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Hebrews 10.11-18
11 And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. 14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
15 And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying,
16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them
after those days, declares the Lord:
I will put my laws on their hearts,
and write them on their minds,”
17 then he adds,
“I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”
18 Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.
Do you have a favorite spot where you sit at home? Perhaps it’s a comfortable old chair or a spot that you settle into on the couch as you read a good book, watch TV or catch up on pictures and posts on your phone or a tablet.
I have a spot like that at my house on a couch. When I sit there, it’s come to signify the end of the day for me. That’s it. No more work, no more projects. The work and stuff of the day are finished.
I was thinking about that as I read the passage. Once again Hebrews is comparing the work of the priests in the Temple and their daily sacrifices to Jesus' perfect atoning sacrifice, once for all (Hebrews 10.10).
What’s interesting to notice in this passage is that the priests stand while they do their work (verse 11), but Jesus, who has offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, sits down at the right hand of God.
N.T. Wright, in his commentary on this passage, correctly points out that in much of the world today, and for most of history, the act of sitting down had meant that you had finished your work.
In our passage, the priests continue to stand because their work never fully atones for sin, but Jesus has finished the work which is why He sits down at the right hand of God. There is no need for a repeated sacrifice. What Jesus has accomplished on our behalf through His death on the cross He has accomplished fully and finally.
That’s interesting as we consider some other passages in the Bible. John 19.28-30 records the death of Jesus and His last words on the cross, “It is finished.”
The work has been accomplished fully and completely and it does not need repeating.
This echoes the words from Isaiah 55.10-11 which talk about God’s word going out. Notice what I’ve underlined in verse 11.
10 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
The point of verse 11 is that God’s word will accomplish, that is finish, the good work for what it was sent out to do.
Now consider how Jesus is described in John’s Gospel, the Word become that dwelt among us (John 1.14) and that Jesus has been given and sent into the world (John 3.16-17).
Jesus, the Word become flesh, was given and sent into the world and He has accomplished, that is completely fulfilled the promises of the Heavenly Father.
What we celebrate on Good Friday, and every time we take communion together, is that God has fully and finally dealt with our sin through Jesus’ perfect atoning sacrifice on the cross, once for all. It’s what makes Good Friday, good.
How does that truth impact your life and influence you today?
God bless you and know that I am praying for you constantly.
Scott
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