Coming to Sanctify
Hebrews 10:1-10 (RCL 10:5-10)
Tony’s Overview Video
How to Use
Preparing to teach
- Read the Bible Lesson by Tony Cartledge in this month’s issue of the Nurturing Faith Journal
- Watch Tony’s Video for this session
- Select either the Adult or Youth teaching guide and follow the directions
Click to read the Bible Lesson by Tony Cartledge
Key Verse: Hebrews 10:10 –
“And it is by God’s will that we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”
Christmas is coming, and its images float in our heads like sugar plums. A stable, a donkey, a tired woman and a stoic husband. Shepherds and angels and, in the midst of it all, a tiny newborn baby. We sometimes think about prophetic promises frequently applied to the coming of Christ: a shoot from the stump of Jesse, a young woman conceiving, a coming servant who would suffer for the sake of others.
The Gospel of John declares that Christ was present before the creation of the world, indeed, from the very beginning: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being” (John 1:1-3). In John’s gospel, there is no question that “the Word” is Christ.
If Christ was consciously preexistent prior to his earthly incarnation, then it follows that he made a purposeful decision to give up the accoutrements of deity and be born into this physical world that humans inhabit. Paul spoke of Christ, who “though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death – even death on a cross” (2:5-8).
Today’s text is another writer’s attempt to visualize the life-changing decisions that went on in heavenly places and resulted in the birth of a baby in a manger. The text declares that Christ came because it was absolutely necessary for our redemption. The writer is amazed at the willingness of Christ to take on flesh and to take up the dread task leading to our salvation. The experience of Christmas will be much richer if we remember that Christ did not come into the world to be coddled and cute. Christ came to save us from our sins, even at the cost of his life. [DD]
The bodies of bulls (vv. 1-4)
The book of Hebrews was written anonymously. Though an old church tradition attributed it to Paul, it is quite different from Paul’s other writings, especially in its elevated style and its focus on Christ as a High Priest. Fortunately, we don’t have to know the author in order to appreciate his or her message. [DD]
The writer of Hebrews consistently views Christ as the ultimate High Priest, presenting careful and detailed arguments designed to show that the Old Testament system of sacrifice was an inadequate means of atoning for human sin. Only Christ, he says, is able to provide the perfect sacrifice needed for our redemption.
The writer argues cogently that the Law and its attendant sacrifices could never be a sufficient and lasting remedy for human sin because they had to be offered continually, year after year. If they were at all effective, why should they have to be repeated so often (vv. 1-2)?
He concludes that such yearly sacrifices serve only as a continual reminder of our human proclivity to sin (v. 3). This encourages repentance, but does nothing about the sin itself, “for it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (v. 4). The shedding of sacrificial blood may well symbolize human need for repentance, but it cannot cleanse us from the stain of wrongdoing.
This was not a new idea, but one already expressed in the Old Testament – in narratives, psalms, and the prophets. [DD] It is likely that many faithful Jews of the first century no longer put much trust in animal sacrifices. Though the entrenched priestly system continued to offer sacrifices while the temple endured, when it was destroyed in 70 BCE the rabbis quickly adapted. Synagogue worship soon took the place of the old temple services.
The body of Jesus (vv. 5-9)
The gospels tell us that Jesus also saw the emptiness of animal sacrifices, since Matthew’s gospel twice portrays him as quoting Hosea 6:6: “I desire mercy, and not sacrifice” (Matt. 9:13, 12:7). According to the writer of Hebrews, this same view was held by the pre-incarnate Christ.
Using his inspired imagination, the author boldly ascribes to Christ the words of Psalm 40:6-8. He insists, “Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said . . ..” He then quotes from the psalm – originally the words of a worshiper speaking to God in prayer – as if God the Son was speaking to God the Father as he prepared to come into the world.
And what did he say? “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body you have prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. Then I said, ‘See, God, I have come to do your will, O God’ (in the scroll of the book it is written of me)” (vv. 5-7).
