A New and Living Way
Hebrews 10 (Hebrews 9 sermon is not available)
SCRIPTURE READING: Hebrews 10:19-25
INTRODUCTION:
On Easter morning, everyone tends to think about new life. It’s springtime. New leaves are budding (of course for those of us with Live Oak trees, that means old leaves are falling!) But for Christians, Easter has a much deeper meaning. On Resurrection Sunday, we are celebrating a new and living way that was opened up for us when Jesus Christ rose from the dead. In order to understand the new and living way described in Hebrews 10, we need to take a look at the old and dead way that was being replaced.
1. The Old and Dead Way Hebrews 10:1-4
The original readers of Hebrews were very familiar with all the sacrifices and ceremonies of the old way. Hebrews10 describes the particular sacrifices that the Jews performed on the Day of Atonement. When you study Hebrews 10 this week, it will make a lot more sense if you know that …
o Once a year, on the Day of Atonement, the High Priest was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies where the Ark of the Covenant was kept.
o After He went in, the curtain was immediately closed behind him. This was no ordinary curtain! It was several stories high and 3 inches thick. It symbolized the separation that existed between the Holy God and the sinful people.
o The first thing the High Priest did after he entered the Most Holy Place was to sprinkle the blood of a bull on the altar. This sacrifice was to cover his own sins and the sins of his Priestly family.
o Then the High Priest sprinkled the altar with the blood of a goat that had been sacrificed for the sins of the people.
o After the Priest left the Most Holy Place, and the curtain was again closed --- until the next year when he would enter again.
The first verse of Hebrews 10 explains why this old and dead way needed to be replaced by a new and living way.
1The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming–not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never --- by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year --- make perfect those who draw near to worship.
2. The New and Living Way Hebrews 10:5-20
In His death and resurrection, Jesus Christ fulfilled ALL the Old Testament sacrifices and ceremonies. Those sacrifices would never be needed again because His sacrifice gave us true and lasting Atonement.
o Jesus served as the FINAL sacrifice, taking the place of all others, whether lambs or bulls or calves or goats.
o As our Heavenly High Priest, Jesus sprinkled His Own Blood on the altar and our sins were removed forever.
o When Jesus died, that massive Curtain that blocked entrance to the Holy of Holies was torn in two. Hebrews 10:19-20 says: 19Therefore, brothers, we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body …
Let me ask you on this Easter Morning, Have you entered the Most Holy Place by the new and living way? The first step is to DRAW NEAR TO GOD.
· Draw near to God Hebrews 10:22-23
A missionary in Paraguay tells about a time when a Maka Indian named Rafael came to sit on his porch. The missionary went out to ask what he could do for the man. He responded, "Ham, henek met." Later, he asked again what Rafael wanted, but again the answer was "Ham, henek met." The missionary knew that "Ham, henek met” meant "I don’t want anything; I have just come near." But he did not understand the significance until a veteran missionary explained it.
The veteran missionary said, “This was Rafael’s way of honoring you. He really didn’t want anything; he just wanted to sit on your porch. He found satisfaction and pleasure just being near you."
When the Lord asks you, “What can I do for you, my child?" Can you answer “Ham, henek met”? I don’t want anything more than to draw near. Hebrews 10:22 tells how you can DRAW NEAR TO GOD.
o 22let us draw near to God with a sincere heart … We cannot come near to God with any pretence or hypocrisy. President Lincoln said “You can fool most of the people some of the time, and you can fool some of the people most of the time, but you can’t fool all of the people all of the time” Well, let me tell you, you can NEVER fool God. Don’t even try it, because God looks straight into your heart.
o That’s why we must draw near … in full assurance of faith … Some people have faith only when life is going the way they want it to go. That kind of faith won’t last. IF you have full assurance of faith, then no problem, no disappointment, no tragedy can keep you from drawing near to God.
Listen to how Max Lucado puts it: Faith is the belief that God will do what is right. God says that the more hopeless your circumstances, the more likely your salvation. The greater your cares, the more genuine your prayers. The darker the room, the greater need for light. God’s is always available, but only to those who will draw near to HIM.
o Hebrews 10:22 continues …having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.
These two phrases refer to two aspects of the same event. The washing of the body refers to baptism when a believer is immersed in water. Many religions of the ancient world required ceremonial washing. But Christian baptism is so much more than a mere outward washing. Baptism is a beautiful outward sign that signifies an inner cleansing of the heart.
On the Jewish Day of Atonement, blood was sprinkled on the altar for forgiveness of sin. On the day of your baptism, your body is washed with water as a sign that the blood of Jesus Christ has been sprinkled on your heart. His blood cleanses you forever from the guilt of sin.
It’s interesting that the invitation to draw near to God is followed immediately by a command to draw near to each other.
· Draw near to each other Hebrews 10:24-25
Look at Hebrews 10:25: 25Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing … Those who DRAW NEAR TO GOD will also desire to DRAW NEAR TO EACH OTHER. They understand that the folks at church are their spiritual family. They like to worship with them. They like to fellowship with them. They like just hanging out with them. They don’t make excuses for why they don’t or “can’t” come to church.
