Persevere in Jesus LESSON XVII

REVIEW Let Us Persevere in Christ – Three main questions 1.Christ – Who is He? – Who is He not? 2.Us – What is our relation to Christ and God? – What should we do? 3.Persevere! – What does that look like?

REVIEW God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; 3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. (Hebrews 1:1-4 NKJ)

Remember our Jewish Authorities We have noticed in Hebrews that Jesus is the Word of God, and is greater than: – The Angels – Moses – Aaron – Joshua are messengers is a prophet is a priest is a judge What about Jesus?

So Far... We’ve seen how Christ is superior to all of the Old Testament figures and Jewish authorities. As of Chapter 7 – the focus moves away from what Christ is not and who or what Christ is better than – to Who Christ really is and What He really does. In Chapter 8 – the author introduces the New Covenant to show fulfillment of the prophesy through Jeremiah to show its better promises But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises. (Hebrews 8:6 NKJ)

15 And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. 16 For where there is a testament, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. 17 For a testament is in force after men are dead, since it has no power at all while the testator lives. 18 Therefore not even the first covenant was dedicated without blood. 19 For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 20 saying, "This is the blood of the covenant which God has commanded you." 21 Then likewise he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry. 22 And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission. 23 Therefore it was necessary that the copies of the things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; 25 not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another-- 26 He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. 27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, 28 so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation. (Hebrews 9:13-28 NKJ)

The New Mediator There are some contrasts in these verses: What carries through from the first covenant to the new covenant is cleansing What has changed – is the sacrficial victim – what is being cleansed – the temporary nature of the cleansing the first needed to be offered conintually the New to be offered once for all For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, 14 how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? 15 And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. The blood of bulls and goats... purifying the flesh The blood of Christ cleansing the conscience  from dead works  to serve the living God

The New Mediator Because Christ offers – a better – permanent – concience cleansing sacrifice, He makes us (who are called) fit to serve the living God to receive the eternal inheritance In Exodus, the roles Christ is shown fulfilling here were occupied by three different agents: 1.The Cattle: sacrifice 2.The Priest: sacrificer 3.The Mediator: Moses For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, 14 how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? 15 And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.

Testament and Testator In this way the covenant is like a will. – He has bequethed His righteousness, His blamelessness to us who are called. – That is part of our inheritance The word for “covenant” and “Testament” are the same, but the meaning is not the same – Kistemaker uses the illustration of our word “Letter” – Our author is fusing both meanings of the word together to help show the fullness of Jesus’ work 16 For where there is a testament, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. 17 For a testament is in force after men are dead, since it has no power at all while the testator lives.

The Blood of the Old Covenant The Life is in the blood: – that’s why since the time of Noah, God commanded man not to eat the blood. – We are still talking about cleansing: water scarlet wool (or a sponge soaked in wine vinegar at the cross) hyssop – These are used in the Passover, to apply the blood to the doorframe In cleansing Lepers and houses with mold or mildew Notice that the blood is applied to the people, the covenant and the articles of the service – (some things are cleansed with water or fire instead of blood) – Therefore the people (who cannot enter the sanctuary) have the blood in common with even the holiest place. This is the mediatorial work of Christ by His blood 18 Therefore not even the first covenant was dedicated without blood. 19 For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 20 saying, "This is the blood of the covenant which God has commanded you." 21 Then likewise he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry. 22 And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.

The Blood of the New Covenant Purifying Heaven? – The purification here is from the enmity of the Holy against us which is caused by our sins. – Again, we share the sprinkling of the same blood with the Heavenly Holy of Holies – The blood connects us to the presence of God It is the accomplishment of the death which we should have died It is the righteousness of the life we should be living. Purifying Us – This is my blood of the new covenant Matthew 26:28 Mark 14:24 (John 6:54) 23 Therefore it was necessary that the copies of the things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us;

Once and For All 25 not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another-- 26 He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. 27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, 28 so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation. Again, – His sacrifice is permanent, not temporary He only needed to offer it once because of His sinless human life and His Godhood Christ did not need to die and be judged— – He did not break the Law – He had no sin – He was not under the curse He died to bear our sins. – Therefore we are waiting for Christ to come again. He came the first time to accomplish salvation He comes again to consummate it with the resurrection and the judgment.

Homework Re-read Chapters 9 & 10. Check a couple different translations if you can