Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sins, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. (Hebrews 9:27-28)
Wow, there is a lot to chew on in Hebrews 9. Some of it is hard to understand but the main point is that Christ’s sacrifice is a better sacrifice than the OT sacrifices. What makes Christ’s sacrifice better?
1. Christ’s sacrifice was offered in a better place. The OT sacrifices were offered in an earthly tabernacle while Christ’s sacrifice was actually offered in heaven (9:23-24).
2. Christ’s blood is greater. The OT sacrifices were the blood of goats and bulls while Christ offered His own blood, through the eternal Spirit and without sin or blemish (9:13-14).
3. Christ’s sacrifice only needed to be offered once since it was sufficient for all man’s sins. The sacrifices of animals had to be done over and over again (9:25-26).
4. Christ’s sacrifice cleanses our conscience and washes our heart from sin so that we may serve the living God (9:14). OT sacrifices could not do this; they merely served as signs of a greater sacrifice to come.
Then the writer of Hebrews ends chapter 9 by reminding us that Christ came the first time to bear our sins but that He is coming again to “bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him.” Our salvation is not yet complete. We have eternal life in Christ. We have the Holy Spirit in our hearts as a “deposit.” But we also still have the sin nature fighting within us, pulling us away from God.
We are delivered from the penalty of sin through Christ’s death. We are being delivered from the power of sin through the work of the Spirit. But one day we will be delivered from the very presence of sin when Jesus Christ comes back. On that day we will finally see Him face-to-face, know Him as we are known, be free from the bondage of sin, receive a new body unplagued by disease, decay, and deficiency, and experience love and fellowship without the nagging impulses of selfishness, pride, and fear. That is our hope. That is what we are waiting for.
Maranatha! Even so, come, Lord Jesus!