A Key to Learning

Most teachers and students would agree that a key to learning is repetition. Whether it be learning another language or mathematical formulas, memorization is a valuable tool for developing competency in a subject. As one works through the Letter to the Hebrews, especially the current section, Hebrews 8:1-10:18, it appears that the writer was directed by the Holy Spirit to incorporate repetition concerning the work of Christ. The concepts of serving, suffering and sacrificial death by our Savior are ever before us.

It is a sad and callous response of a Christian to take our Savior for granted. Let’s consider the work of our Savior as something deeper than we can ever humanly master. It is reuniting humanity and divinity not through human effort but divine grace. I am thankful for the repetition. I need to be ever mindful that what I have gained through Christ is greater than anything I could attain on my own. Take a few moments to be reminded of what He has done for us. I hope the following quotes will strengthen our resolve to be ever grateful for Whose we are.

• Ray Stedman, When the new covenant replaces the old, it not only removes sin through the death of Jesus but provides a new understanding and a new intimacy that make the service of God a delight and an enriching experience.

• R. Kent Hughes, When he gave us the grace to believe, he activated his saving power in our lives—paying for our sins past, present and future.

• Charles Spurgeon, If I have any grace or any covenant blessing, it did not come to me because I was heir to it by nature, or because I had purchased it, or because of any right intrinsic in myself, but because Jesus, when He died, had a right to make His will as He pleased, and He so made it that He would give Himself and all that He had to such a poor, needy, empty, lost, and guilty sinner as I am.

• R. Kent Hughes, As soon as he took his seat at the Father’s right hand, he began his intercession for us. What is more, he was in his newly acquired human body, perfectly sensitized to our humanity by his life and death.

• William Newell, Whether therefore we look at man’s fearful need, or at the display of the infinite mercy and love of God; or whether we look at the ages past or at the ages to come, that manifestation of Christ to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself will be the theme forever.

• William Barclay, We may look to the end of things with joyous expectation or with shuddering terror. What makes the difference is how our hearts are with Christ.

• Warren Wiersbe, The true believer walks by faith, not by sight. No matter what may happen on earth, a believer can be confident because everything is settled in heaven.

One day, around the throne of God, we will be repeating, forever, Hallelujah, what a Savior. I encourage you to join the study of Hebrews under the Books of the Bible tab. The Bible is repetitive but deeper than we can ever imagine.

The Eternal Spirit

The writer of Hebrews centers his focus on Jesus’ superior priesthood by emphasizing His superior sacrifice in chapters 9 and 10. It is amazing to think that all the animal sacrifices over many centuries were only a picture of a single sacrifice to come. A move from lesser to greater is used as the writer describes the sacrifices of the Levitical priesthood and then moves to the all-sufficient, once for all, sacrifice of Jesus, our High Priest.

Much can be written concerning Jesus’ amazing sacrifice but I would like to focus on one verse, Hebrews 9:14, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. The writer's how much more moves the reader to the priority of that wondrous sacrifice of Jesus. In this verse, I want to examine one phrase, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, specifically, the eternal Spirit.

There is much debate concerning the meaning of eternal Spirit. Some believe it is speaking of the Holy Spirit. It would show the working of the Father, Son and Spirit in the sacrifice of Jesus. Consider the comments of two respected theologians.

• William Newell, It is beyond measure blessed that we find here all three Persons of

the Godhead occupied in our salvation! First, it is God to Whom the atoning

sacrifice for our sin is to be made; second, it is Christ Who offers Himself to this end;

third, it is through the eternal Spirit that He offered Himself without blemish.

• William L. Lane, The formulation does not occur elsewhere in the NT or early

Christian literature, but it may be understood as a designation for the Holy Spirit.

Others believe it refers to Jesus’ eternal spirit. Consider the responses of the following Godly men.

• Charles Spurgeon, The Spirit of Christ was an eternal spirit, for it was the Godhead.

There was conjoined with His deity the natural life of a perfect man, but the eternal

spirit was His highest self. His Godhead willed that He should die, and concurred in

the death of the manhood, so that by the eternal spirit He offered Himself.

• Charles Ryrie, If this refers to Christ’s eternal spirit, then it is not a reference to the

divine nature offering up the human nature, but to the entire person offering up

Himself by the action of the highest spirit-power within Him. His own divine spirit

was involved in the offering of the God-man.

• Marvin Vincent, The offering was the offering of Christ’s deepest self—his inmost

personality. Therein consists the attraction of the cross; not to the shedding of

blood, but to Christ himself.

I strongly lean toward the latter view since who He is determines what He can do. Jesus is the only (past, present, future) theanthropic person, one person with two natures, divine and human. He submitted the use of His divine attributes to the discretion of the Father while Jesus was on earth. The Gospels reveal His dual natures on numerous occasions.