If we compare this with the actual text from Psalms, we will notice that the author, like most New Testament writers, quoted from a Greek translation of the Old Testament (known as the “Septuagint” or “LXX”) rather than the Hebrew text, which has “you have given me an open ear” (literally, “an ear you have dug for me”) instead of “a body you have prepared for me.” The Hebrew version implies a readiness to hear and obey. [DD]
The author could have made his point with either version, for he emphasizes the importance of Christ hearing and obeying the will of God. However, the image of Christ’s body is especially vivid, given the context of his remarks about Judaism’s sacrificial system. The writer suggests that the bodies of bulls and goats were not sufficient for removing sin, but God has given to Christ a body, also destined for sacrifice, that was sufficient.
The efficacy of Christ’s sacrifice is not based on some mystical difference between his human body and the bodies of animal sacrifices – perhaps the difference is that Christ, in a fully human existence, voluntarily surrendered his life.
Animals brought to the sacrificial slaughter had no knowledge of what was happening and no choice in the matter, but Christ willingly went to his death as a sacrifice for our sins: “See, God, I have come to do your will.” The value of sacrifices is that they were given as tangible expressions of the believer’s devotion and obedience. Only in Christ could the obedient giver and the gift be one and the same.
Does this idea help us to to appreciate the sacrifice Christ made for us, or to have any deeper insight as to its purpose? What kind of response does it call for?
For the writer of Hebrews, Jesus’ human life (and death) of obedience began with the incarnation (“you have given me a body”) and was a fulfillment of God’s eternal plan (“in the scroll of the book it is written of me”). The practical effect was that God had abolished the old order of animal sacrifice, since the effective work of Christ had superseded it (vv. 8-9).
The body of believers (v. 10)
Those who follow Jesus are thus brought into a right relationship with God through their faith in the efficacy of Christ’s sacrifice, the author says: “And it is by God’s will that we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (v. 10).
Note the writer’s emphasis on this being a “once for all” event. Old Testament sacrifices were offered continually while the temple stood, and the author saw this as evidence of their inadequacy (vv. 2-4). In contrast, Christ’s voluntary gift of himself needs not be repeated: it is effective for all persons, and for all time.
This does not mean that the word “sacrifice” is now passé – Christ’s redeeming sacrifice for sin is all-sufficient for our salvation, but Christian believers are also called to lives of personal sacrifice for the sake of others. Paul expresses this beautifully in Romans: “I appeal to you, therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship” (12:1).
There is no more sacrifice for sin, but there is a sacrifice of service to God, and this is demonstrated best through actively loving others. Such service may involve the sacrifice of time, of material goods, or even of one’s physical being.
Any worship or service that we offer to God can be thought of as sacrifice. Even the writer of Hebrews, echoing language often found in the psalms (40:6, 50:12-15, 51:15-17, 69:30-31), spoke of how believers may offer a sacrifice of praise to God through words of testimony (Heb. 13:15). Of course, he knew that there are times when it will cost believers to be faithful in giving and living out their testimony. [DD]
What are some of the different ways we can sacrifice ourselves in service to others, for the sake of Christ?
In this Christmas season, let us not fail to look with joy upon the cuddly baby in the hay – but let us not forget that the same baby so lovingly wrapped in swaddling would one day be stretched out naked on a cross – willingly. This was not because Jesus was a masochist, but because he was (and is) a Savior: “we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”
Adult Teaching Resources
Download the PDF of teaching resources for this lesson.
This PDF contains the Teaching Guide, Digging Deeper, and Hardest Question pages.
Read Scripture online: Hebrews 10:1-10
Youth Teaching Resources
Parent Prep
We want a better life for our kids than we have had for ourselves. I think our parents thought the same thing, and their parents before them. But, this doesn’t mean that we do everything for our students or take every road bump out of their way. Part of “growing up” means taking ownership; helping them to figure out what they want to do versus what they need to do. It will mean more to the students if they have some stake in what is going on; some sacrifice of their own to make it happen.
Additional Links/Resources
Read Scripture online: Hebrews 10:1-10
Download the PDF for youth teaching resources using the button below. This PDF contains the Teaching Guide for this lesson:
Video
Encourage youth to check out this video ahead of the lesson.
“Jonathan’s Sacrifice Scene” from Man of Steel
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