Why is Christ's sacrifice superior to the Old Testament sacrifices mentioned in Hebrews 9:23? Setting the Scene – Hebrews 9:23 “So it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be cleansed with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.” Copies versus Reality • The tabernacle, altar, and sacrifices Moses instituted were “copies of the heavenly things.” • They pointed forward to a greater, heavenly sanctuary where Christ would minister. • Because the earthly was only a shadow, its animal blood could cleanse ritual impurity but could not reach the conscience (Hebrews 9:9-10, 13). Why Christ’s Sacrifice Is Better 1. Offered in the True Sanctuary • Hebrews 9:24 – “For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary… He entered heaven itself, now to appear on our behalf before God.” • Earthly priests served in a tent; Jesus ministers in God’s immediate presence, giving His offering ultimate authority. 2. Once for All, Never Repeated • Hebrews 9:25-26 – unlike priests who entered yearly “with blood that is not his own,” Christ “has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to abolish sin by the sacrifice of Himself.” • Hebrews 10:10 – “We have been sanctified through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” • Permanence proves superiority; repetition signals insufficiency. 3. Perfect, Sinless Substitute • 1 Peter 1:18-19 calls Him “a lamb without blemish or defect.” • Animal offerings were required to be spotless, yet they were still only animals; Jesus is spotless humanity and full deity (Hebrews 7:26). 4. Cleanses the Conscience • Hebrews 9:14 – the blood of Christ “will cleanse our consciences from dead works to serve the living God.” • Animal blood purified externally; Christ’s blood reaches the innermost being, freeing believers from guilt. 5. Secures an Eternal Inheritance • Hebrews 9:15 – “He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance.” • Old Covenant blessings were largely temporal; the New Covenant anchors believers in eternal life and adoption (John 14:2-3; Romans 8:17). Additional Thread of Superiority • Fulfillment of Prophecy – Isaiah 53:5-6 foretold a suffering Servant who would bear iniquity; Christ completes that promise. • Divine Initiative – John 10:17-18: Jesus lays down His life voluntarily, not under compulsion. • Universal Efficacy – John 1:29: “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world,” extending beyond Israel’s national boundaries. Living in the Reality of the Better Sacrifice • Confidence to approach God (Hebrews 10:19-22). • Freedom from continual guilt (Romans 8:1). • Motivation for wholehearted service—“you were bought at a price” (1 Corinthians 6:20). Christ’s offering, carried into the very throne room of heaven, complete, perfect, and eternally effective, fulfils everything the earthly sacrifices could only foreshadow. |
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