Hebrews 9:24-28 (NRSV)
Read Hebrews 9:24-28 on biblegateway.com
Verse 24For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made by human hands, a mere copy of the true one, but he entered into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. Verse 25Nor was it to offer himself again and again, as the high priest enters the Holy Place year after year with blood that is not his own; Verse 26for then he would have had to suffer again and again since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the age to remove sin by the sacrifice of himself. Verse 27And just as it is appointed for mortals to die once, and after that the judgment, Verse 28so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
Devotion
In the book of Hebrews, the writer contrasts Jesus our high priest with the sacrificial system of the Jews. The old system required endless repetition of sacrifices. The writer is convinced that the death and resurrection of Christ has become the fulfillment of all the religious sacrifices.
In the old covenant, the high priest would enter the holies of holies and offer a sacrifice while the people waited to see if the sacrifice was acceptable. The good news for us is that in Christ we no longer need wonder about our future and our salvation. God in his abundance has brought us out of slavery to sin, and the death and resurrection of Jesus has given us the promise of a future.
May we give thanks for what God has given, live in the present by faith, and share Christ as we look to the future of Christ’s coming again.
Prayer
Jesus, thank you for dying for our sins once and for all. Thank you for your promise that you will come again. Empower us to walk by faith, live in service, and build one another up as we await your return. Amen.
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