One of Many Reasons Jesus Came to Die

TO BRING THE OLD TESTAMENT PRIESTHOOD TO AN END AND BECOME OUR ETERNAL HIGH PRIEST.

Every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when Christ has offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. (Hebrews 10:11-12)

One of the greatest phrases of Christian truth is 'once for all.' It comes from one Greek word (ephapax) and means 'once for all time.'

It was a gloomy reality year after year that the priests in Israel had to offer animal sacrifices for the relief of the people. I don't mean there was no forgiveness. God appointed these sacrifices for the relief of the people. They sinned and needed a substitute to bear their punishment. It was mercy that God accepted the ministry of sinful priests and substitute animals.

But there was a dark side to it. It had to be done over and over. The Bible says, 'In these sacrifices there is a reminder of of sin every year.' The people knew that when they laid their hands on the head of a bull to transfer their sins to an animal, it would have to be done again and again. No animal could suffice to suffer for human sins. Sinful priest had to sacrifice for their own sins. Mortal priest had to be replaced. Bulls and goats had no moral life and could not bear the guilt of man. ('It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away the sins of man.'--Hebrews 10:4)

But there was a silver lining around this cloud of priestly insufficiency. If God honored these inadequate things, it must mean that one day he would send a servant qualified to complete what these priests could not perform---to put away sin for once and for all.

That's who Jesus Christ is. He became the final Priest and the final Sacrifice. Sinless, he did not offer sacrifices for himself. Immortal, he never has to be replaced. Human, he could bear human sins. Therefore he did not offer sacrifices for himself; rather he offered himself as the final sacrifice. There will never be the need for another. There is one mediator between us and God. One priest. We need no other. Oh, how happy are those who draw near to God through Jesus Christ alone!

----John Piper, Fifty Reasons Jesus Came to Die

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