26 If that had been necessary, Christ would have had to die again and again, ever since the world began. But now, once for all time, he has appeared at the end of the aget to remove sin by his own death as a sacrifice.------------
This has always been one of the most amazing chapters in the Bible to me. I really love how there is a straight parallel between the sacrifices that the priests made under the Mosaic law and the sacrifice that Jesus made for all of us. It is so powerful to think that Christ died once and for all...that unlike the priests who had to make a sacrifice once a year in order to enter into the presence of God and ask for the forgiveness of sins for himself and the people...Christ made that sacrifice once and has covered the sins of (many) people---The word many is taken from one of the later verses. I believe the word "many" is used here to demonstrate that salvation is only available to those who accept the blood of Christ. Praise God for the removal of sin in my life through the redemption brought by the blood of Jesus!
22 In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
ReplyDeleteWe are so fortunate that Christ died on the cross for us so that we are no longer cleansing things with blood to achieve forgigness. His blood was spiiled that day so that we can attain mercy through him, no longer by our own hands are we responsible for our own sacrifices. Christ was our sacrifice.
28 "So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to beat sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him."
ReplyDeleteHonestly this verse is plain and simple. I guess that is why I like it so much; because there isn't much to interpret. Jesus died for us. And He is coming back not to die again but to save us. He has already beaten sin with His sacrifice, now all that is left is for our salvation through Him.
11-12:
ReplyDeleteBut when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.
This verse paints an awesome picture of what Jesus did for us when He died on the cross. Earlier in the chapter the author describes how in the days of the Law the High Priest would enter the Holy of Holies once a year with an offering of blood for the sins of himself and the people.
Christ did the same thing! When He died He went into the presence of God, not with the blood of anything of creation, but with His own blood. And because He was (and is) perfect, He offered His blood for our sins, not His own.
He is the Lamb of God and our High Priest!
13-14
ReplyDelete13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.
SUCH a simple yet powerful statement..
If the blood of simple animals, was enough to COVER the sins of israel, isnt the blood of the SPOTLESS LAMB OF HEAVEN, the answer to CLEANSE our souls of sin, and PURIFY us to serve the living God...
Its crazy to think that the Lord would do such a thing for us, BUT. HE. DID.
12-14 "He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!"
ReplyDeleteThis verse is so awesome!I think this verse points to the power of Christ's sacrifice and thus the reality of our redemption. Our redemption could not have occurred by any less potent of a source, any less powerful of a fount. I'm reminded of the song "Come Thy Fount Of Every Blessing" when I read these verses. It's hard to believe God loves us enough to use His own Son's blood for us. But I'm glad he did....
-DA
3-4 Behind the second curtain was a second section called the Most Holy Place, having the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron's staff that budded, and the tablets of the covenant.
ReplyDeleteFirstly, this is an all-around incredible chapter! In these verses, I keyed in on the contents of the Ark of the Covenant. This Ark was where the presence of God was fully manifested on earth during the Old Testiment. In the New Testiment, God's presence was fully manifested on earth in the person of Jesus Christ.
1)Urn of Manna: This is referring to Deut 8:1-3. So this urn of manna signifies that from God comes the bread of life. Jesus is the eternal urn in which the Bread of Life resides. In John 6, Jesus says that he is the "Bread of life."
2)Aaron's staff that had budded: Jesus is the vine that bears eternal fruit(John 15:1-6).
3)Tablets of the Law (Covenant): In Jesus the whole law is fulfilled not abolished. Jesus two commandments, "love the LORD your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and love your neighbor as yourself" sum up the whole law. God values His Word (the Law) very highly, and in Jesus the whole council of God is found.
How awesome is this? Direct parallels between the OT and the NT resting place of the presence of God on earth. How great is Jesus?
And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
ReplyDelete___
When Christ returns, he will have a new mission. He came first to be our high priest, to offer up a sacrifice in himself for our sins. His blood cries out on our behalf.
No, when he returns, it will not be to make a way for our salvation, but to bring salvation itself. He is coming to save those who wait upon him. When you look around the world, and read the news, does it make you yearn for the coming of the Lord?