I was reading a story Mr. Spurgeon
told the other evening about two men that were invited to
a mutual friend's home for supper. And these two fellas considered
themselves to be intellectuals. And there was set before them
a roast beef with all the trimmings, potatoes, carrots, big bowl of
gravy, biscuits I'm sure. But instead of eating, one asked
the other, I wonder how this cow was fed, what it was raised
on, where it was kept up, how it was cared for. The other one
said, yeah, and I wonder how the roast was prepared, and on
and on it went. And then a worker, the foreman
on this man's estate came in and he sat down And he filled
his plate up and just began to eat without asking one single
question. He just enjoyed the meal. I hope
God will enable us to do that today. Peter, in his first epistle,
wrote these words. As newborn babes desire the sincere
milk of the word that you may grow thereby, if so be ye have
tasted that the Lord is gracious. And any sinner Any sinner, God
is pleased to taste the riches. All the riches, the delicious
riches of His free grace in Christ, they'll want to taste it again
and again and again. Give me Christ. Don't need anything
else. Christ is all. I'm complete in
Him. Outside of Him, there's nothing
but emptiness and darkness. Oh, but in Him, That one who
was full of grace and truth, I have tasted of his grace. In Mark's gospel, we'll come
back here to Hebrews chapter 9 in just a moment, but in Mark's
gospel on one occasion, there was this leper, this outcast,
this one that had been pronounced unclean by God's own law. He came to Jesus. We read there
that a leper came to him, came to the right source, didn't he?
And beseeching him and kneeling down to him and saying unto him,
if you will, if you will. It's all up to his will, isn't
it? We hear everywhere today about man's will, but it's not
of him that willeth. That's not what brings salvation.
No, a man can't be saved against his will. But God Almighty must
make him willing in the day of his power or he never will be
willing. This man came to Christ and he said, if you will, it's
all up to you. It's all up to you. You can. You can make me clean. And I
love this picture. Our Lord said, in him that cometh
unto me, I will no wise cast out. Come unto me, all ye that
labor and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. He reaches out
and touches that leper. We read that Jesus moved with
compassion, put forth his hand, and as he did so, touching him,
said, I will be thou clean. And that quick. As the words
were being spoken, that quick, The leprosy immediately departed
from him and he was cleansed. Do you remember what the Lord
told him? Now you go. Don't tell anybody about what's
happened to you yet. But you go to the priest and
you offer for your cleansing what God, by Moses, commanded
to be offered. Now you can find what that offering
was in Leviticus chapter 14, but briefly, It consisted in
a sacrifice of two birds. The cleansed leper was instructed
to take two birds and the priest would hold one bird over a basin
and kill it and catch the blood of that sacrificed bird in a
basin. But the other bird was given
back to the cleansed leper and he was instructed to take it
out into an open field and after it had been dipped in the blood
of the sacrificed bird and it was let go. Let go. Can you picture
that? Can you picture that? That's
a picture of our redemption. That's a picture of Jesus Christ
who we read in verse 12 here in Hebrews 9 That's a picture
of him obtaining eternal redemption for us. You had the same type
in the two goats that were sacrificed on the Day of Atonement. One
was sacrificed, but the other called the scapegoat after the
priest symbolically transferred all the sins of Israel on the
head of that scapegoat, took it out into the wilderness, and
it was let go, never to be seen again. The slain goat and the
bird are both pictures, shadows of Christ our Redeemer. The freed
bird and the scapegoat are a picture of what redemption accomplished. If one takes place, if one is
sacrificed, the other, the other must go free. Freedom of the
one must follow the death of the other. Our Lord Jesus said
that night, When that mob led by Judas came in the garden to
take him, if it's me you seek, if it's me you seek, like the
bird turned loose in the field, like the scapegoat in the wilderness,
if it's me you seek, let these, let these, Like those freed animals,
let these go their way. They must go free. You can't
take me and my sheep too. Oh, what a beautiful picture
of substitution all those are. As Paul said in 2 Corinthians
5, God has made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that
we might be made the righteousness of God in him. If one takes place,
the other must take place. Now look here in Hebrews 9 again
in our text, verse 12. Verse 12. Neither by the blood
of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once
into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us by
His own blood. That's the title of my message.
