Hebrews 10:11-18 – After His perfect sacrifice, Jesus is seated at God’s right hand until all of His enemies are defeated. The one supreme sacrifice of Christ removes the necessity of repeated sacrifices of animals. These repeated sacrifices cannot remove sin. Jesus’ one sacrifice perfected the faithful. After the perfect offering, Jesus is seated now at God’s right hand waiting for all evil forces to be subjected to Him. This once-for-all-time offering initiated a new covenant which cancels all former covenants and their sacrifices. It is a new covenant of forgiveness. Since there is forgiveness in and through the new covenant, there is no need of other sacrifices for sin.
The Scriptures tell us the naked truth. It is positive, frank and absolute. “Never” has not a limitation nor exceptions. It simply says that the daily sacrifices of the priests can “never take away sins.” If so, they are futile and useless, a waste of animals and of the priests’ efforts.
Jesus sat down at the right hand of God when he ascended to the Father. Human priests stand at the altar to offer sacrifices. The high priest sat down in exaltation after his offering. He could sit down, for his one sacrifice was sufficient for all time. There is no need for him to stand again to offer a sacrifice. Now he sits in glory waiting for all forces to be brought into subjection to him as Lord of lords.
When Jesus gave supreme sacrifice on the cross, he gave perfection to all who accepted him by faith. Because of Jesus’ merit, God’s accounts the believer with perfection, not the sinners’ perfection but Christ’s perfection. The sinner puts on Christ’s rob of righteousness and possesses the perfection of Christ. Thus, God can receive the sinner into his holy presence because the sin is covered by the righteousness of Christ. [2]
For strong faith in Christ – Almighty and ever-living God, since You have
given exceedingly great and precious promises to those who believe, grant us so
perfectly and without all doubt to believe in Your Son Jesus Christ, that our
faith in Your sight may never be reproved; through our Savior, Jesus Christ,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever.[3]
-11 November 2021
[1] The Crucifixion, Schnorr Von Carolsfeld woodcuts © WELS permission granted for personal and congregational use
[2] Lectionary Preaching Workbook Series B, John Brokhoff © 1981 CSS Publishing, Lima, OH
[3] Collect for faith in Christ, Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing, St. Louis
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