Jesus Put Away Sin Book of Hebrews Hebrews 9:23‐26 November 1, 2015 23 Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. 25 Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, 26 for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. Last week we saw that the forgiveness of sins requires blood… there is no forgiveness without the shedding of blood, someone must die. And not just any someone, but the one who is worthy to be a sacrifice for all of the sins of mankind. Remember that the author of Hebrews used the metaphor of a last will and testament to help us understand the covenant promise of God to offer up a worthy sacrifice that would atone for our wrongdoing. We saw that the terms of a will are not effective until the author of the will dies. Therefore, even the first covenant, the law, was inaugurated with blood sacrifice. But the sacrifice offered under the law 1 | P a g e wasn’t an effective or lasting sacrifice. It had to done over and over and over. So, the point of the passage was to point us to God’s grace and mercy. Our God is a God of grace… undeserved favor. He is filled with mercy and compassion toward us. We deserve death, yet we receive life. We deserve eternal punishment, yet we receive adoption into the family of God… becoming sons of God and joint heirs with Jesus! When the covenant is put into force upon the death of the worthy sacrifice… we who believe become enormously rich. We inherit the kingdom of God as co‐heirs with Jesus. This is an unbelievable truth. No other belief system, of all the ones that have devised by man through the ages, teaches this truth. They are all a fraud, designed to make us believe that somehow we can become like God or earn favor with God through our right actions. But Christianity teaches nothing of the sort. True Christianity teaches that we are unworthy, lost, broken and without hope. Yet, through the substitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ, we become white as snow… sinless and righteous through a substitute who died in our place. That is once again the focus of our passage this morning. Now that we have seen that it was Jesus who was the worthy sacrifice, that it was Jesus who provided forgiveness of sins; the author is now going to go into greater detail and show us why the sacrifice of Christ is so much superior 2 | P a g e to the sacrifices offered under the law, through earthly priests. Look at Hebrews 9:23‐26. Let’s read the passage. The Former Things Were Copies Start with verse 23. It says, “Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites…” What rites? Well, look back at verses 19‐21, 19 For when every commandment of the law had been declared by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 20 saying, “This is the blood of the covenant that God commanded for you.” 21 And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both the tent and all the vessels used in worship. These are the rites that verse 23 is referring to… it was necessary to throw blood all over the beautiful tent of meeting, the incredibly intricate garments of the priests and even the people themselves. For, there is no forgiveness of sin without the shedding of blood. But verse 23 also calls these rituals. The temple, the priests, the sacrifices… they were rituals. Then verse 24 goes on to tell us something that is very revealing… it calls these rituals copies of the heavenly things. In short, they were informative and helpful, but not ultimate. They were not wrong, they just were not the final word. They did not have ultimate authority or power. They offered a form of forgiveness but not ultimate and final forgiveness. They were a copy, a shadow. 3 | P a g e Let me try to demonstrate with a practical example. I have here in my hand a piece of Confederate currency from the Civil War. It is a $5 bill dated February 17, 1864. It was issued late in the war, just before the South was defeated. It is likely that this series was never even circulated. In small print at the top, it says that it can be redeemed two years after a treaty of peace is ratified between the Confederate States and the United States. I just recently discovered this bill in a collection of items from Susan’s dad. Moving has some benefits, it is a pretty nifty find. So, how is this bill related to our passage? Well, consider this… when this bill was issued, it held value. But, the ultimate value was uncertain. This bill is not really money, like we understand it, but it is a promissory note that offers payment at some undetermined point in the future… a minimum of two years but possibly longer, depending on when the war was over and a treaty signed. Now, however, the note is simply a keepsake. It has virtually no value, even as a collectors item. You see, a new currency has taken its place that is based on far better promises, the promise to allow you to actually covert it at face value, immediately. The confederate currency was offered in good faith, but it was based on lesser promises and a hope that a future event would occur that would make it redeemable. That is precisely what has happened with Jesus. The former things, the law, the tabernacle, the sacrifices; they were copies, or shadows, of the true things to come. The copies were purified by blood, but they existed to 4 | P a g e make us aware that a better set of promises, the passage calls them “heavenly things”, were coming. How about another example, that is similar. Now I have in my hand a wad of German money. In fact, I am holding $160,000 marks, issued against the German central bank. That is 89,400 US dollars in today’s currency. Well, there may a catch. You see, these are Reichsbanknotes that were issued in 1922 by the Weimer Republic, the German government that was established after WWI. Hyperinflation made these notes plentiful and absolutely worthless. I may