief God has come to us in Christ and was sacrificed to take away sin. When we are in him we need not fear that he is coming a second time. Instead we are told to eagerly wait for him. Trusting that he brings us salvation.

‌As we think about what this means for us today I believe there is so much hope for us to cling to in that last statement. Jesus is not coming a second time to bear the wrath against our sin but instead to bring salvation. We look to the coming of Jesus not in fear that we shall be punished for our sin. That has been taken care of but instead we trust and hope in the sure and certain promise that he has saved us from our sin. We need not fear.

‌There is a short section of the Belgic Confession on the Last Judgment that applies this thought about Christ’s return. Therefore, with good reason the thought of this judgment is horrible and dreadful to wicked and evil people. But it is very pleasant and a great comfort to the righteous and elect, since their total redemption will soon be accomplished.

‌What beautiful words. Because Jesus stepped in and was an advocate on our behalf to pay the price for sin we look to the return of Christ as very pleasant and a great comfort. So we wait for him patiently. Knowing that he will come to judge the living and dead but we need not fear that judgment. We look for our Lord Jesus Christ that we may see the fullness of our redemption accomplished.