One & Done
Hebrews 10:1-14
Emmanuel Christian Church 9.21.25
INTRODUCTION: If there is anything that can be said of the human race-
it is this: “We are SLOW to learn!”
Now, that’s NOT to say that we are stupid, unable to learn. Oh my
no! Remember, we were created in the image of God Himself- crowned
with the glory of divine intellect, freedom of will, and creativity.
Our learning disability is the result of our singular common problem-
SIN. God’s word tells us explicitly:
“The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they
cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image
of God.” 2 Corinthians 4:4
As a result, the simple, yet deeply profound message of God’s plan
for our redemption from the death sentence of sin- seems like complicated
foolishness to the onlooking world. Again God’s Word calls it out:
“…Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,
but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the
power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser
than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s
strength.” 1 Corinthians 1:23-25
PROPOSITION: So this morning, we’re going to cut through the fog of
spiritual confusion and hear from God’s Word a number of simple facts
that will help us to understand Just what God’s been up to in human
history as He’s been working to rescue us from OURSELVES. So, before
we get to our first set of facts, let’s get the BIG ONE out there first:
Because of our own personal choice to rebel against God by choosing to
sin- all of us DESERVE only one thing: eternal punishment and
separation from God.
Having said that, KNOW THIS: God’s heart desire is that no one should
keep their date with that destiny! Listen to that heart’s plea in His very own
words:
“…I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign
LORD. Repent and live!” Ezekiel 18:32
In our text for this morning, three paragraphs introduce three subjects in
which we’ll find absolute answers to God’s plan for our rescue. The first
paragraph, we’ll call “THE SHADOW”.
Hebrews 10:1 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 If it could, 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 because it is impossible for the blood of
bulls and goats to take away sins.
“The law is only a shadow…”
- So, what’s “the law”?
- The first five books of the Old Testament.
- The first Covenant between God and man, received by Moses from
God Himself during the 80 days he spent at the summit of Mt. Sinai.
- More than just the 10 Commandments, it is the entire sacrificial
system of the Old Testament that required all sorts of daily sacrifices
as well as sacrifices offered on the annual high holy days.
- With all that in mind, we’re left with the one word description of that
whole system- it was a “shadow” of coming realities, NOT the realities
themselves!
- So, if the law was “only a shadow” what WAS it’s purpose? That’s a
GREAT question- to which Scripture gives SOLID answers. Let’s hear
those answers and get the facts for ourselves:
God gave us the Law to define sin.
Romans 7:7 “…Indeed I would not have known what sin was except
through the law.”
God gave us the Law to define what is truly moral.
Romans 7:12 “So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is
holy, righteous and good.
God gave us the Law to prove self-righteousness as a hopeless dead
end.
James 2:10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at
just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.
Galatians 3:11 Clearly no one is justified before God by the law,
because, “The righteous will live by faith.”
Hebrews 10:3 “But those sacrifices (required by the Law) are an
annual reminder of sins…”
God gave us the Law to make us desperate for an alternative!
Galatians 3:24 So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that
we might be justified by faith.
APPLICATION: Thank of the Law of the Old Covenant this way- it was a
BIG flashing neon arrow pointing us to Jesus and the New Covenant made
in His own blood. Because as the closing words of our first paragraph
clearly say: “…because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to
take away sins.”
Let’s now turn our attention to the second paragraph of our text for this
morning. Let’s call this one “The Prophecy”…
Hebrews 10:5 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, O God.’” 8 First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt
offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with
them” (although the law required them to be made). 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.
Did you notice something interesting about what we just read? The
majority of it is in quotation marks! That means it came from some other
place… That place is Psalm 40, written 1,000 years before the birth of
Christ! So, it is a PROPHECY of Christ given by Christ about Himself
through King David, 1,000 years before His birth in Bethlehem! WOW!!!!
THE PROPHECY
- This prophecy speaks to the eternality of Jesus and lines up perfectly
with John 1:1-2:
John 1:1 and the Word was God. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,
2 He was with God in the beginning.
- This prophecy speaks directly to the purpose of God in securing our
redemption:
- Sacrifices of dumb animals made by imperfect human priests could
NEVER take away ANYONE’S sin. Only a PERFECT Priest and
PERFECT sacrifice could accomplish that!
- Verse 9 gives us the insight as to what made Jesus both that Perfect
Priest and Perfect sacrifice:
HEBREWS 10:9 Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.”
- Although all of Psalm 40 are the prophetic words of Jesus, two verses
are ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT:
Psalm 40:6 Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but my ears you have
pierced; burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require.
- How is this verse different from verses 5&6 in Hebrews 10? (Answer:
“my ears you have pierced” cr. Ex 21:5-6)
- Jesus is our PERFECT PRIEST because He came to do God’s will,
and He did it perfectly 100% of the time!
Here’s the second verse from Psalm 40:
Psalm 40:12 For troubles without number surround me; my sins have
overtaken me, and I cannot see. They are more than the hairs of my head,
and my heart fails within me.
John Calvin thought this one line in Psalm 40 disqualified it as being in
reference to Christ- after all how could Jesus have “sins”? My response?
“Come on John! Have you never read…”
“God made [Jesus] who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we
might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21
Our final paragraph from this morning’s text, let’s title “The Priest”:
Hebrews 10:11 Day after day every priest stands and performs his
religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can
never take away sins. 12 But when this priest had offered for all time one
sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. 13 Since that time
he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, 14 because by one
sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.
THE PRIEST
- Two priests are in view here: the earthly priest (of which there were
MANY over the generations), and the One Perfect Priest from Heaven-
Jesus, our Lord and Savior.
- Two timeframes are also here:
- The earthly priests offered sacrifices EVERY day of the year, year in
and year out, continuously, without ever stopping. PATHETICALLY
INEFFECTIVE!
- Jesus offered His sacrifice, once for all! ONE AND DONE!
- Two physical positions are here as well:
- The earthly priests always STOOD before God. Especially during the
sacrifice made by the High Priest each year in the Holy of Holies!
REVERENT FEAR!
- Jesus, in his “one and done” sacrifice SAT DOWN- and this in the
actual presence of His Father in Heaven! COMPLETE CONFIDENCE!
CONCLUSION: Jesus is our Great High Priest who fulfilled the Law and
offered Himself as the only acceptable sacrifice for our sin. He is the only
One who can serve as our intermediary before God the Father.
Approaching God any other way will end in failure and eternal judgment.
Jesus put it this way:
John 14:6 the Father except through me.”
“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to
