Christ's Death Was Life-Giving

Because we know that Christ’s Death was Life Giving, and our salvation is completely secure because of the guarantees of the New Covenant, we live in eternal hope.

Notes

Transcript

A covenant could be understood to be a last will and testament; thus, the Old and New Testament, or the Old and New Covenant. A will today does not go into effect until the death of the one who created it. This will help to give us a bit more understanding about how the New Covenant is far superior to the Old, plus it is irreplaceable.

We know of individuals who have been organ donors upon their death. One incident stands out to me that took place back in the 1990s. A young lady, just about to enter her senior year of high school, was killed by a drunk driver, along with her friend, who was going into her freshman year. These girls were both part of dear family friends. At the hospital that night, as their bodies were still alive, though their brain activity had ceased, one of the family’s prayed with me and consulted with the doctor and me about donating their daughter’s organs.

It is helpful to understand that both of these girls were heavily involved with Child Evangelism Fellowship and deeply committed to proclaiming Jesus Christ so that others would experience salvation. The family chose to donate the organs. Later on, they received letters of gratitude and appreciation from various people who had family members that were still alive because of these donated organs. The deaths of these girls ended up saving other lives, so they too might hear the good news of Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ wasn’t killed in an accident or any other way. Christ willingly gave His life for our salvation. If Christ would not have done this, we would still be dead in our sins.

However,

Because we know that Christ’s Death was Life Giving, and our salvation is completely secure because of the guarantees of the New Covenant, we live in eternal hope.

Christ’s Death Paid the Penalty. - 9.15

We realize that all of us were sinners and deserved the death penalty. The only way we wouldn’t receive what we rightfully deserved was if Someone paid the penalty in our place.

Hebrews 9:15 (NASB95)

For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.

We remember that everything under the Old Covenant was temporary. The old formula was actually fairly simple—obey God, God blesses; Disobey God, lose blessings. And when you consider further that all of those blessings were temporary, as they dealt with crops, livestock, health, protection from those who would harm Israel, that makes it even less valuable.

However, under the New Covenant, our blessings are eternal and they are spiritual. In view of what has been written so far, the writer states: For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant. It is as if He was and is the bridge between God and humanity; the mediator.

This verse helps us to understand even more that the first covenant was temporary, as we also recall that the blood sacrifices were merely coverings for sin. But now, in Christ, He has made it so that by His one sacrifice, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. This can only be since His redemption is eternal; even to the point of being effective to those under the old covenant. We see this by the phrase, a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant.

That somehow begs the question as to how those, before Christ offered His life as payment for sin, could be saved. That last phrase we read, talks about how Christ’s finished work on the cross accomplished for all eternity the forgiveness of sin for those who believed. It’s difficult for us to comprehend, but those Old Testament followers of God believed the promise of the upcoming Messiah and what He would do. In financial lingo, you might say that those before the cross who believed in God and chose to live for Him, even amidst their sins and seeking forgiveness, in faith they were saved on credit, if you will.

So we need to understand that all of the sacrifices of the Old Covenant could not save. However, for those whose hearts were fully upon God, the sacrifices were symbolic and showed an obedience to living for the Lord, with hope and expectation that God’s promises would be fulfilled in the Messiah. By faith, they were saved. Again, for those who were merely going through the motions, it was painfully obvious that they were not going to have an eternal inheritance.

Covenant Requires Death. - 9.16-23

As was mentioned in the introduction to the sermon, in order for a covenant or will or testament to take effect, there had to be a death.

Hebrews 9:16–23 (NASB95)

For where a covenant is, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it. For a covenant is valid only when men are dead, for it is never in force while the one who made it lives. Therefore even the first covenant was not inaugurated without blood. For when every commandment had been spoken by Moses to all the people according to the Law, he took the blood of the calves and the goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which God commanded you.” And in the same way he sprinkled both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry with the blood. And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. Therefore it was necessary for the copies of the things in the heavens to be cleansed with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.

We see that until Christ died, the New Covenant could not take effect. We know, from what has been written, that the shedding of blood was necessary for the Old Covenant to be in effect. Throughout the Old Testament, we see that this was a continual activity used to show purification, even though it was purely ceremonial. Remember, it could not change the inner person. We also know that without the shedding of blood, God will not forgive sin. This was very much like a promise of a future payment when the Messiah would die for the sins of humanity, inaugurating the New Covenant. But because the Old Covenant was merely a shadow, there were a lot of unknown details and specifics for those living under the Old Covenant.

