Accomplished in Death - part 4 of 4

Sacrifice to Sacrifice
I want to now look at the parallel between Old Testament sacrifices, and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The Old Testament purification sacrifice is indeed a detailed picture of the sacrifice to come, as are all of the expected priestly actions and their objects of those actions copies of the true things (Hebrews 9:24). The atonement made by the sacrificing of the animal was for all of the people of Israel, God's people. The sacrifice was certainly not for everyone in the world; it was for God's chosen people and no others. The atonement was made for all of their iniquities; it was an accomplishment and not an offer bidding the people to receive the atonement made for them. Likewise, Jesus Christ is the priest that offered the sacrifice for God's people, namely the sheep that His Father had before given Him. Not only did He offer it, but He was Himself the sacrifice. He needed no purification, for He was pure and holy and perfect with no blemish. As the priest, our Good Shepherd placed His own hands on His own head and confessed all of the transgressions and iniquities of His sheep, placing their sins on Himself. Jesus then offered the perfect atonement sacrifice that all of the Old Covenant atonement sacrifices foreshadowed. He offered Himself on the cross, and bore the punishment that our sins deserve. There was most definitely atonement on the cross, and the atonement was for His sheep. Unlike the Old Testament sacrifices, no other sacrifice would be needed after Christ's, because He offered Himself for the sins of the people once for all (Heb. 7:27). After the sacrifice was made which wrought perfect atonement, Jesus Christ then entered into the holy places to secure an eternal redemption for those sheep whom the Father had given Him, and once again, He did so once for all (Heb 9:12).

The oblation of Christ and the intercession of Christ cannot be separated as some like to imagine it. He did not offer Himself for all and then intercede for some. Likewise, He did not offer Himself for all and intercede for all. Christ offered Himself for those whom His Father had given Him, and after offering Himself up for their sins, He interceded for those same people with the blood of the covenant sprinkled on Himself that was the perfect blood for the perfect atonement made once for all, all of His people, every one of them and no others. The work of atonement was finished on the cross (John 19:30). The work of intercession secured the eternal redemption of those for whom the atonement was made. And as we have seen above, in the same manner that the Old Testament sacrifice was offered for God's chosen people, the atonement of Christ was made for God's chosen people throughout the whole world, every nation. It was not hopeful work performed by God, possibly in vain, but it was an accomplishment perfectly carried out as planned from before the foundation of the world.

for the sake of time and space, A Quick Conclusion
It is true that the Word of God has not failed as Paul rightly argues in Roman 9. God accomplishes all that He purposes. Christ's death was an accomplishment making atonement for the sheep that the Father had given Him before the foundation of the world. It was an accomplishment that atoned for the sins of the ones who were graciously, mercifully, and lovingly chosen by God based on His own freedom, glory, and purpose alone. Likewise, the intercession of Christ for His sheep secured their place in eternity, bringing about the end which all of the means worked to accomplish. What fails is the purpose and plan of God if Christ died for the opportunity of salvation, because billions of people for whom Christ died will enter into and spend eternity in eternal punishment. It fails if Christ did indeed pay the penalty for sins, and those for whom He paid the penalty still suffer for those very sins for which Christ suffered.

Indeed, God's purpose and plan has not failed, because the sins for which Christ suffered have met their penalty in full. Those for whom Christ died will never taste the fires of Hell, because One has paid the complete cost for them all. They have surely been redeemed with the most powerful atonement that no man can nullify. Just as the Jewish priest offered the sacrifice for atonement for the sins of the people of God, so our High Priest, Jesus Christ, offered Himself as the once for all sacrifice that atoned for the sins of the people of God, namely the sheep that the Father had given to Jesus before the foundation of the world.


farewell, I'm off for Christmas travels.
Merry Christmas!

GRACE & PEACE,
Rick