The Perfect Sacrifice
THE PERFECT SACRIFICE
HEBREWS 9:23-28
Here we read more about the finality of Christ’s sacrifice.
Again we have the concept of shadow and substance, this time to drive home the point that Christ has offered the perfect sacrifice. The sacrifices of the Law had limited effectiveness (9:13; see also 10:1,4). They could “purify” the “copies of the heavenly things” (9:23) which is all that an earthly sanctuary can provide at best. But we need more if our eternal need is to be met. And that need has been met, because Christ has provided the sacrifice that perfectly meets our need. The writer sees him as doing perfectly all that the ancient ritual foreshadowed.
Therefore, the Most Holy Place, which was hedged about with such elaborate safeguards, and into which the high priest might enter and only he once per year, is no more than a “sanctuary made with hands, a copy of the true one” (9:24). What appeared to the Jews to be the place of revelation of God’s presence is now seen to be no more than a pointer to what really is true. But Christ ministers where it counts. He appears in God’s presence for us (9:24). Our sin is dealt with at the highest level.
The second point that is stressed is the uniqueness of Christ’s sacrifice. The author comes back several times to the thought that the continuing nature of the ministry of the high priest is itself evidence of its ineffectiveness. But Christ did not offer himself repeatedly. He made only one sacrifice. He offered himself once for all (9:26).
Intertwined on this occasion is the other thought that he offers his own blood. There is a quality about his sacrifice that could not possibly be seen in any other. The high priest necessarily entered the Most Holy Place with the blood of an animal, “blood not his own” (9:25). There is a qualitative difference when Christ offers himself.
The chapter concludes with a forward look. This must always be taken seriously, knowing that before everyone is death and then judgment. Judgment is as certain as death. In fact, judgment is more certain than death, for some will still be alive at the end of the age and will be changed, not die (1 Corinthians 15:51). But all will stand before Christ’s judgment seat (2 Corinthians 5:10). We should never take death anything else than very seriously. Yet the really important thing is not this. It is that when Christ appears again it will be for the consummation of salvation. Then he will not deal with sin but take his own people into salvation. It will be a fearful thing not to be ready for him when he comes.