While I have no regard, and I
hope you don't, for religious holidays, December 25th is no
more meaningful than June the 10th. There's no significance
to it whatsoever as far as spiritual things are concerned. But I rejoice
that in God's good providence, this time of the year, every
year, the whole world is compelled to consider in one way or another,
to some degree or another, this fact. God stepped into humanity
2,000 years ago. God became a man. God walked
upon this earth. Jesus Christ, that babe born
at Bethlehem, is himself God Almighty Now Why did he come? Why did he come? The world has
never been the same Since Christ was born at Bethlehem his influence
is continually this day shaping the minds of men his influence
shaping the minds of men either in their rebellion against him
or are in their faith and obedience to him. But his influence continues
to this day. The whole world has been changed
because Jesus Christ was born at Bethlehem 2000 years ago. Why did he come? That question
is answered in numerous places in numerous ways in this book,
but none perhaps gives a clearer Statement of why he came than
that which is given by the Apostle Paul in the book of Hebrews Hebrews
chapter 10 Hebrews chapter 10 verses 1 through 14 will be our
text this evening The whole book of Hebrews displays the reason
for our Lord's incarnation Rex just read the second chapter
of Hebrews and as he got to verse 16 This is the thought that crossed
my mind the sovereign babe of Bethlehem
that baby born at Bethlehem while he lay in the manger at Bethlehem
is still the sovereign Christ who rules the world and the sovereign
babe of Bethlehem as he came into this world passed by all
the angels that fell and are reserved in chains of darkness
unto the day of judgment. And it passed by the fallen sons
of Adam, lost forever in eternal reprobation, never to be saved
by his grace. And he took on himself the seed
of Abraham, God's elect, God's covenant people, that he might
save the seed of Abraham. And here in Hebrews chapter 10,
the Holy Spirit shows us three reasons why Christ came, by which
he would save Abraham's chosen seed, God's elect. First, in
verses 1 through 4, we're told that Christ came here to put
away sin by the sacrifice of himself, because there was no
other way for sin to be put away and no other way for God to save
his people. Then in verses five through nine,
our Lord Jesus came here as a man, as our mediator, substitute and
representative to do and fulfill all the covenant of God's grace
to bring in a better covenant. And then in verses 10 through
14, Our Savior came here to die at Calvary that he might redeem
his people from their sins. Let's read these 14 verses together
and then go back and look at them a few at a time. For the law, having a shadow
of good things to come, and not the very image of the things,
can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year
continually, make the comers thereunto perfect. For then would
they not have ceased to be offered, because that the worshipers once
purged should have had no more conscience of sins. But in those
sacrifices, there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. For it is not possible that the
blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins." Verse 5. Wherefore,
when he cometh into the world, he sayeth sacrifice and offering,
thou wouldest not. But a body hast thou prepared
me. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin, thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, lo, I come. In the volume of the book, it
is written of me to do thy will, O God. Above, when he said sacrifice
and offering, and burnt offerings, and offering for sin thou wouldest
not, neither hath pleasure therein, which are offered by the law.
Then said he, lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away
the first, that he may establish the second, by the which will
we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus
Christ once for all. 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, sat down on the right hand of
God from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his
footstool. For by one offering, he hath
perfected forever them that are sanctified. Now here's the first
thing taught in this passage, verses one through four. Our
Lord Jesus Christ came into this world. God the son assumed our
nature. He became one of us. The word
was made flesh and dwelt among us. God stepped into humanity
because there was no other way for sin to be put away. than
by the sacrifice of himself. The law of God that was given
by Moses with all its rituals, sacrifices, and ceremonies was
but a shadow, a shadow of good things to come. A type, a picture,
a representation of those things that God had laid up in his covenant,
laid up in his purpose, laid up in Christ for his people.
