The Perfect Sacrifice: Hebrews 9:11-15
The Perfect Sacrifice: Hebrews 9:11-15
The Perfect Sacrifice: Hebrews 9:11-15
The Perfect
Sacrifice
Hebrews 9:11-15
11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then
through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation)
12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves
but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood
of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify
for the purification of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through
the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead
works to serve the living God.
15 Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive
the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the
transgressions committed under the first covenant.
The writer of Hebrews used the tabernacle as an illustration to explain the new covenant that
centered in Jesus Christ and His sacrifice. To the original recipients, probably Jewish christians, the
tabernacle was a helpful illustration because it was a respected place of worship for God’s people. The
writer showed that the animal sacrifices offered at the tabernacle could not rid anyone of sin. Only
the precious blood of Christ makes the removal of sin possible (Heb. 9:1-15).
In Hebrews 9:16-18, the writer turned to the analogy of a last will and testament to show that
Christ had to die in order for believers to receive the inheritance God had promised them. The writer
followed the same line of reasoning when he insisted that blood had to be shed in order for sins to be
forgiven. That’s why only Jesus’ blood makes a person right with God. Christ’s blood sacrifice on our
behalf has removed our sin once and for all (Heb. 9:16-28).
Pointing to the tabernacle once more, the writer warned believers again that their sins could not
be removed by sacrificing animals. Christ’s death on the cross was the only sufficient sacrifice. God,
in His holiness, required that atonement to be made for sin, and animal sacrifices couldn’t provide it,
only Christ’s perfect sacrifice on the cross could. The writer went on to validate his assertion about
Jesus with Old Testament passages that clearly affirmed God’s way of forgiveness (Heb. 10:1-18).
1. Lead your students to work through all of the Scripture and questions, then discuss their
responses together as a group.
2. G uide your students to work through the Scripture and questions one question at a time. Pause
for group discussion after each question.
Whichever method you choose, make sure that the students have an opportunity to explore the
Scripture for themselves.
❯❯ Go back and read verses 1-10. This will give you a good foundation to understand the
verses we are going to study.
❯❯ After reading the previous verses, what did you see was necessary for the priests to
have to perform the sacrifice?
As a group skim over Hebrews 9:1-10. Lead students to discuss how those verses relate to today’s
passage. Have your students respond to the second question. There will be several possible answers
that they could give after reading, but guide them to the answer of blood. Verse 7 refers to the priest
never entering the holy of holies without blood. This will be important as you talk about Jesus
entering the heavenly holy of holies with His blood.
HEBREWS 9:11
Enlist a student to read verse 11 aloud. The writer of Hebrews is going to begin his conversation
around the comparison of the earthly tabernacle that was discussed in verses 1-10 and the new
heavenly tabernacle.
❯❯ The writer says that Jesus appeared as High Priest of the good things that have come.
What do you think are the good things the writer is referring to?
Guide your students to reflect back on last week’s session. The good things the writer referred to are
the promises that came with the new covenant. God promised that He would write His laws in our
minds and in our hearts and that He would remember our sins no more.
❯❯ What was greater and more perfect about the new tabernacle as compared to the old?
Help students understand that the Builder is what made the difference and caused the new tabernacle
to be so much greater! The old tabernacle was built by the hands of sinful men, but the new tabernacle
is built by the hands of God Himself!
Hebrews 9:8-9 tell us that the Holy Spirit had a great purpose in all of
these Old Testament practices and priestly duties. The regulations of
the sanctuary have a profound meaning! The sacrifices were symbolic
of something far greater. These things were commanded in the Old
Testament so that in the fullness of time the people of God would
understand the point of the sacrificial system. The old sacrifices could
offer nothing for the mind and heart, but were merely external and
temporary symbols. Only Jesus supplies what is internal, permanent,
and the true atoning sacrifice.
This is the “time of reformation” (verse 10), now that Christ has
appeared (verse 11). Why continue with something symbolic when the
real thing has arrived? One is laid aside for the other. All of history has
changed now that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, lived a perfect
life, has died, and been raised to life.
The priests of the old covenant would enter the holy of holies once a year on the Day of Atonement.
Their purpose was to offer the blood sacrifice that was required to atone for the sins of the people.
Jesus entered the heavenly holy of holies once and for all. He did not enter with the blood of bulls and
goats, but with His own precious blood. As He entered the most holy place, having obtained eternal
redemption for us, He made the ultimate sacrifice to satisfy God’s wrath and deliver us from sin.
❯❯ What image comes to mind when you think of Jesus entering the holy of holies with His
own blood having obtained eternal redemption?
This is a great time to create some incredible images of what it must have been like for Jesus to
enter the most holy of places having paid the ultimate price for the salvation of humanity. Use your
imagination as you think about how you view Jesus entering the heavenly tabernacle. Do you see a
worn warrior, or a triumphant conqueror? Lead your students to share their thoughts and guide them
to see Jesus accomplishing an unbelievable feat for them.
HEBREWS 9:13-14
Ask for a student to read verses 13-14. In these verses students will have the opportunity
through these to really see the difference between the result of the animal sacrifice and the
result of Jesus’ sacrifice.
❯❯ What does the writer of Hebrews say was the only thing that the sacrifice offered by the
priests could accomplish?
