Now, realize we're breaking in,
so if it doesn't make good sense, hard to do that, maybe we can
bring it all together during the course of our study. But
in verse 25, having, or rather making a comparison between all
things mosaic and all things Christian, or all things Old
Testament and all things new, or law and gospel, old covenant,
new covenant. Verse 25, nor yet that he should
offer himself often as the high priest entered into the holy
place every year with the blood of others. For then must he have
suffered since the foundation of the world. But now, once in
the end of the world, or literally age, hath he appeared to put
away sin by the sacrifice of himself. as it is appointed unto
man once to die, but after that the judgment. So Christ was once
offered to bear the sin of many, and unto them that look for him
shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. Now, if we might just fly through
those verses again and notice something. Verse 25, not that
he should offer himself often. Verse 26, for then must he have
suffered since the foundation of the world, but now once in
the end of the world. In verse 27, it is appointed
unto man once to die, and then in verse 28, so Christ was once
offered to bear the sin of many. Therein is our text and our subject. the morning. We find in the book
of Hebrews that there are several contrasts between the old and
the new, and between the Levitical priesthood and the priesthood
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and designed to prove
that the latter is is much more excellent than the former. That
in Christ we have a much more excellent priest who officiates
a much better economy with much better promises and so forth
than they did in the Old Testament. Hebrews 1 and verse 4. And concerning the priesthood
of Christ as it is compared to that of the Levite. We read this
in Hebrews chapter 8 and verse 6. He hath obtained a more excellent
ministry by how much more he is the mediator of a better covenant
which was established upon better promises, unquote. And in the
unfolding of the Hebrew epistle, such contrasts are made as these. Aaron, a Levitical priest, was
after the order of man. Christ is a Melchizedekian priest
and is after the order of Melchizedek. And that means that he has an
intransmissible priesthood. He didn't get it from another.
It will not pass unto another. Aaron was a sinner. whose priestly ministry was ended
and limited by his depravity and death. And Christ has a sinless,
endless life, and that forever as our high priest. Aaron offered
the blood of beasts, and our Lord Jesus Christ offered his
very own blood. Aaron served in a worldly tabernacle
hand-made by men, Christ in the heavenly tabernacle and in the
very presence of God himself, sitting down at the right hand
of the Father. And these are two great contrasts
that are made for us between them. In verse 24 and verse 25
of our text that Christ set apart from the Levitical priesthood
that he is more excellent, that it is ever enduring, and that
it is able to bring the worshipers actually unto God. Now, in verse
24, Christ, our great high priest, is not entered into the sanctuary
made with hand. He's not in that one. He doesn't
serve. He didn't offer. He didn't enter
into that one made by the labor of men. An earthly tabernacle
of earthly material. But he is entered, and that as
our great high priest, into heaven itself, what's more, in the very
presence of God. And if you notice there, verse
24 says that the earthly things were figures or types of those
that are of the truth. Now on atonement day in Israel,
The high priest would enter into the holy place with the blood
of a beast that he had slain at the altar into the typical
presence of God where the cherubims were in the holy of holy with
the blood of the sacrifice that he had made at the altar. And there he would sprinkle that
blood on the mercy seat between the two cherubim in the holy
place, in the typical presence of God. And he would make an
atonement in behalf and in the name of the people and then would
come out and raise his hand and bless them. So the contrast in
verse 24 is this, Christ is not entered into the earthly sanctuary,
but is entered into heaven itself as our great high priest. Now the other contrast in verse
25, and again there is this great difference between the sacrifice
of Aaron and the sacrifice of the Lord. In that, not only did
he not enter into, and earthly sanctuary, neither did he offer
himself again and again and again, as was done in the Old Testament. And there's a great difference
here that needs to be reconciled in the mind of the first century
Jew when the Lord came and the gospel began to be preached. for the priest offered a new
sacrifice at regular intervals. Every year at the same appointed
time, he would repeat that, put on his priestly garment, slay
a beast, offer one for himself, then one for the people. Every year, he would enter again
into the holy place with newly shed blood of a different beast. Every year. at the same time,
and though this was by the appointment of God Almighty. And yet we have been told in
verse 24 that these things were typical. They were pictures typical
of something better that was to come. In other words, Christ
made no repetition of his sacrifice. It was not necessary that our
Lord take our sin upon him, go and die again another horrible
death. for the reason that we will consider
shortly in our subject today. First, let's acknowledge something
that is given strong emphasis in the Hebrew epistle, and that
is the repetitive nature of the Levitical sacrifices. Every year
of atonement, daily, there were sacrifices that were made, and
then in between, as the people brought sacrifices for their
sin. So there were many, yet Christ
made one single sacrifice that has done what all the thousands
of animal blood, nor the thousands of gallons and barrels of animal
