The Perfect Sacrifice Given

Q: What does the Bible say about the sacrifice of Jesus?

The Bible teaches that Jesus' sacrifice is perfect and sufficient for atonement, as seen in Hebrews 10:11-14. The Bible emphasizes the uniqueness and sufficiency of Christ's sacrifice in contrasting it with the Old Testament sacrifices. In Hebrews 10:11-14, it states that unlike the many sacrifices made by priests which could never take away sins, Jesus offered Himself once for all. His sacrifice was perfected forever, representing complete atonement for all who are sanctified in Him. The ceremonial law was meant to be temporary, pointing towards Christ who is the ultimate and perfect High Priest who fulfills all righteousness by His death and resurrection.

Q: How do we know Christ's sacrifice is sufficient?

Christ's sacrifice is sufficient because it was offered once for all time, fully satisfying God's justice, as highlighted in Hebrews 10. Christ’s sacrifice is deemed sufficient based on its singular nature and the completeness of His work. Hebrews 10 tells us that Christ offered one sacrifice for sins forever, and afterward, He sat down at the right hand of God, signifying that the work was finished and that His offering made believers perfect and sanctified. The efficacy of His sacrifice is affirmed through both the prophetic shadow of the Old Testament sacrifices as well as the declaration of the New Testament that our sins are not just covered but entirely removed through His blood.

Q: Why is the concept of substitutionary atonement important for Christians?

Substitutionary atonement is crucial because it underscores Christ's role in bearing our sins, allowing us to be justified before God. The concept of substitutionary atonement is foundational in Reformed theology as it highlights how Christ took our sins upon Himself. This is vital for understanding God's grace and mercy, as seen in passages such as 2 Corinthians 5:21 which states that Christ became sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God. This doctrine assures believers that they are justified not through their own works but through the perfect righteousness of Christ, providing both security and peace in their salvation.

Q: What does Hebrews 10 teach about the permanence of Christ's sacrifice?

Hebrews 10 teaches that Christ's sacrifice is permanent and does not need to be repeated, unlike the Old Testament sacrifices. The book of Hebrews clarifies the permanence of Christ’s sacrifice through the contrast with the ancient sacrificial system. It argues that while the Old Testament priests made sacrifices repeatedly, Christ's one-time offering has perfected forever those who are sanctified. In Hebrews 10:12-14, the permanence of His sacrifice is emphasized by His sitting down at the right hand of God, a position of honor indicating that His redemptive work is complete and gives believers a standing of perfection before God.

Q: Why did God abolish the ceremonial law?

God abolished the ceremonial law because it was fulfilled in Christ, who is the perfect sacrifice for our sins. The ceremonial law served as a temporary measure, pointing to the ultimate sufficiency of Christ's sacrifice. Hebrews 10:1 indicates that the law was only a shadow of things to come and could not make one perfect. When Christ died and rose again, the need for the ceremonial system ended, as He accomplished what the law could not—perfecting those who are being sanctified. Colossians 2:14 affirms this by declaring that the handwriting of ordinances against us was blotted out and nailed to the cross, signifying a new covenant through which believers relate to God.

If you have your Bibles, turn back to Hebrews 10. I've titled this message, The Perfect Sacrifice Given. And he is the only sacrifice that God would ever take. We're going to look at the priesthood of the ancient times, and then we're going to look at the priesthood of our Lord Jesus Christ.

You know, though the ceremonial law given by Moses was a divine appointment and very excellent, and it was useful in its time and place, But it was a blessing, and it was a blessing to Israel, but it was meant by God to be only temporary. You know, unlike the moral law of God, which reflects God's unchanging character and holiness, it is eternal. But when Christ died on the cross and was buried and rose again, there was no longer a need for the ceremonial law, for Christ was the perfect sacrifice, and he is the one and only great high priest. And when it comes to the moral law of God, Christ fulfilled the law completely. For our Lord said in Matthew 5, 17, he said, thank not that I have come to destroy the law, but I have not come to destroy the law of the prophets, but I am come I am come to fulfill. You know, when it comes to the moral law, there's no way that any seed of Adam can keep the law because the law is perfect and it demands perfection.

Romans 3.23, it says, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. And God's word also says, by the deeds of the law, there shall no flesh be justified in his sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

You know, the word says that the law was our schoolmaster, and it was to bring us to Christ. There's only one thing needful, and that is to know Christ and to be found in him. We're going to look at the ceremonial law that was abolished when Christ died and rose again. God's word says in 2 Colossians verse 14, speaking of the ceremonial law, he says, blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to the cross.

