[0:00] You can be turning to Hebrews chapter 10.
[0:11] In a minute we'll be reading there, Hebrews chapter 10. We're going to be looking this morning at the only pleasing sacrifice.
[0:30] Before we read, let me give you just a little bit of review. I want to remind you that the book of Hebrews was written to Jewish Christians who were suffering.
[0:45] And because of their suffering and persecution, they were tempted to return to old covenant ways. Going back to the sacrifices and the festivals and the feasts. They were wanting to go back to those old testament ways to find relief from their suffering.
[1:01] Because they weren't bothered so much when they were just doing their Jewish things. But now as Christians, they were being persecuted. And so they were tempted to go back.
[1:11] The book of Hebrews was written, the book of Hebrews was a sermon written to show them that the old covenant was not effective.
[1:23] And was only a shadow that pointed forward to the real work done by Jesus Christ. The writers trying to attempt to show them going back is such an awful mistake.
[1:35] Broadly, we could say that Hebrews chapters 1 through 7 have told us who Christ is. And that Hebrews 8 and 9 have told us what Christ has done.
[1:51] What we look at today is a culmination of what the writer of the book of Hebrews has been sharing about the work of Christ. Our passage this morning will summarize and share with us how Christ is the perfect sacrifice.
[2:12] We've talked about all kinds of offices and actions. Now we're going to talk about how he himself was the perfect sacrifice. We're going to read now from Hebrews chapter 10.
[2:27] I'm going to read the first 18 verses. For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year make perfect those who draw near.
[2:49] Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered? Since the worshipers having once been cleansed would no longer have any consciousness of sins?
[3:01] But in these sacrifices, there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
[3:13] Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body you have prepared me.
[3:24] In burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. Then I said, Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.
[3:36] When he said above, You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings.
[3:48] These are offered according to the law. Then he added, Behold, I have come to do your will. He does away with the first in order to establish the second.
[3:59] And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every high priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.
[4:17] But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemy should be made a footstool for his feet.
[4:32] For by a single offering, he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us for after saying, This is the covenant that I will make with them.
[4:49] After those days, declares the Lord, I will put my laws on their hearts and write them on their minds. Then he adds, I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.
[5:04] Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin. Let's pray together. Father, I thank you for this passage.
[5:19] I thank you for what it points out to us about Jesus. And I pray that you would be with us. Help us to see the wonder of it. Help us to see who we have.
[5:31] Help us to see what we have. Help us to see what you had that pleased you. And I pray that you would be with us. Help us by your spirit to understand your word.
[5:45] And Lord, help us to apply it. Lord, amongst many things, may one of the first things that, ways that you apply it, is that we are filled with awe and wonder and worship.
[5:57] And that we would be true to you. Not depending on our trueness, but depending on the trueness of Christ. True to you out of love and service. I pray that you would be with us.
[6:09] In Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. I have entitled this message, The Only Pleasing Sacrifice.
[6:20] I have mentioned that we have talked about how Hebrews points in so many different directions. The place of the real offering. The high priest of the real offering.
[6:32] The access of the real offer. The wonder of this high priest. And so many different things. This book is pointed out. But as we come to the culmination of it, because from this, the end of where we will look at today on, he's going to make many applications based on the wonder of who this, our sacrifice is.
[6:55] But as we come to this, he comes to the last point, the culmination. He's going to take things from all the things that he's talked about. And he's going to share from passage from the book of Psalms, Psalm 40.
[7:07] And he's going to reveal to us how this sacrifice, the sacrifice of Christ, is the absolute only pleasing sacrifice before God.
[7:17] So, to try to make this make sense, I've told you before, those who've heard me speak on Hebrews, that in my mind, this is a sermon that just runs.
[7:30] And he often doesn't seem to stop and say, let me collect my thoughts, and put this in an organized structure. He just seems to have so much, that he just keeps running, and running, and running. And so, I'm going to ask four questions today, that I think this passage answers, and help us, and use those questions to help us see, why Jesus is the only pleasing sacrifice.
[7:54] As I do that, I'll be basically covering, first of all, the first four verses, with the first question, and break the rest of it up, as we go through, section by section, with each of these questions.
[8:10] So the first question, I want to ask this morning is, why were the sacrifices, of the old covenant, not pleasing to God? Why were they not pleasing to God?
[8:23] I mean, after all, God, didn't he institute them? Didn't he say, this is the way I want you to do this? Didn't he say, I want you to bring this offering here, and that offering there, and I want you to do this on that day, and I want all these done, and I want you to remember to do them, and it's part of what you are to do, as my covenant, Old Testament people?
