Contributor: Dolapo Olaoye

INTRODUCTION
We see in verses 11–15 the superiority of Christ, Mediator of the New Covenant, as our High Priest. The sacrificial death of Christ marked the beginning of the New Covenant, of which He is the Mediator.

Verse 11
"But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation."

 But - The “but” here makes a contrast to Old Testament rituals that could not make the believer’s conscience “perfect” (Heb. 9:9-10). Christ’s finished work on the cross as our High Priest resolved that problem. Here it focuses on what is real rather than what is symbolically anticipated.

 Christ [the Messiah] came as High Priest – Christ arrived in the presence of God to minister as our High Priest. This refers to His ministry in heaven. Giving us access to our Priest-King in glory.

 of the good things to come, - The “good things” (redemption privileges we have in Christ) refer to the new privileges whereby the believer can relate to God through Jesus’ death and resurrection.

 with [in connection with] the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, - This “tabernacle” is heaven itself. It is where Christ went into the presence of God as High Priest. No mere human being could construct a tabernacle like this. God constructed this tabernacle, not man.

 that is, not of this creation - Christ’s role as High Priest links with the heavenly tabernacle, not the earthly material order. Our perfect High Priest serves in a perfect heaven to make perfect those who believe.

Verse 12
"Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption."

Verse 12 speaks of Christ’s means of entry into the eternal Most Holy Place. The blood of atonement was the difference between life and death when entering God’s presence.
Jesus shed his blood and offered it on the altar in order to provide us with eternal redemption. Read verse 12 again: He says that Jesus “Entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption,” What does that mean? - It means that through the blood of Jesus, he secured for us complete and permanent redemption. Perhaps any other kind of redemption done in the past had been temporary. The priests had to sacrifice time and again and enter once a year into the most holy place of the earthly tabernacle in order to purchase forgiveness and relief for sinners. But it did not last, and the whole process had to be repeated year after year. But the moment Jesus
entered the real sanctuary in heaven bearing his own blood, it was once for all time. And it was complete, and permanent. Redemption for those who seek refuge in Jesus would be prefect and would never have to be repeated.

Verses 13-14
"For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, 14 how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?"

Jesus shed his blood and offered it on the heavenly altar that we might be sanctified at heart and cleansed in our consciences. The apostle talks about outward cleansing! And many people are only concerned about that. They care about how they appear on the outside. That doesn’t necessarily mean that they care about their own appearance, but they care about outward things that make them feel good about themselves and makes others see them as righteous people. They don’t see themselves as hypocrites, but they see themselves as people who are really trying hard to please God with all the outward things they do for God and for each other and for the church.
Jesus shed his blood and offered it on the heavenly altar that—all this that we might serve the living God. There’s is nothing in this universe more precious than the blood of Christ. The blood of Christ gives us Eternal Redemption. The blood of Christ sanctifies our hearts and cleanses our consciences. The blood of Christ restores our Eternal Inheritance. It frees us from the power of sin. Satan’s strategy has been to keep us locked up in sin. And as long as we are bound by sin, our consciences are guilty. And no one with a stained conscience can fulfil his or her purpose to serve God. That’s why Jesus shed his blood so that our conscience may be cleansed, so that we might be able to serve God in our lives.

Verse 15
"And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance."

Jesus shed his blood and offered it on the heavenly altar that we might be called by God. The blood of Jesus has the power to effect one of the greatest callings in human history. Jesus had once said regarding his crucifixion: “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” (John 12:32) Ever since then everyone whose sins have been washed by Jesus’ blood and through faith in him have been mysteriously drawn to the Lord Jesus. We who are drawn to the Lord Jesus automatically know that we belong to him.
Our calling is not random neither does it rest on who we are or what we do. You cannot belong to him by your choice or by your works, no matter how righteous your works might be. God’s calling to belong to him rests on God’s grace through his shed blood. If it were not for the blood of Jesus sprinkled on the heavenly altar not one of us who are called to belong to Jesus would belong to him. Our calling is uniquely connected to that Holy blood offered in heaven.
Jesus shed his blood and offered it on the heavenly altar that we might receive an eternal inheritance. Jesus entered the heavenly sanctuary to offer his Holy blood so that we might finally receive that eternal inheritance lost to us at the fall of our ancestor Adam but promised to us through the faithfulness of our God.
We have a calling to belong to Christ Jesus and to act and behave like those who belong to Christ Jesus. In other words, Jesus expects you to live and act like one who belongs to him, not like a selfish indifferent person who cares only for yourself. Adam had lost us everything in a moment of rebellion against God’s word and God’s rule in his life. He lost us all the privileges we had in God’s presence and kingdom and confined us to this world. He reduced our once glorious lives and inheritance to nothing but a fight for survival in a dog eat dog world. But Christ shed his blood to restore what we lost to us— That Eternal Inheritance—An inheritance that most people are so blind to.

CONCLUSION
Christ’s sacrifice was effective in paying for sins. Israel’s sacrifices were only ceremonial; the atonement sacrifice only covered sins and did not remove them like Christ did. Christ’s ministry was superior because it was spiritual, not material.