Read Hebrews 9

“Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.” (Hebrews 9:12)

In modern times it is hard for us to truly fathom the work involved for the Levitical priesthood. The labor was grueling, bloody, sacred and, most of all, constant. Nor can we appreciate in our experience what the original Jews must have felt to read this chapter of Hebrews and understand that the duties of the first covenant were no longer needed. These duties had all been fulfilled in the true High Priest, Jesus Christ.

No more blood of goats and calves, for Christ has offered His own divine blood. No more continual sacrifices, for Christ sacrificed Himself once and for all. No more temporary coverings of sin, for Christ obtained eternal redemption for our sin. As far as the priesthood was concerned, getting put out of the job was never such good news!

Yet, while we modern day Christians may not be able to appreciate what it meant for the Old Covenant work to cease, at least from a priestly perspective, we can certainly appreciate what it means to live under the banner of the New Covenant where we have been called to rest from work (see Hebrews 4:9-10; Matthew 11:28). All of this is made possible by the key differences outlined by the writer of Hebrews in our selected verse, and there are at least three things we can observe.

First, because the New Covenant is established on Christ's own divine blood, and not on the blood of animals, we can be confident that the cancellation of our sins is certain and forever. Animal blood could only offer a covering for sin in a temporary fashion, but Christ's blood can wash it away forever!

“For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins… By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” (Hebrews 10:4, 10)

Second, because the New Covenant is accepted by God as a finished work once and for all, rather than an ongoing work like the Old Covenant, we can be sure that we are living in the blessings of God.

Oh, to think that you had to always be working toward God's blessing in the Old Covenant. There was not a single sacrifice or offering that finished the work. It must have been so strenuous and tiring. But in the New Covenant, the work is finished once and for all, and thereby there is no more strife in earning God's blessings. We already have them in Christ because the work is indeed finished!

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,” (Ephesians 1:3)

Third, and last of all, because the New Covenant is built on Christ having obtained eternal redemption for us, we can take this as our Blessed Assurance! This eternal redemption is based on Christ's promise — Christ's own blood! Is there any greater assurance that we could possibly want or have to calm our souls knowing we are fully and utterly redeemed? If Christ is the obtainer and the eternal redeemer, and we are the subjects of His redemption, how could we ever think that sin will ever again separate us from the love of Christ? No — this is what you would worry about with temporary redemption with the blood of animals, but it is never something you need to fret over under the washing power of Christ’s eternal redemption by His blood!

“For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Hebrews 9:13–14)

Beloved, I want to encourage you today in this wonderful salvation you have in Christ. Lift your head up and rejoice! You are saved forever from sin, death, hell, and wrath. Christ has guaranteed it with absolute finality by going into the Most Holy Place Himself to finish the work. You have eternal life because you have been redeemed by the Great High Priest, Jesus Christ! Period.

“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence,” (Ephesians 1:7–8)

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