[8:45] Then, then, why weren't they pleasing to God? Why weren't they enough? And so, the writer of the book of Hebrews, in this first section, answers that, with many different statements.
[8:58] First of all, the sacrifices of the law, were only a shadow, of the things to come. As you, graze over, glaze over, or skim, skim is a better word, skim over the passage, that, the section that we're looking at, you're going to see, that he mentions, that they, were only a shadow, of the things to come.
[9:17] Since they were only shadows, the shadows didn't make people, perfect, or acceptable to God. He goes on to mention, that the Old Testament sacrifices, weren't pleasing, because they were not the realities, of what really needed to be done.
[9:37] It's not that God, God made a mistake, in putting them there. He put them there on purpose. They were good things. But they were not the realities. They only pointed to the realities.
[9:48] And if you, think with me, in remembering, some of your Old Testament readings, or some of the things, that we've preached about in the past, you think about some of the, some of the offerings, that were instituted by God, there was the offering, where two goats were brought.
[10:04] And the high priest, would lay his hand, on the head of the, the one goat, and confess all the sins, and slit that goat's throat, and splash its blood on the altar, and burn it on the altar, and sacrifice for sins.
[10:16] And, sorry, he would lay his hand, on the head of the other goat, and confess sins again. And then, an able man, would take that goat, off into the wilderness, and release it, so that it would be lost, and it would go away, and would never be seen again, and it would be a picture, of our sins being carried away.
[10:36] That scapegoat, did not really carry away, the sins of the people. They did it one year, and then the next year, the whole process was done again.
[10:47] Two goats were brought, hands on both goats, confession on both goats, one goat's throat slipped, the blood is splashed, and he's burnt, the other goat is let out, into the wilderness, lost, to show that our sins, were taken away.
[11:02] But it didn't really, take away our sin. The sin offering, the other offerings, the burnt offerings, all these animals were brought, and God said, this is what you are to do, and that offering was brought, the sin offerings brought, and its throat was slit, and it was, blood was splashed, and it was burnt, and it was for our sins.
[11:26] And yet that sin, or that offering rather, did not take away our sin. Those offerings, only pointed, to the one, who would carry our way, our sin.
[11:41] The one who would, give himself, in sacrifice for our sins. These offerings, God was not pleased with. Because they only, pointed to the reality.
[11:53] He also was not pleased, with them, because the sacrifice, of the law, could only deal, with outward cleansing. They didn't deal, with the real consciousness, of sin. Every year, or even when people sinned, they would sin, and they bring an offering, and that goat, would be slain for them, and that goat, would be burnt for them, and the blood, blood of the goats, the goat's blood, would be sprinkled, for that person, and he would walk away, and he would have, no sense of forgiveness.
[12:23] Because an animal's blood, can't take away sin. God never intended it for, to do that. And so God, wasn't pleased, with that goat, with that offering.
[12:35] He was pleased, that people brought it, but he wasn't pleased, with that, because it really, didn't do anything, but make them, ceremonially clean. They could continue, in the system, as they looked, for the one, who would come.
[12:49] It pointed. The fact, that the sacrifices, of the law, had to be, re-offered, every year, was only a reminder, of sins, every year. The great, high day of atonement, would come around, and all the offerings, and all the, the ceremonies, that would have to be done, would be done, and the high priest, would enter into, into the holy place, and splash the blood, and that was to say, our sins, were atoned for, they were covered.
[13:18] But, 365 days later, he would be back there again. Why? Because sins, weren't really dealt with. It pointed forward, to a day, when the true, high priest, would take the true, offering, into the true, holy place, and offer that, true sacrifice, before the only God, and sins, would truly be, dealt with.
[13:42] And so, this old covenant thing, God was not pleased with it. This text goes on, to say, that the, that it was impossible, the blood of bulls, and goats, to take away sins.
[13:56] And that's pointing, to the fact, that bulls, and goats, had no righteousness, to offer for our sins. If you lived, and worked around, goats and bulls, you'd say, they're evil.
[14:11] Not all of them. But they don't have, a righteousness, that could stand in for me. They're only animals. They had no righteousness, to offer for our sins.
[14:25] They were not, of sufficient value, to take away, our sins. They were just a pointer. The old covenant sacrifices, I'm thinking of the animals themselves.
[14:40] The old covenant sacrifices, did not come to do God's will. No goat, walked into the temple, willingly, and said, I'm here to die for someone.
[14:55] Every goat, every bull, every sacrifice, was brought to the temple, was brought there, by someone. And if you've dealt with animals, I'm sure, sometimes it was a battle.