Speaking of church attendance, have you ever heard Murphy’s Law for Preachers:
Law # 1: If the weather is extremely bad, church attendance will be down.
Law #2: If the weather is extremely good church attendance will be down.
Law #3: If the bulletin covers are in short supply, church attendance will exceed all expectations.
Hebrews 10:25 continues: … but let us encourage one another–and all the more as you see the Day approaching. We don’t get together just to do some “churchy” things then have a good lunch at a restaurant on the way home. We meet together to encourage one another.
Verse 24 uses the phrase spur one another on to love and good works. The Greek word translated spur is the word paroxysmos. It’s more than patting each other on the back or saying ‘atta boy! We sometimes need to provoke or gig or prod each other into doing the right thing --- in the way you might spur a horse to get moving. Why? Because --- let’s face it ---doing right doesn’t come naturally to most of us!
We need to take an active interest in the progress of other Christians. The church is meant to be a community with a goal: that we will all grow closer and closer to Christ.
Back in 1630, when John Winthrop was establishing the first Puritan community on American soil, he described it this way: We must be knit together in this work as one man; we must entertain each other in brotherly affection. … we must delight in each other… rejoice together, mourn together, labor and suffer together. . . So shall we keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace, and the Lord will be our God and delight to dwell among us.
This is the new and living way that Jesus offers us! Because of Him we can DRAW NEAR TO GOD and we can DRAW NEAR TO EACH OTHER.
But don’t make the mistake of thinking this new and living way is just a nice option that you can take or leave. The ALTERNATIVE to the new and living way is a way of death and destruction.
3. The Alternative Hebrews 10:26-31
Now, I understand that people don’t like to hear spiritual warnings! It’s just human nature. I heard a story about two preachers who were holding up a sign by the roadside. The sign read: "The End is Near - turn around now before it’s too late." A passing driver stuck his head out the window and yelled, "Leave us alone you religious nuts!" A few seconds later, the preachers heard a loud SPLASH. One preacher said to the other, "Maybe we should have just said "Bridge Out."
When you read Hebrews 10:26-31, you’ll see these clear warnings:
· If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, then no sacrifice for sins is left.
· If we reject the Sacrifice of Jesus, we will receive a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God
· In the Old Testament, if someone rejected the Law of Moses, they were condemned to death. Rejecting the Grace of Christ deserves even worse punishment.
· Listen to these descriptions of the person why turns away from Christ. That person has trampled the Son of God under foot … has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant … has insulted the Spirit of grace.
· God has graciously offered complete forgiveness through the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Anyone who puts their faith in Christ is invited to DRAW NEAR TO GOD.
But those who turn their back on this free offer of salvation need to hear the warning from God Almighty: 30For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.” 31It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
At Easter people like to think sweet thoughts of spring and New Life and Colored Eggs and Bunnies. But the Sacrifice Jesus made was not sweet and soft and pretty. His death was cruel and ugly and painful. His resurrection saved us from the dreadful judgment that we all deserve. Jesus came as a warrior, fighting a battle to the Death on our behalf. And He won the battle!
CONCLUSION:
I started this sermon by showing how Jesus fulfilled the sacrifices and ceremonies of the Jewish Day of Atonement. I’d like to end by showing how Jesus fulfilled the meaning of the Jewish Passover Feast. Jesus died and rose again during the celebration of the Passover in Jerusalem.
o In order to prepare for the Passover, each family was instructed to choose a lamb without defect. This day was called “selection day” and it came 5 days before the Passover Feast Day.
It was on “selection day” that Jesus made his Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem. As he entered the city, the crowd shouted: Hosanna! --- which means, “Lord save us!” They did not fully understand it, but on that “selection day” they were selecting Jesus as the Passover lamb.
o At Passover, the Priest would blow the Shophar (ram’s horn) at 3:00 p.m. At that moment, the Passover lambs were to be sacrificed.
At 3:00 p.m. --- when the Shophar blew in Jerusalem as it had for 1,200 years before --- Jesus was hanging upon the cross outside the city. He cried out from the cross, It is finished! The sacrifice of the Lamb of God was fulfilled at the very time when Passover lambs were sacrificed across the city. At the same time, the Curtain of the Temple tore from top to bottom, ending the separation between God and man.
o After the Passover lambs were sacrificed, the blood was sprinkled on the doorpost symbolizing that God’s judgment would pass over that home. The Passover lamb had been sacrificed --- and the lamb (of course) was still dead. The meat was roasted; the family feasted; and everyone knew it would all be repeated the next year.
But the sacrifice of Jesus will never be repeated --- because the LAMB is NOT still dead. Two thousand years ago, early in the morning on Resurrection Sunday, the Perfect Lamb of God rose from the dead.
At that moment, the New and Living Way opened for you. Will you DRAW NEAR TO GOD today?
