S23 || Jesus Ends the Cycle of Continual Sacrifice || Hebrews 10:1-14 || Session 23

Would you rather stand in the shadow of a house—or step inside where there’s shelter and rest? Hebrews chapter 10 draws a sharp line between the shadow of the law and the solid reality of Jesus, and we walk that line with care, clarity, and hope. We unpack why repeated sacrifices could never cleanse the conscience, how Psalm 40 exposes the emptiness of going through the motions, and what it means that Jesus offered one sacrifice and then sat down because the work is finished.

We trace a single thread of salvation from Abraham to today: not by keeping the law, not by rituals or badges of obedience, but by faith that God counts as righteousness. Along the way we explore “the good things to come”—Spirit-empowered obedience, joy in God’s presence, a clear conscience, and the sure hope of a glorified body in a renewed creation. If you’ve ever felt the urge to earn your standing with God or drifted into performative religion, this chapter in Hebrews aims your heart back to the new covenant, where love fuels obedience and the Spirit writes God’s law within.

You’ll hear why priests stood daily while Jesus sat down, why “once for all” changes the way we live on Monday, and how “perfected for all time” frees us from anxious striving. We also talk about community and accountability—moving beyond anonymous attendance toward relationships that shape real discipleship. Step out of the shadow. Step into the house. And let the finished work of Christ redefine your past, redirect your habits, and reframe your future.

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Chapters

• 0:00 Shadows Versus Reality In Hebrews 10
• 1:20 What Are The Good Things To Come
• 3:35 Can The Law Make Anyone Perfect
• 6:08 One Way Of Salvation Across Testaments
• 10:30 Abraham Believed And Was Counted Righteous
• 12:10 Ongoing Sacrifices As Sin Reminders
• 13:24 Psalm 40 And God’s True Desire
• 16:10 Going Through Motions Versus Loving God
• 18:20 He Takes Away The First For The Second
• 20:10 Sanctification Once For All In Christ
• 21:36 Priests Standing Versus Christ Seated
• 23:20 Perfected For All Time By One Offering
• 25:00 Christ’s Victory And Our Hope

Transcript

SPEAKER_01: 0:16

Hebrews chapter 10 talks about shadows and reality. So the first question I have for our audience: would you rather live in a house or the shadow of a house? The shadow is not going to do you much good if it starts raining. The real house is really where you want to be. Hi, my name's Glenn. I'm here with Steve. We are reasoning through the Bible. Today we are reasoning through Hebrews chapter 10. So if you have your copy of the Bible, turn there. We've been learning about what the writer of the Hebrews has been talking about a better sacrifice and a better covenant that Jesus made. He is our high priest according to the order of Melchizedek. He entered through the veil and is there making a sacrifice for us and has still there being an advocate on our behalf. And today we're going to find out more of the contrast between the better covenant, the new covenant, and the old one. So, Steve, can you read the first four verses of Hebrews chapter 10?

SPEAKER_00: 1:24

For the law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered because the worshippers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have had consciousness of sins? But in those sacrifices, there is a reminder of sins year by year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

SPEAKER_01: 2:02

So here in verse one, it says the law, and of course he's talking about the Old Testament Mosaic Law, has only a shadow of the good things to come. So that reminds us of a question: what are these good things to come? What is it speaking of? Well, to me, the good things to come are righteousness in Christ. The good things to come are living in obedience to God's command through the power of the Holy Spirit. The good things to come are the joy of being in fellowship with God with a clear conscience, the joy of being able to see God face to face when we get to heaven. The end of verse one, make perfect those who draw near. That's what we have to look forward to. The law and obeying commandments cannot take away sin, cannot make us pure. So to me, those are the good things to come. Steve, when you think of there, when it says the good things to come, what comes to mind?

SPEAKER_00: 2:59

What comes to my mind is my glorified body. That's one thing that I am really truly looking forward to. And also living in the messianic kingdom and seeing the redemption of creation and the nations worshiping or bringing their offerings to Jesus who's ruling from Jerusalem. Everything you said, in addition to what I just mentioned, those are the good things that I think are going to be coming.

SPEAKER_01: 3:28

So it says there, we as Christians have things to look forward to, some good things to look forward to. By contrast, do non-Christians, non-believers, do they have anything good to look forward to in the end?