Those good things pictured and typified by the law are obvious. The sacrifices and the acceptance
of those sacrifices upon God's altar portrayed the forgiveness
of sins. They could not put away sin,
but they portrayed sins forgiveness. When a man would bring his calf
or his bullock or his goat and lay his hands upon that sacrifice
and confess Over that sacrifice his sins and Aaron would take
the calf or the bullock or the goat or the lamb and lay his
hands upon that sacrifice symbolically, they're showing a transfer a
transfer of sin and guilt from the Worshipper to the sacrifice
and then the sacrifice is slain for the forgiveness of sins All
the sacrifices of the Old Testament made this promise. There's one
coming through whom and by whom sin shall be forgiven. Now, no
worshiper of God in the Old Testament, no worshiper of God in the Old
Testament ever dreamed that the blood of that sacrifice could
put away sin. Looking on that sacrifice, they
looked away to Christ the sacrifice who was to come by whom sin must
be put away. Those sacrifices portrayed and
gave promise of justification with God. There is one coming,
every sacrifice, every ceremony, every ritual said. There is one
coming. He's not here yet, but there's
one coming by whom God shall be just and justify the ungodly. One coming by whom sinners shall
be made just with God and have peace with God. Peace that passes
understanding the peace of a conscience free of guilt before God. Oh What an anticipation for all
those hundreds of years men brought their sacrifices Anticipating
one to come by whom man through his sacrifice could have peace
with God have no sense of guilt, no sense of corruption, no sense
of defilement, no sense of a reason why God should be angry with
him because of this sacrifice. The trust in Christ, the sacrifice
and the sacrifices portrayed rest, the blessed rest of faith
in Christ, the finishing of all works for the salvation of his
people and fellowship. Fellowship with God, the Holy
Lord God in the person of that one, God is accepted. The sacrifices
and ceremonies spoke of the grace of God and the preservation of
grace, salvation and eternal life in Christ and the blessed
assurance of that salvation through the one who comes to be our sacrifice. The tabernacle, the priesthood,
all the services of the law, all the ceremonies of the law,
were given not to put away sin, but only to serve as a pattern,
a blueprint of Christ Jesus, the Lord, the true tabernacle
and the true sacrifice by whom we come to God. God said to Moses
when he was about to build the tabernacle, look at this pattern,
look at this pattern and make everything according to this
pattern. You've seen back in my office
that and we're going through the book of Exodus had a sitting
out here if we'd look at that scaled model of the tabernacle
that Larry Brown put together for me years ago for my birthday
and That tabernacle all the pictures all the coverings all the badger
skins all the furnishings of the tabernacle We're set to show
something about the sacrifice of our Redeemer Everything that
went on in that tabernacle set to show something about the accomplishments
of our Redeemer and when the tabernacle was finished God's
glory Filled the tabernacle so that Moses wasn't able to go
in and when Christ has come The law has been finished Moses could
not enter into the tabernacle for now that perfect complete
picture of Redemption has come revealing the glory of our God
And there's an interesting thing about that tabernacle with all
the things involved in it with all the things involved in it
Do you have any idea how many men it took to erect that tabernacle? The priests carried the various
things on their shoulders have any idea how many men it took
to erect it One man. One man could pitch the whole
tabernacle in the wilderness. And when Christ Jesus came into
this world, that one man, who is God, fully accomplished the
redemption and salvation portrayed in that tabernacle. Let no man,
therefore, judge you by meat or drink or in respect of an
holy day or of a new moon or Sabbath days. Paul says, don't
let any man bring you under a sense of condemnation by any of those
legal requirements of the law. Those things were finished, fulfilled,
and finished by Jesus Christ, who is the end of the law. They
are a shadow of good things to come, but the body is of Christ. The Old Testament sacrifices,
we're told in verse two, could never put away sin. Now don't
miss the message of God, the Holy Spirit in the second verse.
If those sacrifices could put away sin, they would not. I'm sorry, they would have ceased
to be offered. If Aaron could bring. A bullock
or a paschal lamb or sacrifice or as folks are still trying
to chase down today, a red heifer and offer. A perfect sacrifice. By which sin could be put away
to God Almighty, it wouldn't take but one. And once the sacrifice
was offered and accepted, there would never be another sacrifice. That's who Christ is. The perfect
sacrifice accepted by God Almighty. No other sacrifice can be made.
You offer any other sacrifice. You offer God anything along
with Christ. You offer God any work of yours,
any sacrifice of yours by which you hope to make yourself accepted
with God, is to deny that Christ has come and accomplished redemption. It is utter blasphemy. You know
it so. You know it so because your conscience
is still guilty. You know it so because that sacrifice
you offer says, There's got to be more. There's got to be more. There's got to be more. God surely
requires something more than the blood of an animal. God surely
requires something more than the sacrifice of a lamb. God
surely requires something more than what I can bring him. Yes,
he does. God requires perfect holiness
and complete satisfaction to be given only by Jesus Christ,
the Lord. Look at down at verse 12. I'll
come back to it in a minute, but just read it now. This man,
this man, this one man who is God, this one man of infinite
virtue, merit, and efficacy, this man, after he had offered
one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of
God. Last night, about 11 o'clock,
I had finished my work. I'd been at it all day long since
early in the morning. And I was tired when I walked
over to the house. And, uh, that big, easy chair
sitting in the right beside the doors, come in the back door.
