How does Hebrews 10:1 connect to Christ's fulfillment of the law? Introducing the Verse “For the law is only a shadow of the good things to come, 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.” (Hebrews 10:1) Shadow and Reality • A “shadow” shows an outline, but not the full substance. • Old-covenant sacrifices sketched forgiveness, but could not grant it completely. • Jesus is the spiritual “body” that casts the shadow; once He arrives, the outline gives way to the true form (Colossians 2:16-17). Jesus’ Own Words on Fulfillment • “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them.” (Matthew 5:17) • His life, death, and resurrection fill the Law’s outlines with living color, satisfying every demand. Once-for-All Sacrifice • “But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God.” (Hebrews 10:12) • The endless repetition of animal offerings pointed to the need for a perfect, final substitute—fulfilled in Christ’s single, sufficient act (Hebrews 9:12-14). Perfecting the Worshiper • Hebrews 10:14: “For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.” • Romans 8:3-4 echoes the same truth: God accomplished through His Son what the Law, weakened by the flesh, could never do—so that “the righteous requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us.” The Law as Tutor, Christ as Graduation • Galatians 3:24 calls the Law “our guardian until Christ came.” • Guardianship ends when the heir reaches maturity; likewise, the Mosaic system hands believers over to the risen Lord, who grants full sonship. Living in the Light of Fulfillment • Rest—no more striving for acceptance; Christ has completed the work (Hebrews 4:10-11). • Confidence—approach God boldly, cleansed by superior blood (Hebrews 10:19-22). • Gratitude—honor the Law’s Giver by loving obedience, written now on the heart (Jeremiah 31:33; Hebrews 10:16). |
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