We hear this glorious proclamation from God Himself, looking upon
the offering, the perfect offering of His Son, He says concerning
every sinner, whom the Lord Jesus Christ died for. Every sinner,
and there's a multitude. There's a multitude that John
saw before the throne singing unto him that loved us and washed
us from our sins in his own blood. If everyone that the Lord Jesus
ransomed, they must go free. And God says concerning every
sinner redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ, deliver
him. Deliver him from going down to
the pit. God says, I've found a ransom. I've found the ransom. The doctrine
of redemption by Jesus Christ is the very essence of the gospel.
The doctrine of redemption obtained as we read in our text is what
makes the gospel to be good news. what makes it the glorious message
of God's free grace. As great as the work of creation
was, when God spoke it all into existence, greater still is the
work of the redemption of God's people. The creation was the
work of God's fingers, the psalmist said. Redemption was the work
of his arm. His arm reached out and brought
salvation to himself. In the creation, God gave us
ourselves. But in redemption, he gave us
himself. Paul said, Jesus Christ loved
me and gave himself for me. Look at verse 11 again. Those
first few words, Paul turns away from the types and the shadows
and the pictures and he turns to that one that they all represented,
but Christ. But Christ being come, Oh, but
Christ. Now there's hope. Now there's
salvation. Now there's a mediator. Now there's
a redeemer. When Christ himself comes, the
fulfillment of all those types, Christ is our Passover, sacrificed
for us. Now Paul turns from the shadow
to the substance, from the picture to the person. Look, if you will,
in chapter 10 here in Hebrews. Chapter 10, verse 6. This is God the Son talking to
God the Father who sent Him into this world to save His people
from their sins. He says in verse 6, In burnt
offerings and sacrifice for sin there was had no pleasure. Then
said I, that is, our great and glorious High Priest, Then said
I, I come, I come, Then Christ came. I come in the volume of
the book it is written of me to do thy will, O God. He who said, I am the way, now
comes to make that way to God. Look at verse 22 here in Hebrews
9. And almost all things are by
the law purged with blood. And without shedding of blood
is no remission. All the offerings of all the
animal sacrifices never removed one sin. They were all symbolical. They were all types. Look what
Paul says in verse 4 of chapter 10. For it is not possible, it's
not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take
away sin. And that's the same verdict that
a holy God renders against all man's efforts at self-salvation. How many times have you been
told you endeavor, attempt to witness to someone, tell them
their need of Christ, their need of grace, and they say, oh, but
wait. They throw up that shield. Wait.
I'm a good man. I'm really not that bad. I've
always been a good father, husband, provider, so forth, and I'm sincere
in my religion. And after all, that's all that
really matters. It doesn't matter what you believe,
just as long as you're sincere in the belief of it. And this
is God's answer. This is God's response to such
talk as that. Without the shedding of blood
is no remission. And brothers and sisters in Christ,
ever remember, where there is no remission of sin, there can
never be any forgiveness of sin. There can never be peace with
God. These words would never be heard
by any sinner ever unless the remission of sins by our glorious
Redeemer, the great shepherd of the sheep, had taken place. Those words that our Lord spoke
on many occasions. In Luke 7, for example, when
he said to that woman, Thy sins are forgiven thee. Thy sins are
forgiven thee. All your sins, which are many,
are all forgiven thee. And that's not all he said, did
he? Go in peace. Go in peace. Literally, enter
into peace. the peace a redeemed sinner has
with God. The peace of knowing that all
my sins have been taken away by my glorious substitute, the
Lord Jesus Christ, knowing, oh, the sweet peace that this affords
the forgiven sinner, the knowing that Christ bore all of his sins
in his own body on the tree, and now they're gone." What did
the hymn writer say? Oh, the bliss of this glorious
thought. My sins, not a part, but the
whole, all my sins. This is what we remember today
in our observance of the Lord's Supper. We remember a victorious
Savior. We remember a successful Redeemer. Remember one who made an effort. We remember one who obtained. That's what the text says. He
obtained. He didn't take a stab at it.
