Week 14, Hebrews 9:15–28 Hook

Main Point: Jesus’ blood is better. Current Event You will spend about one-third of your life asleep. 1 The average person will dream for 136,000 hours, that’s more than six years of your life. 2 Below are some sleep facts provided by the National Sleep Foundation: 1. Man is the only mammal that willingly delays sleep. 2. We naturally feel tired at two different times of the day: about 2:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. It is this natural dip in alertness that is primarily responsible for the post-lunch dip. 3. Newborns sleep a total of 14 to 17 hours a day on an irregular schedule with periods of one to three hours spent awake. 4. When infants are put to bed drowsy but not asleep, they are more likely to become “self-soothers,” which enables them to fall asleep independently at bedtime and put themselves back to sleep during the night. 5. Snoring is the primary cause of sleep disruption for approximately 90 million American adults; 37 million on a regular basis. 6. According to the results of NSF’s 2008 Sleep in America poll, 36 percent of Americans drive drowsy or fall asleep while driving.

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http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/2011/04/05/live-more-sleep-less/#.VYsOZKVBpG6 http://discovermagazine.com/2006/jul/20thingssleep

7. According to the results of NSF’s 2008 Sleep in America poll, a surprising 34 percent of respondents reported their employer allows them to nap during breaks and 16 percent provide a place to do so. Discussion Questions • • •

If you could function without sleep, what would you choose to do with your spare time? Describe a time in your life when you were sleep deprived. How did it change the way you functioned? If you were offered the opportunity to sleep only once in a lifetime without the need to sleep again, would you take that opportunity? Why or why not?

Transition In this section of Hebrews, the idea of a once-for-all sacrifice is presented. Unlike the sacrifices in the old covenant, the blood of Jesus is sufficient for all time.

Hebrews 9:15–28 Book Main Point: Jesus’ blood is better. Text Summary What the priests of the Levitical sacrificial system could not accomplish—the internal cleansing from sin—Jesus accomplished by His once-for-all offering of Himself on the Cross. 3 He is the mediator of the new covenant; His death has liberated us from our sins; He is coming again. Hebrews 9:15–22 (Read) Sub Point: Blood is meaningful. The link between Jesus’ blood and the ratification of the new covenant is described. The writer of Hebrews continues to extol Jesus who is reigning and ruling, mediating and interceding on our behalf in the very presence of God. The long-awaited new covenant has come: God has planted His laws in His people’s hearts; knowledge of God is now personal; and the Lord has forgiven His people’s sins. These new covenant promises from Jeremiah 31— outlined in Hebrews 8—have come to pass because Jesus’ blood was shed. Blood is meaningful. The precedent of blood shed to cover sin and death was established with Adam and Eve. After they sinned in the Garden, they attempted to cover themselves with fig leaves, but God sacrificed animals to cover their nakedness (Genesis 3:7, 21). Or consider the sacrificed Passover Lamb, whose blood was placed on the doorway so that the death angel would “pass over” the Israelite’s homes, sparing the eldest son (Exodus 12:21–27). The Law of Moses was replete with blood sacrifices for sin and, in the midst of that Law, God declares: For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life. — Leviticus 17:11–12, emphasis added The shedding of blood brings atonement, the forgiveness of sin. Under the old covenant the ritual cleansing was real and effective as far as it went, even though it could not achieve perfection or cleanse the worshiper’s conscience. 4 But now our Hebrews’ author exclaims, “How much more will the blood of Christ purify (9:14)!”

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Allen, David L. (2010), In The New American Commentary: Hebrews (p. 488). Nashville, TN: B & H Publishing Group. 4 O’Brien, Peter T. (2010), In The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Letter to the Hebrews (p. 334). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

He goes on to describe the necessity of Christ’s death. There is some dispute among scholars about the language the writer used in Hebrews 9:16–17—the Greek word diathēkē can be translated either testament or covenant—but whichever translation one chooses, the point of the Scripture is to show that the testator/covenant-maker must die for the testament/covenant to be ratified. 5 Bottom line: the new testament/covenant is put in force because of Christ’s death. His death fully consummates the old covenant that was never entirely satisfied by the blood of animals and His blood inaugurates the new covenant by thoroughly redeeming, delivering, liberating—forgiving—us! • •

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Blood is life (Leviticus 17:11). What does blood accomplish according to Hebrews 9:7, 14 and 22? If animals were used for sacrifice in the old covenant, why couldn’t they have been used to establish the new covenant? Was it necessary that Jesus be the sacrifice? Why or why not? Hebrews 9 teaches that a death was necessary to provide release from the old and empower a joining to the new. In what other ways does the kingdom of God embody the “death for life” principle?

