Today I would like you to take
your Bible and let's turn to the book of Hebrews. The book
of Hebrews chapter 9. And I'll be speaking to you from
Hebrews chapter 9 verses 11 and 12. Let's read these two verses
together. Hebrews chapter 9 verse 11. But Christ being come a high
priest of good things to come by greater and more perfect tabernacle
not made with hands That is to say, not of this building, 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. Now I have a very important and
vital message I want to bring this morning about the priesthood,
the priestly work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Hope and pray that
you'll pay special attention to the broadcast this morning.
But throughout the book of Hebrews, the Lord Jesus Christ is set
forth in the glory of his person. Who is Jesus Christ? In chapter
1, verse 3, we read, who being the brightness of God's glory,
speaking of Christ Jesus, and the express image of his person
upholding all things by the word of his power. A whole book of
Hebrews is taken up with the glory and the superiority of
the Lord Jesus Christ. Not only that, but the glory
of his office, the glory of his priestly work. 16 times in this
letter to the Hebrews, his priesthood is declared. Give you one example. In chapter three, verse one,
we read, holy brethren partakers of a heavenly calling. Consider the apostle and high
priest of our profession, Christ Jesus. 16 times it makes reference
to the priestly work of Jesus Christ. And then thirdly, in
the book of Hebrews, we're confronted with this, the glory of his sacrifice. The sacrifices offered under
the law never put away sin, but his one sacrifice did. In Hebrews
10, 14, we read, for by one offering he hath perfected forever them
that are sanctified. Now all three things are essential
to secure our salvation. The glory of his person, the
glory of his office, and the glory of his sacrifice. Without
our Lord Jesus Christ being the appointed high priest, bringing
the appointed sacrifice, we have no remission of sin, we have
no righteousness established, we have no hope of eternal life
before God, we would face certain swift and certain. Condemnation
before God, because our sins have separated us from God. The
wages of sin is death. So you see the necessity of Jesus
Christ and the necessity of his priestly work and the necessity
of his sacrifice before God. The Lord Jesus Christ is the
sinner's high priest and mediator and surety, fulfilling all that
the Old Testament priesthood pictured. That was just a picture
and a type. It wasn't possible that the blood
of bulls and goats could take away sin. It just typified how
a substitutionary victim would put away sin. And the Lord Jesus
Christ is that substitute. We read in Romans 8, 1, there's
no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. Now let's
look at verses 11 and 12. I want to camp on verse 12 here
in just a few minutes, but let's look at verse 11. It says, Christ
being come, Christ being come, we pass now from shadow to substance. The Lord Jesus Christ was sent
of God in a fullness of time, God sent forth his Son. He appeared once in the end of
the world to put away sin. He is come being sin of God.
Notice this, He's being come a high priest, a high priest. Not a martyr, not an example,
not a reformer, but a priest to represent us before God and
to make atonement for the sin of God's people, God's sheep,
His elect. And through this sacrifice, through
His priestly office, notice what it says in verse 11. being come
a high priest of good things to come. The Lord Jesus Christ
purchased good things with his blood, peace, pardon, righteousness,
redemption, reconciliation, all these blessings we enjoy in the
Lord Jesus Christ. And notice this, he's the priest
of a greater and more perfect tabernacle. He didn't officiate
in an earthly tabernacle, in an earthly holy place. Look at
verse 24 in Hebrews 9, verse 24. Christ is not entered into
the holy places made with hands, which are figures and types of
the truth, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence
of God for us. He's the high priest officiating
not in a holy place made with hands, but a greater and more
perfect tabernacle in the heavenlies before God to appear in the presence
of God for us. All these spiritual blessings
that we have obtained through our great high priest, through
this better sacrifice, through this greater tabernacle, were
all purchased with his own blood. Notice verse 12, he obtained
eternal redemption for us with his blood. We're not redeemed
from sin with corruptible things such as our works, our deeds
are doing, but with the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now in verse 12, I want to camp
on verse 12 and point out four things to you that I pray God
will bring to your remembrance often. In verse 12, we read about
this precious sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ and how he
entered into glory through this sacrifice. Now, four things. Here's the first one, the sacrifice
by which he entered into glory. Our Lord Jesus Christ as God
and as man entered into the holy place as our high priest, but
not without the blood. He must enter in by blood. Now here's four things to remember
on this first point. The sacrifice that he offered
was special and certainly unique. It was his own blood that he
offered. God purchased the church with his own blood. There never
has been or ever will be a man such as this man. God, the God-man,
God manifest in the flesh redeeming his people. He is God and he
is man, as much God as he was not man and as much man as he
was not God. In one blessed person, and it's
who he is that gives merit to what he did. You see the uniqueness
and how special his sacrifice was. Secondly, this sacrifice
was substitutionary. It says there that he obtained
eternal redemption for us, for his people. He died for somebody.