blood could not do. Now, of the sacrifices of the
Jewish priests, we read, scanning in this section of Hebrews, the
Jewish priests, Hebrews chapter 9 and verse 7, every year. Then in chapter 9 and verse 25,
every year And often in chapter 10. And
verse 1, year by year, they repeated that sacrifice. Chapter 10 and
verse 3, every year again, Aaron was at it, making a new atonement,
shedding new blood, and carrying it in. Now these expressions
refer to cycles of time and the repetitiveness of the Old Testament
sacrifice. To make a space of time. And that space was, every single
year, it was done over and over, as if it never had been done
before. On the other hand, let's look
at the sacrifice of Christ by the same verses in the book of
Hebrews. Hebrews 7 and 27, once, once,
and only once. Hebrews 9 and 12, once, 9 and 26, once. 9 and 28, once
our Lord died. Hebrews 10 and 10, once. Hebrews 10 and 12, one sacrifice
for sin forever, our Lord did make. Oh, by the way, the one
death of Christ that he died once sufficiently is also emphasized
in the other epistles of the scripture. We'll be in this one
next week, God willing. 1 Peter chapter 3 and verse 18. Christ also had once suffered
for sin. Romans 6 and verse 10, Paul said,
in that he died, he died unto sin once, once and no more. Now in verse 25 of our text here
this morning, he did not, he need not, offer himself often
or again, not even a second time, as if to say, neither was it
necessary that he offer himself often as the high priest did
every year. Verse 26, had that been the case,
that is, that his sacrifice had been suffered every year, When
first sin entered the world, he might have died. From the
beginning, when man was alienated from God, he did not come and
die at that time. And when the sacrifices for sin
were needed as early as man did fall, it is to be that the sacrifice
of Christ was made in the appropriate time, the fullness of time, when
it was made, so that many had lived and sinned and died before
our Lord ever died. Now, if that were true, then
he should offer himself often, again and again, over and over,
at proper intervals and time. But the Jews were used to that
repetition. But Christ would die but one
time. But the Jews were used to that
repetition over and over. At proper time and proper intervals,
they knew that the high priest would make that yearly atonement. But as a person does not experience
a second birth, neither does the Lord need to die a second
time. He does not need to die again
because of the sufficiency and the efficacy of the atonement
that he has made. And though the high priest came
out of the earthly tabernacle at a set time next year, there
he was again making another offering. But Christ offered himself once
on the cross. lay in the grave, resurrected,
ascended, and is gone into heaven itself, and will come again,
according to verse 28 of our text, a second time, but not
to be an offering for sin. He'll come the second time, but
not to be a sacrifice for sin. And catch these, if we can, that
Christ has died once speaks of the efficacy of his sacrifice,
that it is everlastingly sufficient is how we might describe it.
No more needed, never again. No repeat, no repetition. Nothing
will necessitate that our Lord die again. So that he died once
speaks of the efficacy of it. On the other hand, that the repetition
of the Jewish sacrifices were made is proof of their inability
to remove sin. This we read in Hebrews chapter
10, 1 through 4. Flip your eyes there and let's
read. For the law having a shadow of
good things to come, not the very thing or very image of the
thing, can never, with those sacrifices which they offered
year by year, continually make the comers there unto perfect. For then, would they not have
ceased to be offered? If they perfected, then they're
not needed to be repeated, because that the worshippers once purged
should have had no more conscience for sin. But in those sacrifices,
there is a remembrance again made of sin every year for It
is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats should take
away sin. Now, note, they could not perfect
the worshipers. They could not purge depravity,
and guilt out of the conscience. So let us see the connection
between verses two and three, that such offering would have
ceased if they were about perfection. They would have had no more conscience
for sin, but then there was a remembrance made of sin every year by their
repetition. Now the reason being, In verse
4, it is not possible and was never possible that the blood
of bulls and of goats should take away sin. Now, let's go
back to Hebrews 9 and verse 26. If Christ must suffer often,
then would it not stand that it ought to commence from the
beginning of history? But instead, he appeared in the
end of the ages. died one time, which put away
sin by the offering of himself as the perfect and perpetual
sacrifice. Thus we know, when he appeared,
which was in the end of the world, John Owens put it, not then but
now, not often but once, Not from the foundation of the world,
but in the end of it." Unquote. Our Lord came and he died. Now as men count time, it was
long delayed. Not before the flood and the
earth was full of violence. Not when Israel mourned under
their bondages in the land of captivity. not in the time of
Abraham or Moses or David or the prophet, but what is written
refers to the end of the world, what Paul calls in Galatians
4 and verse 4, the fullness of time. When the fullness of time
was come, God sent forth his son made of a woman. Now almost all expositors, sound
expositors that you will read, can agree that the words could
and perhaps should be translated in the end or the consummation
of the ages, or in the consummation. This is expressed in several
ways in the holy oracles of God, as for example, Hebrews chapter
1 and verse 2 has in these last days spoken unto us in his son,
the last age of the world. Again, Paul makes a contrast.