Bless his name. He got the job done. And when
we eat the bread and we drink the wine, we remember our accomplished
redemption. He obtained it for all of his
people. Therefore, he says to every forgiven
sinner, go in peace. Go in peace. Enter into peace. God must. That's why I said there
can be no forgiveness of sins without the remission of sins.
God must justifiably justify. What I mean by that is God must,
without any infraction on his perfect holiness. When he forgives
a sinner, he must do it without any setting aside or nullifying
of his holy law and character. He must justify a sinner, but
he must be just in doing so. Turn, if you will, to Romans
chapter 3. You know this passage very well. Romans chapter 3.
This is exactly what Paul was saying here. Romans 3 verse 24. We read these words, being justified
freely. Oh, I like that. I just like
that. Simon, that's whose house he
was in when he spoke those glorious words of that lady. Thy sins
are forgiven, thee go in peace. As Simon, that self-righteous
Pharisee, looked down his nose because he justified himself. like the public and our Lord,
or rather, the Pharisee our Lord talked about in Luke 18. Oh, but for a sinner justified
freely, being justified freely, oh, I've got nothing to pay.
That's what our Lord said to Simon. Simon, there's two debtors. They each owe a debt. They each
owe a debt to God Almighty, and they've got nothing with which
to pay it. Oh, to that sinner, He's glad
to hear he's justified freely without any cause in him or caused
from him. Justified freely by his grace
through the redemption. Oh, that's how this justification
comes. On the basis of satisfied justice. Mercy that comes to us always
comes on the wings of satisfied justice through the redemption
that is in Christ Jesus. That's what God said when he
said, deliver his soul from going down to the pit. Deliver that
sinner because I found the ransom. Verse 25, whom God has set forth
to be a propitiation through faith in his blood. to declare
his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past through
the forbearance of God, to declare, I say at this time, his righteousness,
that he might be just, absolutely just, in justifying a sinner,
and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Then, then, if that be the case,
there must have been no other way for a sinner to approach
God except through the mediation of the Lord Jesus Christ. There
must not have been any other way. There have been books written,
which I personally think are a waste of paper and time, considering
the question, could God Almighty have saved a sinner without the
death of his son? If God had willed to do so, could
he save a sinner? Could he forgive a sinner apart
from the death of his son? And of course, the answer is
absolutely not. We read it a moment ago. Without
the shedding of blood, there's no remission. God declares that
he will only forgive sin on the grounds of justice satisfied. Remember what he told Moses that
night when he said, before I bring you out of Egypt, I'm going to
pass through. There's one more plague. And
I'm going to pass through at midnight. And every house upon
which I don't see the blood of that sacrificed lamb, every house
that doesn't have that applied upon the door, I'm going to strike
it with death. Every one. The only difference
that's going to be between those who die and those who are spared
are those upon whose house I see the blood, only the blood, and
the blood alone. I tell you, in our religious
day, they may have put crosses on the door, or pictures of angels
on the door, or religious slogans like, smile, God loves you, and
you know what the result will have been? God would have visited
that house with death. The only place where death didn't
strike is where it had already struck. The Passover land. Death had already visited there.