SPEAKER_00: 3:43

No, they don't have anything really to look forward to, Glenn, other than to be separated from God for all of eternity. And while here on earth, they might say, oh, that's okay. I don't want to have to be dealing with God or worship God anyway. Well, they'll probably think differently whenever they're facing a separation from God for all eternity. But no, that's the only thing that they have to look forward to. They don't have good things like we do to look forward to.

SPEAKER_01: 4:14

Again, verse one, the law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things. So the law is the shadow. Like I said before, if they're gonna stay outside a house in the shadow, then you're gonna get wet when it rains. If you want the protection, you have to go into the real house, not the shadow. That's the contrast here. The very form of things is the reality in Jesus Christ. That is what's real. The law is just the shadow. It also says there, if you diagram the sentence, the law cannot make us perfect. And the idea there is that the law merely says don't steal, don't lie, don't murder, don't have somebody else's wife. That's what the law says. What the law can't do is make us want to follow that law. The law cannot make us perfect again once we've violated those commands. The law cannot make us right again. The law only says you shouldn't have done it, you're guilty. So the reality of things can, Jesus is the one that can take away our sins. We can get joy, we can get righteousness, we can get obedience through Jesus and the filling with the Holy Spirit through the new covenant. None of those things are with the old covenant. The old covenant merely brings death, the old covenant brings guilt. The old covenant has no power to make you want to obey it and has no power to cleanse you again once you violated it. The new covenant does, because the new covenant takes away all the sins forever and it empowers us with the Holy Spirit. This brings us an important question that touches on many areas of Christian teaching. How were people saved in the Old Testament?

SPEAKER_00: 6:12

They were saved the same way through the blood of Jesus Christ. He's the one that paid the sin debt, and his death, burial, and resurrection is what gives us hope. All of the things that Hebrews is talking about here of Jesus being a better sacrifice, better than the priests, better than the angels, better than Moses, all of those. There's only been one way. That is the plan of salvation from God. And my go-to verses are that are Romans 3:23, 326. I read those in a previous session where it says that Jesus was the propitiation, the satisfactory sacrifice. And in God's forbearance, he overlooked the sins previously committed by the people that were offering up these shadow sacrifices, but yet the actual forgiveness of the sins were manifested in Jesus Christ. So what that does is everything prior to Jesus Christ, the believers in Yahweh and had faith, and the ones that were declared as being righteous by Yahweh, those are the ones who were forgiven at the cross with Jesus Christ. And then the ones moving forward from that time into our day and age now and even into the future. We look back to the cross and they looked forward to the cross, but it all hinged on faith and belief in the promises of God, Yahweh, and the faith of putting into those promises of redemption, of living again and having a future with Jesus Christ at some point in time, or really the Messiah is who they look forward to. Jesus is the Messiah. When we say Jesus Christ, that's what we're saying, Jesus, the Messiah. So there's only been one way of salvation, has been that way from the foundations of the world. It's faith and trust in the promises of God. It was manifested at the cross, the crucifixion, the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. And whenever he took his blood into the heavenly tabernacle, and he is there as our high priest, he is there and has brought redemption for us. All of the things that the writer of Hebrews has been talking about, that's what Jesus Christ is for us. That's what gives us our salvation.

SPEAKER_01: 8:44

One thing we can be absolutely sure of is that it was not by keeping the Old Testament law. Hebrews 10:1, the law is a shadow of things, quote, can never, by the same sacrifices offered continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near. The law can never make you perfect. All the law can do is point out your sin. So it's saying that the law is not how people were saved. Also, here in verse 4, quote, it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Therefore, nothing in the Old Testament law could save anyone. How were people saved? Abraham believed God and it was counted as righteousness. It says in Genesis 15, 6. Well, why do we bring that up here? Simply because Romans 4, 3 quotes that same verse, Genesis 15, 6. Abraham believed God and it was counted as righteousness. As the cornerstone of our salvation, Romans 4 and 5 is the theological explanation of how we are saved. And it makes the point that it's not by keeping the law. It was never by circumcision or any of those things. Abraham believed and was counted as righteousness, and we believe and it was counted as righteousness. Therefore, salvation does not come either Old Testament or new, by keeping God's commandments, by obeying God, by being circumcised, by baptism. None of these obedience things can save anyone. Abraham believed God and it was counted as righteousness. That's how we're saved. New Testament, according to Romans 4 in the book of Galatians, and in the Old Testament before the Mosaic Law, back in Genesis 15, so important to realize and will keep us from getting off track with a lot of doctrinal rabbit trails. Then here in Hebrews 10, verse 2, if the Old Testament sacrifices took away sin, then it wouldn't be the case that people were still aware of their sin, which they are. So therefore, verse 3, because the priest had to continue to make the sacrifices, it reminded people that the sin was still there. Whereas Jesus, he made one sacrifice for all. In the next section, the writer of Hebrews quotes the Old Testament, then explains the quote. Steve, can you start at verse five and read down to verse 10?

