Now comes the message 23 in the middle of Hebrews 9 to remind you that Paul is writing to Jewish Christians scattered across the empire, suffering persecution, distressed, and perhaps wondering whether They should continue with Christ or to go back to Judaism. In these verses again he restates what he said before that Christ is a greater high priest. A high priest under the order of Melchizedek. He's different than Levi or Aaron. He's a priest chosen by God the Father to carry out a specific sacrifice for the redemption from sin. This is being forgotten by the Jewish Christians. We're suffering, we're persecuted, we're scattered. Should we go back to the temple, to the synagogue, to the ways of Moses? And the writer, probably Paul, is saying, no, stick with Jesus, the great high priest. So in verse 11, He says that Christ Jesus came as the priest of God. And my proposition is Jesus Christ came as a better high priest with a better sacrifice, one sufficient for the needs of sinful mankind. There had been priests under the old covenant in the nation of Israel, ministering in the tabernacle and the temple. But that was not sufficient for total redemption of God's people. And so these two simple points here, One, at the right time, the greater high priest, Jesus Christ, came into the world. Paul relates to that in Galatians 4. At the right time, in history, Jesus was born of a woman under the law to be this great high priest. to live a sinful, sinless life and perform this perfect sacrifice. But as we read in Daniel, Daniel said at a certain time in history, after so many weeks that represent periods of time, at a certain time, the mediator, the Messiah would come to earth to fulfill God's purpose. And Daniel speaks of at that time, there would be no more need of that earthly temple. because this Messiah, this Christ, is really the true temple of God. So, in the first verses here, 11 and 12, Christ came as a high priest, a high priest bringing good things, good things to come. what he doesn't come to serve in the old system the old tabernacle the old temple but under a better tabernacle a better temple you see it's not this temple that took 37 years to build in jerusalem But it's not this temple made by human effort. It's a greater tabernacle or temple one raised up by God himself, not with human hands, not as this created order. And it's not by the blood of bulls and goats. It's a greater sacrifice. You see, it's not the sacrifice of animals. It's the sacrifice of God's Son who became a man. It's polite. the blood of this priest Jesus so he says that in verse 12 with the death the shedding of blood his own blood for sin Jesus has gone beyond the veil into the most holy place not in that temple in jerusalem but in the temple of god in the um heavenly place the most high god place so jesus what he's saying is by his death he has gone into the very presence of god the father to represent, to bring the better sacrifice. Think about this. How could the blood of animals properly represent sinful humans made in God's image? The animal world It's created, but it's not made in God's image. Scientists argue, some scientists want to say that we share 97 98 percent of DNA with the monkeys and apes other scientists dispute that number saying it's less but the fact is the monkeys and the apes are part of the animal But mankind is different, made in God's image. How can the animals represent humans? How can they represent a holy God? They can't do it. Their sacrifices or a sufficient means under that covenant to cover our sins and appease God's wrath. But here in verse 12, he says that the work of Christ obtains once and for all with one sacrifice, eternal redemption. This is the work of Christ. Entering this temple established by God, not by man. This is God's way, not man's way. It wasn't dreamed up by Moses or Aaron. this is the plan of God the father through the son accomplishing it in the spirit applying it so not by the blood of animals but the work of Christ think about this that Jesus willingly shed his blood for the remission of sins. He willingly died for his people. He suffered this excruciating death to purchase a good and eternal redemption, a greater govern it with greater terms and promises. A couple days ago Mark as you preached on 69th street you said we must be covered in the plot of Christ and a woman got thinking you meant we had to like practice some type of witchcraft and be smeared in blood. Well that's not what scripture means. It means that Jesus died the legal penal substitutionary atonement for sin satisfied God's wrath appeased it and makes salvation possible and so at the right time the greater eye breeze comes to remove the sacrificial system of the old devil and there's a greater sacrifice a greater priesthood because christ is the greater tabernacle and enters into the presence of god representing god and representing the human race it's The second point is very simple. His atoning work surpasses the Old Testament sacrificial system. The Old Testament system was good. It was given by God. It appeased God's wrath. It covered sin, but it was temporary. He wasn't eternal. Christ's work is sufficient to be eternal. He's a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. So in verse 13, the flood of bulls and goats, the ashes of the all that sacrificial system the sprinkling of the unclean it sanctified for the purifying of the flesh it was good as far as God meant it to go but it was temporary the priest had to offer sacrifice a special day of atonement for the sins of the whole nation. But again, how can the blood, bulls, goats, heifers, represent mankind? It takes a man, Jesus Christ, to represent us before God. It takes the Son of God to represent God the Father and God the Spirit. And so, Paul writes this question, how could the blood of bulls and goats represent man? for all eternity. Well, they can't. So he says in verse 14, how much more so shall the blood of Christ through the work of the Spirit. He offered himself without sin, without blemish, without spot to God. This was the sinless Lamb of God. So the priests and Levites come to John the Baptist. Who are you? Are you the prophet, the Christ? Are