The Sacrifice of Christ Is Supreme Over the Sacrifices of the Law
Imagine we are in a remote place where there is no electric grid. You live in a house lit only by candles. Every evening you have to light them again. They give some light, but it’s dim. They burn out, create smoke, and they need to be replaced regularly.
Then one day electricity arrives and it’s installed throughout the house. With the flip of a switch, every room is flooded with light. No more relighting candles. No more dimness, no more smoke, no more restocking.
Then someone insists on turning off the lights every night and going back to candles. “Why would you return to the old way when the better one has arrived?”
That is the logic of Hebrews 10:1-18. The sacrifices of the law were like candles. They provided a temporary way to draw near to God and served a purpose for a time. But they were never the final answer. The sacrifice of Christ is like the arrival of electric light—not merely another sacrifice added to the old ones, but the fulfillment that makes the old system obsolete.
The question should not be, “Which sacrifice do you prefer?” but, “Why would you return to shadows when the true form of reality has come?”
The sacrifice of Christ is supreme over the sacrifices of the law
Let’s now read our passage in Hebrews 10:1-18
1 For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. 2 Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? 3 But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. 4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
5 Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said,
“Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me; 6 in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. 7 Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’”
8 When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), 9 then he added, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second. 10 And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
11 And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. 14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
15 And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying,
16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,”
17 then he adds,
“I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”
18 Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.
[Let’s pray]
The original audience of the book of Hebrews was tempted to revert back to the sacrificial system of the law as a way to approach God and be accepted by Him. The author of Hebrews argues that that makes no sense. The sacrifice of Christ is far superior and indeed the only way to approach God and be accepted by Him.
Now, you and I are not tempted to sacrifice animals, as the law prescribed, in order to be accepted by God. But we are often tempted to approach God on the basis of our own efforts and personal sacrifices rather than on the basis of what Christ has already done once for all. What the old sacrifices of the law and our own personal sacrifices have in common is that both seek acceptance from God based on our own efforts, when the sacrifice of Christ has already gained our acceptance before God based on his merits and not ours.
As we follow the author’s argument, keep this question in mind: “Where am I trusting in my own merits and sacrifices for acceptance before God rather than in the perfect sacrifice of Christ?”
The aim of the whole passage is to contrast the sacrifices of the law with the supreme sacrifice of Christ. By exposing the limitations of the old sacrifices of the law, the author demonstrates the sufficiency and superiority of Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice.
Based on this contrast, I have divided the message into four sections. The sacrifices of the law are a temporary shadow, can never make us perfect, can never take away our sins, and are not desired by God. The sacrifice of Christ, in contrast, is ultimate, has perfected us for all time, takes away our sins forever, and brings pleasure to God.
Let’s start with section #1
1. The sacrifices of the law are a temporary shadow pointing to the ultimate sacrifice of Christ
Let’s read again the first part of verse 1
“the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities”
The law with all its regulations was never intended to be ultimate and permanent. The sacrifices, the temple, the offerings, they were all physical, temporary representations pointing to better, superior, glorious, heavenly realities. They were established as shadows pointing in one way or another to Christ and his work.
In fact, the whole Old Testament proclaims, points, and anticipates Christ.
For instance, when Jesus is addressing two discouraged disciples on the road to Emmaus, Luke 24:27 says: “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself”
Or when Peter, in Acts 3:18, preaching to a crowd says: “God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer”
The book of Hebrews is filled with OT quotations interpreted in relation to Christ. We just read in Hebrews 10:7, Jesus saying: “I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book”
The whole OT was pointing to Christ. “The law has but a shadow of the good things to come,” “the true form of these realities” are fulfilled in Christ and his works, including his sacrifice. The sacrifices of the law were a temporary shadow pointing to the ultimate and superior sacrifice of Christ.
- The sacrifices of the law were many and had to be offered repeatedly, but Christ offered a single sacrifice once for all
We read in verse 1
“the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year”
And in verse 11
“every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices”
While the sacrifice of Christ is offered once for all
Verse 10
“we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all”
Verse 12
“Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins”
The sacrifice of Christ is completely effective, ultimate, definitive, and perpetual; it secured our salvation once for all.
Furthermore, the sacrifices of the law were continually offered by human priests, who offered many sacrifices for themselves and the people.
Whereas Christ is both the high priest and the sacrifice. And because the sacrifice of his body is so powerfully effective, he offered it once and then sat down at the right hand of God.
Verses 12-13
“when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet”
While all human priests eventually die, Jesus is alive seated at the right hand of the throne of the majesty in Heaven, waiting for his enemies to be defeated.
The sacrifices of the law are just a shadow, they are temporary, they were not fully effective and therefore had to be offered continually and repeatedly by human priests.
The sacrifice of Christ is absolutely effective, it was offered only once and its aim was accomplished forever, it fully satisfied God for all eternity, and now we have a mediator, a superior high priest who is alive seated at the right hand of God.
The sacrifices of the law were a temporary shadow pointing to the ultimate and final sacrifice of Christ! That concludes section 1
Now #2
2. The sacrifices of the law can never make us perfect, while the sacrifice of Christ has perfected us for all time
Reading the last part of verse 1
“can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near” (1)
Those sacrifices, continually offered, can never make us perfect. If that was the case, they would have ceased to be offered, as argued by verse 2
10:2 “Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins?”
