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The Perfect Sacrifice (Hebrews 10:1-18)
I. Foreshadowed In The Ceremonies (v.1-4)
II. Fulfilled By Christ (v.5-14)
III. Fixed Through The Covenant (v.15-18)
Sermon Highlight (Hebrews 10:1-18):
"Christ’s sacrifice was perfect—once for all. Unlike the old sacrifices that could never take away sins (Hebrews 10:4), Jesus offered Himself as the final, complete payment for sin. When He cried, 'It is finished,' He meant it—no more offerings, no supplements, no second chances. Either we trust wholly in His work, or we have no hope at all. To step away from His sacrifice is to step away from salvation itself. But for those who believe, God makes an unshakable promise: 'Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more' (Hebrews 10:17). Stop striving; start resting. His blood is enough."
(149 words)
Why it matters:
- Cuts through religion to the heart of the gospel.
- Exposes the danger of adding to Christ’s work.
- Offers assurance to weary sinners.
Sermon Context & Hook:
Title: "The Perfect Sacrifice: Why Jesus’ Death Is Enough"
Text: Hebrews 10:1–18
Have you ever felt pressured to prove your worth—to God, to others, or even to yourself? A man once scoffed at Christians for relying on Jesus as a "crutch." "Why can’t you just be good enough on your own?" he demanded. But the Bible reveals a staggering truth: no amount of effort, ritual, or sacrifice can erase our guilt.
In this powerful sermon, we dive into Hebrews 10 to unpack why:
- 🔥 Animal sacrifices failed—they were only a shadow of what was coming.
- ✝️ Jesus’ death was once-for-all—unlike priests who stood daily, He sat down (because the work was finished!).
- 💔 To reject His sacrifice is to reject hope—there’s no Plan B for salvation.
With striking clarity, the preacher exposes modern attempts to "help" Jesus save us—whether through superstition, moralism, or compromise. But the cross stands alone: "It is finished."
Ready to grasp the freedom of a perfect sacrifice? Don’t skim the highlights—read the full sermon to:
1️⃣ See Christ’s death with fresh awe (He bore your name on the cross).
2️⃣ Spot subtle lies that downplay His work (even in churches!).
3️⃣ Live confidently, knowing God remembers your sins no more.
This isn’t just theology—it’s the difference between religion and redemption.
👉 Read on—your soul will thank you.
Table of Contents: "The Perfect Sacrifice" (Hebrews 10:1–18)
1. Introduction
- 1.1 The Challenge to Christian Faith (Criticism of Dependence on Christ)
- 1.2 Historical Heresies Undermining Christ’s Sacrifice (Judaizers, Gnostics, Arians, Reformed Errors)
2. The Shadow vs. The Substance
- 2.1 Old Testament Sacrifices as a Foreshadowing (Hebrews 10:1)
- 2.2 The Limitation of Animal Sacrifices (Hebrews 10:2–4)
- Cannot Remove Sin
- Annual Reminder of Sin
3. The Perfect Sacrifice Fulfilled in Christ
- 3.1 Christ’s Incarnation and Obedience (Hebrews 10:5–7; Psalm 40:6–8)
- 3.2 The Once-for-All Offering (Hebrews 10:10–12)
- Sanctification Through His Body
- Contrast with Repeated Priestly Sacrifices
- 3.3 The Finality of Christ’s Work (Hebrews 10:14)
- "Perfected Forever" Those Who Are Sanctified
4. The New Covenant Promise
- 4.1 God’s Eternal Covenant (Hebrews 10:15–17; Jeremiah 31:33–34)
- Law Written on Hearts
- Sins Remembered No More
- 4.2 Assurance from the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 10:15)
5. Warning Against Apostasy
- 5.1 No Other Sacrifice Remains (Hebrews 10:18)
- 5.2 Historical Context: Hebrew Believers Under Persecution (Nero’s Reign, AD 64)
- 5.3 Application for Modern Christians (Prioritising Christ Over Worldly Pressures)
6. Personal Reflection on Christ’s Sacrifice
- 6.1 The Cost of the Cross (Physical Suffering, Agony, and Victory)
- 6.2 Rejecting Superstitious Substitutes (Philippine Traditions vs. Biblical Truth)
- 6.3 The Danger of Taking Grace for Granted
7. Conclusion & Call to Faithfulness
- 7.1 Trusting in Christ’s Finished Work ("It Is Finished")
- 7.2 Living as Sacrifices (Romans 12:1)
- 7.3 Proclaiming the Gospel to Others
8. Closing Prayer
- Emphasis on Finality: Highlights the exclusivity of Christ’s sacrifice ("No more offering for sin").
[37:18 - 1:36:37] Video timestamp
Grace be unto you, and peace from God our Father, and our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Thank God for this privilege coming before thee, before God, before you, to share this message from Hebrews 10: 1-18 — The Perfect Sacrifice.
Once I was approached by a man who told me that we as Christians are very weak people. We are dependent on one man called Jesus Christ. He told me that, ‘Why can’t you try yourself to do what is good, what is righteous, a blessing to others? Why do you always depend on the work of Jesus Christ? You are using a crutch—Jesus is your crutch. You are a weak person.’