We won’t spend time reviewing the whole process of how the sprinkling of blood on so many things could actually be purifying, except for the fact that it didn’t actually change the object. Instead it changed God’s relationship to the people temporarily. When we consider how bloody and messy this whole system was, remember that it served as a constant reminder of the need for a Savior. We need to focus on how this relates to us in the New Covenant era. It is through what Christ did on the cross, when He shed His blood, that we were allowed access into the heavenly sanctuary, if you will. In other words, we now have a heavenly relationship which allows us to fellowship with God, through Jesus Christ. It wasn’t the blood, per se, that saved us. Rather, it was the One Who shed the blood, Jesus Christ. To further show this reality, we read in the Old Testament, that those who were too poor to offer an animal sacrifice, were allowed to offer a sacrifice of flour. This flour represented the shed blood of an animal. It becomes clear at this point that all of that was symbolic.

So, in relation to the two covenants, both are put into effect by shed blood. However, the New Covenant was based, not on animals and imperfect priests, needing continual repetition; it is based on the perfect, sinless, fully God and fully man, shed blood of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Christ’s Death Was Substitutionary. - 9.24-28

Since we realize that Christ died as a substitute for each one of us, we might wonder why He would do such a thing. We see in the following verses that it was for our salvation.

Hebrews 9:24–28 (NASB95)

For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; nor was it that He would offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the holy place year by year with blood that is not his own. Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.

Isn’t it wonderful to know that we are dealing with reality and not a shadow? Isn’t it incredible to know that our High Priest isn’t fallible or prone to sin or only represents His people one time per year? I am so grateful for this reality that my salvation, my inheritance, my whole life is under the Lordship of Jesus Christ and I am not limited in my fellowship with the Father at any time. Everything about my spiritual journey is going to last and will not fall apart due to it being inferior in any way. In other words, everything which Jesus has done is permanent and complete. As a result, His ministry on my behalf in the heavenly sanctuary will not be interrupted and will never need updating.

You will also notice in these few verses, that the author uses a form of the word appear three different times.

First, the word used is manifested, which is a form of appear. In verse 26, it is past tense and shows that it is completely done, not to be repeated again.

Hebrews 9:26 (NASB95)

Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.

In verse 24, is is in present tense, showing that this is currently happening and will continue to happen.

Hebrews 9:24 (NASB95)

For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us;

In verse 28, we find the word in future tense, reminding us that one day Jesus will bring us home to heaven to be with Him forever.

Hebrews 9:28 (NASB95)

so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.

My calendar has many dates and appointments written into it. However, there is one appointment that I know about, but don’t know the time; that is my death. But because of Jesus’ death on the cross which paid for my sins, the judgment which God demands will not be paid by me, for Jesus has already paid the price on my behalf.

Conclusion

The bitter news of evangelist and founder of InterVarsity, Dawson Trotman's drowning swept like cold wind across Schroon Lake to the shoreline. He had just rescued a girl from drowning while water skiing in Schroon Lake, NY.

Eyewitnesses tell of the profound anxiety, the tears, the helpless disbelief in the faces of those who now looked out across the deep blue water. Everyone's face except one -- Lila Trotman, Dawson's widow. As she suddenly walked upon the scene a close friend shouted, "Oh, Lila ... He's gone. Dawson's gone!" To that she replied in calm assurance the words of Psalm 115:3:

But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases.

All of the anguish, the sudden loneliness that normally consumes and cripples those who survive did not invade that woman's heart. Instead, she leaned hard upon her sovereign Lord, who had once again done what He pleased.

Because we know that Christ’s Death was Life Giving, and our salvation is completely secure because of the guarantees of the New Covenant, we live in eternal hope.

There is no third option for anyone on this earth. The choice is the same today as it was in the time of the writing of the book of Hebrews. A person can choose all that this world offers, or they can choose heaven. They can choose that which will soon disappear and be forgotten, or they can choose that which is eternal. They can choose that which offers ultimate disappointment and was meant to be replaced, or they can choose that which is completed and perfect.

One simply cannot do both. All who are listening, here’s my counsel to you. Choose life, knowing that Jesus Christ died to provide eternal life. Choose life, knowing that our salvation is completely secure in Jesus Christ, Who is no longer dead, but is alive forevermore, seated on the throne on the right of the Father.

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