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The Better Sacrifice – Hebrews 10
The Better Sacrifice – Hebrews 10
God appointed the offering of animals as a sacrifice under the Old Covenant. The wording of the Old Covenant is very specific and detailed. It outlines which animals to offer. It speaks of such offerings as being ‘for the atonement’ of sins. It demanded that there be no imperfection in the animal that was to be offered. It specified who was to offer it, where they were to offer it, and how they were to offer it. Then such offering was done over and over and over.
The Hebrew writer sums up some of the characteristics of these animal sacrifices as he writes of them in chapter 10. First, they were understood to be ‘but a shadow of the good things to come’ (1). Second, it was impossible for them to take away sins (4, 11, 18). Third, they did not make the offerer (the one who drew near) perfect (1). Fourth, they had to be repeatedly offered (11) [and specifically every year on the day of atonement vs. 3].
In being a ‘copy of good things to come’, the writer specifically had in mind the offering of Jesus. His coming into this world involved a body for this specific purpose (5). The offering of the body is spoken of in different ways - the blood, the body, ‘himself’, and the life. With Jesus we have one who had no imperfection - he was thus the complete / perfect man for the sacrifice as he never sinned (4:15). This sacrifice of Jesus is said to be offered ‘once’ (9:18), a single sacrifice for sins for all times (12), and a ‘single offering’ (14). Thus it is said to be offered ‘once for all’ (10).
The word ‘once’ is defined as meaning: “a single occurrence to the exclusion of any other similar occurrence—‘once and for all, once and never again.’ (Louw Nida Lexicon). This is particularly emphasized at the end of chapter 9.
- It is appointed unto man to die ONCE (9:27)
- Jesus, at the end of the ages, has appeared ONCE FOR ALL to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself (26).
- So Christ has “been offered ONCE to bear the sins of many (28).
The effectiveness of this is seen in this one time offering for the writer argued that if a sacrifice could "make perfect those who draw near,…would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins?" YES, and thus Jesus WAS offered ONCE FOR ALL TIME, NEVER to be done again. The writer thus states that ‘by a single offering He has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified” (10:14). With this sacrifice our sins are forgiven and will never be brought up again. (10:17). The writer concludes this section saying: “Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no long any offering for sin” (10:18).
Praise the Lord, by His mercy and grace Jesus has offered himself once for all time to take away our sins and by His blood we are forgiven and restored to a right relationship with God.
Hugh DeLong
