The Real Thing! - Hebrews 9:23-28

Hebrews 9:23-28

23 It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence. 25 Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own.26 Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.27 Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

There are many people who try to copy others.  We call them copycats.  If you are caught copying on a test in school, which I am sure you have never done, you either fail the test or get expelled.  Sometimes well known and loved foods get copied.  For instance, I see frozen pizzas in the store that say, "Authentic Chicago Deep Dish Pizza".  I get excited because I am from Chicago and I love deep dish pizza.  But after I cook the pizza in the oven and taste it I realize it is a horrible copy of the pizza I once knew.  

The author of Hebrews describes the Old Testament tabernacle with it sacrifices offered by the priests as a copy of the true tabernacle in heaven.  The tabernacle was built by human hands.  The sacrifice was offered by a human priest, who also needed his own sins forgiven.  The sacrifice was was offered once a year by the Most High Priest.  Finally, the blood was offered from animals.  Though these were all commanded by God, they were a mere shadow or copy of what was to come.  They were inferior to the sacrifice Christ would make.  Why?

Jesus offered his body as a sinless sacrifice. It was not the blood of animals but the blood of God's only son. He did not enter a sanctuary made with wood, but into the heavenly sanctuary.  Finally, Jesus gave us a once and for all sacrifice.  Jesus' once and for all sacrifice ended the sacrificial system once and for all.  There is no more need for the tabernacle.  In fact, the New Testament teaches that we are the body of Christ.  We are His temple where He dwells by His Spirit.  There is no more curtain separating us from the holy place in the temple.  The curtain has been torn so we can be in God's presence without dying.  So what might this mean for us?

When we try to do works to earn our salvation, we disregard what Jesus has done for us.  We don't understand the true nature of why he died on the cross and rose again.  When we understand our sins have been atoned for on the cross, they lose their power over us.  The old covenant could only show the Israelites their sin, it had no power to change their lives.  Jesus came down to earth to show us what heaven was like.  His sacrifice made us right with God so when Jesus returns he will he will take us to heaven to be in the heavenly tabernacle forever.  This will be no copy but the real thing!