Sermon
#41 Hebrews
Notes
Title: Why
Did Christ Come?
Text: Hebrews 10:1-10
Subject: The Reason for Our Lord’s Incarnation
Date: Tuesday Evening –
Tape # W-23b
Introduction:
The most
amazing thing in all the world is the fact that the
Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, should condescend to become a man that he
might live and die in the place of sinful men as their Substitute upon the
cursed tree. I hope I never get over the wonder of redeeming love. Well did the
hymn writer say…
“Could we with ink the
oceans fill,
And were the skies of
parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a
quill,
And every man a scribe by
trade, --
To write the love of God
above
Would drain the oceans dry,
Nor could the scroll contain
the whole,
Though stretched from sky to
sky!”
Yet, when
I meditate upon this great, stupendous fact, the fact that the Lord of glory
came here to live and die for me, to be made sin for me, to bring in
everlasting righteousness for me, to put away by sin by being made sin, to give
me life by laying down his own life, that he came here to save me, I am
compelled to ask, with reverent astonishment – Why? Why did Christ come?
That is the
question I want us to consider tonight. It is a question answered in many ways
and in many places in Holy Scripture. But it is not answered more fully or more
clearly in any single passage than it is in Hebrews chapter ten. So tonight I
want you to look with me into the first ten verses of Hebrews 10. Here, the
Holy Spirit tells us specifically why the Lord Jesus Christ came into this
world and died in our room and stead at
Divisions: Why did Christ come? God the
Holy Spirit answers that question for us in our text in three ways.
1. Christ came here to put away
sin because there was no other way for sin to be put away (vv. 1-4).
2. Our Lord Jesus Christ came
here as a Man, as our Mediator, Substitute and Representative to do and fulfill
the will of God, to bring in a better covenant (vv. 5-9).
3. Christ came here to die at
Hebrews
10:1-10 "For the law having a
shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can
never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make
the comers thereunto perfect. ---[2]--- For
then would they not have ceased to be offered? because
that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.
---[3]--- But in those sacrifices there is a
remembrance again made of sins every year. ---[4]---
For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should
take away sins. ---[5]--- Wherefore when he
cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but
a body hast thou prepared me: ---[6]--- In burnt offerings and sacrifices
for sin thou hast had no pleasure. ---[7]--- Then
said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy
will, O God. ---[8]--- Above when he said,
Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou
wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the
law; ---[9]--- Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh
away the first, that he may establish the second. ---[10]--- By the which will we are sanctified through
the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."
I.
Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God came
here to put away sin because there was no other way for sin to be put away (vv. 1-4).
Hebrews 10:1-4 "For the law
having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the
things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year
continually make the comers thereunto perfect. ---[2]---
For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because
that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.
---[3]--- But in those sacrifices there is a
remembrance again made of sins every year. ---[4]---
For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should
take away sins."
A. The law of God given by
Moses, with all its rituals, sacrifices, and ceremonies, was a shadow, type, or
picture of the good things to come in Christ.
Those “good things”
pictured and typified in the law are:
·
The Forgiveness of Sin,
·
Justification with God,
·
Peace with God,
·
Rest in Christ,
·
Fellowship with the Holy Lord God,
·
Preservation by Grace,
·
Salvation and Eternal Life in Christ,
·
And the Blessed Assurance of Faith.
The tabernacle, the
priesthood and the law were not given to put away sin, but only to serve as a
pattern, a blueprint, a picture of the true Tabernacle and true Sacrifice,
which is Christ himself (Col. 2:16-17; Heb. 8:4-5).
Colossians 2:16-17
"Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in
respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
---[17]--- Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of
Christ."
Hebrews 8:4-5
"For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing
that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law: ---[5]--- Who
serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished
of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou
make all things according to the pattern showed to thee in the mount."
B. Those Old Testament
sacrifices could never put away sin (v. 2).
Do not miss the argument of
our text. If those sacrifices could put away sin, they would have ceased to be
offered! If I bring a sacrifice of any kind that could make atonement for my
sin, then there would be no need of offering another sacrifice (Heb.
Hebrews 10:12-14 "But this
man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the
right hand of God; ---[13]--- From henceforth expecting till his enemies
be made his footstool. ---[14]--- For by one
offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified."
1. Once
sin has been put away the sinner is discharged. Guilt is gone. Condemnation is
impossible (Rom. 5:1; 8:1-4;
Romans 5:1
"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ:"
Romans 8:1-4 "There
is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who
walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. ---[2]---
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from
the law of sin and death. ---[3]--- For what the law could not do, in
that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of
sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: ---[4]--- That
the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the
flesh, but after the Spirit."
2. This is the reason we have
such assurance and confidence in Christ (Rom.
Romans 8:33-34
"Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It
is God that justifieth. ---[34]--- Who is
he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also
maketh intercession for us."
3. Our Lord Jesus Christ has
offered one sacrifice, and believing him we complete, total confidence and
assurance that our sins are gone (Heb.
Hebrews
Isaiah 53:4-6
"Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows:
yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. ---[5]--- But he was wounded for our
transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of
our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. ---[6]--- All we like sheep have gone astray; we have
turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of
us all."
On Jewish altars slain,
Could give the guilty
conscience peace,
Or wash away the stain.
But Christ, the heavenly
Lamb,
Takes all our sins away:
A Sacrifice of nobler name
And richer blood than they.
Believing, we rejoice
To see the curse remove:
We bless the Lamb with
cheerful voice,
And sing redeeming love!”
