Sunday, October 5, 2014

What makes Christ so superior? Hebrews 5-7

Hebrews 7:26-27
" For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself."

Before we can understand the deeper meaning of the above text and appreciate what the writer of Hebrews is telling us, we need to revisit the first verses that start this beloved book.  Note the following:

Hebrews 1:1-3
​ God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,"

In the opening lines of the book the writer makes a point to state what will become the theme of the book: The Superiority of Christ.  Christ is superior to everything and, after He "made purification of sins, He sat down ..."!   The writer wants to establish that the sacrificial system was a picture of what was to come.   Whereas other priest needed to offer up many sacrifices and many priest were needed to do so, because they were both sinful and terminally ill.    But, Jesus was a priest of a different order and only needed to offer ONCE and then, completing the offering for all of us this one time, sat down ... He WAS FINISHED.    The finality of Christ's offering and work is a theme of the book of Hebrews.   Our sins (past, present and future) we paid for on the cross, ONCE!!   Christ is the superior sacrifice as He declares Himself both the offerer and the offering.   Other religions are not built on this premise.   The individual must continue to seek the favor of God in their systems and, by continually sacrificing good works, their sins can be atoned for and they can receive a heavenly blessing.  Yet, in the Christian faith the sins of the people, the believers, are cared for ONCE FOR ALL!  Rejoice in the fact that ALL sins of the believer were cared for once for all.  There remains no more sacrifice for sin.   That is the real peace of the believers life.   No more penalty for ANY sin, since ALL Sins are cared for by a one time sacrifice.

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