The New Covenant’s Sacrifice

June 16, 2019 Background Scripture: Hebrews 9:11 – 28 Lesson Passage: Hebrews 9:11 – 22 The writer of the epistle to the Hebrews had a thorough knowledge of the Levitical priesthood God established with Israel through Moses. Through salvation in Christ and teaching of the Holy Spirit, the author provides explanations and/or meanings to the various sacrifices prescribed in the book of Leviticus. The many offerings and sacrifices were not just meaningless religious rituals. Those sacrifices provided some understanding to Israel of the holiness of God and the sinfulness of people. Likewise, those sacrifices also prescribed some acts of sanctification—or setting apart—of the people of God from the customs and norms of the world. There were offerings required of Israel that covered sin, peace or fellowship, guilt, and even unintentional sin. The offerings required the giving of grains, or the lives of birds, or certain specified unblemished animals. Because of the continuous presence of sin in people and the eternal holiness of God, the offerings were repeated many times. Sin is offensive to God. The peace offerings are a reminder of that. The annual sacrifice for sin recognized the continuous presence of sin in the lives of the people of God. Most things pertaining to the relationship between God and His chosen people required the sacrificial death of a living creature in place of the person. When living creatures were sacrificially put to death in faith—based on the instructions God gave them, God accepted those sacrifices for the purpose in which they were offered. However, as stated previously, those sacrifices had to be offered over and over. Even the sacrifice of the paschal lamb for atonement had to be offered every year for the people of God. During those sacrifices, God accepted the blood of the unblemished animal in exchange for the soul(s) of the one for whom it was offered. Once a year, Israel looked to God for the forgiveness of sin; and throughout the year, Israel offered sacrifices to maintain a proper fellowship with God as He prescribed for them. The writer of this epistle made it clear that those sacrifices were a foreshadow of the ultimate sacrifice that was to come. Jesus offered his sinless soul and his unblemished public life as the ultimate sacrifice to God on behalf of the people of God. Because of Jesus’ perfection, he was only sacrificed once for all times. There is no need for Jesus to die once a year for the sins of the people. Likewise, there is no need for Jesus to constantly return and present himself publicly as an unblemished sacrifice. The New Covenant is the ultimate covenant. It fulfills all of God’s requirements for holiness and fellowship with Him. The offerings/sacrifices of the Old Covenant included a long list of grains, bulls, sheep, goats, and birds—depending on the nature of the offering. The New Covenant only required one sacrifice; that sacrifice is the life of Jesus. In Jesus’ death on the cross of Calvary, all of God’s requirements for righteousness are fulfilled. Jesus is the New Covenant’s sacrifice. Robert C. Hudson May 15, 2019