SPEAKER_00: 11:13

Therefore, when he comes into the world, he says, Sacrifice and offering you have not desired, but a body you have prepared for me. In whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin, you have taken no pleasure. Then I said, Behold, I have come. In the scroll of the book it is written of me to do your will, O God. After saying above, sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin, you have not desired, nor have you taken pleasure in them which are offered according to the law. Then he said, Behold, I have come to do your will. He takes away the first in order to establish the second. By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

SPEAKER_01: 12:08

Here, the writer of Hebrews is quoting Psalm 40, verse 6. This quote is reminding the Hebrew readers that God took no pleasure in sacrifices and offerings. He took no pleasure in them because the Israelites were just going through the motions. So, Steve, why would that be kind of a radical statement in the ears of these Hebrew Christians?

SPEAKER_00: 12:32

Because the people were wrapped up in offering sacrifices to God. That was their world. They lived around being pleasing to God. It was things that were set aside in the statutes and ordinances. Therefore, they were doing these things. And through that, the priests were accepting them and they were telling them basically, this is a way for God to be pleased with you if you keep these sacrifices, if you keep these things. Now, there was some basic truth in that, but it was related to living long in the land. It was related to living here on earth that Moses mentioned if you keep the ordinances and statutes, you'll be blessed, be able to live long in the land. If you don't, there'll be cursings. But it was also true that the people thought that they were pleasing God through it. So it would be radical to them to now find out and see that, or at least make them scratch their head, all these things that I'm doing that I think that I'm pleasing God, he's really not taking pleasure in them. There's got to be something else for him to take pleasure in because he says in six, the burnt offerings and the sacrifices for sin, you take no pleasure. So that would be a head scratcher for them. And again, he's quoting from Psalm that you just mentioned. So this is something that's out there. To me, it would be for the people that had some insight as to reading scripture of thinking, okay, all of these things that I'm doing, God's really not taking pleasure in. The ones that would know this whenever Jesus Christ did actually come, then they would have a better appreciation then of who Jesus was and his sacrifice. So that's the point that the writer is making by quoting this Old Testament psalm here and basically saying this isn't something new that I'm telling you about Jesus Christ. It's been known from the Old Testament, from the Hebrew scriptures themselves that have been telling you that all of these sacrifices and things and rituals that you've been doing, they're really not pleasing to God in the taking away of sin. It's only through Jesus Christ is your sin forgiven, and that you have redemption through that. So it's through that, Glenn, that would be the radical thing of making them realize that Jesus Christ is the one and only true way. It's something that brings the Old Testament together to have meaning now that Jesus Christ has come.

SPEAKER_01: 15:02

The quote he's having is from Psalm 40. It says, The sacrifice and offering you have not desired, the burnt offerings for sin have taken no pleasure. And the reason exactly what you said, Steve, the Israelites were indeed making the sacrifices as the law commanded them. But then they would go out and worship other gods. They had idols in their homes, they would go visit the other pagan worship sites, they would have sex worship and child sacrifice, and then they'd go back and go make another sacrifice thinking they were good with God because of the sacrifice. God desires for us to love Him and do His will. We can't just go live like the devil and then go through some ritual or ceremony and think that we're okay with God. That's what he was complaining about. The writer here is quoting Psalm 40 that was written many centuries prior to when this was written, all the way back to the time of the Psalms. So, Israel, if you read the prophets, this was a continual problem for many years. And many of the kings would try to worship God and then go out and worship other things too. That's really the lesson for us today. So each of us should ask ourselves: are we ever guilty of going to church and going through the motions thinking, well, that's gonna make me right with God again, but then go out to the rest of the week and live like the devil and think that, well, I can go do whatever my flesh desires during the week, as long as I go to church and I take the elements and say a few prayers, then I'm I'm good. Are people ever guilty of that today, Steve?

