JESUS CHRIST: A PERFECT SACRIFICE OF GOD PROVIDE SALVATION

BIBLE PORTION:
Hebrews 9:24-28

BIBLICAL FOUNDATION:
Hebrews 9:28
INTRODUCTION:
The Epistle to the Hebrews is quite unique. Traditionally, it was believed to have been written by the Apostle Paul, but there are various conflicting opinions among theologians regarding its authorship. This letter may have been written to the Jewish community to strengthen the faith of those who were persecuted at that time, to convey that Jesus Christ is superior to the angels, the High Priest, and Moses mentioned in the Old Testament, and to tell the Jews that Jesus Christ is the ultimate and final sacrifice.

In the passage we read, we can see the emphasis on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Additionally, this passage speaks of truths that encompass the three aspects of time. In verse 24, it mentions the present aspect where Jesus Christ is interceding with God on our behalf. In verse 25, when discussing the Old Testament sacrifices, it refers to events of the past. And in verse 27, with its mention of the final judgment, it also speaks to future thoughts. Through this, the author explains truths concerning the past, present, and future. Moreover, the author elaborates on how the Law and sacrifices mentioned in the Old Testament are fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

Sacrifice is closely related to offerings. Information about sacrifices was not only conveyed through Moses; even before Moses' time, we can see references to sacrifice as offerings throughout the book of Genesis. Moses may have formalized the rituals of sacrifice, which were offered from time to time. We can reflect on how these sacrifices, which were ritualized through Moses, found their fulfillment in Christ by examining two aspects.

1.THE SACRIFICE OF CHRIST: THE PERFECTION OF THE LAW: (Hebrew 9:25):
God gave the Laws to the people of Israel through Moses to regulate their lives and organize their system of worship. The Law generally refers to God’s commandments and moral guidelines on how the people of Israel should live in a way that honors God. Moreover, Jesus Christ explained the purpose of the commandments in Matthew 22:37-39. The concept of the law is multifaceted and appears in different forms, yet all these aspects lead to only one goal: salvation. One of the most important laws given was sacrifice. The Law emphasized that redemption comes through sacrifice. During sacrifice, blood is shed. The author of Hebrews beautifully explains this idea in Hebrews 9:22: “Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins.” The author draws this concept from the Law in Leviticus 17:11.

Why must blood be shed for redemption? Because that is the Law. Life is in the blood. Genesis 2:7 says that when God created man, He “breathed the breath of life into him.” Thus, life is from God; it belongs to God. The life offered to God must be pure. But because of sin, life breathed by God became impure. According to the Law, an impure life needs a pure life to purify it. If an impure life is not purified, the sinful life will be condemned to death. To save the impure life from being condemned, God instituted the sacrificial system through Moses. The sacrifice of Jesus Christ fulfilled these Laws entirely.

Why can't sin be forgiven by the Laws? Martin Luther's theology provides us with an answer to this question: the limitation of the Law. The Law may reveal the importance and need for salvation. It may speak about the need for a Savior. But the Law itself cannot provide salvation due to its limitations. It is only Christ's sacrifice that satisfies God's Law. Christ alone has the capacity to fulfill the Law, as the Law was created by God, who alone understands its capacity and limitations. Therefore, God incarnated Himself as Jesus Christ to fulfill His own Law through His own sacrifice.

2.CHRIST’S SACRIFICE: THE PERFECTION OF SACRIFICES: Hebrews 9:25:
In this sacred passage, the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews states that Jesus Christ offered Himself as a sacrifice only once. This means that the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross brought an end to all the sacrifices that were offered in the Old Testament. The crucifixion of Jesus Christ became the complete and permanent sacrifice. If the crucifixion of Jesus Christ had not been complete, then He would have needed to be crucified every year. To convey to his readers that Jesus Christ is the ultimate sacrifice, the author also mentions that “the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood,” but that Jesus Christ offered His blood once, fulfilling the ritual. By saying this, he is referring to the sacrifices made on the Day of Atonement.

