Hebrews 9:11-15
11 When Christ came as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation), 12 he entered once for all into the Holy Place, not with the blood of goats and calves, but with his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, with the sprinkling of the ashes of a heifer, sanctifies those who have been defiled so that their flesh is purified, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to worship the living God!
15 For this reason he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, because a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions under the first covenant.
“… 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to worship the living God! …”
To understand this section of Hebrews, one has to have a knowledge of the system of sacrifices practiced by the Jews of Jesus’ time. For most of us, animal sacrifice is a completely foreign concept. It’s something with which we are totally unfamiliar. What we can comprehend, however, is the offering Jesus’ makes on our behalf.
Today, Holy Week begins. During the course of the next few days, we move from shouting “Hosanna to the Son of David. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord” to “Crucify, crucify him!” The transition is startling in its rapidness from exaltation to crucifixion. He who is acclaimed as king on Sunday is hung on a cross as a criminal on Friday. This is Holy Week.
What we cannot forget is the point the writer of Hebrews makes – that Jesus offered Himself as a sacrifice for our sins. Rather than the blood of goats and bulls, it is Jesus’ own blood that is shed on our behalf. Through that gracious gift, we are delivered from sin, death, and the devil.
With that in mind, we celebrate the Monday of Holy Week.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, You gave Yourself as a offering for our sin. As we journey through this week, remind me of the abundance of Your love and promise of new life that You offer. Amen.