SPEAKER_00: 16:49

I think we're all guilty of that at some point in our lives and some point in our worship of God, especially if you're a member of what's so-called a megachurch that has large campuses in that you can slip into the service, listen to what the pastor has to say, sing some songs, and then slip back out, and you really don't have to talk to anybody. That's why we encourage people to get into a small group because it's within the small group that people are gonna know you, they're gonna know what's going on in your life, they're gonna hold you accountable. And I don't mean that in a bad way, I mean that in a good way. Not that they're gonna be judgmental of you, but they're gonna be interested in what you're doing and you knowing in this small group that you're gonna be telling people what you're doing with your life, that you're gonna have a little bit of consciousness as to what you're doing with your life. Is it gonna be pleasing to God? Now, most people belong to a small church, and the small church is their small group, but it's the same principle. So don't get into the habit of just going to the worship services or even just watching the services online and not getting involved with fellow Christians. Get involved with actual people so that you can have this fellowship with Christians. So make sure that we're just not going through the motions thinking that we're pleasing God. Make sure that we're doing something also during the week of prayer, Bible study, getting close to God through those methods, meeting with fellow Christians, doing those types of things to have and build a relationship with God. That's what he wants, is a relationship. So let's make sure that we're doing that and we're not just going through the motions of so-called worshiping God.

SPEAKER_01: 18:45

God does not take pleasure in us going through the motions without the heart that is turned towards him. That's what he's looking for. What did Jesus say was the first and greatest commandment is love. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. That's what is needed is a love relationship. If we truly love him, then everything else will follow. So if we follow the thought here, verse eight, sacrifices and offerings, he talks about. And then verse nine, behold, I've come to do your will. The statement then is he takes away the first in order to establish the second. Well, what does that mean? He takes away the sacrificial system in order to establish come to do your will. That's the contrast here between the old covenant and the new. The old covenant was the sacrificial system and all the rules about cleansing and food and everything, which people were just going through the motions. So God took all that old covenant stuff away to establish the new covenant where we can do your will. How? Through the power of the Holy Spirit and through the love relationship with Jesus Christ. The only people that are saved are those that love Him. Then in verse 10, Steve, it talks about sanctification. First question is what is sanctification? And what does verse 10 say about how we are sanctified?

SPEAKER_00: 20:09

Sanctification means to be set aside for God or set aside for a special purpose. And the utensils that were used in the sacrificial system, they were all set apart for God. So that's what the word sanctified means. Whenever we become a believer in Jesus Christ and we are reckoned as righteousness through his grace, we are then set apart for him. We're set apart and aside from all the unbelievers in the world. And we should think of it that way. We've done a session on justification, sanctification, and glorification, where we go more into detail of what this word sanctification means, but it simply means set apart. Then it says here in verse 10, through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ, and again there's that term once for all, which means eternally. He doesn't have to do it over and over and over again, like the earthly priests had to continually go back in year after year after year with the sin offering for the people. So that's what happens. We are sanctified, we're set apart for God's and his purposes whenever we become a believer, and it's through the body of Jesus Christ.

SPEAKER_01: 21:24

He keeps repeating these concepts because they're so important. So always look for repeated words once for all, eternal and everlasting words such as this. I'm going to read the next one. We're still here in this wonderful heavenly temple, learning more about our Lord, starting in verse 11, says this. Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But he, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time onward until his enemies be made a footstool for his feet. For by one offering he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. So again, verse 11: the Old Testament sacrifices can never take away sin. Why would the writer of Hebrews be repeating this so often? He keeps saying it over and over. Why does he do that, Steve?