If you will, let's turn to verse 11 of chapter 10. I want to read her text. It's verses 11 through 14. It says in verse 11, And every priest standeth daily, ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, he sat down on the right hand of God, from henceforth expecting till his amnes be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. You know, at the top of the page of my Bible, it says that the sacrifices of the law was far inferior than the perfect sacrifice of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Look at verse 11 again. It says that every priest Every priest, there were thousands of them. There were thousands of sacrifices. You know, it says that the Mosaic law is said to have lasted around 1,500 years. And a sacrifice had to be made every morning and evening, twice every day.

Exodus 29, verses 38 through 39 says, now this is that which thou shalt offer upon the altar to lambs of the first year. Day by day. Continually. Every day. For one lamb thou shalt offer in the morning, and the other thou shalt offer in the evening. And it says here in verse 11 that the work was never finished.

His sacrifices were types of Christ. There were pictures of him and there were symbols of him. And if you will, we want to look at one example of it. If you will, turn to Leviticus chapter 1. Genesis, Exodus, and Leviticus. You can see Christ in this sacrifice.

It says here in verse 1, And the Lord called unto Moses, and spake unto him out of his tabernacle at the congregation, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man of you bring an offering unto the Lord, you shall bring your offering of the cattle, even of the herd, and of the flock.

If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish. He shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the Lord. And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him. And he shall kill for the bullet before the Lord.

And the priest, the iron son, shall bring the blood and sprinkle the blood round about upon the altar that is by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And he shall flay the burnt offering and cut it into his pieces. And the sons of iron, priests, shall put fire upon the altar, and lay the wood in order upon the fire. And the priests, iron sons, shall lay the parts, the head, the fat, in order upon the wood that is on the fire, which is upon the altar. But his anwards and his legs shall he wash in water, and the priest shall burn all on the altar to be a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire to a sweet savor of the Lord.

You know, this is a picture or type of Christ. The sacrifice represented complete surrender. You know, our Lord said, no one takes my life from me, but I lay it down. And then he made a total atonement. And this corresponds with Christ's sacrifice in two ways, his voluntary total surrender, and similar to the total consumption of the offering, his perfect obedience unto death.

Ephesians 5, 2 links this to Christ, where it says, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savior. You know, the burnt offering is described as a soothing aroma. to the Lord. You know, Christ's death is seen as a perfectly pleasing sacrifice to our God because it fully satisfied the justice of God and the holiness of God.

Let's go back to Hebrews 10. Look at verse 1. Hebrews 10 verse 1. It says here, for the law having a shadow of good things to come, not the very image of the things, can never, with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually, make the comers thereunto perfect. You know, the law having a shadow of good things to come What was those good things?

It was the gospel, the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. They pointed forward to the person in the work of Christ Jesus, our Lord. And what does God's elect have in that? What are the good things in Christ? We have wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, redemption, justification, forgiveness of sins, everlasting life. That's all in Christ. And he done it all. You know, Christ, for the law having a shadow of good things to come, that was the gospel. And they knew it was coming.

You know, Old Testament sacrifices functioned as an atonement that covered or temporarily satisfied the requirements for sin. without removing the guilt. They were only covered. They were intended to point forward to the perfect and affirmative sacrifice of Jesus Christ. And these sacrifices, they could make no one perfect. Why? Because the sin was still there. It wasn't tucked away. It was only covered.

If you will, look at verse 2 here in chapter 10 to enter it. It says, for then would they not have ceased to be offered, because that the worshipers, once birthed, should have had no more consciousness of sins? But in these sacrifices, there is a remembrance, again, made of sins every year. You know, they couldn't take away the sins. But here in verse 2, it talks about the consciousness of sins. And in verse 3, it talks about the remembrance of sins. You know, it says here that the sacrifices are made every morning and evening.

Every day, and then once a year, the high priest would go in as a holy of holies and sprinkle blood on the mercy seat, make atonement for the sins of all the people. So you know, how could you not be conscious of your sins and remember your sins that you committed? You know, God's people.

When we look to Christ, when we have full confidence, and we do that by the Spirit of Christ that lives within us, whenever we look at God, look at Christ, and have full confidence in His work, in His sacrifice, when we have full confidence in His Word and know that it's absolutely true, when we have full confidence in the whole record that God has given us of His Son, and we will have no guilt of unforgiving sin.

Yeah, we have sin, that's who we are by nature, and it causes a believer to have no confidence at all, you know, in our flesh. But do we have guilt over unforgiving sin? If we look to Christ, we won't. We have guilt and we have a consciousness of sin, but not unforgiving sin.

I ask myself, if I have a guilt of sins that I've committed in the past, Am I putting a question mark on the sufficiency of the blood of Christ? For He saves. I've come into the world to save sinners. Do we believe that? Yes, I have sinned, but God's word says, in the flesh, well, it's no good sin. But you know in me, my thoughts, my words, my actions, they're full of sin, each and every day. But through Christ's death and burial, our sins are not just forgiven, but they are completely removed, buried, and forgotten by God.

