Hebrews 10

Bible study with Pastor Terry Gray


THE BETTER SACRIFICE (Hebrews 10:1-18)


Hebrews 10:1-3
Old Testament sacrifices are merely continual reminders of our sin. They do not solve our sin problem. They do not clear our conscience of our son problem.


So... Why did God tell them do it? Old Testament sacrifices were a shadow of things to come. God used these sacrifices to prepare them for the coming of Jesus. 


1. These rituals convinced his people that they are sinners. 
2. These rituals taught them the only remedy for sin is the sacrificial death of an innocent substitute.

Hebrews 10:5-10
Jesus is speaking to God the Father in this passage. Jesus acknowledges that Old Testament sacrifices were not desirable to God. Furthermore, Jesus acknowledges that He is the One and Only who has come to do God's Will, to redeem the fallen human race.


Jesus is the real thing. Everything else is a shadow, a copy, a picture. It is ONLY our personal relationship with Jesus that saves! 




HEAVEN'S OPEN INVITATION (Hebrews 10:19-25)


The separation between man and God is made very obvious in the Old Testament. For example, only Moses could ascend Mountain Sinai where God had descended His presence (Exodus 24).


In the New Testament, Jesus makes it possible for us to get close to God. 


Below are 4 pictures of entering the Holy of Holies: 


Matthew 27:51
The veil between man and God is broken. The curtain is ripped, because through Jesus, we have direct access to God. We no longer need to communicate with God through a human high priest. JESUS IS OUR HIGH PRIEST!


Hebrews 10:19
By the blood of Jesus, we can enter into God's presence. Jesus endured the wrath of God for our sins.


Hebrews 10:20
The new and living way is Jesus! We can be in the presence in God because of Jesus! The word "new" here, in the original Greek, is the only time the Greek word is used in the New Testament. The Greek word means new in the sense of "flesh just killed," aka, animals that have just been killed. 


Jesus, our way to heaven, has been freshly slain. Even though his death was 2000 years ago, his death then washed away sin just as it does today. It is fresh forever.


This speaks of the enduring salvation we get from Jesus. 

Jesus is ALIVE!


Hebrews 10:22 
Heaven is open. GO IN! Today, when we pray, we have a direct connection with God. We are spiritually transported into the Heavenly Holy of Holies. We are reaching God's throne every time we pray.


Hebrews 10:23
Do not waiver in our choice to stand by Jesus!


Hebrews 10:24
In the Old Testament times, the high priest, having finished his duties in the Holy of Holies and received blessing from God, he would come out and bless the people, to strengthen and pray for the people. 


We are encouraged to do the same here. After all, we are to be kings and priests. We are to be sensitive to people, to minister other people, to stir up love and good works!


Hebrews 10:25
We should assemble together so that we can support each other, to lift each other up. The church is about giving, not receiving! 




STICK WITH JESUS
Persecutions of Christians during the time of this letter had forced Jewish Christians to consider turning away from Jesus, looking to return to their old ways. The author is telling to stick with Jesus, to not look back, to not fall away. 


Throughout this book, the main theme has been that Jesus is superior to all, so stick with Jesus, why even bother with any of the lesser choice? 


Hebrews 10:26 
Sin willfully = long drawn-out, consistent, habitual, resolute, stubborn, and hardened hostility and rebellion towards God


Sinning willfully is committing the sin of apostasy, the sin of blaspheming of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12). The sin of apostasy, the rejection of Jesus Christ, the full rejection of truth under full exposure to light, is the unpardonable sin. 


This passage is not saying that if a Christian sins, he loses his salvation and goes to hell. Every Christian makes the choice to walk away from sin, but we still make mistakes (1 John 9:10). 


This passage is also not saying that if we sin, we lose salvation. For example, being mad at friends and family will not cause us to lose salvation.


This passage, instead, is talking about apostasy.


Hebrews 10:29
Apostasy is trampling on Jesus, ignoring the precious blood of Jesus!


Hebrews 10:26-27
Once rejected, Jesus' blood will no longer apply to the person. And if Jesus' blood is not applied, there will be no other atonement for that person's sin. That person will then face judgment in the Lake of Fire awaits. 


Hebrews 10:30-31
Here, the author offers an extreme warning against walking away from Jesus.


Charles Spurgeon once said, "If we think lightly of Hell, we will think lightly of the Cross."


The punishment for sin is death. The death here points to SPIRITUAL death. This death is so difficult to endure that  Jesus came to take our place, bearing the Wrath of God for mankind! If we reject His blood, if we reject the blood of the Creator, there is nothing else that can redeem us.


It is Pastor Terry Gray's belief that true born-again Christians will not turn against Christ. They may backslide and make mistakes here and there, but they won't completely turn against God. True born-again Christians simply cannot sincerely follow Christ but live like Satan. 


Hebrews 10:32
Think back to the suffering we have endured for Christ. Don't waste the harvest of our tears! Don't give up. Stick with Jesus. We have suffered too much to give up. God will pull us through any problem.


Hebrews 10:35-38
Hold on a little longer. One day, we will receive our rewards. That day will come.


Hebrews 10:39
Knowing Jesus is the Way, our ONLY salvation, our hope, how could we turn away? Whatever hardship we have to endure, remember that Jesus endured the hardest of them all--the Wrath of God on the Cross. He died on the Cross for us so that we may live through Him.