Sermons
What Never Happened on the Day of Atonement
Hebrews 10:1-14
Let's journey back several thousand years to Jerusalem during Passover week. This was the holiest of the seven Hebrew festivals that attracted thousands of worshipers. Some worshipers traveled hundreds of miles to attend this celebration in the worship capital of the world—Jerusalem.
What a sight it must have been! The Priests appeared in their finest clothing to minister before the people. They sang, rejoiced, and blew the shofars for seven days (2CH 30:21). Everything led to the Day of Atonement when the High Priest would present the lamb's blood for the people's sins.
Not only was Jerusalem sightly its aroma was pungent. The thousands of visitors arrived on horses, donkeys, and camels, all prepared to offer their sacrifices. Josephus, the first century historian, says there were approximately 250,000 animals that were offered in sacrifice during this week. Jerusalem smelled like a zoo.
Aromatic relief came a few hours each evening when Galilee's breezes carried the fresh baked scent of unleavened bread through the city (30:21). The Passover bread commemorated Israel's quick exodus from Egypt and was eaten throughout the week.
(Transition) Despite the celebration of Passover several things were missing when the week finally climaxed on the Day of Atonement. And I want to begin by noting those things.
What Never Happened on the Day of Atonement
A. There was no conclusion to the Priest's work on the Day of Atonement. It was an unfinished religious work. Hebrews 10:11 says: "Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins."
There was no closure to this Week of Atonement, even when the High Priest entered the Holy Place and sprinkled blood on the mercy seat. The process continued year after year. That's because:
B. The Day of Atonement never removed sin. This is ironic because Passover centered on the High Priest's sacrifice behind the Temple veil. But Hebrews 10:4 says, "it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins." The word atonement means, covering. All the High Priest could do was cloak, or conceal sins, not remove them.
C. Then thirdly, the Day of Atonement never appeased God's wrath against sin. Notice verse eight: "Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them" (although the law required them to be made)." Think about it, how could a superficial animal sacrifice possibly satisfy the demands of justice against sin?
D. And then the ministry of the Holy Spirit was absent from the Day of the Atonement. Everything the High Priest did to mediate between God and man was fleshly. Nowhere in the Old Testament was the High Priest empowered by the Spirit to conduct his service. His ministry was solely of the flesh.
And there was nothing life-giving about these repetitive animal sacrifices either. They brought no transformation of the human spirit, transgressions weren't pardoned, and God's judgment against sin wasn't satisfied.
When you investigate the Day of Atonement several important matters relating to man's restoration with God were left incomplete.
(Transition) On the other hand, let's look at the difference between the High Priest's Old Testament sacrifice and Christ's New Testament sacrifice. In other words, what didn't happen on the Day of Atonement and what happened at the Atonement of Calvary.
What Happened at Calvary
Hebrews 10:12 says: "But when this priest [Jesus] had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. (13) Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, (14) because by one sacrifice he [Jesus] has made perfect forever those who are being made holy."
When Jesus offered Himself as a sacrifice for our sins "He sat down at God's right hand," signifying His work was complete, acknowledged by the Father, and sufficient for removing sin. It did more than atone, that is, cover sin, it totally removed sin. David said in Psalm 103:12, "as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us." When Christ forgives He completely removes every sin from your past.
One of Satan's chief schemes is to remind Christians of their past sins. If he can't steal your salvation he'll try to rob your joy. But listen: When your sins are forgiven, your sins are forgiven! Jesus doesn't forgive minor sins and retain the major ones! He forgives one and all, great and small.
Christ's sacrifice removed sin and satisfied the Father's judgment of sin because everything about Jesus—His body, soul, and spirit—were uncontaminated by sin. He lived as the perfect man and fully pleased the Father.
That's important to understand but there's more to Jesus living perfectly and being uncontaminated by sin that makes His sacrifice acceptable. Jesus said in John 6:63, "the flesh profits nothing . . . it's the Spirit that brings life" (John 6:63). Jesus had to live under the complete influence of the Holy Spirit in order to impute a life-giving experience to us.
What we have to understand about Christ is, He didn't impute life to others as the Son of God, although He was inherently the divine, zoe life of God. The life He imputed to others came through the power of the Holy Spirit.
That's why His first sermon was: "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, (19) to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor" (Luke 4:18). As John 3:34 says, God gave Christ "the Spirit without limit." The Spirit saturated everything He did.
And we have to live the same way! Our works are acceptable in God's Kingdom only through the Holy Spirit's life-giving inspiration:
Prayer without the Holy Spirit's presence and power is unproductive.
Our labors apart from the Holy Spirit can't please God.
Our worship without the Holy Spirit's anointing is unacceptable.
Romans 14:17 says: "The kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit." In other words,
The Holy Spirit imparts our righteousness and inspires our righteous acts.
He imparts our peace and inspires our ability to manifest it.
He imparts our joy and inspires our ability to share it with others.