have been able to buy a single piece of bread with what I have in my hand, but nothing more. These appear to be authentic notes, but they are simply collectors’ items today, as the promises that were behind these when they were issued have been replaced by better promises, promises that supply a more valuable and stable currency. Once again, let’s look at the metaphor. German reichsbanknotes were issued with a promise of payment. In this case, the promise was not very reliable. These notes were a faint shadow of what was to come. The new currency issued under the authority of the German central bank, following reconstruction after WWII, was stronger and more certain… it was a better promise. (Now the Mark is replaced by the Euro, but that is simply another discussion ) This is the point of our passage. The law was not worthless, like these Marks, but it wasn’t nearly as valuable as the new covenant. 5 | P a g e Now, one thing I want to make clear before we move on. These examples are good in that they help us understand a concept; that the former is but a shadow of what was to come. But, they are seriously deficient in one important way. I do not want to leave you with the impression that the covenant promise of God, which was originally revealed through the law, was anything like the faulty promises of the Confederate States or the Weimer Republic. That is where the metaphor loses its usefulness. What I am trying to demonstrate is that the promises behind these currencies were like the first covenant in that they gave way to better promises, based on a better government. Under the old covenant, the government was on the shoulders of man with requirements that man could not meet. Under the new covenant, the government is on the shoulders of Jesus Christ, the one who can make good on his promises. John Piper puts it this way in his sermon on this passage: For 1,400 years or so, God willed that the death of his Son, Jesus Christ, be foreshadowed and anticipated in history among the Jewish people through their animal sacrifices and their tabernacle and temple worship. The writer says in verse 23 that these things—the tabernacle and vessels and relics—were all "copies" of an even greater reality in heaven. As copies they could be ceremonially cleansed by blood from the sacrifices of calves and goats. That's the way God ordained it. 6 | P a g e But then he says that these kinds of sacrifices are utterly inadequate to deal with what ultimately matters: not the copies, but the "heavenly things themselves" (verse 23). To deal with the heavenly things themselves and to cleanse them, there will have to be "better sacrifices." These "better sacrifices" are what Christ offered once for all in his own death. And with this one great offering, verse 24 says, Christ "did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us."1 Before God on Our Behalf Now the passage goes on, in the remainder of verse 24, and says, 24 For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. Jesus is before the Almighty God of the Universe on OUR behalf! He is our advocate, our intercessor. Let me ask you this, if you were alive during the Civil War and were going to hire an attorney, an advocate, who spoke on your behalf, would you want Jefferson Davis or Abraham Lincoln? They were both articulate educated men. They were both Presidents. Which would you choose? In the same way, if you needed an advocate to speak to God on your behalf, would you want the High Priest of Israel or would you want Jesus? The answer here is obvious. Jesus hasn’t entered into the back of the earthly Tabernacle, he has made 7 | P a g e entry directly into heaven before the presence of God. He appears there on our behalf! Listen to what scripture says about Jesus’ advocacy… 1 John 2:1: My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. Romans 8:33‐35: 33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—
more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 1 Timothy 2:5‐6: 5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. Hebrews 7:25: 25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. Once And Forever Christ is our advocate forever. He always lives to make intercession for us. And now, in verses 25‐26(a) we see that it is a one‐time sacrifice that has taken care of all sin, since the foundation of the earth. It is a powerful and 8 | P a g e effective sacrifice! 25 Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, 26 for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. Under the Levitical law, the priest had to go into the holy of holies once a year to offer atonement for the people’s sins. In addition, multiple other kinds of sin and thank offerings were required of the people. They were sacrificing and making offerings to God constantly. The burden of their sin was constantly before them and a heavy weight on their shoulders. The yoke of the law was heavy and burdensome. Now, we have a better covenant with a better high priest. He appeared once, and only once, to put away sin by sacrificing himself. Never again will Jesus be crucified. Never again will there be a need for a new sacrifice to deal with our sin. It is finished. The battle is over. Now verse 26 tells us that the great High Priest of Eternity has offered himself in our place at the end of the age and is so doing has “put away sin” forever. What it Means “To Put Away Sin” Forever What fantastic good news. It is the best news anyone could ever receive. Lost, broken and hopeless mankind has received a pardon from the sentence of death that hangs over our heads. In our natural state, we are doomed, with a sentence of eternal death attached to our soul. