And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: but this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God. — Hebrews 10:11-12

Have you ever fixed something temporarily, only to have to address the same situation over and over again because the actual problem wasn’t ever solved? When we moved into our house, the former residents told us that the sewer line to the house had tree roots in it. When we had a problem with that line backing up, we called the plumber to come and clean it out. After dealing with this problem several times, we finally decided to replace the sewer line completely. By correcting the real problem, we eliminated the need to regularly call the plumber for a temporary fix.

How many times in your life have you weeded flowerbeds or a vegetable garden? If that was one of your chores when you were young, no doubt you were taught the importance of digging out the roots of the weeds. If you just broke a weed off at ground level, it was soon back and had to be dealt with again. 

In Old Testament times, the priests had to make offerings over and over. Some of these offerings were for themselves; others were for the people. None of the offerings were a complete solution to the problem because they only pointed ahead to Jesus, the perfect sacrifice.

We, on the other hand, look back to His perfect sacrifice. Jesus’ death for our sins was complete and effective. When we ask, He comes into our lives and puts His Word in our hearts and minds. His provision corrects the sin problem in our lives when we allow Him complete access. He does not just deal with the problem temporarily, but He changes our hearts. Our sins are forgiven and God remembers them no more (verse 17).

The price of our sin has been paid in full, and no more animal sacrifices are necessary. Once we have God’s salvation in our souls, we will still want daily time with Him for praise and worship. 

Have you thanked God today for the ultimate sacrifice He made for you?

BACKGROUND

In our text, the writer reminds his audience that the Law was only intended to be a “shadow,” prefiguring things to come. It was never intended to be the permanent solution to sin. In verse 2, he states that if the sacrifices had purged sins, there would have been no need for further sacrifices. But that was not what the offerer found. “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4). The sacrifices only provided a temporary judicial remedy. Further sacrifices were necessary.

Jesus came in obedience to God’s will to become the Perfect Sacrifice for sins. His death on the Cross permanently did away with the need for further blood sacrifices. In verses 5-9, the writer quotes from Psalm 40:6-8, making it clear that Jesus was the promised fulfillment of the Old Testament sacrifices. Jesus came to do God’s will by removing the need for the ceremonial sacrifices. 

The writer pointed to the difference between the Old Testament priest who had to continually offer the same sacrifices which could never take away sins, and Jesus, who had offered Himself once for the remission of sins, and showed the completeness of His work by sitting down at the right hand of His Father. What a multitude of sacrifices could not accomplish, Jesus accomplished with one sacrifice.

Verses 12 and 13 refer to Psalm 110:1. Jesus is in Heaven sitting on the right hand of God the Father, and when Jesus returns, He will overcome His enemies and establish His Kingdom on earth.

AMPLIFIED OUTLINE

(Hannah’s Bible Outlines - Used by permission per WORDsearch)
II.   The argument: the preeminence of Christ in His person and work
     D.   The superiority of Christ to Aaron
           7.   Superior because of a better sacrifice
                 c.   The efficacy of Christ’s superior sacrifice (10:1-18)
                       (1)   The insufficiency of Old Testament sacrifices (10:1-4)
                       (2)   The sufficiency of Christ’s sacrifice (10:5-10)
                       (3)   The finality of Christ’s sacrifice (10:11-18)

A CLOSER LOOK

1. The Law was a “shadow of good things to come.” What would some of those good things be? 
   
   
2. Why didn’t the Old Testament sacrifices provide a permanent solution for sin?
   
   
3. List the phrases in verses 12-14 that show Christ’s sacrifice was adequate and complete.
   
   
4. In what ways does it help us to know that God chooses not to remember our sins?

CONCLUSION

Some people may try to deal with the sin problem in their lives by attempting to do what is right in their own strength. However, the true solution to the problem is in the application to our hearts of the Blood that Jesus shed on Calvary. When we ask Him to put His laws into our hearts and minds, we have the power to live a life free from the bondage of sin.