Sacrificed Once For All, Appearing Once For All
And, just as it is appointed for people to die only once and after this comes the judgment, so also Christ was offered only once to take away the sins of many, and he will appear a second time—without sin—to bring salvation to those who are eagerly waiting for him. (Hebrews 9:27–28)
The Old Testament sacrifices required the death of many animals, multiple times a day. It was a gruesome scene of bloodshed and slaughter, day after day, to atone for the sins of the people. But these sacrifices didn’t actually take their sins away. They only pointed to the one sacrifice that could. They pointed to Jesus.
The writer to the Hebrews tells us that Jesus’ sacrifice wasn’t a sacrifice that was offered many times to pay for the sins of the world. Because he is true God, his one sacrifice could count for the sins of all people. He was the one sacrifice that was offered once on the cross of Calvary for every sin ever committed, from the time of Adam and Eve to the last sin committed on the Last Day.
And on that Last Day, he will appear again, but not humble and willing to die to pay for sin, but triumphant and victorious, to bring those who believe in him to the eternal home he has prepared for them. By doing so, they will be confirmed in their salvation, wrapped in robes of righteousness. Their salvation will be complete. And so we eagerly await that day, when our final judgment will be made public and our salvation will be complete. Amen.
The song for today is “Once For All” by Galkin Evangelistic Team