In 1 Corinthians chapter 10 and 11, when he wrote of many examples
of foreign time, he said this, now these things happen unto
them for examples, or as it is in the margin as types, and they
are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world
is come. My Marshall's interlinear has
it, to whom the end of the ages have arrived. 1 John 2.18, little
children, it is the last time. Some translate that the last
hour. And the appearance of Antichrist
signal that it is the last time. Historians will tell us that
this is an allusion to the Jewish custom of old. Speaking, they
spoke of the age or the time before the law, during the law,
and after the law. That's how they divided up time. and that the age or time of Messiah
was considered the end time or the last time or the consummation
of the age. And John Owen made the point
that the dispensation of the gospel, quote, has come under
that head and consistency in Christ, wherein no alteration
should ever be made." Unquote. Never again. Meaning that there
shall be no change made again in the dispensation and the dealing
of the world of mankind by God Almighty concerning Christ. Then in the end of verse 26 of
Hebrews chapter 9, the reason for the appearing of Messiah
in the consummation of the ages is declared, to put away sin. Once, in the consummation of
the ages, Hathae appeared to put away sin, and the mighty,
mysterious incarnation was in regard that Christ might come
into the world. that he might deal with sin and
give it a deadly blow. He did not come to observe it
or to see how they were doing. He did not come necessarily to
socially fight it. He didn't come necessarily to
study it. But as the inspired author tells
us, he came to put away sin. In what way does he use the word
sin here? For it is not plural but singular,
not sins but sin. He means the condemning power
of sin, freeing his people from its power, its guilt, and its
condemnation. that he made a satisfaction and
that sin be not imputed unto those for whom Christ had died
as their sacrifice. In this sense, he put it away. He condemned sin in the flesh. Romans chapter 8 and verse 3. He condemned sin in the flesh. He became incarnate. that he
by dying might destroy the one having the power of death, and
that is the devil. He abolished death. 1 Timothy chapter 1 and verse
10. How so? We are often at funerals,
and yet here Paul said that the Lord has abolished death. Do any ask, how has Christ put
away death and put away sin, when there is more death and
more sin than ever? And the answer is, he has not
put a stop. to people dying or sinning, nor
has He yet banished sin and death from the universe. But He has
taken away the power of sin to condemn those that He died for,
that the Father has given unto Him. We know that sin has laid
a double hurt upon humanity, the family of Adam. A, it lays
us open to guilt and condemnation. It makes us liable to death and
the wrath of God if we were outside of Christ. And except for the
intervention of Christ, that he might come and die had put
us in danger of hell and everlasting destruction. Sin is a tyrant,
able, as Paul said, to use the holy law of God to slay us and
to put us to death. But be, not only that, but sin
rules in us. It leads us captive It becomes
our cruel master in our natural estate. It exercises a dominion
over us so long as we are in the flesh, or as Paul said, under
the law. And the Puritans said, Christ
appeared to abrogate this law of sin, to deprive it of its
whole power, unquote, to take away. from it its power. And this he did in regard to
two things just mentioned. A, he took away its condemning
power so that it has no claim against us to condemn us. Who can condemn those that Christ
died for? Paul exuberates in Romans chapter
8. But secondly, by means of the
atonement, we no longer are the slaves of sin. And the conscience
is purged of that former guilt and there is that measure of
sanctification that is being carried on in us in the regenerate
ones who are yet living in the world. And this raises the question
then, How has the Lord Jesus put away sin? Let's visit it further. What means, rather, has he used
to accomplish this marvelous feat that sin is put away? By what means is sin stripped
of its power to condemn us, to rule us, and such like? Answer. by the sacrifice of himself. He put away sin by offering himself
without spot to God. Hebrews 9 and verse 14, which
also states that Christ offered himself through the eternal spirit. through all three of the Godhead
involved in that great transaction. You remember Hebrews, rather,
Ephesians chapter 5 and verse 2, it states that Christ has
given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a
sweet-smelling savor. The death of Christ was unto
God a sweet-smelling savor. And please note that Paul uses
the two words offering and sacrifice in Ephesians 5 and verse 2. It expresses the idea of a full
and complete sacrifice for atonement, one that is made to expiate sin. He did not die as an example
or a mortar. He died bearing the sin of his
people. And to whom was the sacrifice
made or given? And who received the death and
sacrifice of our Lord? The answer is clear. Christ gave
himself to God. He put himself, presented himself
to God. His blood was shed, the suffering
and the agony in his body, and his death on the cross was made
as a presentation to a just and holy, righteous God who would
not receive us until our sin were perpetuated. God required
and Christ offered An absolutely perfect sacrifice for sin. Christ gave himself to God. In
Ephesians 5 and 2, Paul calls the offering of Christ, did you
get it? A sweet-smelling sabor. A sweet smell indeed in the nostrils
of God. Now of course, this I think is
an illusion to the Old Testament description of sacrifices being
the same. First mentioned in Genesis 8,
verse 20 and 21. You remember, Noah, after the
flood, came out upon the new earth. And there he built an
altar. And he offered, the scripture
said, burnt offerings and sacrifices of clean animals upon that altar
in verse 21. And watch this. Genesis 8, 21. And the Lord smelled a sweet
savor. those roasting animals upon that
altar that Noah had placed, God smelled a sweet savor, whereby
the Lord vowed to Noah and unto all, never again to curse the
earth by a great flood. Never again would he do that.
