Lesson 578

(Lesson 578)(03-17-13) Hebrews 8:16-28, "For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth. Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood. For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people, Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you. Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry. And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation."

This is yet another one of the most telling lessons in the entire New Testament. It very clearly explains the necessity for the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ as a remitter for the sins of those who accept Him. It clearly demonstrates that God demands a blood sacrifice for the sins of mankind. It explains how under the Law of Moses, the high priest offered all manner of animals to purify the things of the tabernacles and temples, however, those sacrifices did not atone for the sins of man, it took the blood of Christ, the perfect human, the virgin borne son of the living God, to atone for the evils brought on man by Adams disobedience. The ceremonial washings (baptisms) and the blood of animal sacrifices prepared the high priest to enter the holy of holies, these sacrifices did not then, nor will they ever, cleanse us from sin. The blood shed by our Lord Jesus Christ allowed Him to enter the presence of God on our behalf and to thereby become our eternal redeemer once and for all.~