THE PERFECTION OF CHRIST'S WORK
(Suggested Reading Heb. 9:11-2811But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; 12Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. 13For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: 14How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? 15And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. 16For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. 17For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth. 18Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood. 19For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people, 20Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you. 21Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry. 22And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. 23It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: 25Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; 26For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: 28So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. (Hebrews 9:11‑28))
In Chapter 1.10 we learned about the imperfection of Aaron's work. That taught us that the law was only a system of things imposed upon the early fathers of the Hebrews and those who followed them "until the time of setting things right" v.10. In other words God set up and tolerated the ritual until the death and resurrection of Christ, which would both explain it and set it aside.
Christ's Perfect Work Contrasted to Man's Imperfect Works Under Law—a Review
The blood of Christ does two things for man. First it gives him forgiveness of sins, so that he no longer is fearful of meeting God, and secondly it enables him to come into God's presence as a worshipper. Before Christ died these truths were conveyed to man by the shedding of the blood of animals. First the Passover Lamb was slain in Egypt. Because of this, which anticipated the sacrifice of Christ our Passover 1 Cor. 5:77Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: (1 Corinthians 5:7) the Lamb of God. God could dwell with man for the first time. This would be in the Tabernacle, and the people rejoiced at the thought as they sang at the Red Sea "He is my God and I will prepare Him an habitation" Ex. 15:22The Lord is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt him. (Exodus 15:2). When Moses finished his work he erected a veil in the tabernacle to show that man could not approach God under law, but when Christ cried "it is finished" God tore the veil in half, allowing man to enter the Holy of Holies. The end of Moses' finished work is thus in contrast to the end of Christ's finished work. Now man is as sinful under Christianity. as under Judaism but the blood of bulls and goats did not speak of a finished work, so the veil had to separate man from God. The blood of Christ speaks of a finished work and under Christianity we have access to God's presence. So the Hebrews should forsake a system of things which kept them away from God and embrace the privileges of Christianity with its full access to God's presence.
The Jew should have been able to compare not only the work of Christ eternal rather than temporary when animals were sacrificed, but the glory of the contrasting priesthoods. Christ has gone on high and represents us in the presence of God. He is the Mediator of the New Covenant grace. The Old Covenant the law failed because of man's sinfulness. God now comes out in Christ in mediatorial glory. Indeed J.B. Stoney once remarked that the universe was made in order that it might be filled with mediatorial glory.*1 Indeed it was. Heaven and earth are no more than a stage for the display of God's glory found in all its fullness in His beloved Son in Manhood. Could Judaism offer anything like this? The ministry of its priests was confined to the Court outside and the Holy Place inside. Even the High Priest dare not break these confines. There was one apparent (not real) exception to this. Once a year, on the Day of Atonement, Aaron was permitted entrance to the Holy of Holies. But the conditions imposed "on him really showed that he had no right to be there at all. This was Judaism, the people, the priests, and even the High Priest must keep away from the God who dwelt in the midst of His people.
In vs. 7-10 Paul tells us what happened on the Day of Atonement without directly mentioning that day. The great teaching of the Day of Atonement is that the law made nothing perfect. Christ's work did. The contrast should help us appreciate the perfection of the finished work of Christ.
Perfection of Work Forgiveness of Sins and Approach to God by the Precious Blood of Christ We Have Seen How the Blood of Animals Sacrificed in the Jewish Ritual Could Not Open the Way to the Holy of Holies. Now We Come to One of Those Contrasts for Which Hebrews Is Noted, for the Rest of This Chapter Is Devoted to What God Really Required to Enable Man to Enter His Presence the Precious Blood of Christ. Here It Is Looked at in Three Ways. First for Purification It Purifies Our Conscience From Dead Works to Worship the Living God 6:14. Secondly As Confirming the Covenant 9:20 Moses' Action Looking Forward to the Lord's Words "This Is My Blood of the New Covenant." Thirdly It Gives Us Remission of Sins 9:22.
Christ's work and its consequence is eternal, not temporal Eternal things here are in contrast to temporal things the tabernacle and its services. "The things which are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are eternal" 2 Cor. 4:1818While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:18). Now in the tabernacle gifts and sacrifices were offered but they could not perfect the conscience of the worshippers v.9. The divine services of that day were imposed on the people as a temporary measure until Christ died.
“But Christ being come an High Priest of good things to come by a better and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say not of this creation. Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood, He entered in ONCE into the Holy of Holies, having obtained eternal redemption" vs. 11, 12. Notice the contrast with Aaron's priesthood here. Aaron entered the Holy of Holies once a year but the blood he took in was ineffectual since God could only be satisfied with the blood of His own Son. Aaron had to leave the Holy of Holies and return the next year repeating the same ceremony. Not so with Christ. He has entered ONCE with His own blood. He does not leave. He has obtained eternal redemption, which Aaron could not. No wonder He is called a High Priest of good things to come.
The next question raised is the purifying of the conscience. The law provided for this with the blood of bulls and of goats and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean 9:13 and this set aside in holiness (the idea behind sanctifying) the man who brought the necessary sacrifices but "to the purifying of the flesh only." But how much more efficacious is the blood of Christ and here the second eternal note is struck for He offered Himself in contrast to those who brought offerings through the eternal Spirit. He offered Himself to God a spotless sacrifice and through the eternal Spirit. Knowing this our conscience is purified not our flesh as in v.13. Our conscience is purified from dead works to worship the living God. So it is more than the first eternal thing eternal redemption. Because Christ offered Himself through the eternal Spirit spotless to God we become worshippers of God rather than those who only sought to appease Him with dead works.