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. All are destined for eternal damnation. There are no exceptions. None seek God. None seek 9 | P a g e righteousness. All have turned to their own way and do what is right in their own eyes. But God, being rich in mercy, sent his son Jesus Christ to be the ultimate sacrifice for sin as He took our sentence upon himself and died in our place. Now, He has not only paid the price but he has become our advocate before our Father in heaven. And what is it that Jesus says to the Father on our behalf? Have you ever wondered that? What is it that Jesus says as he pleads our case before the throne of our righteous God? I believe the answer is found in Revelation 5:12, these are the words of the four creatures who surround the throne of God, 12 saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” Our defense before God is rooted in the worth of the Lamb, the value of His sacrifice. It has nothing to do with us. We have no intrinsic worth or status before God. It is only in Jesus that we gain worth and power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing. We are joint heirs with Jesus. His sacrifice has put away our sin, once and for all. And what shall we say? How shall we respond? I pray that this just brings pure joy to your heart and a desire to worship and proclaim the worth of Jesus. Finally, I want to address what it means in verse 26 when it says that Jesus put away sin. Yes, we are forgiven, but that is not all that this verse is trying to teach us. This verse says that not only does God forgive us, but 10 | P a g e that the sacrifice of Christ has made us, who believe, to be sinless. This is so important… it is a statement that goes straight to one of the most pivotal doctrines in all of scripture, Justification. There is a huge difference between being forgiven and being forgiven… pure as the driven snow. Let me use a very imperfect example. Next September, Susan and I will have been married for 40 years. Over the course of those years, we have had some pretty good disagreements. I have sinned against my wife, repeatedly. She is very kind to me and very forgiving. We have learned to ask for forgiveness in those times of dispute and disruption in our relationship. But, make no mistake. Even though my wife has forgiven me, it is a cold hard fact that I have sinned against her. I could list a number of them for the record, and so could she, but you get my point. I stand before you as a forgiven man. My relationship with my wife is strong and vital. But, I have a long list of wrong actions toward her in that 40 year time span. Many of us think of our relationship with God in exactly this way. We have acted wrongly toward God. We have sinned against him. There is a laundry list of offenses. The good news is that they are forgiven, they no longer stand between us. Through the blood of the Lamb, God has extended his grace and we have a strong and vital relationship with God, even though there is a long list of wrong actions in our history together. That is how we think of our relationship. But, please listen to me very carefully. I want to make this crystal clear. If you think of your relationship with God in this way, then you do not 11 | P a g e understand the doctrine of justification. God has not forgiven our sins and sent us on our way. God has eradicated our sins and they exist no more, through the substitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ. A relationship with God is not like my relationship with my wife. She forgives me, but the history of the sin still exists. God forgives me because there is NO SIN TO FORGIVE. He sees me as sinless, pure, perfect. When verse 26 says that Jesus “put away sin”, it means that he did away with it forever. Our sin no longer exists. It never happened, according to our record. That is what it means to be “justified”. It is the legal declaration that there is nothing in your life that causes you to be guilty of sin. You have been declared to be “not guilty”. You are justified. The blood sacrifice of Jesus, the better sacrifice, not only brings forgiveness into our life, it brings restoration and justification. Your sin, as one who is in Christ, no longer exists. That is what it means in Psalm 103:10‐12 when it says, 10 He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. 11For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. This is Biblical thinking. It is challenging and it is a declaration of absolute freedom! Can we close our worship this morning by declaring the greatest news that mankind has ever heard? Would you listen very carefully please. The problem of sin is over. The whole issue of sin, willful disobedience to God, is put away… the battle is over and we have been declared righteous… 12 | P a g e sinless and qualified to enter directly into the presence of God. Not through our own acts or thoughts, but through the once and for all sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. If you are bound in guilt, if you struggle with bad habits, if you constantly find yourself falling short of God’s law… the whole issue of sin has been resolved once and forever. Jesus paid the price. He took your sin and you are no longer a sinner. Yes, I said that. It is true. if you are a redeemed believer in Jesus Christ. God has declared you not guilty because of the sacrifice of Jesus. You are perfect because Christ is perfect and He is in heaven advocating on your behalf. You are worthy because He is worthy. Grace upon grace. The battle is over, you have been set free. In one single act, all of history was consummated and Jesus Christ put away the sin of those who are the called ones. You who are set free by the Son are free indeed! Please pray with me in celebration of this great truth. Benediction: Romans 8:33‐35: 33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—
more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 13 | P a g e Endnotes: 1
http://www.desiringgod.org/messages/what‐christ‐did‐at‐the‐end‐of‐the‐age 14 | P a g e