IT IS DONE
Opening Prayer
‘Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind; / Sight, riches, healing of the mind; / Yes, all I need, in Thee to find, / O Lamb of God, I come.’1
Read Hebrews 10:11–18
11 And every [a]priest indeed standeth day by day ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, the which can never take away sins: 12 but he, when he had offered one sacrifice for [b]sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; 13 henceforth expecting till his enemies be made the footstool of his feet. 14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. 15 And the Holy Spirit also beareth witness to us; for after he hath said,
16 [c]This is the covenant that [d]I will make with them
After those days, saith the Lord:
I will put my laws on their heart,
And upon their mind also will I write them;
then saith he,
17 And their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
18 Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.
Footnotes
- Hebrews 10:11 Some ancient authorities read high priest.
- Hebrews 10:12 Or, sins, for ever sat down etc.
- Hebrews 10:16 Jer. 31:33f.
- Hebrews 10:16 Greek I will covenant.
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
Do you ever tire of doing the same tasks over and over and never feeling ‘done’?As my son trains to be a chef, I’m seeing similarities between the work of professional chefs and the Old Testament priests! Their work is ‘day after day’ (or meal after meal!); repetitive work (‘again and again he offers the same sacrifices’), which can never fully or finally ‘take away’ sins (or hunger); and both chef and priest must ‘stand’ to perform their duties (11) – industrial kitchens aren’t equipped with chairs and neither was the tabernacle – because a priest’s work was never done.
The work of Jesus, however, was ‘finished’ on the cross (John 19:30) and so ‘He sat down at the right hand of God’ (12). His work accomplished God’s purposes, for all time, for all peoples: ‘He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy’ (14). We tend toward two different kinds of mistakes: attempting to repeat the work Christ has already done, by trying to pay for our sins rather than embracing His forgiveness (18); or failing to cooperate with the Holy Spirit in the work of ‘being made holy’ (14b).
The finished work of Jesus cannot be undone and need not be re- done. ‘There is nothing we can do to make God love us more. There is nothing we can do to make God love us less.’2 That’s grace!
1‘Just as I am,’ Charlotte Elliott, 1835.
2*Philip Yancey, What’s So Amazing About Grace?, Zondervan, 2002
Apply
Do you find yourself trying to earn your salvation or ‘pay penance’? If possible, get on your knees now, open your hands in a sign of surrender and tell God, ‘I accept Your sacrifice for me.’
Closing prayer
Thank You, Jesus, that Your sacrifice was enough for me. Once and for all You set me free. Hallelujah!
Book and Author Intros
Extras
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