Historical heresies Undermining Christ’s sacrifice
Indeed, there are many in the history of the church—people who try to diminish, undermine, and undervalue the perfect sacrifice of Christ. There were heretical teachings even in biblical times. there were Judaizers in the time of the Apostle Paul who said that it is not enough for us to just believe in what He has done for us. It is not enough for us to just trust what the Lord Jesus Christ has done for us on the cross. ‘We need to continue doing the sacrifices,’ they said. ‘We need to continue to do what Moses has commanded—circumcision, giving all the sacrifices into the temple, and doing all the commands given in the Old Testament.’
Even in the later part of the life of the Apostle John, there were people who tried to undermine the great sacrifice of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. There were those Gnostics who claimed, ‘Oh, Jesus did not really come as God. He was just a phantom. He was just somehow an imagination of man. The one who was crucified was not the Christ—He left the man when He died on the cross.’
There were also those who tried to undermine the sufficiency of the death of Christ. They said that He is not fully God—He’s just a man, He is 50% God. These Arians wanted to promote that we need to do something in order to further or to complete the work of Jesus Christ because He did not fulfil and do all things required for us to be saved.
Even after the Reformation, there were so-called Reformed Calvinistic theologians who tried to undermine the soteriology—the salvific work—of our Lord and Saviour. They said, ‘Well, Jesus Christ came to die at the cross just to demonstrate God’s anger and His wrath upon sinners so that man will be moved to receive Him.’ They thought that man is not totally depraved, and we must have—or we have—the ability in ourselves to believe and receive and choose the Lord Jesus Christ. So it was not to die for our sins—it was just a demonstration of God’s wrath upon sinners.
These are things that come throughout the history of the church to put down the value, the significance, of the Lord Jesus Christ’s sacrifice. And here we have in Hebrews chapter 10 a clear teaching—the doctrine that Paul (as I believe he is the writer of the book of Hebrews) gave an outline here—that the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ was perfect, is perfect, and will always be perfect, and will always be the only sacrifice that we can trust. It is the only sacrifice where we can rely on.
I. Foreshadowed In The Ceremonies (v.1-4)
And he says it is a sacrifice that was foreshadowed in the law. When God saw that man cannot fulfil or cannot do anything for his salvation, when God saw that man cannot do anything for his redemption, God in His laws ordained that there is a Messiah—a seed of a woman—that will come. And in this, He wants the people to learn that in the coming of this Messiah, there is a sacrifice to be done. He will offer Himself to die, and He will shed His blood on the cross (though it was not mentioned that it was a cross, but He will shed His blood).
And when you look forward to the work of this Messiah, you have to learn that this must be done, and this must be illustrated, demonstrated, in the way that God says, ‘You must do in the ceremonial laws that I have commanded you.’ And in these ceremonial laws, He wanted them to believe and to have faith in what the Messiah would do.
In fact, that was what He said—or that is what He said—in verse 1: "For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect."
He now tries to show that these ceremonial sacrifices were just a shadow—and we understand what a shadow is. It is a dark or grey part when there is a casting of light towards the thing or the matter, and it represents the presence of the real thing, or the image—the very image—of the thing that is given here. It is a foreshadowing, or trying to look forward. You have to apply and do these ceremonies or ceremonial laws so that you will understand what the Messiah would do. You have to offer animal sacrifices.
In fact, it was ordained even before Moses. We understand how God told Adam and Eve—and we know that this was told to them because Abel and Cain did those sacrifices. So we see that in this foreshadowing, the writer of Hebrews tells the people that this is a sign or a pointer to the real thing. This shadow points to something that is the very image of that thing, but it is not the real thing.
And he says this pointer would tell us—would tell the worshippers—that they have to await and put their faith on that coming sacrifice. But that sacrifice itself is not the work that would cleanse you, the work that would deliver you out of your sins. "For then would they not have ceased to be offered?” (Hebrews 10:2a) If indeed those sacrifices are the perfect or the fulfilment of the cleansing and forgiveness of sins of those who offer, then they would not have done it again and again.
Animal sacrifices cannot remove sins
And verse 2 says: "because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins." If the moment he brings a lamb, the moment he brings a goat, the moment he brings an ox to offer, and it is that fulfilment—or cleansing, total forgiveness of your sins—then you don’t have to do it again. When the writer says it is done year by year, because it is not the sacrifice that would cleanse you, it is these sacrifices that will point you to the very sacrifice that God has ordained—and that is through the Messiah. It is like a pointer. It is like a sign.
A few days back, we went to Phillip Island for the camp, and there were signs that show from here there is about 80 or 100 kilometres. We don’t stop at that sign. We don’t stay there because it says there is still a distance to travel. We have to move, and we have to reach that final destination. That sign does not say that it is the place where we have our camp. It is not Phillip Island itself.
And so the writer here describes the ceremonial laws that were commanded in the past were not in themselves the cleansing, the forgiveness of your sins. It is looking forward to what the Lord has ordained for you to be done. And why should there be a sacrifice? Why should there be a Messiah who will come?
But we all know—and I believe all of us, or most of us, have known—that we need someone to represent us, someone to substitute us. We have sinned. Not only that we have sinned, we are sinners even when we were conceived in the womb of our mothers. The first parents have sinned, and through their sin, we have also our original sin. And through that original sin, we who are sinful people in nature—sinners—come out or are delivered into this world by our parents, and we sin continually, daily.