SERMON on Hebrews 9:24-28

Once-For-All and For ALL 

Hebrews 9:24-28 (NRSV)

²⁴ For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made by human hands, a mere copy of the true one, but he entered into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. ²⁵ Nor was it to offer himself again and again, as the high priest enters the Holy Place year after year with blood that is not his own; ²⁶ for then he would have had to suffer again and again since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once  for all at the end of the age to remove sin by the sacrifice of himself. ²⁷ And just as it is appointed for mortals to die once, and after that the judgment, ²⁸ so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.  

That’s what the hearers would have heard.  What would they have understood?  What should we take away? 

A.  WHAT WOULD THE RECIPIENTS HAVE UNDERSTOOD?    

1.   ²⁴ For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made by human hands, a mere copy of the true one, but he entered into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. 

• Notice the “not” and the “but” … there is a contrast being highlighted.
  • • “sanctuary …” vs “heaven itself”.
• Notice “on our behalf” … The reason Christ is doing what He did.
  • • Christ did what He did … “to appear in the presence of God” on our behalf.
• WHY?  Why did Christ appear before God?
  • • See the next two (2) verses …

2.   ²⁵ Nor was it to offer himself again and again, as the high priest enters the Holy Place year after year with blood that is not his own; ²⁶ for then he would have had to suffer again and again since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the age to remove sin by the sacrifice of himself. 

• Notice the “Nor” and the “But” … Another contrast is taking place here …
  • • “high priest entered” … vs “Christ appeared”.   
    • “again and again” (v.25) … vs “once for all” (v.26).
    • Christ’s sacrifice is being compared/contrasted with the sacrifice of the Levitical high priest who entered the Holy of Holies on one day each year.
• Notice, also, the word “remove” (v.26) … another contrast being hinted at …
  • • This is the reason Christ “appeared” before God (v.26b) … “to offer himself” … “to remove sin” … In other words, He appeared before God to offer Himself so that sin could be removed.
    • The blood of bulls and goats could only cover sins … the blood of Christ removed sin.
    • the word translated “sin” is hamartia in the singular, not plural … it appears that this is talking about sin in the collective sense, as if Christ’s sacrifice was intended to dismantle systems of sin that are participated in by many people collectively, either knowingly or unknowingly. God is concerned about human-made systems of oppression that create suffering for humanity.
    • Verse 26b uses the Greek perfect tense to show that not only was Christ’s sacrifice important at that moment in history, but it is still “in force” today and into eternity.

3.   ²⁷ And just as it is appointed for mortals to die once, and after that the judgment, ²⁸ so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

• These verses remind us of our mortality and impermanence, something that we often try to forget or feel as if it is something we need to apologize for.
• Our elder brother Jesus Christ was also mortal (fully human and fully divine), and it was his mortal humanity that made his sacrifice possible.
• Who better to understand our weaknesses than one who “has been tested as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15)?
• Here we are reminded that Christ promised to return, not to deal with sin but to “save” – or usher in salvation in the form of God’s kingdom or system on earth – for those who love him.
• Christ’s sacrifice, made in love, was done once, and our “repetition” of it, found in our ritual of Communion, now reminds us that love showed us the way out of the sin rut. ………..
• Christ’s second coming is not about sin …  It’s about love, a transforming love that looks forward to establishing God’s righteous rule on earth.

B.  WHAT SHOULD WE UNDERSTAND/TAKE AWAY?   

A.   First, some CONTEXT …

• This message is not to Gentiles, but to Hebrews – Jewish Christians – who were being persecuted and tempted to leave Christianity and return to Judaism.
• Hebrews is the only New Testament book that discusses Jesus Christ as our high priest, connecting him with the Old Testament priest Melchizedek.
• The main purpose of the letter is to show the supremacy and sufficiency of Jesus.
• A secondary purpose is to encourage the Hebrews to stay the course … and not go back into Judaism.
• The need for annual sacrifices, presented by the high priest, interposed the religious system, in this case, Judaism, as a mediator between the people and God.
• The writer points out the clear superiority of Christ who did not have to “offer himself again and again” as the high priest had to offer sacrifices every year.
• This highlights Jesus as fully divine as well as fully human.
• No longer was there a need for anyone to be the mediator between the people and God.

Application: 

• Remember v.24 … What Christ did was “on our behalf“
• Remember v. 26 … What Christ did was “once for all” … once – for all time, but also once – for all people, not just us.
  • • once-for-all … re: time … NB. contrast is with “again and again” re: frequency (number of times)
    • once-for-all … re: sin … Notice “sin”, not “sins” … but, by extension also re: people 1 John 2:22 … 1 Tim.4:10
• Remember v.28 … “will appear a second time, not to deal with sin”
• Why not?
• Because sin has already been dealt with … See v.26c … to remove sin (not cover it)
• When this letter was written … I wasn’t born yet, but my sins were accounted for.
• When we understand that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit know us intimately, the good and the bad, yet love us without reservation (remember Christ’s sacrifice, “once for all”), it’s as if our “cup of love” is filled and can overflow to others.
• We are not known or identified by sin or sinful behavior; that is all taken care of in Christ. God sees us in our true identity — his beloved children.
• We participate with Jesus and through the Holy Spirit he will lead us to change; we become better people as a result of God’s love flowing in us and through us.
• Remember vv.25 & 26 … What Christ did cost Him His own blood … His life.