2 Corinthians 5.21, God's word says, for he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. That's a promise. That's a promise. God's word says in Jeremiah, I will forgive their iniquities and I will remember their sins no more.

You know, I was raised, I was raised most of my life, I was raised in false religion. And in false religion, you always had a consciousness and a remembrance and a guilt of your sins. And the reason for that is because in false religion, you was responsible for your salvation.

You was responsible. We had a preacher one time that he would actually bag people, and he would ask people to come to the up front, to the altar, and to bow their heads and get saved. And one day, out of ignorance, I believed that. And I did that. And in works religion?

You're told that you have to get baptized. You're told that you need to go to church. You have to stay in church. You have to read your Bible. You have to pay your tithes. You have to keep the commandments. You have to live a holy life. If you don't do these things, then you're going to get lost again. And you have to do these things because Jesus, a little J, needs you, you know. And I think I was baptized a couple of times. And I can't count the times I rededicated my life. But I was never satisfied. I never felt, I always felt guilt. But you know what? One day, God was pleased to show mercy. And he opened my heart to the truth of the word.

And what is truth? Christ Jesus is truth. You know, 1 John 5, 20, listen to this. And it says, and we know, and God's people do, we know this. We know that the Son of God has come and have given us an understanding that we may know him. That is true. And we are in Him that is true. Even in His Son, Jesus Christ. This is the true God in eternal life. And that brings peace, that brings security.

You know, God's people, we rest in Christ and in Christ alone. In chapter 10 here, let's look at verse four. He says here, For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. Wherefore, when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice is an offer, and thou wouldst not, but a body hath thou prepared for man. Our Lord Jesus Christ, he come into this world. You know, he saves Christ yesterday, today, and forever.

He was born of the one that made a woman. He was born of a woman. But he was born by the power of God. And I love that verse in Isaiah 9, 6. It explains exactly who our Lord Jesus Christ is. It says, for unto us a child is born, for unto us a son is given. At the cross of Calvary, he was given. And it also says that the government shall be upon his shoulders, but his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor. Mighty God, everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace, and the government of His peace shall last forever. And we know that that peace, it's in our hearts. It gives us peace. This world has no peace. It gives us no peace.

It says in verse 8 here, it says, above when he said, sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and offerings for sin thou wouldest not, neither hast thou pleasure therein. which are offered by the law. You know, one can never work himself for his salvation. Works and grace won't mix. I heard a preacher say one time, if it's 99 and three-fourths percent grace and one-fourth percent works, you might as well throw it all out, because Christ finished the work. He finished the work completely on the cross at Calvary.

It says here in verse 9, "'Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God.' He taketh away the first, that he might establish the second.'" Who's he? That's the Lord Jesus Christ. And why did he come? He come to do the will of God. What is God's will? It's to redeem a people. It's to redeem those that he placed in Christ before the foundation of the world. If you hold your place here, turn to John 6. Again, in verse 38. John 6, verse 38. This is Christ speaking.

He says, For I come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father's will which hath sent me. That of all which he hath given me, I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life, and I will raise him up at the last day.

Now that's another great promise that God has given to his people. Let's go back to Hebrews 10. Verse 9, he says, then said, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. What does he take away? He takes away the old covenant and everything that was associated with it. What's the new covenant?

Well, Christ stands in the place of them all. Christ is our great high priest, Christ. He is our mercy seed. He is our altar. He is our sacrifice. Christ is our all. You know, God's word says in Colossians 2, verses 9 and 10, wherein him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and you are complete. He's speaking to the elect. You are complete in him, which is a head of all principality and power. You don't have to turn, but I want to read something right here. It blesses my heart, and I'm sure it will yours.

Positionally, right now, we're sitting on the right hand of God. It says in Colossians 3, verse 3, he says, for you are dead. We are dead to this world. He says, you're dead, and your life is heeded with Christ and God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then you shall also appear with Him in glory.

You know, Christ fulfilled everything that we need. Charles Spurgeon said this right here. He said, Christ fulfilled the everlasting covenant of grace. That's Christ, the everlasting covenant of grace. It is understood as a divine eternal agreement, often called a covenant of redemption, between the Father and the Son, whereby Christ serves as the mediator, the surety, and the blood sacrifice.

What does that do? That guarantees the salvation of the elect. each and every one of them, a series of verse 10 here in Hebrews. It says, by the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ. It says by the which will, whose will is that?

That's God the Father. He chose a people for the foundation of the world. And it says that in Ephesians 1. It says that he has chosen us in him for the foundation of the world. Thank God for that. By the will of God, the Father, we have been sanctified. through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ. In 1 Peter 2, the Bible says, elect according to the foreknowledge of God, the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit and through obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.

If you will, turn to Hebrews 13. verses 11 and 12. You know, there's so many things that is done in the Old Testament, so many symbols and types. You know, Christ was taken outside the gates of the city, and they took the calvary. But it says, look at verse 11.

