One Sacrifice of Christ Is Sufficient
10 For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very [a]form of things, [b]can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near. 2 Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have had consciousness of sins? 3 But in [c]those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year by year. 4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. 5 Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says,
“Sacrifice and offering You have not desired,
But a body You have prepared for Me;
6 In whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You have taken no pleasure.
7 “Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come
(In the scroll of the book it is written of Me)
To do Your will, O God.’”
But a body You have prepared for Me;
6 In whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You have taken no pleasure.
7 “Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come
(In the scroll of the book it is written of Me)
To do Your will, O God.’”
8 After saying above, “Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You have not desired, nor have You taken pleasure in them” (which are offered according to the Law), 9 then He [d]said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will.” He takes away the first in order to establish the second. 10 By [e]this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
11 Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; 12 but He, having offered one sacrifice for [f]sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from that time onward until His enemies be made a footstool for His feet. 14 For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are [g]sanctified. 15 And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us; for after saying,
16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them
After those days, says the Lord:
I will put My laws upon their heart,
And on their mind I will write them,”
After those days, says the Lord:
I will put My laws upon their heart,
And on their mind I will write them,”
He then says,
17 “And their sins and their lawless deeds
I will remember no more.”
I will remember no more.”
18 Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin.
I read this today in my time with the Lord. I had several chills go down my spine as I read this passage.
If you read the Old Testament, you will find that a priest offers sacrifices every day. There is one sacrifice that he offers once a year on a specific day. This day was called The Day of Atonement. The High priest (Aaron, if you are reading in Leviticus 16), on this day would take a live goat and place both of his hands on it's head. He would then confess over all the sins of the sons of Israel. He would then have the goat driven into the wilderness where it would bear their sins of the people far away.
You see, this was done yearly, and it was only a small portion of what went on in or around the temple. There were daily sacrifices taking place to cover the transgressions of the people. Thousands of offerings were given, thousands of animal were slaughtered to bring atonement for the iniquities of the Israelites.
All the while, Christ and the Father were looking down, knowing that soon, they would be sending a sacrifice that would cover all, once and for all. This sacrifice was perfect, innocent, and blemish less. It would come as a child in a humble stall. It would walk as a man of sorrow. It would speak as one with authority. It would stand before the High Priests...and at the hands of a sinful and perverse generation would die.
This sacrifice is Christ. The day He died, the last Day of Atonement faded into memory. He was the ultimate sacrifice. He was the Darling of heaven come to earth to die as if a thief or murderer. He came to fulfill the prophecies and to bring salvation to the lost, He was slain at the hands of those He came to redeem. He was mocked and whipped by the ones He chose to love.
Because of the perfect plan of God, the Son was crushed on our behalf. No more scapegoats where needed. The blood of lambs and bulls was worthless to the Lord after the death of Christ. His blood flowed forth covering all who would be called His own, from age to age. He died to save the nations and the generations both before us and those to come.
Who is this that I follow? Who is this that I serve?
I serve the ALMIGHTY of Heaven! I serve the Lamb of God who was slain! I look to the One who rose from the grave on the third day and who ascended into heaven! I serve a mighty Savior who is coming back again...