When I got home, I tell you what, I didn't even kick my shoes off
last night. I just sat down. I just sat down because my work
was done. At least for that day, just for
that day, my work was done. The high priest. in the Holy
of Holies had no chair upon which to sit because his work could
never be done. He could never perfectly, completely
reconcile the people to God. He could never perfectly, completely
or in any measure put away sin and satisfy justice. He goes
in and offers the Paschal lamb once a year and comes back out
fully anticipating 365 days later to go back and make another sacrifice. But this man, Christ Jesus, when
he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down, never
to get up again. He sat down because his work
was finished. Watch this. From henceforth expecting
till his enemies be made his footstool, for by one offering
he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. You see,
once sin is purged, Once sin has been put away, once the sacrifice
has been accepted, the sinner is completely discharged of all
guilt and therefore of all accountability. Once the sacrifice is accepted,
once the sin is purged, once the guilt is gone, The sinner
is forever discharged from all accountability before God. Oh, my brother, that's peace
that passes understanding. God Almighty will never charge
his own with sin. He charged our sins on our surety
and he accepted the sacrifice. There is therefore now no condemnation
to them that are in Christ Jesus. This is the reason, the basis,
the only reason, the only basis of assurance and confidence with
God. Our Lord Jesus Christ died. He rose again. He sat down at
the right hand of the majesty on high. Who then shall lay anything
to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifies. Who
is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died. Yea,
rather that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of
God, who also maketh intercession for us. Lord Jesus Christ has
offered one sacrifice for sins forever and Believing him we
have complete total confidence of acceptance with God Because
our sins are gone Look at verse 17 of Hebrews 10 This is the
covenant he came to fulfill God said when the covenant is fulfilled
Their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Their sins and iniquities will
I remember no more. Surely he hath borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows. Yet we did esteem him stricken,
smitten of God and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions.
He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace
was upon him. And with his stripes, we are
healed. All we like sheep have gone astray. We turned everyone
to his own way. And the Lord hath laid on him
the iniquity of us all. Isaac Watts beautifully captured
the message of Hebrews 10 verse 2 in this hymn. Not all the blood
of beasts on Jewish altars slain could give the guilty conscience
peace or wash away the stain. But Christ, the heavenly lamb,
takes all our sins away, a sacrifice of nobler name and richer blood
than they. Believing, we rejoice to see
the curse removed. We bless the lamb and with cheerful
voice and sing redeeming love. Look at verse 3. God the Spirit
here tells us that those carnal legal sacrifices of the Old Testament
only reminded the worshipers of God that someone must come
who would put sin away because it's impossible for those sacrifices
to put away sin. Now, look in verses 5 through
9. Here our Lord Jesus, we're told,
came as a man into this world as our mediator man as our substitute
man as our surety man as our representative man to do and
fulfill all the will of God to bring in the finishing of God's
everlasting covenant for his people. Verse 5. Wherefore when
he cometh into the world He saith, sacrifice and offering thou wouldest
not, but a body has thou prepared me. In burnt offerings and sacrifices
for sin, thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, lo, I come. In the volume of the book, it
is written to me to do thy will, O God. Above what he said, sacrifice
and offering, burnt offering and offering for sin thou wouldest
not neither has pleasure therein which are offered by the law
Then said he lo I come to do thy will O God He taketh away
the first that he may establish the second God the Holy Spirit
By the overshadowing power of the Holy Ghost God the Holy Spirit
conceived in the womb of a virgin. That holy thing called the Son
of God in human flesh. He calls the virgin to conceive
without the aid of a man because this one who comes to be our
Redeemer according to God's very first promise in Genesis 3 15
must be the woman seed. The woman seed. The woman seed. Did you ever notice as you read
through the Old Testament what women, how they cherished the
possibility of being that woman who carries the seed that God
promised to Eve and Adam in the garden. They saw the firstborn
to be representative of that seed and they were right. And
each one anticipating maybe I shall be that one through whom the
Redeemer comes. And at last, the Lord God came
to Mary by his angel and said, You're the woman. And he said,
You're highly favored of God. Oh, how blessed you are. Through
your womb comes God in human flesh. God incarnate born into
this world in a virgin's womb. He's described and portrayed
in the law of the firstborn. The firstborn, God said, is mine,
whether it's man or beast. The firstborn that openeth the
womb. Now, I never really understood
that until a few years ago reading Mr. Hawker. The firstborn that
openeth the womb? Now, I'm not a medical fellow.