In the sacrificial system, God’s people participated in worship practices that involved blood and
ashes. Through these rituals, they would be purified, but only on the outside. The blood and ashes
cleansed the flesh, demonstrate that a person had been ceremonially cleansed. However, blood and
ashes couldn’t do anything to make a person clean on the inside. The person was still the sinful
person before and after the ceremony. Something else had to be done in order for people to be made
spiritually pure in their relationship with God.
Ceremonial cleansing fails to make us right with God. Such bad news sheds a gleaming light on the
good news of Jesus the Messiah who came to earth in keeping with God’s promise. The blood of Jesus
Christ alone cleanses us on the inside. Christ came to offer Himself as a sacrifice in our place. By dying
on the cross, He paid our ransom so that we could be set free from our slavery to sin. With His blood, He
cleanses us on the inside and makes us spiritually pure before God.
HEBREWS 9:15
The writer begins this verse with a “therefore” so we know that he is summing up the importance of the
truth that has been taught in the preceding verses. Direct your students attention to the quick response
questions for Hebrews 9:15 in their Personal Study Guide:
❯❯ What does this verse say we are qualified for if we are called by Christ into salvation?
Discuss with students what an eternal inheritance means to them and allow time for discussion. Use
the Leader Prep information to guide and direct the conversation. Stress that because of what Christ
has done for us we receive forgiveness, can live in His presence, know that He cares for us, and can be
assured we will spend eternity with Him.
❯❯ What has to take place before an inheritance can be realized? How has this been
accomplished through Christ?
Direct students attention to verses 16-17 in their Bibles. Use the information in Leader Prep to help
them understand the verses. The writer created a picture of what took place so that we could benefit
from our heavenly inheritance. For a will to be valid, the person who wrote the will has to die. Simply
put, someone has to die for the will take effect. Jesus Christ died on our behalf and it was at His death
that the will became valid. The difference between a relative who may die and leave you something in
his\her will and Jesus is that Jesus died and rose again! Our heavenly Father died for us and is alive
standing in the heavens, mediating on our behalf.
Because of the covenant that Jesus made possible for us, we receive an
incredible surplus of rich blessings when we welcome Christ into our
lives. The writer of Hebrews described those blessings as our eternal
inheritance. Like a person who has written in a will to explain what
family members will inherit after his\her death, God has determined
our inheritance. He has resolved that we inherit everything that goes
along with being a member of His family. Therefore, our inheritance
includes priceless blessings. We have the privilege of living in His
presence, walking with Him in an intimate relationship, experiencing
His forgiveness, and knowing that He cares for us. We also have the
assurance of going to heaven when we die. We will enjoy these and
other blessings for eternity because they last forever.
The new covenant has been made possible through Christ, our
Mediator. God’s people knew that a sacrifice had to be offered
for their sins. For that reason, an animal had to be brought to the
tabernacle and slain. Jesus’ death on the cross serves as the perfect,
final, and complete sacrifice for sin. No other sacrifice for sin will
ever have to be made.
Direct students to discuss the Central Truth and what it means in their daily lives. You may want to
review the sacrifices of the old covenant and their accomplishments and discuss how Jesus’ sacrifice
is different. The goal of this session is that students gain a clear understanding of why Jesus’ sacrifice
was the only perfect sacrifice.
NOW WHAT?
Lead your students through the Now What? questions to help them begin to apply the truth that
they have learned. At this point, what they have learned is knowledge and we want to help them apply
that knowledge so it will become wisdom in their lives.
❯❯ What do you find yourself doing to try to earn the favor and forgiveness of Jesus?
❯❯ Is there anything you can do to cause Jesus to love you any more than He does right
now? Explain.
❯❯ List a few things you are doing to try to earn the love and favor of God that you need to
stop doing.
❯❯ List a few steps you’ll take to start living in freedom and His forgiveness this week.
This session’s Now What? section is designed to help your students understand the application of
the perfect sacrifice that Jesus provided. Walk through the questions with your students and allow
them time to respond. These are questions and answers that need to be proclaimed and owned in
our lives. Students, as well as adults, will continue to attempt to earn God’s love and favor until they
understand the overwhelming, life-changing power of Jesus’ perfect sacrifice on our behalf.
❯❯ Dwell: Jesus has made our redemption possible through His death and resurrection. To redeem
a slave means to pay the price necessary to set a him or her free from slavery. When Christ gave
Himself for us, He liberated us from spiritual slavery to our transgressions. Transgressing involves
crossing a line. We deserve to be punished for crossing the line and sinning against God. Instead
of punishing us, God has chosen to forgive us if we put our trust in His Son. The first covenant
can’t address our sins in that way, and people still living under it need to be redeemed. Only the
new covenant provides a way to be set free from sin’s slavery.
❯❯ Pray: Ask Jesus to forgive you for your futile efforts to gain His love and favor. Thank Him for
offering the perfect sacrifice for your sins and qualifying you for the eternal inheritance. Thank Him
for serving as your heavenly mediator and commit yourself to be an ambassador for the gospel.
❯❯ Keep on Digging: How were the Old Testament believers saved by Jesus Christ if they did not
know all that we know about Jesus at the time when they lived? Explore the following verses:
❯❯ 1 Peter 1:10-12
❯❯ Romans 3:25-26
❯❯ Genesis 15:5-6
❯❯ Hebrews 11:1-2,39-40