Jesus Christ died once for all and now He lives forever as the believers ultimate High Priest who is ever there and is able to save us to the uttermost. He has an indestructible life, He will always be there for us, even in our worst day He will not defect from us but He will stand for us.
Watch the full sermon:
Transcript
But this writer wants you to see: Oh there is a priest after the order of Melchizedek. Indestructible life. He never dies. He lives forever. Oh and behold Him in all of His absolute purity. He died once for all; He now lives forever - Indestructible life. He is holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners. He is the ultimate High Priest. He wants us to see this. He wants us to see a High Priest who is ever there; able to save us to the uttermost all those who come to the Father by Him. And there He is - Indestructible life. He is never going anywhere. He is always going to be there for me. In my worst day, He is not going to defect. He is not going to leave there. He is not going to go. If anything, He is going to Stand. And standing is a posture where He is ready to come fight, He is ready to come help, He is ready to reach out and offer whatever assistance.
The writer has been writing so that you'll see, you have a sympathetic High Priest who became like us in every respect. He laid down His life, and His sacrifice absolutely perfects all those that trust in Him. That shedding of that blood; that offering of His body; He knew that His Father was not pleased with offerings and sacrifices and the blood of bulls and goats. And so He said, "A body You have prepared for Me." (Hebrews 10:5). This is what the writer wants us to see. He came into this world in this body, and He laid it down in death. Blood spells death. And without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness, there is no remission of sins. But He shed His blood in the perfect sacrifice. And those who trust Him now, Perfect! Totally justified! Absolutely.
Brethren, does that not provoke a confidence? Does that make you want to just jump up and down on the ice? ALL my sins. I can boldly come. On my worst day, I can boldly come. He is not going to turn me away. Because it is not based on my merits, on my life, on my goodness, on my good works; it is based on Him and Him alone. This is what he wants us to see. This is what he wants us to feast on.
Sometimes we just have to sit back, and come to recognize what all this is about. Just step back, and let it sink in afresh. In all my wickedness; I mean, we were there with Diego. Either trying to merit something on our own good works, living wicked lives and actually thinking we're pretty good. We have to take this in.
Our sin isn't this big. One sin; and God's glory against which I have stepped on, trampled on, is so great: To fall short of the glory of God is such a great crime that I must go to hell forever through endless ages, suffering eternal torments of punishment and tribulation and distress, and the smoke of my torment going up forever and forever and forever and forever; even if it was just one sin. Why? Because God is that great. He is that beautiful. He is that valuable. And my sin against Him is a crime of inestimable value. And when suddenly you behold this second Person of the Trinity - the Word of God; the eternal delight of the Father whose value knows no bounds - for Him to humble Himself and take upon Himself human flesh and blood; for the Father to give Him up, not for a friend, for a rebel. For Him to look at the object of His eternal love, and CRUSH Him; because of what you did, and your crime deserved. And to watch that blood run, and that body hang limp as the darkness comes off the land, when God smote His Son.
He was made a propitiation. God vented His wrath that every one of His people deserved. Such an infinite transaction took place. Christ Himself recoiled. We just have to stand back sometimes and think. Take it in, and realize. Not only that, but then Christ goes up to heaven, it's not like, "Well, Oh He is done with them." "I've paid for them." He is going to, through endless ages now, bear our humanity. Can you imagine God doing that? Robing Himself with humanity, not just for 33 years, [but] forever. Forever He has identified with us. A sympathetic High Priest who lives forevermore.
We just need to step back and recognize. And because of that blood and because of that body, He bids us into His presence: Come.