Offering sacrifices is the primary duty of the priest. However, the sacrifice made on the Day of Atonement is very special because it is a ceremony that takes place only once a year. To understand that the death of Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of all sacrifices, it is essential to know the sacrificial rituals of the Day of Atonement. These are described in Leviticus chapters 16 and 17. On the Day of Atonement, four types of rituals are observed:

1. Purification of the Sanctuary and sanctum
2. The scapegoat rite
3. Self-denial
4. Miscellaneous

Of these four, only the first two rituals can be performed by the high priest, while the last two can be observed by all the people. On the Day of Atonement, two unblemished goats are selected by the high priest—one is sacrificed, and the other is released into the wilderness.

The first ritual, Purification of the Sanctuary and Sanctum, involves sacrificing one of the two goats selected by the high priest. Its blood is sprinkled forty-nine times—seven times each—in three locations: The Adytum (the most holy room), The Shrine (the outer room), and outside the tent/Temple. This sacrifice marks the beginning of the purification ritual (Leviticus 16:16,19). This is a purification offering, where blood acts as a detergent to remove impurities. It is never applied to a person but is sprinkled on the rooms and the holy furniture of the Sanctum (Exodus 29:12; Leviticus 4:6,7).

The importance of this ritual lies in the fact that the sacrifice purifies the Sanctum on behalf of humanity. This means that when humans sin or suffer severe impurity, the Sanctum becomes defiled. The people themselves cause the impurity of the Sanctuary and Sanctum. The greater the people’s sin and impurity, the more the Sanctuary and Sanctum are polluted. The idea behind this is that, through the sacrificial blood sprinkled by the high priest, the inner sanctum is purified, and in turn, people are cleansed. This echoes Paul’s words: “You are the temple of God.”

Secondly The Scapegoat rite. After the first goat's sacrifice, the high priest would lay his hand on the head of the Scapegoat, symbolically transferring the collective sins and transgressions of the people on to it. The scapegoat was then led away to the wilderness by the priest. This symbolised the removal of the people's sins from the community.

Thirdly, Self denial. This act instruct the people to “afflict their souls”. This includes fasting as well as refraining from other physical comforts and pleasures. Renouncing physical pleasures, individuals show humility, focus on their spiritual needs and emphasis repentance over bodily desires.

These sacrifices were performed every year. Through His death on the cross, Jesus Christ fulfilled all these sacrificial rituals. As the unblemished lamb, as the lamb who was slain, He humbled Himself, forsaking everything, becoming the sacrifice that removes people’s sins, the sacrifice that purifies humanity. He revealed Himself as the high priest who performs all these roles and completed all these sacrifices in the sanctuary of the cross.

CONCLUSION:
Dearly beloved in Christ, why did Jesus Christ need to fulfill the commandments? Why did He need to complete the sacrifices? Why, being God, did He have to offer His own blood? It was all for one purpose alone—human redemption. To bring humanity into communion with God. Humans were created to live in fellowship with God. This can be understood from the Book of Genesis through the dialogue between Adam and God, as well as from the verse Hebrews 9:24, which states, “this world is a copy of the heavenly realm.” In heaven, we will be in communion with God. Even if a person falls into sin, these commandments and sacrifices were given so that they might be redeemed from that state and be reunited with God. Jesus Christ fulfilled all of this completely.

Finally the salvation act is over. But the conclusion of the text and sermon is not yet. The harvest of the salvation is still there. So be prepared ourselves to face the judgement with the help of the salvation act of Jesus Christ the God. Amen

©2025, I. Ananda Balakrishnan

SUPPORTING BOOKS:
1. The Holy Bible (NRSV Version)
2. The People’s Bible Commentary by Richard E. Lauersdorf, Concordia Publishing House, Saint Louis - 2005
3. The Expositor’s Bible Commentary by Frank E. Gaebelein, Leon Morris, Zondervan Publishing House, Michigan - 1981.
4. The Anchor Bible Dictionary Vol.2 by David Noel Freedman, Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, United States - 1992

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