Inspirational Insights: …and then He sat down

Hebrews 10:4, “For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins”.

I don’t know about you but there are times when I read scripture that I just don’t get it. Then, later on, I’ll read the same passage and something just hits me.

I love the book of Hebrews. It’s a very informative book that tells us so much. There’s subtle bits in there that, sometimes, we just don’t catch the first time around.

I was reading Chapter 10 again the other night, verses 1 thru 18, and something stood out to me that I never noticed before. In verse 11 it states, “And the priest ‘stands daily’ at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins”. But the next verse really got my attention; “But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he ‘sat down’ at the right hand of God…”

Now, from a worldly view for instance, when I’m cooking a meal I’m standing the whole time. I continue to stand until my meal is done. But, when I’m finished, and we’re ready to eat, I sit down. My job in whatever I’m doing is complete. These verses tells us that the Priest would stand because the offerings of sacrifices never ends. It was an offering of the forgiveness of sin and would have to be done over and over. That’s because sins would never be completely forgiven with the sacrifices. They were only temporary fixes for the problems.

But…Jesus came along and, through His blood sacrifice, was the fix for all the needs of animal sacrifices. Once He was crucified, since His blood was so pure and unblemished, He “sat down” at the right hand of God. Christ’s sacrificial work was complete and it showed that the securing of full and final forgiveness of sins had been accomplished.

I can’t imagine what we would be doing if Jesus had not offered to be our final one-time only sacrificial lamb. Would we still have to sacrifice the blood of animals to temporarily cover our sins? With what’s going on in this world today I doubt there would be enough animals to go around.

Jesus did it willing to honor God’s will and for the love He had for you and me. In Hebrews 10:5-7 (refer to Psalm 40:6-8) Jesus says, ‘Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure’. Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book’.

Then in verse 9 it states, “He does away with the first in order to establish the second.” The old way of forgiveness of sin was done away with. By accepting Christ as your Savior you are forgiven. By talking to Him daily, we ask for His forgiveness with a true and regretful heart.

Verse 18 says that, “Wherever there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin”.

As awful as Christ’s horrible death was, it’s the greatest blessing ever bestowed on mankind. Every day should be a day of Thanksgiving for what He accomplished in taking away our sins.

Now He sits and rests next to His Father. Are you prepared to join Him when your work on earth is done?

(This week our church will be praying for people along Million Dollar Highway, Lincoln Highway, and Golf Course Road, in the Stoystown/Boswell area. We ask that you remember them this week in your daily prayers. If you have any requests please send them to me at the email below.)

(Nancy Stoppe of Jenners is affiliated with Jenner Township Baptist Church, Boswell. She can be contacted at stoppe123@comcast.net.)

This article originally appeared on The Daily American: Inspirational Insights: …and then He sat down