Jesus Christ Is the Same Yesterday and Today and Forever (Hebrews 13:7-19)

First Scripture Reading: Leviticus 16:1-34

Second Scripture Reading: John 19:1-42

Sermon Text: Hebrews 13:7-19

The good news of the gospel is that Christ has offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, and has brought us to God (1 Peter 3:18). The sacrificial system of the Old Covenant pointed forward to the offering Jesus made to the Father, the single offering by which he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified (Hebrews 10:14). However, though Christ has fulfilled the ceremonial law and done away with sacrifices for sins, all sacrifices are not over. Hywel Jones writes, “Sacrifices to remove one’s sin are finished—Christ has died—but sacrifices because one’s sin has been removed are not.” As Christians we now offer a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, one that is mediated through Christ and motivated by gratitude for the grace we have received. We present our bodies as a living sacrifice, because we have been made holy and acceptable to God through Christ, and can now offer spiritual worship that is pleasing to him (Romans 12:1).