1. “Someone Needs a Bath” Hebrews 9:15-28 Hebrews Series #23 7/10/11 AM

2. Last Time…  We were reminded in vs. 1-14 that a great change has been made. That change was seen in the sanctuary, the service, and the significance. No longer is the sanctuary earthly, but heavenly. No longer must the priestly services continue, for Christ has finished the work of eternal redemption. And no longer is the significance of our worship to picture the work of Christ by an external purification.  Christ offered Himself to purge our conscience; that is our insides. We were instructed to look beyond the shell to the substance.

3. “Someone needs a bath!”  …Mom used to say. She usually saw or smelled the need. She was of necessity focusing on the externals.  Man’s biggest problem is on the inside, and he must not concentrate on the externals to solve the internal problem of a dirty heart.  WE NEED A PURGING, A BATH, A CLEANSING ON THE INSIDE.  How is this bath or cleansing made possible?  Let’s step through verses 15-28 to find the answer.  It is made possible…

4. I.Through Someone’s Death “ The Strength of the Covenant” (vs. 15-17)  15 And 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. 16 For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. 17 For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator lives.

5.  A couple hired a nurse to take care of their only child. They loved the little boy greatly, but died before he was grown. The only will which could be found instructed the authorities to sell everything. The day of the sale came, things were sold off, and the crowd began to leave. The auctioneer continued to sell off the last few items, including a picture of the little boy. The old nurse, who had stayed around, saw the picture, and bid on it. Since she was the only one interested, the sale was fixed at $1.00. As the picture was taken off of the wall, a slip of paper fell to the floor. It was picked up and read. “Whoever loved our son enough to buy this picture is to be given all the cash of the estate.” -This will delivered its power - after the death of its authors.

6. Someone’s death…  …is the first necessity to an internal cleansing. The death of Christ is all- important. The blessings come after HIS DEATH. The fact of His death is a fundamental pillar of my faith. In that fact there is strength and the first step to cleansing.

7. II.Through Someone’s Blood “ The Sign of the Cleansing” (vs. 18-23a)  18 Whereupon neither the first testament 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 of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people, 20 Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you. 21 Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry. 22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. 23 ¶ It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these;

8. The Sight of Blood  I watched as Sally’s shoes were tossed up behind the basketball backboards. I was willing to play the hero’s part, so I jumped up, grabbed the board, pulled myself up, and reached for the shoes. I tossed them down behind my head. Little did I know that Sally was standing below. She was hit on the head, opening up a bloody cut. There was blood everywhere. Some ran for help, while others ran away. The sight of that blood meant different things to different people. To some it meant “HELP!” To others it meant...

9. Old Testament purging was external…  …and accomplished by the symbolic blood of animals. The internal cleansing, in which the O.T. saints participated, was accomplished by a BETTER sacrifice than animals. We shall discuss this under the next point. Our faith is a bloody faith, and this truth of redemption by blood is as old as God himself. It is a fundamental truth.  This age harbors an argument of BLOOD vs. DEATH. It is an argument in semantics. Both sides are right! Blood is a symbol for death, but blood was used as a visible sign of a sacrificial death. Whether or not Christ carried a sprinkling of blood into the heavenly sanctuary is not of concern to me, but the actual blood of the cross at the time of Christ’s sacrifice is significant. It was a sign of His sacrifice, and a fulfillment of the O.T. type.  Do you want cleansing on the inside? It is made possible through SOMEONE’S DEATH, SOMEONE’S BLOOD, and…

10. III.Through Someone’s Substitution “The Savior of the Condemned” (vs. 23b-28)  but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For 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: 25 Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest enters into the holy place every year with blood of others; 26 For 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. 27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: 28 So 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.

11.  Do you remember the story of “He Took My Lickin’”. The rules were made by the children in the country schoolhouse under the teacher’s guidance, and the punishments were established. Little Jim stole a lunch, and prepared to suffer the punishment of lashing, but Big Jim stepped in and took it for him. The law was satisfied!

12. Christ bore YOUR penalty.  He paid for your sin. This is a fact - a third fundamental fact of the faith. Your debt is paid in full. Christ will reappear. Will you be one of those looking for Him?  Do you want cleansing, a bath, on the inside? Then recognize There must be a death, the strength of the will. Remember there had to be blood, the sign of the cleansing. And if you don’t want that death and blood to be yours, you must have a substitute.  Trust Jesus. Accept His substitution.