[15:10] None of them came, willingly. None of them died, willingly. Now many of them died, unknowingly. None of them died, willingly.
[15:23] None of them chose, to die, in obedience, to God's will. No bull said, I'm getting up this morning, and I'm going to temple, because God wants, a bull to die in the temple, and I want to be that bull.
[15:40] These sacrifices, God was not pleased with. As I mentioned, God put them there. They were right, and they were good, because they showed us, the extent, or some of the, the different shades, of meaning, of what it would take, for a true, what would a true sacrifice be?
[16:07] And that's what these, sacrifices did. They pointed to that. So we asked, why were the sacrifices, of the old covenant, not pleasing to God?
[16:19] As we go on in our text, in the section, starting with verse five, we're going to answer the question, why was the sacrifice, of Christ, in the new covenant, pleasing to God?
[16:33] And it's evident, as the writer of Hebrews, quotes from Psalm 40, now if you were to take, your Bible, we don't have time, but if you were to take, your Bible, and go back to Psalm 40, in your Bible, in the Old Testament, you would not read, this phrase, just like it is here.
[16:51] You would read, something, something along the lines, how does it go? Sacrifice and offerings, you have not desired, but my ear, you have opened. That's, that's, us trying to interpret, the Hebrew.
[17:07] The writer of Hebrews, takes, the Septuagint, when they translated, the Greek, or I'm sorry, the Hebrew into Greek, years, and years, and years ago, they translated it, like the writer, of the book of Hebrews.
[17:21] And the writer of Hebrews, under the inspiration, of the Holy Spirit, took that phrase, and put it in here, because he saw, how it had connection, to what Christ, truly had done.
[17:38] I'm sorry. So, why was the sacrifice, sacrifice of Christ, in the new covenant, pleasing to God? Because, as Christ quotes, from the Old Testament, as the writer of Hebrews, shows him to be, acting on the, quote of the Old Testament.
[17:54] The Son of God, says, sacrifices and offerings, you have not desired, but a body, you have prepared me. Why was God pleased, with the New Testament sacrifice?
[18:07] Because the Son of God, took on a body, to be that, sacrifice. God was pleased, with the New Covenant sacrifice, because, the Son of God, took on a body.
[18:23] He had no pleasure, in sacrifices, that were by the law, and so he instituted, the New Covenant sacrifices. I've already said some of this, so I'm skipping ahead, in my notes.
[18:40] I'll just say this, God instituted, the Old Covenant sacrifices, they're always meant, to point to Christ, but let me share some things. They showed, that we needed someone, to take God's wrath, for us.
[18:54] God instituted, those sacrifices, that we, because we needed to see, that God, needed someone, to take his wrath, for us. They are also instituted, to show that, we need someone, to pay for our sins.
[19:07] He instituted, instituted, those Old Testament sacrifices, to show that, we needed, a righteousness, that was not our own. We needed, a righteousness, from someplace else.
[19:20] And so, God instituted, the Old Covenant sacrifices, to point to all these. And so, from the foundation, of the world, it was God's will, that Christ, take on a body, to be, that kind of, true, sacrifice, for our sins.
[19:39] He would be, he would be the sacrifice, that would take, God's wrath for us. He would be, the kind of sacrifice, that would pay, for our sins.
[19:51] He would be, the kind of sacrifice, where he would give us, his righteousness, because ours, was no good. And so, why was the sacrifice, of Christ, and the new covenant, pleasing to God?
[20:04] Secondly, the sacrifice, of Christ, was pleasing, because he was a sacrifice, that could do, God's will. I have to say, this is, this is the thing, that struck me, the greatest, when it comes to, studying this passage.
[20:22] This whole idea, of the Old Covenant sacrifices, not being able, to do God's will, struck me, when it says here, sacrifices and offerings, you have not desired, but a body, you have prepared for me, in burnt offerings, and sin offerings, you have taken no pleasure.
[20:38] Then I said, behold, I have come, to do your will, O God, as it is written, of me in the book. We've mentioned, that God, wasn't pleased, with Old Testament sacrifices, because they weren't willing, and they weren't sufficient, and they couldn't, obey God's law, on purpose.
[20:56] It was not their choice, to obey God's law, they simply followed, the lead of the person, bringing it. The only sacrifice, God could take pleasure in, was the sacrifice, of the God-man, Jesus Christ.
[21:14] God, would have to take on, human flesh, to be a sacrifice, able to represent us. God would need, a sacrifice, that was without sin, and obedient, to the Father's will, from his very conception.
