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This is in fact stunning. How can I characterize His sacrifice? It was perfect. There was nothing lacking in it at all.

  • Why?
  • Jesus is perfect.
  • There is nothing lacking in Him at all.

So, what did Jesus sacrifice accomplish for me? Jesus is maturing and perfecting me through His purifying process. Jesus is next to our Father sitting in authority. Jesus has been given all power and will do everything He needs to get it done.

Jesus is carving it in the very lining of my heart. Jesus has made it central to who I am.

And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when the Messiah [Christ] had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying,

“This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Master [Lord]: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,” then he adds,

“I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”

Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin. [1]

(Hebrews 10:11-18)

The argument now turns again to the finality of the Messiah’s sacrifice and sets forth several contrasts between the high-priestly service of Jesus, our Master and that of the old covenant priests. We find four elements that the author understands to characterize the older sacrificial service.

  • The sacrifices under the law were presented daily;
  • the priests stood when rendering their service;
  • multiple sacrifices were offered again and again; and
  • those sacrifices, regardless of how many times they were offered, never could “take away sins.”

The writer to the Hebrews demonstrates that by contrast the Messiah’s sacrifice has the following characteristics: (1) It was offered “for all time”; (2) it culminated in Jesus sitting down at the right hand of God; (3) it involved one sacrifice; and (4) it accomplished perfection of those for whom the sacrifice was offered.

The author, by allusion, reintroduces Psalm 110:1, the most commonly cited Old Testament passage in the New Testament. The writer of Hebrews already has pointed to this particular verse of Psalm 110 three times at key turning points in his sermon. He now employs it to demonstrate the decisive, final nature of the Son’s sacrifice. Psalm 110:1 proclaims that the exalted Messiah has taken his seat of authority until his enemies are made a footstool for his feet; for Hebrews this truth demonstrates that the Son’s sacrifice was completely satisfactory, never having to be repeated. In other words, he will remain seated until his second appearing, since no further sacrificial work needs to be accomplished. His task is finished until the final subjugation of his enemies is at hand.

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Our author expresses concisely the effect of Messiah’s work on new covenant people: “… by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.” The word translated “has made perfect” (a perfect tense of teleioo) serves as the clause’s main verb and connotes a past action with present results. The word speaks of new covenant people as having been made whole or complete. Christ has suited us for relationship with the Father.

The reference to God’s people, the object of this act of perfecting, is communicated with the present passive participle hagiazomenous, translated with “who are being made holy.” This reference could be taken as a remark on the ongoing process of sanctification for the believer. However, the concept of “being made holy” in Hebrews refers to cleansing from sin, a deed accomplished preeminently by the sacrifice of Christ. Thus with F. F. Bruce we read the present tense form of this participle as “timeless,” speaking of the cleansing of God’s people from sin. Our cleansing by the sacrifice of Jesus is the means by which we are made “perfect”—wholly adequate for a relationship with God.[2]

[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Heb 10:11–18). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

[2] Guthrie, G. (1998). Hebrews (pp. 328–329). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.

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