you Elijah? No, I'm none of those. I'm the forerunner of the Messiah. Then he says, you really don't know this Christ, but he stands among you. I'm not even worthy. depend on an undying sandal but he stands among you and he says one day to his disciples behold the lamb of god who takes away the sin of the world again The animal sacrifice system could not do that. They covered sin for a period. They had to be repeated. But this sacrifice, Jesus Christ offers his own blood for the sins of his people. And notice he says, that he could do this because he's a young blemish lamb no spot no sin no imperfection so he could come before his father and say i can represent these people because i'm not a sinner and God is pleased with that. He's satisfied with the righteous record of Jesus. But notice, he says, the work of Jesus in verse 14 can do what the animals couldn't do. You see, no animal, the shedding of their blood can cleanse you and me or any human of a guilty conscience you see it's not just that we have a sinful record we're guilty before a just and holy god we're rightly condemned we deserve punishment and our conscience condemns us. Now many people will say I don't feel guilty but you know guilt is a tremendous burden to mankind. Many people suffer terribly emotionally, psychologically, physically, because of guilt. We were discussing Steve McQueen in his previous marriages, his sinful life. Think of the guilt that brings suffering in his life. Well, what can cleanse us? from a conscience that's way down. Can I do it by saying, I'll go to the temple. I'll make promises to God. I won't do that again. I'll be a better person. I'll pray more. I'll go to church. I'll give to the poor. people do all kinds of things to appease their conscience but the fact of the matter only the work of Christ can forgive us our sin and cleanse that conscience and give us peace because we know deep down I'm not on God's side God is truly angry with the sinners. How can I be reconciled to God as a sinner? It's through Christ who can reconcile us and give us peace. Isn't this good news that It's not our dead works. He says where conscience is cleansed from dead works, our efforts, our sacrifices, nothing will cleanse us from sin but the work of Christ. So that's good news, the work of Christ. And once we're cleansed with the work of Christ, we're able to serve the living God. We can't truly serve God when we're enemies of God, when we're steeped in sin, when our conscience is full of guilt. when we live in unbelief. But through the work of Christ, we can now serve our King, the Living God. In verse 15, he restates what he said several times in these previous chapters. that therefore this Christ, this priest is the mediator of a new emphatic covenant. It's not Moses. It's not Mary. It's not some godly saint. It's Jesus. Only Jesus is the mediator. It's only Jesus. who represents God and man. It's not a covenant of works. Keep the law. Do good and maybe you'll get into heaven. No, Jesus is immediate of this covenant of grace. that promises a full, complete, eternal redemption. It's by his death. It's not by the animal sacrifice. And it's for the redemption out of transgressions. The first covenant couldn't fully redeem but yet the saints of God in the Old Testament look forward to the work of Christ and they are with God and are saved but this work of Christ shows us a full, complete redemption with better promises and better terms and it's promised to those whom God has called. Again, it's the work of God. He elects, He calls, He justifies, It's not that I called myself. It's not that I thought I think I should go and become a Christian. It's the work of God from eternity through the work of Christ applied by the Spirit. God calls people to himself through the work of Christ. And those who are called, he says, receive the promises of eternal inheritance. In other words, we get the gift of eternal life. Not maybe someday after years in purgatory, maybe I'll let you into heaven. No the inheritance is to be with God to be with Christ in heaven for eternity the great inheritance it's not by our works but only by the work of Christ. Think about this brothers and sisters the scriptures said that jesus came to destroy the works of the devil without christ we're in bondage to sin to the devil we're in his kingdom and there's no hope but in Christ the work of the devil is destroyed and people are taken out of his kingdom and bondage to him and brought into the kingdom We're forgiven of sin. Our conscience is cleansed. And we're given an eternal inheritance that no one could take. Nothing on earth, nothing in heaven, nothing anywhere. can rob us of that state of redemption so let's praise God for the work of Christ at the right time this great high priest came did his work satisfied his father and it's applied to us by the spirit so a couple action points continue to read Hebrews 9 through 13 to understand this text and the context of this book and to rest in Christ consider the great blessings we have because we have this inheritance in Christ again Ephesians 1 3 says we have all the blessings in the heavenly places because of Christ what do you have it's in Christ because of his work adoption forgiveness justification all these things Christian believer, rest in that. This is what Christ has given us. It's not the world. It's what Christ has done. It's the mercies of God. Don't forget that. Rest in his work. When you're doubting, When you're troubled, go back to Christ. Rest in Christ. And then third, we have to keep preaching Christ because many don't know Christ and his work. How should they hear? and as we preach how should they know about the work of this great high priest his perfect sacrifice how should they know about atonement and redemption and hope and as we preach and witness let's pray and support the missionary work of the church amen father thank you for these passages of scripture that christ is our high priest and by his work We have forgiveness, righteousness, cleansing from sin, our conscience made anew. We have a great inheritance. Let us praise God and indeed aim our lives to the glory of God. Let us be thankful In Jesus' name.