I'm not a scientist. But I got enough sense to know the womb
is not opened in birth. The womb is opened in conception,
not in birth, except in one case. There is one man, there is one
man, only one man who opened his mother's womb in his birth. He is Christ the firstborn. That one of whom all the firstborn
dedicated to God represented, of whom they all spoke. Jesus
Christ came here to fulfill all that was written in the law and
to bring in an everlasting covenant so that God the Holy Spirit here
prepares him a body in which he can bear our sins and please
God with the sacrifice of himself. Often when you speak of God's
election and God's sovereignty, you talk about God's love for
Jacob and you talk about God being special, having special
grace and care for his people and particular redemption and
irresistible grace. Babbling wheel worshipers will
tell you, God says, I have no pleasure in the death of the
wicked. Who ever dreamed that he did? Who ever dreamed that
he did? If God sent the whole world to
hell, that wouldn't please him. That wouldn't satisfy his justice.
God can't be satisfied by your death. The only way God can be
pleased is by the sacrifice of his son. Therefore, we're told
it pleased the Lord to bruise him. God is satisfied with the
sacrifice of his son this one who was miraculously formed in
the womb of the Virgin by God the Holy Spirit in Verse six
again. We're told it was impossible
for animal blood to put away sin Burnt offerings and sacrifices
could never satisfy God's justice or appease his anger Honor his
law or put away sin Come back to the book of Micah. Come back
to the book of Micah, chapter 6. Micah, chapter 6. This is a portion of scripture
that is often quoted by men. And except on rare occasion,
I've heard just a few preachers quote the verse and use it correctly. Micah, chapter 6, verse 6. Here's
the question. Wherewith shall I come before
the Lord? How can I, a sinful man, come
to God and bow myself before the high God? Shall I come before
him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? That just doesn't make any sense,
does it? Does that make any sense at all? You surely don't think
that God's going to accept you because you kill an animal. Surely
you don't think so. Will the Lord be pleased, satisfied
with thousands of rams or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Maybe. Maybe if I sacrifice my
firstborn child. Oh, maybe that'd do it. Maybe
that'd do it. People have done that, you know. People have done
that sacrifice the fruit of their own loins Hoping to appease God
never get it done Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? Now listen to
Micah's answer He has showed the old man What is good? And what did the Lord require
of thee? but to do justly to love mercy and to walk humbly
with thy God. Now people tell you this is how
you come to God, not just with blood of animals and goats and
sacrifice, not even with the sacrifice of your child, but
if you'll do good, if you'll do justly, if you will be merciful,
if you'll walk humbly, then that's what God takes. Oh no, oh no. To do justly. is to offer to
God that which satisfies justice, his Son. To love mercy is to
love the Son of God, the mercy of God in Christ. He is the mercy
of God, Luke tells us, or Zechariah tells us in Luke chapter 2. And
to walk humbly with God is to walk with God in the steps of
Abraham, acknowledging and confessing your sin, confessing your sin
and trusting his son. Our Lord Jesus came here as a
voluntary surety, as Jehovah's righteous servant to die in our
room instead as our substitute by the will of God. He says in
the volume of the book, it is written to me. certainly in the
volume of the book of God's eternal decrees and In this book in The
volume of this book you remember what he told his disciples when
he appeared to them the last time and Luke 24 He had opened
the just understanding of those disciples on the road to Emmaus
to understand the scriptures and he said While I was yet with
you Told you that all things must be fulfilled which were
written in the law of Moses and in the prophets and in the Psalms
concerning me then opened he their understanding that it might
understand the scriptures and he said to them thus it is written
and Thus it behooved Christ to suffer and to rise again the
third day And he's talking about all the Old Testament scriptures
and It's written here. It's written here. The scriptures
must be fulfilled. The scriptures must be fulfilled.
The scriptures must be fulfilled. Christ must die because that's
the message of the scriptures in order to fulfill and bring
in new, everlasting righteousness in order to fulfill and bring
in this new and everlasting covenant and the blessings of it. Our
savior completely took away the old. Look at verse 8 Hebrews
10 verse 8 Above when he said sacrifice
and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest
not Neither has pleasure therein which are offered by the law
Then said he lo I come to do thy will O God now watch this
He taketh away the first That he may establish the second He
taketh away the first that he may establish the second. Now
this is shocking to most religious people. It's just almost unbearable for
folks who think they're good. When Christ said, it's finished. When Christ cried out upon the
cursed tree, it is finished. He took away all the law. I didn't say he abolished it.
I said he took it away. He took it away by fulfilling
it. Christ is the E N D of the law. He's the end of the law for righteousness. To every one that believe it.