C. In verse 3 the Holy Spirit
tells us that those carnal, legal sacrifices of the Old Testament only reminded
the worshippers of God that someone must yet come to put sin away.
Those sacrifices offered on
a regular basis and by divine appointment gave a fresh remembrance of sin. The
sin for which the sacrifices were made was not put away. They were still there.
The sacrifices themselves only reminded the people of their sins. The
sacrifices must and did continue until the Christ came, who
put an end to them and to sin by his sacrifice.
D. Why is it impossible for
carnal sacrifices to put away sin?
Look at verse 4. Did you ever notice how often we are told in the Book of Hebrews that some things are impossible?
Hebrews 6:4
"For it is impossible for those who were once
enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of
the Holy Ghost,"
Hebrews 6:18 "That by two
immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might
have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope
set before us:"
Hebrews 11:6
"But without faith it is impossible to please him:
for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a
rewarder of them that diligently seek him."
Hebrews 10:4
"For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and
of goats should take away sins."
It is not possible for
animal blood to take away sin. Let me give you four reasons why sins cannot be
put away by such sacrifices.
1. Sin is a transgression of
the moral law. These sacrifices belong to a ceremonial law. Christ was born
under and obeyed the moral law (Gal. 4:4-5).
2. The blood is not the same
blood. It is not from the same kind of person who sinned. But Christ was bone
of our bone and flesh of our flesh (Heb.
3. Sin deals with the mind and
conscience, to which an animal cannot relate. Christ made his soul an offering
for sin. He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief (Isa. 53:10-11).
4. If sin could be put away by
some other means, then Christ died in vain (Gal.
II.
Our Lord Jesus Christ came here as a Man, as
our Mediator, Substitute and Representative to do and fulfill the will of God,
to bring in a better covenant (vv. 5-9).
Verses 5-8 are a quotation
from Psalm 40:6-8 in which David writes of Christ who was to come.
A. God the Holy Spirit prepared
a body, a real human body and soul, so that he could bear our sins in his body
on the cursed tree.
The sacrifices and offerings
of the Old Testament continued only for a set time until Christ came (1 Cor.
5:7). God never accepted them as a term of righteousness. But, when the
fullness of time came, he clothed Christ in a human body prepared by the Holy
Spirit, that his own dear Son might (in the body of a man) obey the law and
suffer for sin (Rom. 5:19; 1 Cor. 15:21-22).
B. Verse 6 tells us again that
it was impossible for animal blood to put away human sin.
Burnt offerings and
sacrifices could never satisfy his justice, appease his anger, honor his law,
or put away sin (Isa.
Isaiah 1:11-18
"To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices
unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt
offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of
bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats. ---[12]--- When
ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my
courts? ---[13]--- Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an
abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I
cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. ---[14]--- Your new moons and your appointed feasts my
soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them. ---[15]--- And when ye spread forth your hands, I will
hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your
hands are full of blood. ---[16]--- Wash you, make you clean; put away
the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; ---[17]--- Learn
to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead
for the widow. ---[18]--- Come now, and let us
reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be
as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."
C. Our Lord Jesus Christ came
here as a voluntary Surety, as Jehovah’s voluntary Servant, to die as our
Substitute by the will of God (v. 7).
In the book of God’s decrees and in the Book of God’s revelation (the Bible) it is clearly written that Christ would come to work our the redemptive will of God (Luke 24:44-47).
D. In order to fulfill and
bring in the new, everlasting covenant and the blessings of it, our Savior
completely took away the old (vv. 8-9).
Hebrews 10:8-9
"Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt
offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure
therein; which are offered by the law; ---[9]--- Then said he,
Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first,
that he may establish the second."
In verse 8 the prophecy of
Psalm 40 is repeated. Here, however, all the sacrifices are included. That
means this – When Christ fulfilled them all he replaced them all. Those
sacrifices gave no pleasure to God except as they were offered in faith toward
Christ (Heb. 11:4, 17, 28).
Hebrews 11:4 "By faith Abel
offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained
witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being
dead yet speaketh."
Hebrews
Hebrews
Now, look at verse 9. -- By completely fulfilling
the redemptive will of God (John 6:38), the Lord Jesus Christ has put away all
sacrifices, all offerings, the priesthood and all that was associated with that
covenant. “Christ is the END of the law!” He stands in the place of all
that was represented in the law. Now, having Christ, we have all things in him
(1 Cor.
1 Corinthians
1 Corinthians 3:21-23
"Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are
yours; ---[22]--- Whether Paul, or Apollos, or
Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come;
all are yours; ---[23]--- And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's."
Colossians 2:9-10
"For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
---[10]--- And ye are complete in him, which is
the head of all principality and power:"
III.
Christ came here to die at
Hebrews
We will
come back to this verse again, but for now, I want you to carry four things
home with you. Rejoice in them. Roll them over in your heart. Worship God and
give him thanks for these four things.
A. Christ came
her to offer himself as a sin-atoning sacrifice to God at
B. The Son of God came here to
die as our Substitute by the will of God.
C. He came here specifically to
die in the room and place of God’s elect (“Them that are sanctified!”),
as our great Substitute.
D. And he has successfully
redeemed us by the sacrifice of himself (vv. 11-14).
Hebrews 10:11-14 "And every
priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices,
which can never take away sins: ---[12]--- But this man, after he had
offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;
---[13]--- From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his
footstool. ---[14]--- For by one offering he
hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified."
AMEN.