The third eternal thing is the promise of eternal inheritance. It is still a promise. The land was a promise to the tribes of Israel gathered around the tabernacle as the glory is to us. But it is "an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fades not away reserved in heaven for you" 1 Peter 1:44To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, (1 Peter 1:4). Then in closing off the subject of our eternal inheritance Paul takes advantage of a dual meaning of the Greek word which can be translated either as "covenant" or "testament" (in the sense of a man's last will and testament) "for where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force after men are dead: of no strength at all while the testator lives" vs. 16, 17. Clearly "covenant" would make no sense here for a covenant or treaty is effective as soon as it is signed and has nothing to do with whether the signatories are living or dead. All this is simply a beautiful figure. In his death Christ has, so to speak, willed us an eternal inheritance.
The value of the blood of Christ to God and man Now that the work has been accomplished and the blood of Christ shed, the Spirit takes up the question of the threefold application of that blood. First blood was required as the seal of the Old Covenant vs 18, 20 which only looked forward to "My blood of the New Covenant" Matt. 26:2828For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. (Matthew 26:28). Secondly the tabernacle and the vessels of divine service were sprinkled with blood v.21. Sprinkling is for purification and since the tabernacle, as already stated, is a figure of the universe, the teaching here is that both earth and heaven have been cleansed from the defilement of sin having entered them by the sprinkling of Jesus' blood. This opens the way too for our entrance into the heavens, both God's people and their heavenly home having been purified from the defilement of Satan's sins. The "heavenly things" in v.23 are the things in heaven connected with the service and worship of God. The Lord told Nicodemus that He could not talk to him about these heavenly things because he did not even believe earthly things John 3:1212If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? (John 3:12). The Hebrews to whom this epistle was written had not advanced much beyond Nicodemus' state of soul when he came to Jesus by night.
Thirdly man is lost and "without the shedding of blood there is no remission" 9:22. Remission is the deliverance of the sinner from God's judgment of his sins because Christ shed His blood for him. Practically applied, remission becomes the forgiveness of sins. You could not get remission of sins under the Old Covenant. But at the institution of the Lord's Supper Jesus Himself said "this is My blood of the New Covenant which is shed for many for the remission of sins" Matt. 26:2828For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. (Matthew 26:28).
How the Three Appearings of Christ Summarize the High Priest's Work on the Day of Atonement
The three appearings are not given in chronological order and the meaning of the appearings here differs from the general meaning in Scripture. *2 In the order in which they are listed here, they are present v.24 where Christ appears in the presence of God for us the past v.26 when He appeared on earth to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself the future v.28 when He appears the second time to give us the salvation of our bodies.*3
The reason for the lack of chronological order is that the appearing of Christ in God's presence for us highlights the perfection of Christ's work for us in contrast to the imperfection of Aaron's work. Christ has entered God's presence in heaven with His own blood the proof of eternal redemption. While we understand the reason for the emphasis we can better understand the passage by reverting to chronological order.
The first appearing of Christ on earth The cardinal point in His appearing is that He came to deal with the sin question "in the consummation of the ages" as it should read v.26. This expression means at a time when God had tried man in every way without government, with government, without law, with law, etc. and man was found wanting. So Christ Himself must deal with man's condition and put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. Christ has been offered once only v.25 and suffered once only v.26 in contrast to the Jewish system of perpetual offerings and sacrifices. Understanding this truth would cause us to reject any system of theology claiming to return Christ's actual body to earth to perpetuate His sufferings. Perpetual offerings and sacrifices could only be returning to a Jewish system which has passed away. This first appearing then is analogous to the sin offering on the Day of Atonement.
The second appearing of Christ this time in heaven As already pointed out this appearing is mentioned first Christ appearing in the presence of God for us because it is so momentous an event to God. A man in the glory of God representing us before God! Think of it. In time sequence it is analogous to Aaron wearing the holy linen garments of sacrifice appearing with the blood of atonement. The heavens are cleansed and sanctified. Moreover the veil is rent and the way opened for the High Priest to appear on earth "a second time.”
The third appearing of Christ this time on earth again The first time Christ appeared on earth He dealt with the question of our sins. Because we believed His word He gave us the salvation of our souls. So when He appears again He won't have to reconsider that question. It is settled. Why is it re-introduced in the text again? Simply because of the mixed condition of the Hebrews some real Christians, others only nominal professors. The wages of sin is death and since man is a sinner it is appointed to him once to die. He must collect his wages. Death only partly pays those wages. The judgment following death is the final installment.
“But every mortal has his day down here,
And when his time is up he must be going.
Death puts an end to willful man's career,
However stupid or however knowing.
From human haunts all men must disappear,
And reap beyond what they have here been sowing.“ *4
For us however there is no judgment, for we are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8:11There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (Romans 8:1). On His first appearing He took up the question of sin and we received the salvation of our souls. The second time He appears it is for the salvation of our bodies. Our present bodies of humiliation hide from the world and ourselves the greatness of God's salvation soul first and body later which lies ahead for His beloved. God will not rest until He has given us glorified bodies, and we are in His presence holy and without blame before Him in love. In the meantime He gives us the services of His High Priest in heaven to sustain us. When that service ends that is, at the end of the Church period He will put off His holy linen garments. Then He will put on His garments of glory and beauty and come out as Melchizedec—Priest in blessing to Israel.