And the word end is exactly the same word that our Lord used
in John 19 30 when he said it is finished. the finishing of
the law he took away the first that he may establish the second
by the second by the covenant of God's grace by this covenant
of mercy we have obtained forgiveness and righteousness in God's darling
son we're made in him to possess and to be wisdom and righteousness
and sanctification and redemption. And now in him, all the blessings
of God's grace purpose from eternity given to us in our surety are
ours. All things are yours. You who
believe, you who believe are possessors now. All that God
gave his son as our surety before the world began He said to the
father when he was about to leave this world Give me the glory. I had with you before the world
was and This is what that prayer means father. I finished the
work you gave me to do Now give me in a manifest way So that
men will see manifestly The glory I had with you before the world
was the glory of being the rightful ruler of the universe and the
father Caused him to ascend on high and set down on the throne
of our father David and there he sets the king of glory And
then he says father the glory you have given me The glory God
gave his son What did he give him? Thou hast put all things
in his hands. The glory God gave his son, his
son has given to all his people. This is the finishing of his
work. All right. Here's the third thing.
Look at verses nine through 14. Our Lord Jesus came here to die
at Calvary to redeem and save his people. Then said he lo I
come to do thy will O God He taketh away the first that he
may establish the second By the which will that is by the doing
of God's will By the doing of God's will in fulfilling the
covenant of his grace By the which will we are sanctified
Made holy made holy You don't make yourself holy. I do not make myself holy. To
pretend to do so is to deny the finished work of Christ. By the
which will we are sanctified, watch what it says, through the
offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. We are sanctified, made holy.
Every chosen sinner, every redeemed sinner, every believing soul
was made holy when Jesus Christ died one time with finality. Suffering is our substitute.
And every priest standeth daily, ministering and offering oftentimes
the same sacrifices, which can never take away sin. I've told
you this many times, but every time I read this verse of scripture,
A true story comes to mind. A friend of mine, Brother Paul
Reniger, was a missionary in Italy many years ago. And he
came home one time, was sitting in our living room, told us a
story. There was a priest in Italy, the only one in his day
who was known for being a preacher. Most of the priests just recite
stuff, you know, they give homilies. This fellow was known as a preacher.
And he went everywhere preaching very popular papist priest and
one day he's standing in a large cathedral administering mass
And he's reading this portion of scripture every priest standeth
daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices
which can never take away sin And he dropped that holy wafer
And he sat down that chalice of wine and he walked out And the next time Paul heard
of him, God had saved that man by his grace, and he was sure
enough a preacher. He was going everywhere preaching
the gospel of God's free grace. The sacrifices men make can never
take away sin. But this man, oh, thank God for
this man. This man, after he had offered
one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of
God. When he sat down, God said, sit
down here. That's enough. That's enough. This pleases me. He sat down
from henceforth expecting, what a word, expecting till his enemies
be made his footstool. Again, referring to Rex's reading
of Hebrews 2 a little while ago, Satan and the angels. The angels
of God were created to be servants to man. Charles Alexander, this had been
40 years ago, made this supposition, just a supposition, but a pretty
good one. He said Satan's pride, that which
destroyed him, was this mighty creature. This angel, far exceeding
man in his excellence and in his power, in his knowledge,
in his abilities, said, I won't serve a man. I won't do it. And rebelled against God. But
serve men, he does. And serve men, he shall. Until
God has cast him forever into hell. Our Lord Jesus, seated
on the throne of glory, yonder in heaven, is expecting every
foe to be made his footstool. And sooner or later, you shall
be made to bow at his feet. You will either bow at his feet
now, confessing him as Lord, worshiping and serving, trusting
him, or you will, in the day of judgment, bow at his feet
and confess him as Lord with the right and the righteousness
forever to destroy your soul in hell. How come? For by one offering, he hath
perfected forever them that are sanctified. Why did Christ come? I found the answer. In evil long,
I took delight unawed by shame or fear, till a new object struck
my sight and stopped my wild career. I saw one hanging on
a tree in agonies and blood, who fixed his languid eyes on
me as near his cross I stood. Sure never till my latest breath
can I forget that look. It seemed to charge me with his
death, though not a word he spoke. My conscience felt and owned
the guilt and plunged me in despair I saw my sins his blood had spilt
and helped to nail him there a Second look he gave which said I Freely all forgive this blood
is for thy ransom paid I die that thou mayest live Why did
Christ come that's the answer He came here to die that I might
live. Oh, can it be that on the tree
the Savior died for me? My soul is thrilled. My heart
is filled to think He died for me. Amen.