March 28, 2004

Why?
Enigma Series, part 1
Speaker: Dave Gibbons

Hebrews 9:11-28
¹¹So Christ has become the High Priest over all the good things that have come. He has entered that great, perfect sanctuary in heaven, not made by human hands and not part of this created world. 12Once for all he took blood into the Most Holy Place, but not the blood of goats and calves. He took his own blood, and with it he secured our salvation forever.

¹³Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow could cleanse people’s bodies from ritual defilement. ¹⁴Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our hearts from deeds that lead to death so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for ours sins. ¹⁵That is why he is the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, so that all who are invited can receive the eternal inheritance God has promised them. For Christ died to set them free from the penalty of the sins they had committed under that first covenant.

supNow when someone dies and leaves a will, no one gets anything until it is proved that the person who wrote the will is dead. ¹⁷The will goes into effect only after the death of the person who wrote it. While the person is still alive, no one can use the will to get any of the things promised to them. ¹⁸That is why blood was required under the first covenant as a proof of death. ¹⁹For after Moses had given the people all of God’s laws, he took the blood of calves and goats, along with water, and sprinkled both the book of God’s laws and all the people, using branches of hyssop bushes and scarlet wool. ²⁰Then he said, “This blood confirms the covenant God has made with you.” ²¹And in the same way, he sprinkled blood on the sacred tent and on everything used for worship. ²²In fact, we can say that according to the law of Moses, nearly everything was purified by sprinkling with blood. Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.

4 Reasons

Theologically speaking Jesus had to die this way because it was only by His blood that . . .

1. We Could Secure the Gift of Eternal Life.
2. We could have Freedom from sin
3. Death was the Penalty for humanity’s sins.
4. We could experience forgiveness and purification.

3 Implications

Practically, this is huge. What this means is that:

1. Him --It’s not about us
2. Freedom --We can be free from our addictions, hurts, abuses and present sins.
3. Forgiveness and purity —Death is Necessary for Resurrection

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