Death had already gone there. God had already in the type of
that lamb, saw the picture of his dear son, and for that reason
he says, I'm going to pass away. That's the ransom I found. Your
soul will be delivered from going down to the pit. This is what
Paul says in Romans chapter 8. Romans 8, another familiar verse
of Scripture. But in verse 33, after Paul talks
about all those blessed ways that God Almighty has been for
us, how that he has worked all things together and is working
all things together for our good. He who has foreknown, has foreloved
us and predestinated us to be conformed to the image of his
dear son. Paul says, he that spared not
his own son, but delivered him up for us all. Verse 33, who
shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? Who dares do
so? It is God that justifies. God says not guilty. This verdict
has already been rendered in the court of heaven and God Almighty
says they're justified. Who is he that condemneth? And
here's those grounds on which God justifies a sinner. The reason
they're not condemned. Who is he that condemneth? It
is Christ that died. that is risen again, and his
resurrection is proof that God was satisfied with his offering
when he raised him from the dead, who is even at the right hand
of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Under the old covenant,
as we read, the priest stands before the altar day after day,
offering sacrifices that can never take away sin, But our
high priest, the Lord Jesus Christ, offered himself to God as the
one sacrifice for sin, good for all time, never to be repeated. Then he sat down at the place
of highest honor at God's right hand. The high priest offered
often. The victims died, the altars
blazed, the incense burned from year to year, from day to day.
Jesus presents himself to God One time. He died one time. He gives his life for his sheep
one time. His blood is shed one time. And by that one offering, he
has perfected forever those that were set apart, sanctified by
God the Father in eternal election. His people's sins are forever
washed away. He redeems his people, he saves
his people, and his one surrendering of himself as the atoning lamb
forever quenched all wrath, forever took away all curse, forever
satisfied all the claims God had upon him, forever saved the
family of faith, forever opened heaven, forever vanquished hell,
and to add anything to the perfection of the death of the Lord Jesus
Christ is utterly impossible, and it's an insult to God Almighty. Isaiah 44, verse 23, sing, O
heavens, for the Lord has done this wondrous thing, this wondrous
thing. Shout for joy, O depths of the
earth. Break into song, O mountains, and forest and every tree. Why?
For the Lord has redeemed Jacob. and is glorified in Israel. One writer put it this way, not
all the blood of beast on Jewish altar slain could give the guilty
conscience peace or wash away the stain. Oh, but Christ, oh,
but Christ, the heavenly lamb takes all our sins away, a sacrifice
of nobler name and richer blood than they. Our text says that
Christ entered in once. Unlike the service of the earthly
priest who was only a type, the high priest in the tabernacle,
whose service continued year after year, Christ's work was
done once. You know why? Because once was
enough. Once got the job done. Listen,
he said so himself. He said so himself, knowing that
all things were accomplished, we read in John's Gospel. When
he hung up on the cross, we read concerning him, the Lord Jesus,
knowing that all things were accomplished that were written
of him. He said, give me a drink. One of the prophecies must be
accomplished. And after he took that drink,
he cried, it is finished. The earthly priest never said
that. Never said that. His work was
never finished, but Christ, when he had, by himself. Oh, glorious Redeemer. All-merciful
High Priest, Almighty God and Savior, when He had by Himself
purged our sins, what did He do? He sat down. He sat down
at the right hand of the Majesty on High. And God said to Him,
said, Hear my son, until all your enemies bow before you,
I make them your footstool. I remember years ago listening
to Brother Henry on his television broadcast. And he was telling the story
about a young man he came to know afterwards, but this man
told Henry the story after they got acquainted, that in studying
the Old Testament scriptures, he concluded he must have a lamb
to present before God. He told his wife, we've got to
get a lamb. He said, everywhere I read, you've
got to have a lamb. So he was determined to get one.
And with that thought in his mind, he turned on the TV one
morning, and there was this guy from Ashland, Kentucky preaching,
and this was his text. Behold the Lamb of God that takes
away the sin of the world. And God Almighty opened his eyes,
opened that young man's eyes to behold Jesus Christ, the Lamb
of God. Oh, look what the Lord Jesus
Christ, God's Lamb accomplished with his own blood. When he gave his life a ransom
for many and he cried as we said a moment ago, it is finished. Now according to that blasphemous
doctrine of the Catholic Church, the offering of Christ upon Calvary
was not enough. It's not enough. That's what
they say in their mass. They're saying that the death
of Christ was not enough. The atonement wasn't finished,
that it wasn't put away. Sin, rather, wasn't put away.