It's why Ephesians 5:18 says, "Be filled with the Spirit"
Our new life in Christ begins with a supernatural infusion of life and we have to continue living under the Spirit's direction. Let's look at that. John 3 opens under the cover of dark with Nicodemus, a Rabbi, approaching Christ with questions about God's Kingdom:
John 3:1-8
Nicodemus was mystified by this "Born Again," talk from Jesus. Do you have to "enter the second time into [your] mother's womb, and be born?"
Look who's talking here. Nicodemus was a Rabbi, well acquainted with Moses' Law. He served on the prestigious Jewish Supreme Council. He understood priestly protocol and Jewish customs. But he didn't understand that New Testament worship and ministry were only possible through the Holy Spirit. That's because nothing about Old Testament sacrifices involved the Spirit's work.
In defense of Nicodemus regeneration is a mystifying concept. No theologian has ever fully plumbed its depths. When it comes to explaining regeneration Jesus knew it was easier understanding the what of regeneration than the how! In essence He said, "Nicodemus forget how regeneration works and concentrate on what regeneration works."
"I'm trying to tell you the Spirit's work is like the wind." When the wind blows it's unseen but it's real, dynamic, and there's proof of its work. And that's the Holy Spirit. When He moves He's unseen but He's real, dynamic, and there's proof of His work!
When we believe on Christ the Spirit sweeps away our sins, plunges them into the deepest sea, and imparts life. How? I don't know but that's what happened! When it comes to explaining some doctrines I'd rather know what happened than how it happened!
When your body aches and you need Christ's touch you don't want to know how the spiritual superimposes the physical. You just want to experience what 1 Peter 2:24 says: "By His stripes you are healed."
When you're bound by Satan you're not interested in how to decipher demonology you just want to experience what the loosing Word of Christ can accomplish. You want the angels unleashed, Satan bound, and the shackles broken.
And it's not necessary to fully grasp how the Spirit applies regeneration, but there's great peace in knowing what happens. That is, the Blood of Jesus Christ cleanses from all unrighteousness. As Christ told Nicodemus, simply rejoice in what the Spirit does and leave the unknowable concepts alone!
(Transition) What do we know about the Spirit's regenerating work? The Spirit's regenerating work brings life to our spiritual deadness.
The Spirit's Work Quickens our Spiritual Deadness
The Day of Atonement never regenerated man's spiritual deadness. Only God creates life. And the New Birth is when the Holy Spirit revives and transforms our spirit and restores a right relationship with God. Paul put regeneration in these terms in 2 Corinthians 5:17, "if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"
That doesn't mean your physical features change. Being a "new creation in Christ" doesn't mean bald-headed men grow hair. It doesn't trim pounds from overweight bodies. What it does mean is that our deepest, innermost nature is radically transformed. The part of us that stands before God and will continue throughout eternity becomes "a new creation."
(Illustration) Until we're Born Again we're like a car with a defective motor. You can purchase new tires for it, repaint it, or have it tuned. But when the ignition is turned the car won't crank. You can place it among the world's finest luxury automobiles, but attempting to crank it would still be futile. What the car needs is a new motor, or the old one transformed.
(Application) Someone might say, "If that's the case, why do I keep sinning? How can a new creation in Christ yield to temptation?" The difference between a sinner's transgressions and a Christian's transgressions is, the sinner can sin without any intention of avoiding it. It's not difficult for a sinner to pursue evil without restraint. On the other hand, Christians sin against their intentions. They're not seeking sin they're hoping and praying to avoid it.
The fact is, our body and soul aren't presently redeemed. If they were we wouldn't succumb to temptation. That's why Paul commanded us to crucify the flesh and renew our mind. Our inner spirit, the real us, is the "new creation" and has to override the tendencies of the flesh.
When Jesus told Nicodemus: "You must be born again," He offered the only way of salvation, the only means of forgiveness, the only passage to Heaven, the only possibility of seeing the Father—"You must be born again." And before you complain about God not offering many avenues of salvation, thank Him for graciously providing one way of salvation!
Conclusion
A person can make many improvements on their life. They may stop frequenting worldly places and terminate bad habits. They may begin associating with the finest Christians in the world. But the only means of salvation is to transform our defective heart and that comes through regeneration. And the Spirit doesn't just mend or patch your old heart, He gives you a new one.
(Illustration) Before the personal computers became popular I typed my messages. Can you believe our generation was so primitive? A typewriter! As I typed the conclusion I made a typographical change. When I pressed the automatic erasure key the old mark was lifted from the page and I replaced it with a new one. The Lord immediately spoke to my heart: "That's what the New Birth is, I remove the old and give the new!"
And if you're Born Again that's what's happened to you. If you're not it's time to let God remove your sins and impute His righteousness. Something that never happened on the Day of Atonement but can happened today!
Copyright © 2009 by Pulpit Today
The contents of this data file are the sole property of Robert D. Pace. You are welcome to reproduce this file, but only in its entirety so long as the author is properly credited and the material is not reproduced for resale. In keeping with the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ, you are free to preach/teach the contents of this file. Requests for reproduction of this message must be made in writing to: RobertDPace@PulpitToday.com