It is abundantly clear that sacrifices offered by imperfect men never have and never will be sufficient to remove sins. In fact, even under the Old Testament—a revelation from Almighty God—the sacrifices of bulls and goats only reminded people of their sins. Note, the sins were not “rolled forward” as some wrongfully conclude. Rather, they were reminded of their sin and the need for a sacrifice to take it away…and that the animals did not do the job because they had to be offered again and again.

Instead, Jesus came as the perfect sacrifice for sins. He was divine and God prepared a body for Him. He came to do the will of God, “by which will we have been sanctified.” The sacrifice we offer now is our body as a living sacrifice to God; both in gratitude and duty (Rom. 1:1, 2).

In Hebrews 9:23-28, shows animals were sufficient for the earthly tabernacle and ministry of men, but not for the heavenly. Jesus had to offer His blood in the Holy Place, heaven. He did this before God for us, that is, on our behalf; once and for all.

Jesus appeared the first time to put away sin. The second time He will come apart from sin—not to bear man’s sin again, but to give us eternal salvation. Notice, this is for those who “eagerly wait for Him.” Are we eagerly waiting?

In Hebrews 9:11-15, the writer previews what he will discuss in the rest of chapter 9 and all of chapter 10. His lists many things about Jesus, His function, and the purpose of His advent.

1. High Priest.
2. Built a greater tabernacle.
3. Used His blood, not that of animals.
4. One sacrifice, not many.
5. For redemption, including those under the Old Testament.
6. Mediator.
7. Established a New Covenant.

Truly, Jesus is our all in all.

In Hebrews 5:1-14, the writer begins a discussion about the priesthood of Christ, which is finished in chapter seven.

God appointed the priests of the Old Testament. They served to offer sacrifices for themselves and on behalf of men. Similarly, Jesus was appointed by God as high priest. However, Jesus did not offer a sacrifice for His sins—He had none. He only sacrificed for the benefit of men.

In the sacrifice offered, He learned obedience. He wanted there to be another way, but humbly submitted to the Father’s will and offered Himself on a tree. Thus, He was perfected as the Savior of man.

The writer digresses at this point and tells the Hebrews they ought to be more mature. This is true with many who have been Christians for any length of time. Study and application of God’s word are neglected, and therefore a person stands in need of teaching instead of being able to teach others.

Hebrews 1 establishes the deity of Jesus. Hebrews 2, particularly verses 5-18, shows His humanity.

Hebrews 2:1-4, tells us the law given by our Lord is not something to be dismissed out of hand, treated like it is from man, or even hold it on the same level as the Old Law delivered by angels. Rather, it is the Law of Christ given by the Son of God through His hand-picked representatives. It was confirmed by miracles and is preserved for us to this day.

The Son of God, though greater than the angels, was made lower than them. He came to this earth to sacrifice Himself; “that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone” (Heb. 2:9). He died for all, not a few elect. He died to redeem us from our sins.

The writer also interweaves the idea that His humiliation led to His exaltation. He was crowned with glory and honor. All things are subject to Him; save death which will happen in the end (1 Cor. 15:22-28).

May we ever be thankful for a triumphant, self-sacrificing Savior.

For the record: We cannot fully explain how it could be that a being was both divine and human at the same time. We cannot explain how our soul dwells in our body. However, we believe both because the Bible lays out evidence for both.

Ephesians 5:22-33 is an overlooked, misused, and generally misunderstood section of Scripture. It is primarily addressing the relationship of the church to Christ. He is its head with the right to command it. The church is His body and subject to submit to Him. He loved the church enough to die for it. Therefore, the church owes Him respect.

To illustrate the relationship between Christ and the church, Paul uses the husband and wife.

The husband is to love his wife as Christ loved the church. He is to sacrifice for her, and in this manner “submit” to her. He sets aside his own will, desires, pleasures, and comfort for her well being. He must cherish and nourish her; this is what she needs. If he does not do this, he will lose his soul.

The wife is to respect her husband as the church is to respect Christ. She is not his head or a co-head. When she submits to her husband, she will be happier and the home better. As long as the decisions and actions are not contrary to God’s will, she needs to support her husband.

Each have their duty. The husband is to love and sacrifice for his wife regardless of how she acts or feels. The wife is to respect and submit to her husband regardless of how he behaves. NOTE: we are not talking about sinful, abusive, illicit, or immoral behavior on the part of either the wife or husband. What we are talking about is what most couples face…a lack of care and consideration, a lack of love and respect. Stating that the husband is to sacrifice and the wife to submit does not preclude either of them voicing objections and taking reasonable actions to correct the behavior of the other. Each man and woman will have to determine the righteousness of their behavior in a given situation; they must examine themselves in light of God’s word and act accordingly.

The bottom line is that most marriages would improve drastically if the husband would love his wife and the wife would respect her husband.

Mark 15:27-47: thank you Lord for your sacrifice.

Mark 15 opens early on Friday morning. Jesus was taken before Pilate as the Jews sought to have Him put to death. When the other gospel accounts are examined, we see that Pilate declared Jesus innocent multiple times. However, the Jews kept the pressure on him, even threatening to declare Pilate an enemy of Caesar. No doubt, seeing very little consequence to killing the one whom the Jews so despised and fearing for his political future…even his life…Pilate sentenced Jesus to death.

The Roman soldiers took the Lord and shamefully treated Him; mocking Him and His position as King of the Jews. Are we ever guilty of similar conduct?

When they crucified Jesus, He refused the medicated drink that would have numbed His senses. He felt the full force of the pain and suffering associated with the crucifixion; all for you and me. How little we appreciate what He went through for our eternal salvation. Let us be determined to gain a better understanding and deeper appreciation for the Lord’s sacrifice.