It was sweet and it was pleasing unto God. And yet, as some expositors
have noted, not just because of the burning carcasses on the
altar, but looking forward as it did typically to the great
sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. Noah's sacrifice was a type of
Christ's sacrifice unto God who gave himself an offering and
a sacrifice, a sweet-smelling savor unto God. Now the same
simile is used. many times in the book of Leviticus
1.9, and 13, and 17, and Leviticus 2.9, and 2.12, and again in chapter
3 and verse 5. In all of those you see that
the sacrifices that the priests made on the altar are described
as a sweet savor to God. Strictly speaking, I think you
can imagine this in your mind, the actual smell, the actual
smell of the burning sacrifices was not sweet and not pleasing
to the nostrils of men because on that sacrifice lay that beast,
the inwards. and the legs, the head, the fat,
and yet they were a sweet savor unto God because of what they
represented. Even so, the carnal man or the
religious moralist or the self-righteous Pharisee, to him the death of
Christ on the cross holds no particular attraction or beauty. Some see it as foolishness that
a man could die like that and save others, but to the regenerate,
to us that are saved. Ah, the death of Christ crucified
upon the cross is the power of God and is the wisdom of God
to them that can see. A sweet aroma is it when we think
of the cross and our Lord and his death. Now there's a matter
that might be also discussed in this play. The question since
Christ did not die at regular intervals, like the Old Testament
priests made a sacrifice, but died not at all until the last
ages or end or part of time and of the world. Watch verse 28. Even so, Christ was once offered
to bear the sins of many. He will die no more. Never again,
so long as the world stand, and sin abounds, yet Christ will
never die again. In verse 28, even though he appear
again after his death, yet it will not be in regard unto sin. Now, watch something here. I
bet you have taken this verse the wrong way or not seen it
in its context. It is appointed unto men once
to die. Now, look at that. It is appointed,
even as it is appointed unto men once to die. Now, that's
true. And you're going to say, well,
wait a minute. What about those resurrected? Well, no doubt Lazarus
died again, but that's the exception and not the rule. Paul declares
something here in regard to sin, and that is, it is appointed
unto man once to die. We don't have to die, but one. One time is a sufficient penalty
and punishment that God has imposed upon the human family. So Christ
was offered once. Now, doesn't that stand? It is
appointed unto man once to die, so Christ once died upon the
tree as a sacrifice. He died one time as the penalty
and the sacrifice for sin. Christ was once offered to bear
the sin of many, for he bore our sin in his own body on the
tree. Now, notice something. Those
that Christ bore their sin are denominated as many. Many. And you see that a lot
in the scripture. He bore the sin of many. Not everyone without exception,
but many. Christ bore the sin of many. Isaiah 53 and verse 12 said,
he bare the sin of many. And because of that, they are
justified. Matthew 20 and verse 28, the
Lord said, in the supper that night, even as the son of man
came to give his life a ransom for many. for many, for as many
as God gave Him. So we say, all that Christ died
for will be saved, for His death is the means to redeem them,
and Christ cannot die unsavingly. The death and blood of Christ
cannot miscarry in a single instant. It is that effective. And to
quote Hebrews 10, 14, by one offering. He has perfected forever
them that are sanctified. And Romans 6 and 9, Christ being
raised from the dead, dies no more, no more to die, nor can
sin condemn those that Christ has died for. So inseparably
entwined is the atonement and those that Christ loved and gave
himself for. One time and one only. It has eternal efficacy, the
death of our Lord. It looks in both directions from
the cross, but it has an eternal efficacy to save forever and
forever. No matter how long the world
continues and people are called and regenerate and believe, the
death of Christ and the blood of Christ is sufficient to atone
for their sin, to redeem them, to pay their ransom, and to save
them and sanctify them forever and forever. In this world, and
the world to come. One death is all that God required
of him, because one death is all God required of man as a
penalty for their sin.