The Lord Jesus Christ is not dying because of his own sin.
He had none. He knew none. He did no sin.
But he's dying for the sins of his people. Listen to the Scripture. 2 Corinthians 5, 21. God made
him to be sin for us. who knew no sin, that we might
be made the righteousness of God in him." He's dying as a
substitute, wounded for us, bruised for us, the just dying for the
unjust. So we see this is a special sacrifice
by which he entered into glory. It was a substitutionary sacrifice. And thirdly, it was a personal
sacrifice. Our Lord didn't bring the merits
of others or the sufferings of others. It says here, not with
the blood of bulls and of goats, but with his own blood. He didn't enter in with the blood
and suffering of others as the Old Testament priest did. He
brought his own blood. He suffered for us himself. Listen to these scriptures. He
poured out his soul unto death, Isaiah 53, 12. He bare our sin
and his own body on the tree. 1 Peter 2, 24. He loved us and
gave himself for us, 1 John 4, 10. He put away sin by the sacrifice
of himself, Hebrews 9, 26. He tread the winepress of the
wrath of God alone, we read in Isaiah 63, 1-4. He prayed in
the garden alone, we read in Mark 14, verse 35. You see, it was a personal sacrifice. Fourthly, this sacrifice was
offered unto God. It was offered unto God. Now
listen to me carefully. The blood was offered before
the Lord. It wasn't offered toward men.
It was offered unto the Lord. This is God's offering for sin. You listen to Ephesians chapter
5 verse 2. Christ loved us and had given
himself for an offering and a sacrifice unto God. for a sweet smelling
savor. He appeared in the presence of
God for us. Hebrews 9 24 on the day of atonement. back under the law on the day
of atonement, no one saw the blood on the mercy seat when
it was sprinkled before the Lord. The high priest of old, you read
it in Leviticus 16, the high priest of old went in alone once
every year. No one saw that blood outside
of the high priest and God Almighty. It was offered on the mercy seat
before the Lord. The blood atonement of Jesus
Christ, now listen carefully, the blood atonement of Jesus
Christ is not left to the sinner's will to give it merit. God said when I see the blood
I will pass over you. God is satisfied with his blood. God is satisfied with his atonement
and demands the unconditional surrender of every sinner. to
bow to the Lord Jesus Christ and to confess that He is Lord,
and to confess that His sacrifice and His redemption is enough
to put away sin. You see, it's not left up to
us to decide whether His sacrifice was effectual unto God or not.
God said, when I see the blood, I'll pass over you. This sacrifice
was offered unto God, not unto man. Now, here's the second point. You see how he entered into glory
through this sacrifice. Here's the manner of this entrance.
