That Precious Blood

Hebrews 9:11-15

“That Precious Blood”

I. A Better High Priest (11a)

• “Good things to come,” could also be said good things that have come.

• The “good things” are the promises of God, and Jesus is the high priest that fulfilled these promises:

o The promise of Genesis 3:15, “I will put enmity between your seed and the woman’s seed.”

o God’s promise to Abraham that all the nations would be blessed through him.

o God’s promise to David that the Messiah, our eternal king, would come from his descendants

o God’s promise through Jeremiah that He would make a new covenant that would bring a new heart, a new obedience, and forgiveness.

• Jesus is also the high of things to come, that is promises not yet fulfilled, Jesus’ Second coming and His millennial Kingdom.

Hebrews 7:23-27 (NASB)

23 The former priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers because they were prevented by death from continuing, 24 but Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently. 25 Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. 26 For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; 27 who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.

• Jesus is a better high priest because He is holy, innocent, and undefiled; He is a better high priest because He is our eternal priest.

II. A Better Tabernacle (11b)

• The earthly tabernacle was only a replica of the Heavenly dwelling place of God and served only a temporary purpose.

• So the earthly priests offered temporal sacrifices in a temporal tabernacle.

• However Jesus entered into God’s perfect tabernacle to offer the perfect atoning sacrifice for our sins.

Hebrews 8:2 (NIV)

2 and who (Jesus) serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by man.

III. A Better Sacrifice (12-14)

• Vv. 12-13 Under the old covenant everything and everyone was cleansed by the blood of sacrificial animals.

• This sacrifice was merely a representation of the true sacrifice that was to come.

• However Christ offered not the blood of animals, but His own precious blood, that obtained not a temporal redemption, but an eternal one.

• Christ entered once into the holy place, sacrificed once for the redemption of our souls.

• Do we really understand how free we truly are that we no longer have to offer these sacrifices over and over again, but our pardon is purchased by placing our faith and trust in Christ’s sacrifice, once.

• Vs. 14 If the blood of the sacrificial animals were able to cleanse that which had become defiled, then how much more is Christ’s blood able to cleanse us from sin and dead works? The answer is forever!

• By the blood of Christ we are……..

o Adopted into God’s family

o Forgiven

o Found innocent and blameless

o Accepted into His presence

o Given the gift of the Holy Spirit

o Able to serve the living God

Romans 5:8-9 (NASB)

8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.

IV. A Better Covenant (15)

• Because Christ is a better high priest, because He entered into a better tabernacle, offered a better sacrifice, He alone is able to offer us a better covenant.

• We are no longer held under the heavy burden of the old covenant, but are now heirs with Christ and partakers of His righteousness.

2 Peter 1:4 (NASB)

4 For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.

• 1 Corinthians 11:27-28

• This is the light in which the Apostle Paul understood the significance of what we declare here tonight, the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior.

• Paul warns us not to enter into this memorial lightly because it cost Christ greatly.

• Let us make sure our heart is in the proper place to celebrate the Lord’s table in a way that honors the greatness of His sacrifice.

• Deacons prepare themselves.

• Pray.