Hebrews

The Sacrifice of Christ

The first covenant had rites and regulations. There was also a sanctuary—an earthly one.

A first tent was prepared with the lampstand, the table, and the bread of the presence; this is called the Holy of Holies. 

Behind the second curtain, there is a second sanctuary called the Most Holy Place, 

with the gold altar for burning incense and the ark of the covenant fully covered with gold. The ark contained a golden jar holding manna, Aaron’s rod that sprouted leaves, and the two stone tablets of the covenant. 

Above the ark, the two cherubim of glory overshadowed the Mercy Seat. But we cannot describe it in detail here.

With everything arranged as described, the priests continually enter the first room to fulfill their ministry; 

but the high priest enters only once a year, and not without bringing blood, which he offers for himself and the sins of the people. 

By this, the Holy Spirit teaches us that the way into the inner sanctuary is not open as long as the first tent still stands. 

Here is a teaching, through figures, for the current age: the gifts and sacrifices offered to God cannot bring the people offering them to interior perfection. 

These are merely food, drink, and various forms of water cleansing; all these are human regulations, awaiting reformation.

But now, Christ has appeared as the high priest, concerning the good things of these new times. He entered a more noble and perfect sanctuary, not made by human hands, meaning not created. 

He did not bring the blood of goats and bulls but his own blood when he entered once and for all into this sanctuary after securing eternal redemption. 

If the sprinkling of people, defiled by sin, with the blood of goats and bulls or with the ashes of a heifer, provides them with outward cleansing and holiness, 

how much more will it be with the blood of Christ? He, moved by the eternal Spirit, offered himself as an unblemished sacrifice to God, and his blood cleanses us from dead works so we can serve the living God. 

For this reason, he is the mediator of a new covenant. His death atoned for the sins committed under the first covenant, and the promise is given to all who are called to the everlasting inheritance. 

With every testament, you must wait until the author has died. 

A testament implies death and has no value while the maker is still alive. 

That is why the first covenant was not ratified without blood. 

Moses proclaimed all the commandments of the law to the assembled people; then he took the blood of bulls and goats, mixed it with water, and sprinkled it on the book itself and on all the people, using scarlet wool and hyssop, 

saying: “This is the blood of the covenant that God ordained for you.” 

Similarly, he sprinkled blood on the sanctuary and all the ritual objects. 

According to the law, nearly all cleansings must be done with blood; there is no forgiveness without shedding blood.

The Sanctuary

It was necessary for simple copies of supernatural realities to be purified, but now, these realities require better sacrifices.

Christ did not enter some sanctuary made by human hands, a copy of the true one, but heaven itself. He is now in God’s presence on our behalf. 

He did not need to offer himself many times, as the high priest does: he who may return every year because the blood is not his own. 

Otherwise, he would have suffered many times since the creation of the world. But no; he has now appeared at the end of the ages to take away sin through sacrifice. 

Since humans die only once and then are judged, 

in the same way Christ sacrificed himself once to take away the sins of many, he will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are waiting for him.