Especially, I think of the cross when Jesus cried out, Mark 15:34, . . . My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? That was a powerful cry from the depth of Jesus’ humanity. A few moments later, Mark 15:37-38, And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. Here, I can imagine the force of His deity declaring His job was fully completed as His authoritative command ripped the temple veil in two. His sacrifice alone gives direct access to God for now and into eternity.

Of course, I do not want to belittle the person and work of the Holy Spirit. Yet, the focus of Hebrews is on the superiority of Jesus Christ Who is our superior High Priest and Sacrifice. Our atonement is superior because of Who Jesus is as noted by Marvin Vincent, Atonement is eternal in virtue of the eternal spirit of Christ through which he offered himself to God. Charles Hodge writes of the infinitely superior dignity of his person. Also, Louis Berkhof, The priestly work of Christ is most clearly represented in the Epistle to the Hebrews, where the Mediator is described as our only real, eternal, and perfect High Priest, appointed by God, who takes our place vicariously, and by His self-sacrifice obtains a real and perfect redemption.

What a High Priest, what a Sacrifice, what a Savior! I am humbled to call Him my Lord. I encourage you to join the study of Hebrews under the Books of the Bible tab. It is worth the effort.

Our High Priest grants full access because His sacrifice is fully effective!

The writer of Hebrews strengthens his case that it would be foolish to turn away from Jesus and back to Judaism. Chapter 9 strikes at the core of Judaism by showing the inadequacy of the old system because of limited access and limited effectiveness. Warren Wiersbe, Hebrews 9 presents a detailed contrast between the Old Covenant sanctuary (the tabernacle) and the New Covenant heavenly sanctuary where Jesus Christ now ministers. This contrast makes it clear that the New Covenant sanctuary is superior.

Much can be learned about God through a study of the sanctuary. William Barclay, If all the loveliness of the tabernacle was only a shadow of reality, how surpassingly lovely the reality must be. He does not describe the tabernacle in detail; he only alludes to some of its treasures. This was all he needed to do because his readers knew its glories and had them fixed in their memories. But, we must keep in mind that this earthly structure is only a type of the heavenly structure. One can’t look at the earthly sanctuary without realizing the separateness of God from His creatures because of His holiness.

It is hard to miss that God is great and access to His presence was limited. Let’s examine the sanctuary in view of its access. It was separated into two rooms. The first is called the Holy Place and only priests had access. The second is the Most Holy Place (Holy of Holies) where only the high priest could enter only once per year on the Day of Atonement. Raymond Brown, The very presence of that outer tent symbolized the restricted way and limited ministry of the old covenant. A heavy curtain kept ordinary priests out of the inner sanctuary. This arrangement would certainly have to be changed to something better if the access was to be made available to all.

Secondly, the regulations for worship were limited in effectiveness. The focus of the old system was on externals. Thomas Constable, The Old Covenant system of worship did not meet the deepest need of God’s people, namely, intimate personal relationship with God. The nation of Israel yearned for the Day of Atonement in hope of cleansing and a right relationship with God. The high priest would enter the Holy of Holies with an offering for himself and one for the unintentional sins of the people.

But what about intentional sins? The old system had no way for forgiveness. There was no way to have a clear conscience before the Holy God of Israel. Consider King David who had premeditated sin with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah. There was no remedy in the Old Covenant. R. Kent Hughes, What could he do? Only one thing—come to God with a contrite heart and throw himself on God’s mercy: “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise” (Psalm 51:17). . . Thus, we see that the spiritually informed in the Old Testament came to understand that their only hope was a repentant heart and God’s grace. Ultimately, salvation rested on the blood of Christ.

On the day of Jesus’ crucifixion, limited access and limited effectiveness were swallowed up by grace. The veil to the Holy of Holies was ripped in two from top to bottom with access for all who place faith in Christ alone. Hebrews 10:19-20, Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh.

The promise of Jesus to send the Holy Spirit to reside in every believer assures intimacy with God because cleansing takes places from the inside out. Ray Stedman, Those who today try to earn a sense of being pleasing to God by good behavior need to hear this lesson. Never knowing when they have done enough, they feel troubled and restive without any heart-peace and thus are often driven to extreme measures of self-punishment and despair. They need to cease from their efforts and trust in Christ’s completed work.

Why turn back to Egypt from the Promised Land? Why turn back from a personal relationship with God to a system that couldn’t reach the heart? Raymond Brown, Hebrews reminds us repeatedly of the assurance of pardon. God’s people enjoy the privilege of undeserved remission and eternal security. Their sins are remembered no more and their names are enrolled in heaven. This is the staggering message of a better hope, of a new covenant and an eternal redemption.

I encourage you to join the study of Hebrews under the Books of the Bible tab. We have a better priest and better promises. We are blessed! We should never take for granted the wondrous work of Jesus our High Priest.