They never perfected or cleansed the worshippers. People kept sinning, and that is why the sacrifices needed to be offered continually. This continual offering of sacrifices was a reminder of sins, as verse 3 says: “in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year.”
The sacrifices never removed the awareness of sin and guilt either. If nothing else, they made you more aware of sin and guilt.
Every day, every month, every year, these animals had to be killed, blood had to be shed, because of sin! What a hopeless picture of daily failures and expressions of sin.
But with the coming of the Savior, verse 10:
“we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus”
And verse 14
“by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified”
Those poor animals do not have to be slaughtered anymore, for by a single offering of his body as sacrifice, Jesus has perfected us for all time, forever and ever.
The life of Jesus, the son of God, is so perfect, his life is so infinitely valuable, that when it was offered for sinners like us, God’s justice was fully satisfied once and forever! It has perfected us for all time.
Let me illustrate. A diamond begins as an ugly, shapeless, unimpressive piece of carbon. Under immense heat and crushing pressure, the carbon atoms rearrange themselves into an extraordinarily strong and orderly crystal structure. Then a skilled craftsman carefully studies the raw stone, and cuts, shapes and polishes it until it becomes a beautiful diamond. When finished he celebrates: “Perfect, this diamond is perfect!”, as he delights in the beauty of his work.
We are like that ugly, unimpressive, formless piece of carbon. But through the marvelous work of our Savior, by faith we are credited his righteousness. So when the Father sees us he proclaims: perfect! He does not see the ugly piece of carbon, he sees the beauty of a diamond, he sees Jesus his son, and says perfect, forever and eternally perfect.
It is not that we have been refined and transformed into something beautiful. Rather, we have been freely granted the beauty and perfection of Christ. He offered His body as a sacrifice for our sin and ugliness so that we might share in His righteousness, holiness, and perfection forever.
The sacrifices of the law can never make us perfect, but Christ through his sacrifice has perfected us for all time!
3. The sacrifices of the law can never take away our sins, while the sacrifice of Christ takes away our sins forever
The sacrifices of the law can never take away our sins. We see that repeated twice in verses 4 and 11:
10:4 “For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins”
10:11 ”… the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins”
The sacrifices of the law can never take away our sins, that is impossible, because they are not sufficient, they are not enough.
In a similar way, trying to cancel our sins by offering our own sacrifices of obedience and good behavior is an impossible task, a dead end. We will never be able to overcome the amount and magnitude of our sins by our own good works. At the end of the day, our sins will weigh so much more than whatever we do to compensate for their gravity.
It is impossible for the sacrifices of the law to take away our sins, they can’t.
But here’s the good news…
10:12 “Christ … offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins”
And because of the absolute efficacy of that sacrifice, God declares in verse 17
10:17 “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more”
That is indeed good news! At the cross, Jesus paid in full for our sins. He took them away forever, so that now by faith we are confident that God will remember our sins no more. They are gone! They are paid! They are taken away forever. There is no more guilt and no more shame, but we can confidently approach God, because of the all-sufficient and all-effective sacrifice of Christ.
Verse 18
“Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin”
Jesus offered his body as a sacrifice for our sins, and that resulted in the perpetual, eternal, once for all forgiveness of our sins and therefore there is no longer a need for any further offering and sacrifice for sin. It is done! It is finished! Our sins have been taken away.
The sacrifices of the law cannot take away our sins, while the sacrifice of Christ has taken away our sins forever. That is the good news of section 3.
Now the last section,
4. The sacrifices of the law are not desired by God, while God takes pleasure in the sacrifice of Christ
Let’s read again the first part of verse 5 and verse 6
10:5 “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired” (5)
10:6 “in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure” (6)
The sacrifices and offerings of the law are not desired by God, he takes no pleasure in them. Why?
They were designed to be shadows, to point to something superior and infinitely more valuable. They are imperfect, insufficient, they are not enough, they were temporary provisions until the real, ultimate sacrifice of the son of God would be offered.
The death of animals offered as sacrifice was a sobering, constant reminder of the seriousness of sin. Death was necessary as a consequence of the offensive disobedience and rebellion against God. But although those sacrifices were necessary, they were not sufficient, they were imperfect, temporary glimpses of the perfect sacrifice
Second part of verse 5
10:5b “but a body have you prepared for me”
Now this is an extraordinary statement: the Father prepared a human body for the Son. God is not limited by a human body. God is infinite, eternal, almighty and indestructible, and yet he prepared a body so the Son will adopt human form, and become like one of us. With flesh, blood and bones. A body that can be injured, stricken, broken, and crushed, a body that can be nailed on a cross, offered as sacrifice in place of guilty sinners who have offended God.
God does not desire the sacrifices of the law, he takes no pleasure in burnt offerings or sin offerings, but he is completely and absolutely satisfied in the sacrifice of the body of his incarnate, beloved Son, in whom He is well pleased. God takes pleasure in the sacrifice of Christ for it perfectly satisfies His righteous demands and magnifies His glory.
The sacrifices of the law are not desired by God, but God delights in the sacrifice of Christ
Oh the sacrifice of Christ is supreme and superior! Let us not revert back! Let us not try to seek acceptance from God through our puny, weak, imperfect personal sacrifices and merits, but let’s instead approach God with confidence in the sacrifice of Christ which is ultimate and final, which has perfected us for all time, which has taken away our sins forever and which has fully satisfied, delighted and glorified God.
The sacrifice of Christ is supreme over the sacrifices of the law