That's why it must be performed every day, many times a day,
in their churches by the so-called priest. They call it a mass.
I call it a mess. A mess. It's not a mass. It's
a mess. A mess of abomination. A mess
from hell's own concocting. Jesus Christ said, it's finished. The prophet Isaiah. saw that
one, that one that God made to be seen. Isaiah 53, someone called
Isaiah the fifth gospel. Such a clear, clear view of the
suffering Savior. But in Isaiah 53, that's not
the only picture that Isaiah presents. Surely he has borne
our griefs. Surely he's carried our sorrows.
Yes, surely the chastisement of our peace was upon him. That's
all true. Yes, God bruised his son. That's all true. But it doesn't
stop there. Surely, surely, Isaiah went on
to say, he shall see the travail of all of his sufferings. of
all that he endured, and he'll be satisfied. That's what Jesus
Christ himself said, not too many days before he laid down
his life for his people. He said, except the corn of wheat
fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone. But if it die,
it bringeth forth much, much fruit. Isaiah said, by his knowledge
shall my righteous servant justify many, because he shall bear their
iniquities. Again, our text doesn't say he
attempted eternal redemption. It says he obtained eternal redemption. and all for whom he did will
be called by his grace and brought to heaven to be with him. John,
in Revelation 14, said a lamb stood upon Mount Zion. The lamb, God's lamb, but he's
not alone. And John said, with him, that
144,000 representing all God's elect, all those of whom Christ
said are in my hands and none shall ever perish, they'll all
be brought to glory. And all for whom He died will
be called by His grace to the obtaining of the glory. That's in Christ Jesus. That's
what all these types that Paul talks about in Hebrews means.
Otherwise, they're useless. Otherwise, they have no meaning
whatsoever. If they don't find their fulfillment
in the Lord Jesus Christ, they're meaningless. They're meaningless.
Oh, but Christ taketh away the first, that he may establish
the second, that he may be the firstborn among many Brethren,
the fruit of that perfect sacrifice when he offered himself without
spot to God is this. Christ, Paul tells us in Galatians
3, Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law. Let that
bird go free. That bird whose wings was dipped
into the basin that caught the blood of that sacrificed bird,
he must go free. If it's me you seek, take me,
but these must go their way. Free from the law, oh happy condition. Paul tells us again in Ephesians
1, concerning the Lord Jesus Christ, in whom we have redemption
through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. In chapter 2, ye who
once were far off are made nigh by the blood of Jesus Christ,
by that eternal redemption and everlasting salvation. And the
blood of Jesus Christ, John said, cleanseth us from all sin. Under the blood of Jesus, safe
in the shepherd's fold. Under the blood of Jesus, safe
while the ages roll. Safe though the world may crumble. Safe though the stars grow dim.
Under the blood of Jesus, we are secure in Him. The Lord Jesus
Christ completely did the work of our redemption. He does not
redeem us from some of our sins and leave us to deal with the
rest. Oh no, Christ makes a complete and perfect work of it. He redeems
us from all iniquities. Blessed is that man to whom the
Lord will not impute sin. He delivers us from the hands
of all our enemies. He paid all our debts. He delivers
us from all wrath. He takes off the whole curse.
He saves us to the very uttermost and will settle us in that state
of full and perfect bliss when grace shall be turned to glory. That's our glorious Redeemer.
By His own blood, our text says, He entered in one time, once
into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. Let me close by quoting a few
verses of an old hymn. Then at the time ordained by
God, the Lamb poured out his blood for all the world of his
elect and paid the debt we owe. Dear Lamb of God, your precious
blood has ransomed me from death, and I will praise you for that
blood as long as I have breath. Though Satan rage against my
soul, though I am full of sin, I trust Christ's sin-atoning
blood. He gives me peace within. Nothing else can. That blood
is my security. Christ must be satisfied. Not
one can ever be condemned for whom the lamb has died. Amen. Amen. God bless you.