Brethren, when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) he entered once for all into the Holy Place, taking not the blood of goats and calves but his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. For if the sprinkling of defiled persons with the blood of goats and bulls and with the ashes of a heifer sanctifies for the purification of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify your conscience from dead works to serve the living God.
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The author of Hebrews’ focus is now upon the priesthood of Christ in its meaning and effectiveness. In order to achieve this, a series of contrasts between the old and new covenants are made.
One of the things that we should appreciate is that Christ came into this world both as high priest and Redeemer. He did not come first into the world and then became our high priest but he was high priest from the very beginning. As Redeemer, Christ is a high priest of the good things yet to come. He is the high priest and as such is high priest of the kingdom to come. The tabernacle of Christ is not only man-made. His tabernacle is both his body and as well as the heavenly tabernacle. As such it is superior to the earthly because things heavenly are superior to the earthly. One only has to remember what Christ said: that he will destroy the temple that is made with hands, and within three days will build another not made with hands. Indeed if the temple was destroyed in three days he will raise it up. There, of course, Christ is talking of the temple of his body.
One of the obligations of the high priests of the old covenant was to enter the holy of holies once a year and sprinkle it with blood from sacrificial goats for the forgiveness of sins of the people. He would also sprinkle calves blood for his own sins and those of the other priests. This was undertaken on the Day of Atonement and repeated annually because of the imperfect nature of the human priesthood. In contrast, Christ our great high priest, entered the holy of holies and it was by his blood that he entered the heavenly tabernacle. It was his sacrifice done once and for all that atoned the way for humanity. It was this saving action which saves us. We know that Christ had no sins to atone because he was perfect so Christ atoned for our sins because we became brothers with Christ through his incarnation. Thus the mystery has been accomplished and our sins forgiven.
Consider this: if the ritual sacrifices undertaken by the priest in the old covenant were effective then how much more effective would be the blood of the lamb which is offered for you and for me. Indeed we are thoroughly cleansed of all evil by the salvific work of Christ.
Christ is eternal, therefore the redemption that he obtained for us is also eternal. You will note that the author of Hebrews uses the notion that it is the blood of Christ through the Holy Spirit that is offered to God which purges our conscience from dead works to serving the living God. It is important to understand that we need to undertake works in the name of the triune God. Moreover, our work should be alive and vivified through our zeal and incorporation with the Holy Spirit. By Christ offering his blood, man is purged from dead works. Works undertaken in the name of Christ become living works. They become living works because we carry out the will of Christ.
Man is created for good works; however, man is easily led astray. Sometimes he chooses the illusory thinking that he has chosen the permanent. Man does not have the ability generally to reflect upon the permanent. After all, there is a lot of truth in the saying: a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. The bird in the hand is this world, whereas the bird in the bush is the promise of the next. So, through our own selfish self-interest we are limited in our responses. We cannot understand how we would be better off by choosing something that we cannot verify in this life – whether or not we will in fact receive it. Truth tell, we cannot verify it in this life. It is only once we have moved on from this life that we can do so.
So, how can we assure ourselves that we are to receive life everlasting? The author of Hebrews goes to great length to show the royal priesthood of Christ. He in effect says trust in the Lord. Come and taste and see that the Lord is good. If we trust God then we trust in his words. If we trust in his words we trust in his truth. If we trust in his truth we must have trust in his promise and his promise is life everlasting. So, what can we give in return for our life? What is it in this world that allows us to say we can have life everlasting? The answer is: trust – trust in the living God. Not to trust in anything human, for that fails, but to put all our trust in the living God. Once we trust in Christ our Redeemer then we have in effect entered into a new covenant. Christ says this is my body and this is my blood. If you believe in both body and blood then you believe in Christ. If you believe in body and blood you believe in living works. If we believe in body and blood, we believe in life everlasting.
Therefore, Christ says follow me. Once we follow Christ then we realise that the old covenant is no longer adequate and has been superseded by the new. The Levitical priesthood has faded and been evaporated by the presence of the living God.
The promise of Hebrews is that we can believe in the new covenant which is the blood of Christ. We say at every liturgy in relation to the gift of wine offered: “drink from it all of you, this is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for you and for many, for the forgiveness of sins.” This blood of the new covenant washes us all who believe in him. It washes us clean and prepares us for the kingdom. It is Christ, as high priest and through his blood, who obtains eternal redemption for us. It is Christ’s saving actions that reclaim us from darkness and death to light and life. Thus we are saved. Salvation is our reconciliation to God. Through salvation we become new creatures and participants in the very righteousness of God. This means salvation is not just juridical but also personal and relational between God and ourselves. But it all starts with Christ who, through his blood sacrifice, washes everyone so that they may enter the kingdom without stain or spot.
