Hebrews · chapter 9 of 13
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Hebrews 9 describes the tabernacle and the worship of the first covenant, where the high priest entered the Most Holy Place once a year with blood, and contrasts them with Christ, who entered heaven itself with his own blood and secured eternal redemption. His death inaugurates the new covenant; he offered himself once to put away sin and will appear again to save those who wait for him.
In chapter 8 the author announced the new covenant. Hebrews 9 explains how it was inaugurated: by a death. To do this he walks through the tabernacle, the day of atonement and the law of blood, and arrives at the center of the Christian faith, the single sacrifice of Christ.
The first covenant had regulations for worship and an earthly sanctuary. In the first section of the tabernacle stood the lampstand, the table and the bread of the Presence; behind the second curtain was the Most Holy Place, with the ark of the covenant, the jar of manna, Aaron's staff and the cherubim over the mercy seat. Only the high priest entered there, once a year, with blood, and the Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into the sanctuary was not yet open. Those rites could not perfect the conscience.
Christ, however, high priest of the good things to come, entered once for all into the heavenly Most Holy Place, not by the blood of goats and calves but by his own blood, securing an eternal redemption. If the blood of animals purified the flesh, 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!
For this reason he is mediator of a new covenant, and his death redeems from the transgressions of the first. Where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it is necessary, and the first covenant too was inaugurated with blood, sprinkled by Moses; without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
Christ did not enter a holy place made by hands, a copy of the true one, but heaven itself, to appear now in God's presence on our behalf. He offered himself once, at the end of the ages, to put away sin. Just as people die once and after that comes judgment, Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many and will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who eagerly wait for him.
References follow ESV book names and verse numbers. Read each verse in your Bible before the explanation.
Christ entered the Most Holy Place once for all, not with the blood of animals but with his own blood, and secured an eternal redemption. The work is finished and need not be repeated.
The blood of Christ, offered to God through the eternal Spirit, cleanses the conscience from dead works to serve the living God. Forgiveness does not only cover the past but frees us to serve.
Under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. Sin is serious, and forgiveness has a price that Christ paid.
People die once and after that comes judgment; so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many and will appear again, not to deal with sin but to save those who wait for him. Christian hope looks to his return.
6 questions with answers and references, ready for Sunday school, small group or a Bible quiz night.
Answer: Once a year, with blood. — Hebrews 9:7
Answer: The ark of the covenant with the tablets of the law, the jar of manna and Aaron's staff. — Hebrews 9:4
Answer: His own blood. — Hebrews 9:12
Answer: The conscience from dead works, to serve the living God. — Hebrews 9:14
Answer: Forgiveness. — Hebrews 9:22
Answer: Only once. — Hebrews 9:28
Hebrews 9 frees the conscience. Anyone still carrying guilt or trying to make up for failures with religious effort can read verse 14 aloud in the group: the blood of Christ cleanses the conscience to serve. You can discuss the difference between feeling guilty and being forgiven, and give thanks for a work that need not be repeated.
The end of the chapter also guides our waiting. Christ will return, but not to deal with sin; he comes to save. That invites us to live with hope rather than fear, awaiting him with an alert life.
Hebrews 9 presents the single sacrifice of Christ. Chapter 10 illustrates it with the shadow of the law, cites Psalm 40 and moves from doctrine to exhortation: draw near, hold fast the confession and do not turn away.
In the first section, the lampstand, the table and the bread of the Presence; in the Most Holy Place, the ark of the covenant with the tablets, the jar of manna and Aaron's staff, with the cherubim over the mercy seat. The author does not go into detail because his interest is the meaning, not the inventory.
Because the law taught that sin deserves death and that life is in the blood. Animal sacrifices pointed to this in a limited way; the sacrifice of Christ fulfilled it definitively, as Hebrews 9:22-28 explains.
That he will return visibly. At his first coming he offered himself to put away sin; at the second he will not deal with sin, which is already settled, but will bring full salvation to those who wait for him.