Brief Outline: chapter nine draws comparisons and contrasts between the Levitical ritual and the priestly work of Christ. The rituals of the old covenant were temporary, inadequate, and ineffective. The work of Christ was permanent, thorough, and sufficient to remove sin permanently.
The Earthly Sanctuary and the Heavenly Sanctuary (9:1-15): The physical layout of the tabernacle and the rituals which took place within its sanctuary were temporary and could not provide permanent forgiveness. The ceremonies could not remove sin or cleanse the conscience of the worshiper.
The superior sacrifice (9:16-28): Christ’s death was effective because it cleansed the conscience (vv. 11–14), provided full forgiveness (vv. 15–22), and needed no repetition (vv. 23–28). Jesus is currently in the presence of God interceding for us. He is our High Priest and Mediator.
There are times in our lives where we are wronged by others. They may or may not ask for forgiveness, but if they ask verbally, we will more than likely tell them “I forgive you.” Even if they don’t ask, we may later in our hearts say that we forgive them or go through the motion of saying we forgive them. Even though we say we forgive them, it may just be mere words and could be a half-hearted ritual. Through promptings of the Spirit, the Spirit leads us to truly and fully forgive that person later on.
Jesus is the opposite. The forgiveness Jesus offers is real and full and complete and never half-hearted. He has forgiven us though we have lived and behaved badly. It is important that we receive real forgiveness which permanently changes our lifestyle. It is meaningless to repeat a ritual which merely reminds us that we are sinful but cannot bring pardon.
The Hebrews audience in the first century were acquainted with a system of worship which reminded them of their sin (9:1–10). Individual Jews could not come into God’s presence. Once a year the high priest carried the blood of sacrifices into the Most Holy Place of the Jerusalem Temple (9:7). The fact that the high priest could only approach God once a year demonstrated limited access to God. The annual offering of sacrifices only reminded the high priest and the worshipers that they had unpardoned sin. Sincere Jews could really be filled with a ton of guilt. They did not experience forgiveness!
The ministry of Jesus changed all of this, both for first-century Christians and for believers today. Jesus’ death not only cleansed the external but also the “conscience” (vv. 11–14). The holy influence of His death developed in His people a desire to serve the living God and freedom from dead works. Jesus’ death brought eternal redemption and eternal inheritance, including permanent forgiveness (vv. 15–22). Jesus’ death was permanently effective (vv. 23–28). It required no repetition. The single offering of His life removed the sins of all who trust in Him. Jesus gives us permanent forgiveness which cleanses our conscience. God’s grace richly blesses us.
PRINCIPLES
- The regular routine of sacrificing to God reminded the worshipers that they were in need of forgiveness
- The influence of Christ’s death produces in His followers a desire to serve God.
- Christ’s death removes the stain of sin. It is not just the external, but all of us is cleansed by His blood
- Christ’s death is so effective it requires no repetition. His death was final, full, complete, and once and for all. His death and blood satisfied all of the OT sacrifices.
- The high priest had to come into the Most Holy Place every year for an annual sacrifice. Jesus, our High Priest and Mediator of the New Covenant, is presently before God interceding on our behalf.
APPLICATIONS
- Don’t trust religious ritual to remove your sin. Do not put faith in a recipe with God. Trust in the life, work, death, and resurrection of Christ. Confess your sins to God and believe that He has forgiven them. Give that guilt to Him
- Nurture in your heart a desire to serve God. The life of Christ has freed us from dead works. Let us live to serve the living God.
- Trust in Jesus Christ as your Savior to remove the guilt of sin. Believers receive eternal redemption and eternal inheritance.
- Look for the coming return of Jesus which will complete the salvation which began with our commitment to Him.
After reading this chapter, the Hebrew Christians who received this letter had to realize that there is no middle ground. They had to make a choice between the earthly or the heavenly, the temporary or the eternal, the incomplete or the complete. They may ask “Why not return to the temple but also practice the Christian faith? Why not “the best of both worlds”? Because that would be compromising and refusing to go “outside the camp, bearing His reproach” (Heb. 13:13). So there is no middle way.
To those who believe, we have someone that will rescue us from hell. We have someone who will do anything to rescue us and save our lives. Our rescuer is Jesus. While many do not want His rescue, His offer stands for all. He gave His life for our sins. His offering was effective because he has done “away with sin by the sacrifice of himself” (Heb. 9:26). His offering of Himself needed no repetition. His sacrifice was only needed once as it was effective and complete. His offering was deadly because in doing God’s will He surrendered His own life. Jesus now holds out a lifesaving ring to us. By taking His offer we can receive eternal life.
Closer Look at Certain Topics
Inheritance (9:15) – Those who followed God under the regulations of the old covenant thought in terms of an earthly inheritance. By contrast, believers in Jesus receive the promise of an eternal inheritance. This inheritance involves an experience of divine grace both here and hereafter. It allows believers to experience the presence of God in their lives. It permits them to live with joy and delight in experiencing God’s blessings. Believers enjoy an eternal inheritance because the salvation Jesus gives lasts forever.
Shedding of Blood (9:22) – The uniform teaching of the Old Testament was that the forgiveness of sins demanded the shedding of blood (Lev. 17:11). The fact that Leviticus 5:11–13 described an exception to blood atonement did not nullify the general principle. The expression in the Old Testament describes the death of an animal and the outpouring of the blood on the altar. It involved both the death of the animal and the use of that blood to remove sin’s defilement.
The death of Christ in the New Testament was the means of atoning for the sins of the world. The removal of sins required the sprinkling of Jesus’ blood (1 Pet. 1:1–2) and provided forgiveness of sin (1 John 1:7) and cleansing of conscience (Heb. 9:14). The reference to the shed blood of Christ in the New Testament refers both to His violent death and also to the use of His blood as a means of reconciling sinners to God. Christians can rejoice that the shed blood of Christ has provided access to God.
“The End of the Ages” (v. 26) – This phrase from verse 26 reminds us of the phrase “in these last days” of Hebrews 1:2. The atonement of Christ was the climax of the age of the old covenant and the inauguration of a new era. The expression did not mean that the end of all time was near. It emphasized that Christ’s death was the climax of the Old Testament age and the beginning of the New Testament era.
Christ’s coming made the time of His death a time of fulfillment. His death on the cross removed or canceled the sin of those who respond in faith to Him. The first coming of Christ brought in the final state of affairs. The new age of the Messiah has started. Whenever Jesus returns, He will conclude the church age and inaugurate the new phase.