Christ Was A Better Sacrifice (Heb. 9:12)

SPIRITUAL DIARY

           

                                                                                                            Date:  04-19-03

 

My Worship Time                  Focus:  Christ was a better sacrifice

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                         Reference:  Hebrews 9:12

 

 

            1.  Message of the verse:  “And not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.”  (NASB)  “Once for all time he took blood into that Most Holy Place, but not the blood of goats and calves.  He took his own blood, and with it he secured our salvation forever.”  (NLT)

In order for the writer to show that the New Covenant and it’s sacrifice were better than the Old Covenant and it’s sacrifices he begins here and goes through verse fifteen using comparisons to prove his point.  In this verse (11) he compares the OT sacrifices of goats and calves with the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the NT sacrifice for sins.  John says in his gospel in verse 1:29, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”  The apostle John was quoting from the words of John the Baptist, which says that Jesus Christ would deal once and for all with sin.

On the Day of Atonement the high priest would go into the Holy of Holies and would offer a goat and a calf for the nation of Israel.  This would cover the sin of Israel for the year but not take it away.  Jesus Christ was Himself the sacrifice for sin that took sin away forever and when He arose from the dead He presented Himself to the Father in heaven.  There is some discussion as to whether or not He took His own blood or whether or not there is a tabernacle in heaven or if heaven is the tabernacle.  These things are not as important to understand as the fact that Jesus Christ did in fact take away sin and is now seated at the right hand of God in heaven as our Great High Priest.

 

            2.  Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I am thankful for the ministry of Jesus Christ as my Great and sympatric High Priest who can put Himself in my shoes and understand completely the struggles that I face as His child each and every day of my life.

 

The Word of God was instructive and refreshing to me as I read it this morning.

 

My Steps of Faith Today:  I want to trust the Lord to see me through this trip up to West Palm Beach to pick up Kim and Tim from the airport, trust Him for safety for all of us and trust Him to deal with EBS and it’s effect on me both physically and mentally.

 

Memory verses for the week:  Psalm 40:9,10

 

9.      I have proclaimed glade tidings of righteousness in the great congregation; Behold, I will not restrain my lips, O LORD, Thou knowest.

10.   I have not hidden Thy righteousness within my heart; I have spoken of Thy faithfulness and Thy salvation; I have not concealed Thy lovingkindness and Thy truth from the great congregation.