Secondly, we read in verse 12, not by the blood of bulls and
goats, but by his own blood, he entered in once. Once. The manner of his entrance into
the holy place in the heavenlies was one time. One time, he entered
in once into the holy place. Now the Old Testament priest
entered in once, but he entered in every year, year after year
after year, because his atonement was never effectual. His atonement
never put away sin, it was only typical, pointing to the one
that would come, Jesus Christ, who would put away our sin. In
Hebrews chapter 10, verse 14, listen to what we read. Let's
read Hebrews 10 beginning at verse 11. Every priest standeth
daily ministering, offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can
never take away sin. But this man, after he offered
one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of
God, from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his
footstool. Now listen carefully. For by one offering, He hath
perfected forever them that are sanctified." There's no need
to repeat something that is completely done and finished and satisfying
before God. His offering, His blood, actually
obtained and secured eternal redemption for us. No veil hangs
in the way that needs to be lifted every year. He says, come boldly
to the throne of grace. He rent the veil in two by one
offering. offered one time he put away
our sin you see the manner of this entrance one time one offering
his blood is sufficient to put away our sin now thirdly the
object of his entrance it says in verse 12 having obtained eternal
redemption for us the object of his entrance to redeem us
to redeem us redemption is deliverance by payment by payment. We read
in Ephesians chapter 1, in whom we have redemption through his
blood, the forgiveness of sin according to the riches of his
grace. The payment for our sin was his
blood. He bought us with a price. Therefore, we are to glorify
God. And he made a full payment for
our sin. In the book of Job, we read,
deliver him from going down to the pit. God said, I have a ransom. And when the ransom is paid,
the sinner is set free. We sing that song, Jesus pays
it all, all the debt I owe. You see the manner of his entrance?
One time. The object of his entrance? To
redeem us from our sin. And secondly, to appear for us
in the presence of God. He went to glory to appear eternally
for us. He ever lived to make intercession
for us. You see that down in verse 24,
but in the heaven itself now to appear in the presence of
God for us. What was the object of His entrance
when He had by Himself purged our sins? He said, I am. He redeemed
us. Secondly, to appear for us. as
our mediator, as our intercessor. God sees us in the heavenlies
in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, our glorious representative
and forerunner. In Christ we are already seated
in the heavenlies. You listen to this scripture.
Our forerunner has entered in and sat down at God's right hand
and the believer in him. Listen to this scripture. But
God who is rich in mercy for his great love, wherewith he
loved us, even when we were dead in sin had quickened us together
with Christ and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ
Jesus. In Him we are raised together
and seated in the heavenlies, already in the purpose of God,
in Christ, already finished. He, the object of His entrance
was to redeem us, to appear for us, and then thirdly, to perfect
us, to perfect us. He made, because He made an end
of our sin and gave us His blessed righteousness. Who can lay anything
to the charge of God's elect? Not even God Himself. It's God
who justified. In Adam all died, even so in
Christ shall all be made alive. Now in closing, let me give you
this. The glory of His entrance. The glory of His entrance. We've
seen something of the sacrifice of His entrance. The manner of
his entrance, the object of his entrance. Now let's look at the
glory of his entrance in closing two things. He enters in because
the work is done when he had by himself. As I said earlier,
he purged our sins and he sat down at the right hand of God. He enters in and sits down because
it's finished. He said on the cross, it's finished.
You listen to scripture in John 17, I've glorified thee on the
earth. I finished the work. that the
Father gave me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Thou
me with Thine own self, with the glory which I had with Thee
before the world was." He enters in the glory and sits down because
His work is finished. He satisfied every requirement
that God demanded of us. He honored every precept and
satisfied every penalty for us. He honored and exalted the law
for us, and God's well pleased with His sacrifice. Secondly,
the glory of His entrance His work is done and His work is
done eternally. Notice it says He obtained eternal
redemption for us. Three times in these few verses
He uses the word eternal. Down in verse 14 it says He offered
Himself without spot to God through the eternal Spirit. In verse
15 it says that He obtained an eternal inheritance for us. Now why must his sacrifice and
his redemption be eternal for us? Because God's eternal. His
sacrifice dealt with eternal things, sin, death, hell, and
judgment. When the Lord Jesus Christ offered
himself through the eternal spirit, by that offering, he paid our
sin debt and obtained an eternal inheritance for us. We're heirs
of God and joint heirs with the Lord Jesus Christ. Because our
Lord obtained eternal redemption for us, we no longer dread eternal
punishment. Now let me ask you this, and
I'll quit. Do you have this eternal redemption through Christ? Do
you have the great high priest, the mediator, the Lord Jesus
Christ? Do you believe and rest in the
Lord Jesus Christ? He that believeth has everlasting
life, and that is the fruit of his eternal redemption.