Holy Thursday Sermon: Blood for Forgiveness
Preached on Hebrews 9:11–22
Maundy Thursday Series A
Spoken Vespers
9 April AD 2020
Video: Click to view the YouTube video of Blood for Forgiveness.
Video begins with Vespers from Lutheran Service Book 229. Sermon starts at the 11:20 mark, following Versicles (LSB 229), Psalms, and Scriptures. Service concludes with Magnificat (LSB 231), Kyrie (LSB 233), Lord’s Prayer, Collect of the Day, Collect to Be Sustained Until Reception of the Sacrament, Collect During an Epidemic, Collect for Those Who Mourn, Collect for Those Who Minister to the Sick, Collect for Peace (LSB 233), Benedicamus and Benediction (LSB 234), and a reading from Psalm 22:1-21.
Summary: The Book of Hebrews speaks to a people steeped in Israel’s sacrificial system. They grew up knowing the Scriptures that spoke of blood sacrifice to pay for their sins. The author reminds them that these slaughtered animals all pointed to the suffering and death of the One who won forgiveness for all people.
Israel’s high priest made special sacrifice on the Day of Atonement for the sins of all of Israel. God’s High Priest goes even farther: His suffering and death atoned for all sins, for all people, for all time. Jesus offered Himself that we might receive the benefit of that sacrifice, with sins washed away and peace with God restored.
Text: 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) 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.
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, 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.
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. For where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established. For a will takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive.
Therefore not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood. For when every commandment of the law had been declared by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, saying, “This is the blood of the covenant that God commanded for you.” And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both the tent and all the vessels used in worship.
Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. Hebrews 9:11–22
Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Video: Click to view the YouTube video of Blood for Forgiveness. Sermon begins at the 11:20 mark.
Other Readings: Psalm 116:12–19; Psalm 42; Exodus 24:3–11; Matthew 26:17–30; Psalm 22
Maundy Thursday Series A
Spoken Vespers
9 April AD 2020
Video: Click to view the YouTube video of Blood for Forgiveness.
Video begins with Vespers from Lutheran Service Book 229. Sermon starts at the 11:20 mark, following Versicles (LSB 229), Psalms, and Scriptures. Service concludes with Magnificat (LSB 231), Kyrie (LSB 233), Lord’s Prayer, Collect of the Day, Collect to Be Sustained Until Reception of the Sacrament, Collect During an Epidemic, Collect for Those Who Mourn, Collect for Those Who Minister to the Sick, Collect for Peace (LSB 233), Benedicamus and Benediction (LSB 234), and a reading from Psalm 22:1-21.
Summary: The Book of Hebrews speaks to a people steeped in Israel’s sacrificial system. They grew up knowing the Scriptures that spoke of blood sacrifice to pay for their sins. The author reminds them that these slaughtered animals all pointed to the suffering and death of the One who won forgiveness for all people.Israel’s high priest made special sacrifice on the Day of Atonement for the sins of all of Israel. God’s High Priest goes even farther: His suffering and death atoned for all sins, for all people, for all time. Jesus offered Himself that we might receive the benefit of that sacrifice, with sins washed away and peace with God restored.
Text: 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) 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.
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, 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.
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. For where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established. For a will takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive.
Therefore not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood. For when every commandment of the law had been declared by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, saying, “This is the blood of the covenant that God commanded for you.” And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both the tent and all the vessels used in worship.
Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. Hebrews 9:11–22
Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Video: Click to view the YouTube video of Blood for Forgiveness. Sermon begins at the 11:20 mark.
Other Readings: Psalm 116:12–19; Psalm 42; Exodus 24:3–11; Matthew 26:17–30; Psalm 22
Labels: atonement, blood, covenant, epistle, forgiveness, Hebrews 9, holy thursday, holy week, maundy thursday, series a, testament
posted by Xrysostom | 20:00
1 Comments:
Thanks for this service, it is a blessing to see and hear you and the Word.
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