It sort of resembles it. It says, for the bodies of those beasts, Those beasts whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin are burnt without the camp. They were took out of the camp. It says, therefore, Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the game. You know, the blood of Christ is so powerful. It's so sufficient, it's so effectual, that the father doesn't see no fault, and he doesn't see no sin in us, none at all. And you know, it says, blessed is a man whose iniquities, he has them no more, he's been forgiven.

Sometimes I take that so much for granted. That's something I need to realize, what that means right there, you know. Let's go back to Hebrews 10. You know, when you think about all the sacrifices that were made in the Old Testament, thousands and thousands of them, it says, by which we are, in verse 10, sanctified.

We are sanctified in and through the offering of the body of Christ once. You only had to offer it one time. And it was good forever. You only had to offer it one time. You know, the believer, The believer, the moment you believe, the moment that God opens the eyes of a believer up and he sees Jesus Christ our Lord for who he is, we are sanctified in Christ. Turn to 1 Peter 1. Please.

Why was one sacrifice good enough? Why was it powerful enough? Look at verse 18, because man had nothing to do with it. Because the sacrifice was perfect. It says in verse 18 of 1 Peter, For as much as you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot, who verily was foreordained for the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you. who by him do believe in God that raised him up from the dead and gave him glory, that your faith and hope might be in God. I thank the Lord for that. You know, Almighty God, Almighty God, come to the cross at Calvary in Christ Jesus. once for all, one time, one atonement, one sacrifice, and one offering. Let's go back to Hebrews 10, verse 11.

And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifice as he which can never take away sins. The fact that they were constantly offered indicated that they were very ineffectual. And they were only temporary until the perfect sacrifice time.

You know, in verse 12 here, it says, but this man, yes, God became a man. The only mediator between God and man. After he had offered how many sacrifices? One sacrifice for sins, for a number of people that you cannot count. No man can count. And he offered one sacrifice.

And how long is that sacrifice good for? It's good forever. And what did he do when he got done? He sat down at the right hand of God. And as I said, one atonement, one sacrifice, one offering, which will last forever. And he sat down. Why did he sit down? And he sat down why?

Because the work was finished. Nothing needs to be added to it. Nothing needs to be added to his work. Nothing needs to be added to his own body on the creek, Calvary, because it was very effectual. In other words, it got the work done. It got the job done. He got it over with. He got it accomplished. A man can add nothing to the salvation of his soul, and he can absolutely add nothing to the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, our Lord. You know, it says that he sat down on the right hand of God. He sat down in a place of power, a place of authority, a place of honor, a place of affection. The work was finished. Thank God for that. And that gives us peace. That gives us comfort. You know, in verse 13 here, it says, from henceforth, expect until his anointing be made his footstool.

You know, Christ has preeminence over everything, in the spiritual world, in the physical world. He's the king. He's the almighty king. He's the Lord of lords and he is the king of kings. You know, his enemies are defeated, all of them. Christ defeated Satan. Satan is in complete submission to our Lord Jesus Christ. He completed Satan and all of his demons. He defeated the power of sin, invented a condemnation of the law for those that are covered in the blood, has been taken away.

Philippians chapter 2, it says that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, the things in heaven and the things in earth and the things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. You know, God's people, they want to bow. They want to bow not only their knees and their heads, they want to bow their hearts each and every day of our lives. In verse 14 here, it says again, For by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified.

You know, the believer stands perfected in Christ. You know, when Christ died, he put away our sins, and we don't have them anymore. The guilt of unforgiving sin, the penalty of sin, or the power of sin. Yes, we still have sin every day. Why? Because we have this old nature. And we struggle with it every day. And the reason we struggle with it is because the old nature can do nothing good, nothing at all. But God has given us a believer in new nature, and it can do no wrong. And this new man, he's rooted in the divine nature of God himself.

And he is perfectly holy in Christ Jesus. In Christ, we have it all. And he is our all. You know, the fact that a person wants to go to church, the fact that a person wants to hear the gospel, the fact that the person enjoys and loves to hear Christ glorified, and that he can't get enough of it. It's not because of his flesh that we've got. It's because of his sweet spirit that lives within us. And I thank God for that. Thank you. Amen.

The Perfect Sacrifice Given

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about the sacrifice of Jesus?

How do we know Christ's sacrifice is sufficient?

Why is the concept of substitutionary atonement important for Christians?

What does Hebrews 10 teach about the permanence of Christ's sacrifice?

Why did God abolish the ceremonial law?

Sermon Transcript

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The Perfect Sacrifice Given

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about the sacrifice of Jesus?

How do we know Christ's sacrifice is sufficient?

Why is the concept of substitutionary atonement important for Christians?

What does Hebrews 10 teach about the permanence of Christ's sacrifice?

Why did God abolish the ceremonial law?

Sermon Transcript

Comments

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