[21:33] And that's what Jesus did, from the moment, he was conceived, God taking on flesh, kept the law, of God, always. always. And so he could be, or his obedience, made him able to be, the kind of sacrifice, that was obedient.
[21:53] Do you see the juxtaposition? Animal did nothing, to choose to obey God. God was pleased, with the sacrifice of Christ, because the moment, he was conceived, he chose to obey God.
[22:10] God. And the wonder of him, being willing to do, all the law, perfectly, and rightly, for us, is amazing. He became a sacrifice, willingly.
[22:29] He, willingly, took on a body. He was not duped, from the foundation of the world, he was not misled, as to what he would be facing, he knew, from eternity past, exactly what, he would be facing, and he willingly, took on a body, that he might be, our sacrifice.
[22:50] He willingly, came, to be that sacrifice. He willingly, went to the cross, to offer himself, for his people. No one, I know the Romans, led him to Golgotha, but no one, made him go there.
[23:06] No one, had a rope, around his neck, saying, you must die, and he's going, no, I won't do it, I won't do it, you can't make me. Every step, was a step, of obedience, to his father.
[23:20] Every step, was, I will do this, for God, and for my people. It was a willingness, no one, drug him to the cross. I want you, to keep your place here, and turn with me, to Matthew, chapter 26.
[23:38] We have talked, about this verse often, and it's a beautiful verse. Matthew 26, and verse 39. I'll give you a minute, to get there, because I want you, to see it.
[23:52] Matthew 26, verse 39. I'm going to start, in verse 38. I'm going to start, in verse 38. He's speaking, to the disciples.
[24:08] Then he said, to them, my soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here, and watch with me. That meant, pray for him. And going, a little farther, he fell on his face, and prayed saying, my father, if it be possible, let this cup, pass for me.
[24:29] What's the cup? It's our sin, being placed upon him. It's the, the suffering, that's ahead. It's the cross. It's being, persecuted, and tortured, and beaten, for us.
[24:47] But even more, it's him facing, the father, placing his wrath, upon him, and then turning, his face from him. Father, if it be possible, let this cup, pass for me, nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will, but as you will.
[25:12] The beautifulness, of a willing sacrifice, no goat, struggled that way. No ox, or bull, struggled that way.
[25:23] So I don't want it. Only, the God man, God taking on flesh, could go to the cross, in this way.
[25:35] This is a scene, of great beauty. Facing the most, agonizing decision, of obedience, anyone in the world, could ever, even, we can't fathom, the agony, of making that decision.
[25:48] We can't fathom, the agony, of taking the next steps, that he had to take. And yet, Christ, our sacrifice, chose to obey.
[26:01] That's the kind, of sacrifice, God is pleased with. And our Savior, was willing, to do that. Even the most, difficult situation, there could ever be, to obey the Father, in becoming a sacrifice.
[26:15] He chose to obey. No wonder, God was pleased, with his sacrifice. The sacrifice, of Jesus Christ, was pleasing, not only because, he was willing, how could we go on, but the sacrifice, of Jesus Christ, was pleasing, because it was a sacrifice, of the God man.
[26:41] The real, and, sufficient, sacrifice. only, the perfect man, could be a sacrifice, for man.
[26:57] Only, God, in flesh, could be sufficient, could be of sufficient, worth, to be a sacrifice, for all of God's people.
[27:07] the sacrifice, of Jesus, was pleasing.