SPEAKER_00: 22:24

Because the Israelites were known to be a stubborn, hard-headed people. They were described that way by God through many of the prophets. But it's also just a way of him to bolster his argument. It's not so much that he's doing it because they can't get the concept. He's taking different parts of Hebrew scriptures and continues to build his case of Jesus Christ being better than the old system, better than the angels, better than Moses, all of that. This is kind of a continuation and a culmination of what he started out in chapter one. So it's really being repetitive to really nail down the case that he is making of who Jesus Christ is and him being the Messiah, the one that they have decided to follow as being the right one.

SPEAKER_01: 23:17

Remember the audience, Hebrews. These were people that were born and raised in Judaism. Their identity was enmeshed in this Old Testament law system and the culture around it. It would be very difficult to mentally extricate yourself into Christ. So when he says here that over and over again, he keeps repeating these concepts, it's because they were tempted to return to Judaism. They kept thinking, I need to go back and do something. I need to go back and make a sacrifice. People need repetition of important concepts, especially when the old habits were thoroughly ingrained. Also, notice the literary contrast that's in these verses. Verse 11, priests offer the same sacrifice time after time, almost a monotonous over and over again, the same sacrifice. Verse 12, Jesus offered one sacrifice, then sat down. Such a tremendous contrast. Steve, why did Jesus sit down and what's the significance of the sitting?

SPEAKER_00: 24:24

It's because the earthly priests didn't have anywhere to sit in the holy place or the holy of holies, or even outside in the courtyard where the sacrifices were taking place. Their purpose was to serve God and to operate, do the things of God, and service the tabernacle, the holy place, be a mediator for the people to serve them. There was no sitting or resting that'd be done there. And as I mentioned earlier, that going through a listing of all the sacrifices that were to be done through numbers in Leviticus, it was a continual thing done day after day after day. There was no rest. So the significance with Jesus is number one, he's seated, which means he has rested. And it also means that he has finished. It also means that he's not having to go up and do any type of sacrificial rituals over and over and over again. He is done. It is finished, as he said on the cross. It is complete, and it's been done for all eternity as well. So that's the significance of it. There is nothing else to be done. What he has done is sufficient, and there never needs to be any other type of sacrifices ever again.

SPEAKER_01: 25:44

I'm reminded of in Genesis, God rested on the seventh day, not because he was tired, but because he was finished. All the work was complete. Therefore, he rested. Same thing here. Jesus sat down because his work was finished. Then it says in verse 14, because of Jesus' final offering, it says he quote, perfected for all time those who are sanctified, unquote. So according to that verse, how long does our perfection last?

SPEAKER_00: 26:13

It lasts for all time, which is another way to put for eternity. And perfected again means completed. So by one offering, he, Jesus, has completed for all time those who are set apart for him.

SPEAKER_01: 26:30

Notice there the past tense verb has perfected, and it's for all time. This is a completed action. Once we're in Christ, all Christians are already perfected and perfected for all time, not because of our righteousness, but because of Jesus' sacrifice. Philippians tells us his righteousness is credited to our account. It says right here, he perfected for all time those who are sanctified. It becomes very clear here if we just take it for what it says. We don't have to work to be perfect because he has already made us perfect. Then in verse 13, who will be the ultimate victor in the struggle over good and evil?

SPEAKER_00: 27:16

In the psalm that this is mentioned from, it's referencing the Messiah. And here, the writer of Hebrews is very clearly stating that Jesus is that Messiah. And it's going to be at a point in time whenever all the enemies are made a footstool under his feet. That is the time period that we are waiting for, for his second coming, for his time to return. At that time, God the Father is going to tell Jesus to come back to get his bride. And it's that time that we're waiting for. The Messiah, Jesus Christ, is going to be the victor.

SPEAKER_01: 27:54

So get the picture of what Hebrews is saying here. Jesus sat down because his work was finished, and his enemies are defeated because they're under his feet. This is tremendous. There's no more struggling over righteousness. There's no more struggling over who is going to follow Christ or the devil. All of the work is complete. All of the people are saved. We are able to enjoy all these things that's been saying so far in the book of Hebrews. And to me, this is just so tremendous. It's really hard to grasp the extent of the great things that he has done for us.

SPEAKER_00: 28:33

It is such a great thing. And the I'm glad that the writer of Hebrews keeps repeating it because he just emphasizes it even more, which brings it home even clearer to me. And there's even more in the book of Hebrews that we'll be back reasoning through next time. Thank you so much for watching and listening. May God bless you.