Hebrews 10:1-10

The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. ²Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. ³But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins. ⁴It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. ⁵Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said:

“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me;

⁶ with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased.

⁷ Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll — I have come to do your will, my God.’” ⁸First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them”—though they were offered in accordance with the law. ⁹Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second. ¹⁰And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Once for All

Did you know that there are 613 Jewish laws in the Torah, including the Ten Commandments? These were God’s way of showing the Israelites how to live a “holy” life in the middle of an “unholy” environment. This included the system of sacrificing animals to forgive sins, which needed to be repeated again and again and again… . Sacrificing animals was only temporary, because God knew it was impossible for animal sacrifice to forgive sins once for all.

In verses 5–7 we see a prophecy about Jesus from Psalm 40:6–8. It’s incredible how, long before it happened, the Old Testament revealed to us that Jesus was going to offer himself of his own free will to do God’s will by sacrificing his life. Jesus fulfilled the prophecy when he died and shed his blood for us on the cross.

In verse 10 it says we have been made holy through his sacrifice once for all. What Jesus did, happened once and is valid for all - today and forever. Nothing could be better news than that! There’s no need for us to earn our salvation through any kind of modern “sacrifice” we may try to offer. So, let’s accept his sacrifice as a loving gift to each of us individually.

Prayer: Jesus, our Lord and Savior, thank you for sacrificing your life for each one of us. You have given us the greatest gift we could ever receive. We praise and worship you for who you are and for everything you have done. Amen.