Contributor: Isekhua Evborokhai

INTRODUCTION
In last week’s study titled “The Abolishment of Sin” we learnt that the sacrifices of Christ were infinitely better than those of the law, which could neither pardon for sin, nor impart power against it. As we compared the old testament and new testament tabernacles and the sacrificial offerings made by the high priests and the Lord Jesus Christ. Today’s study is the somewhat of a conclusion of last week’s study as we go ahead to look at Christ’s Eternal Sacrifice and what it means to us.

I. VERSES 1-4: THE SACRIFICES PRESCRIBED BY THE LAW COULD NOT COMPLETELY REMOVE GUILT AND SIN

“The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason, it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. 2 Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. 3 But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins. 4 It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” (NIV)

In the first two verses, Paul argues that the Law was only the shadow of good things to come, and not the very form of things. For this reason, the repeated sacrifices could not make perfect those who draw near. Otherwise, they would have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have had a consciousness of sins. “To make perfect” refers to our standing in God’s sight. It includes total cleansing from sin, so that we have a clean conscience. If our consciences are aware of sins that have not been confessed and forgiven, we will hesitate to draw near to God. We see this same response with Adam and Eve. As soon as they sinned, they tried to hide from God’s presence. They didn’t want to face Him because of what they had done. As parents we would have had the same experience. You come home and your child avoids you. When you track him or her down, they won’t look you in the eye. They don’t want to draw near to you because of a guilty conscience.

Next in verse 3, Paul goes on to argue that the annual sacrifices (on the Day of Atonement) only provided a yearly reminder of sins. The fact that every year the people had to go through this ritual sacrifice again and again only showed that it had not completely removed their guilt.

Then in verse 4, he states plainly, “it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” Animal blood has no permanent efficacy for human sins. God designed that system of animal sacrifice to point ahead to His provision of the sacrifice of His Own Son. As eternal God, His sacrifice has infinite value. As man, His sacrifice atones for human sin in a way that the blood of animals never could.

II.VERSES 5–10: CHRIST’S OBEDIENCE TO GOD’S WILL AT THE CROSSSET ASIDE THE OLD TESTAMENT SACRIFICES AND PROVIDED PERFECT STANDING FOR US BEFORE GOD

“5 Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; 6 with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. 7 Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll— I have come to do your will, my God.’” 8 First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them”—though they were offered in accordance with the law. 9 Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second. 10 And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."

Apostle Paul started off with Jesus’ quote prophetically penned down in Psalm 40:6-8. These verses show us the pre-existence of Jesus Christ as eternal God. But not only this, from these last 6 verses of today’s reading, we learn three key points:

1. THE CROSS WAS THE DIRECT WILL OF GOD.

The cross was not an accident or an unforeseen tragedy that took Jesus by surprise. It was not a temporary setback that God figured out how to turn for good. Rather, the cross was God’s predetermined plan, before the beginning of time, to deal with our sin. The Son of God would come into this world as a man, would fulfil through His obedience the complete Law of God, and then would die as the sacrifice that the justice of God demands as the payment for sins.

There is a great mystery here that we must submit to: even though God ordained the cross, down to minute details (e.g. casting lots for Jesus’ clothing), He is not in any way responsible for the sin of those who crucified Jesus. As Acts 4:27, 28 puts it: “For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur.”
By coming into this world specifically to go to the cross, Jesus not only provided the sacrifice for sins that we need. He also provided a supreme example of resolute obedience to the complete will of God. Twice Paul repeats Jesus’ words from this psalm, “I have come to do Your will, O God.” As Luke 9:51 puts it, “He set His face to go to Jerusalem”. As Jesus prayed in the garden, “not My will, but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42). We cannot imagine how difficult it was for the sinless Son of God to be made sin for us. But His determined obedience to God’s will, no matter how difficult, teaches us to commit ourselves to obey His will, whatever the cost.
You don’t decide to obey God at the moment of temptation. It has to be a rational commitment that you make before you find yourself facing temptation.

2. CHRIST’S OBEDIENCE TO GOD’S WILL AT THE CROSS SET ASIDE THE OLD TESTAMENT SACRIFICES ONCE AND FOR ALL.

“He takes away the first [O.T. sacrifices] to establish the second [the will of God at the cross]” (Vs. 9). When the psalm states that God did not desire or take pleasure in sacrifices (Vs 5-6), it reflects a frequent theme in the Old Testament, that God did not desire sacrifices for their own sake. Rather, the sacrifices should reflect a repentant heart (1 Sam. 15:22; Ps. 51:16, 17; Isa. 1:11-13). God is displeased when people go through the outward motions of worship, but their hearts harbour sin that they are unwilling to forsake.
In modern terms, you can go to church and partake of communion, but if you are living in disobedience to God or if you are covering some sin in your heart, God is not pleased with your worship.

3. BY CHRIST’S OBEDIENCE TO GOD’S WILL AT THE CROSS, WE RECEIVE PERFECT STANDING BEFORE GOD ONCE AND FOR ALL.

In verse 10, the Apostle Paul uses “sanctified” to refer to “inward cleansing from sin” and “being made fit for the presence of God, so that …[we] can offer Him acceptable worship”. “Have been sanctified” is the Greek perfect tense, signifying a past action that has ongoing results.
By way of contrast with the often-repeated Old Testament sacrifices, the one offering of Christ on the cross conveys to believers perfect standing before God for all time.
This perfect standing before God for all time refers to our position before God, not to our daily relationship. As we will see (later in verse 14), even though we are perfect in our standing, we are progressing in our growth in holiness.

CONCLUSION
The author piles up a number of synonymous phrases which show what the Law with its sacrifices could not do. Firstly, that the sacrifices of the Law could never “make perfect those who draw near.” Secondly, the sacrifices could not completely cleanse the worshipers and take away their consciousness of sins. Thirdly, the sacrifices provided a yearly reminder of sins; and finally, that the sacrifices could not take away sins.
He then went ahead to show us what Christ’s sacrifice did accomplish. That by God’s will through the cross, “we have been sanctified” once for all. In Christ we receive a complete, final, once for all pardon for all of our sins, past, present, and future!
Christ’s Sacrifice was made once for all!
In contrast to the repeated Mosaic animal sacrifices, Jesus came into the world according to God’s will (Psalm 40:6-8) in order to eternally sanctify a people through offering himself as a sacrifice once for all.

Parts of this study was culled from:
https://bible.org/seriespage/lesson-28-total-forgiveness-hebrews-101-18