[27:18] Well, how do you know? You might ask. How do we know, that Christ's sacrifice, was pleasing, and acceptable, to God? Well, the passage, goes on. He's arguing, his point, his points are laid out, and he says, we know, that the sacrifice, was pleasing, I'm using my words here, we know, the sacrifice of Christ, was pleasing, because he sat down, and he is written, already in this chapter, one of the reasons, one of the things, that happened, to show that God, was not pleased, with the Old Testament, sacrifices, with the Old Covenant, sacrifices, was that the priests, never could sit down, and they could never, stop offering, sacrifices, because it never, did what it was, what we needed it to do, it did what God intended, it pointed to Christ, but it didn't do, what we needed it to do, we know that God, was pleased, and Christ's sacrifice, was acceptable, because he sat down, Christ, being seated, shows that atonement, is done, it never needs, to be done again,
[28:27] I know many here, were raised, in the Catholic tradition, where Christ, is presented, as a suffering, sacrifice, week upon week, sometimes day upon day, but that's not, our sacrifice, that's not the sacrifice, of the Bible, that's not the sacrifice, that God is pleased with, God is pleased, with the sacrifice, of Jesus, so pleased, that Jesus sat down, his work is done, it never needs, to be done again, we know, that the Christ sacrifice, was acceptable, because he waits, for his enemies, to be made, a footstool, for his feet, victory is won, he only waits, while everything, is going through, the process of finishing, all his people, are paid for, just waiting, for the process, of time, until that last one, comes to know, the son, by work, by way, the work of the son, and the work of the spirit, he's just waiting, and then all of his enemies, will be made, a footstool, for his feet, total, total victory, and so, then, the writer, of the book of Hebrews, goes from, how do you know, that God was pleased, with it, to, what did Christ, willing sacrifice, of himself, do for us, what did it do, for us, what are the benefits, the willing sacrifice, of Jesus Christ, it says here, sanctified, and perfected, all, once,
[30:05] I'm sorry, perfected us, once and for all, if you're his child, if you're trusting Christ, everything, that God, that Christ has done, all our sin, is paid for, my watch, Jim just went off, and told me it's 12, so, I'll hurry and finish it, and it distracted me, the willing sacrifice, of Jesus Christ, sanctified, and perfected, us, once, for all, his work, was, has made us, holy in his sight, though we stand, perfect in his sight, he's working, in our lives, to make us, more and more, holy, in the outward working, of our lives, right now, and then, someday, when we're in glory, we'll be perfect, it'll all be gone, all sin, will be gone, he goes on, also, to say, not only, we're sanctified, and perfected, once, for all, he says, that the willing sacrifice, of Christ,
[31:09] Jesus, brought us, into a new covenant, relationship, with God, he's, provided for us, a righteousness, that makes us, acceptable, and pleasing, this, sacrifice, that was pleasing, to God, brought us, into a covenant, relationship, where not only, does God look at us, and say, you're okay, I don't see any sin, God looks at us, and says, you're beautiful, you look like my son, you're as good, as my son is, you have the, the righteousness, that he has provided, for you, in this covenant, all the stipulations, and requirements, of God, are met by God, and fulfilled, in the God man, we're in this covenant, I'm going to use, a big word here, we're in this covenant, by a monergistic, work of God, we're in this covenant, because God, worked by himself, alone, to bring us, into this covenant, he goes on, to say, this covenant, he's put us in, in that covenant, he puts his word, in our hearts, and gives us, a desire, to love God, and keep his law, now, while we're on earth, we'll struggle, and we'll fail, now, but in this covenant, that we're in, because Jesus, was an acceptable, and pleasing, the only acceptable, and pleasing sacrifice, we're now people, who want, to love God, we want, to do what his word says, and to read, the last verse, of the section, that we're looking at, wherefore,
[33:03] I'm sorry, where there is, forgiveness of these, there is no longer, any offering, for sin, and so, that's kind of, the nail, in the coffin, of his argument, you can't go back, because there's, no offering, for sins, in the old covenant, you can't look, other places, there's no offering, for sin, that's pleasing, in God's sight, in any other place, where there is, forgiveness of sins, and our lawless deeds, are no more, where there is, forgiveness of these, there is, therefore, I'm sorry, there is no longer, any offering, for sin, it's done, and so, application, how great a God, do we have, that he, required, and is only pleased, with what he provided, yay, but, he didn't have to provide, we have a God, who required, and by grace, provided, what we needed, the only, acceptable sacrifice, he took no pleasure, in the blood, of bulls and goats, but was so gracious, so as to provide, righteousness, and payment for sin, by means of the body, and blood, of his own son, the perfect sacrifice, the one, who obeyed God's law, who is both sufficient, and effective forever, and who willingly, obeyed God, to death on the cross, to pay for our sins, if you're here today, and you're not trusting, in the one, that has done, this work, the one, who is the only, pleasing sacrifice, remind you, trusting anything else, is not an acceptable, sacrifice in God's sight, and the result, of not trusting, the only, appropriate sacrifice, is to pay for your sin, yourself, by death and hell, for all eternity, the writer of the book, of Hebrews, is trying to get these people, don't go back, my pleading with you, this morning, is don't turn, anywhere else, it's only Christ's work, trust him today, let's pray,
[36:01] Father, we stand in awe, at the wonder, of what you've done, and what you've provided, give us, lips, to the best of our ability, to speak your praise, Father, I pray that you would help us, to be thankful, help us to worship, pray that you would make us, into the image of Christ, and if there's one here, who doesn't know you, who's not trusting, the only acceptable sacrifice, I pray that today, would be the day, that person chooses, to repent, of trusting anything, even old, testament sacrifices, that had been, instituted by God, bring them, from trusting anything, except Christ, to trusting, Christ, the acceptable sacrifice, we pray in Jesus name, Amen.