Hebrews 9:23–28 (Read) Sub Point: Jesus’ blood is powerful. The value of Jesus’ blood is examined. In some ways, the final portion of Hebrews 9 parallels 8:11–14; for example, it continues comparing the earthly type and its heavenly counterpart: Earthly sanctuary Made with man’s hands Many high priests Many sacrifices Blood of animals Insufficient

Heavenly sanctuary The very presence of God One high priest One sacrifice Blood of Jesus Perfect

While the blood of animals cleansed earthly things and priests to purify them for the presence of God in the Most Holy Place, a better blood is required to cleanse earthly sinners to enter the very presence of God in heaven—the blood of Jesus.

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Allen, David L. (2010), In The New American Commentary: Hebrews (p. 481). Nashville, TN: B & H Publishing Group.

Jesus’ blood is powerful. Its power is described like this, “(Jesus) has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself (9:24).” Christ’s sacrifice abolished sin. This is a finished work, which the author underscores by pointing out that Christ does not offer Himself repeatedly. For starters, His sacrifice is sufficient and, also, He is destined to die once, like all men. Two things in life are certain: death and judgment. The question before the throne might sound like, “Did you choose the life that Christ freely offered or did you spurn it? Did you choose His grace or your own merits? Did you choose to trust yourself or Jesus?” 6 Those who have trusted Jesus find themselves in Him and have been judged righteous for all time because of Him. That’s reason to eagerly await His return! • • •

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Read Hebrews 9:24 and 28. What did Jesus do (past tense)? What is Jesus doing (present tense)? What will Jesus do (future tense)? Read Hebrews 9:25. What has Jesus done to sin? What do you think it means for present and future sin? See Hebrews 9:26. In what ways do you eagerly await Christ’s return? In what ways do you not await His return?

Ellis, Paul. “The Wrath of God.” www.escapetoreality.com. January 30, 2014. Web. Accessed June 17, 2015.

Week 14, Hebrews 9:15–28 Took

Main Point: Jesus is the better solution to sin. Illustration Unlike sleep, Jesus’ work on the Cross does not need to be revisited. This once-for-all activity covers sins—past, present and future. Discussion •

Compare the yearly offering on the Day of Atonement and the blood of Christ given on the Cross. What similarities do you see? What differences do you see?

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What does the blood of Christ accomplish in the life of the believer?

Lesson Conclusion The Day of Atonement was fulfilled when Jesus shed His blood on the Cross, triumphed over death, and entered into the heavenly Holy Place. A better sacrifice! His entry into heaven saved us from the penalty of sin. He intercedes on our behalf, saving us from the power of sin. We eagerly await His return and coming deliverance from the presence of sin. Challenge Rally behind Jesus’ sacrifice. Have you heard the song “Nothing but the Blood of Jesus”? 7 It declares that your cleansing, wholeness, forgiveness, hope, peace and righteousness are all

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Lowry, Rev. Robert (1877), In Welcome Tidings. Biglow & Main. [Sourced from www.1timothy413.com/files/hymns/blood_v.html]

based on the blood of Jesus. It’s true! Reflect on what Jesus’ sacrifice has accomplished in your life; celebrate Him for it; hold on to it like a banner. Trust in Jesus’ blood, not your good works. Do you choose His grace or your own merits? It may be tempting to trust that your own good works satisfy guilt, but it is the blood of Jesus that has removed your sin. Ponder 1 John 3:5 and imagine yourself in Him, just as you are: “You know that He appeared in order to take away sins, and in Him there is no sin.” Find confidence in Christ. Because Christ has accomplished the victory once for all, you are free from fear. Press on in maturity, knowing that your sins have been covered. Refuse to live a life of shame over past failures or shortcomings; stop worrying over your success. Allow those truths to develop a confidence in your life. You do not need to worry over your wins versus your losses, your reputation, your skill set, or the potential that the world sees in you or you see in yourself. Your sins have been atoned for, your present and your future have been secured. Live the Christian life with confidence, not fear.