Hebrews 10:1-10

For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near.  Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins?  But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year.  For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.  Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me;  in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure.  Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’”  When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), then he added, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second.  And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

The things that the Law and the sacrifices of animals could never provide were made possible by Christ. Traditions established through the years became so important to the nation of Israel that they forgot what these rituals were communicating.  It is easy for us to go through the motions of doing religious acts like the Lord’s Supper, baptism, giving, or even attending church, without considering the significance of why we are doing them.  What the Law and rituals could not accomplish was accomplished by Christ.

THE LAW CANNOT MAKE PERFECT: The Law was never intended to make people perfect.  Its purpose was to demonstrate the holiness of God and the sinfulness of man as a means of pointing us to our need of a Savior.  The author of Hebrews describes the Law as a shadow.  A shadow is a representation of the real thing but should never be confused with the genuine person or that is being reflected.  Jesus fulfilled the Law perfectly so the Law illustrated what He would be like but should never be mistaken for Him.  Only He can make us perfect.  Through faith we are given His righteousness as our position before God.  Through the power of His Spirit, we are being perfected and conformed to the image of Christ.  The hope of the Gospel, we are guaranteed to be perfected in His presence eternally.

SACRIFICES OFFER GOD NO PLEASURE: The sacrifices required by the Law were simply an illustration of the future sacrifice of Christ on our behalf.  These sacrifices were made multiple times because they were not permanent.  The blood of goats and sheep could never pay for the sinfulness of man.  The sacrifices of these animals could never appease the wrath of God towards sin.  It brings God no pleasure to see an animal killed and then burnt on an altar.  These acts of obedience were meant to be instructive to those making the sacrifices that they would understand that the wages of their sin was death.  They were to picture themselves in the place of that animal.  The sacrifice was also pointing ahead to the permanent sacrifice that had been promised.  Jesus is the sacrifice that satisfies God’s wrath and brings Him great pleasure because His grace and glory is evidenced on the cross.

THROUGH JESUS SANTIFICATION IS PROVIDED: Now that Jesus has come and offered the perfect and permanent sacrifice, mankind can be made whole and new.  We can be sanctified or set apart from our sin.  This is both positional and practical truth.  Positionally, the moment we place of faith in Christ, our sins are set aside and can never be brought up against us for our condemnation.  Practically, through faith in the work of Christ, we are set free from our enslavement to sin.  We have the ability to live in a way the pleases God and we will live forever in His presence without any inkling of sin.  Jesus sanctifies us perfectly through His perfect sacrifice.  

APPLICATION: Don’t be deceived into thinking that we can be obedient enough to be saved from our sin. Never trust in religious rituals that we perform repeatedly as a means of pleasing God or satisfying His wrath. Trust in Christ alone as a means to set us free from the penalty, power and presence of sin.