Connect Leviticus 4:3 with Hebrews 9:11-12 regarding Christ's role as High Priest. Setting the Scene Leviticus and Hebrews stand centuries apart, yet they join hands in unveiling the one perfect High Priest—Jesus. Leviticus 4:3 sketches the pattern; Hebrews 9:11-12 paints the fulfillment. The High Priest Under the Law • Leviticus 4:3: “If the anointed priest sins, bringing guilt on the people, then he must present to the LORD a young bull without blemish as a sin offering for the sin he has committed.” • Key observations: – “Anointed priest” = Israel’s earthly high priest (cf. Exodus 28:41). – His personal sin “brings guilt on the people,” revealing corporate dependence on a representative. – A “bull without blemish” points to the necessity of a flawless substitute. • The priest offers blood for himself first (Leviticus 16:6); even the mediator is imperfect. The Built-In Limitations • Repetition—daily and yearly sacrifices remind Israel that sin is never finally removed (Hebrews 10:1-4). • Mortality—priests die, and the office changes hands (Hebrews 7:23). • Restricted access—only once a year does one man enter the earthly Most Holy Place, and only with blood not his own (Leviticus 16:15). Christ, the Superior High Priest • Hebrews 9:11-12: “But when Christ came as High Priest of the good things that have come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made by hands, that is, not of this creation. He did not enter by the blood of goats and calves, but He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood, thus securing eternal redemption.” • Highlights: – “Greater and more perfect tabernacle” = the heavenly reality the earthly tent merely mirrored (Hebrews 8:5). – “Once for all” contrasts with ceaseless Levitical offerings. – “His own blood” satisfies God’s justice permanently (1 Peter 1:18-19). – Result: “eternal redemption,” not temporary covering. From Shadow to Substance Leviticus 4:3 Shadow → Hebrews 9:11-12 Substance • An anointed but sinful priest → The sinless, eternally appointed Priest (Hebrews 7:26-28). • A flawless animal substitute → The flawless Lamb of God, Jesus Himself (John 1:29). • Blood sprinkled in an earthly sanctuary → Blood presented in the true, heavenly sanctuary (Hebrews 9:24). • Repeated sacrifices for ongoing guilt → One sacrifice that removes guilt forever (Colossians 2:13-14). Personal Takeaways • Confidence: Christ’s finished work secures access to God—“draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith” (Hebrews 10:22). • Gratitude: No further sacrifice is needed; our worship flows from completed redemption. • Holiness: The same blood that redeems also cleanses consciences “from dead works to serve the living God” (Hebrews 9:14). |
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