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Objective

In this lesson, we’ll discover that Christ’s work as our High Priest and sacrifice is completely superior to the Old Testament priesthood and sacrificial system.

Key Verse

Hebrews 9:12: Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.

Introduction

In our previous lesson, we discovered that Hebrews teaches the absolute superiority of Christ in His person—He is superior to the angels, to Moses, and to Joshua. We also saw that this letter contains serious warnings for Jewish Christians who were being tempted to abandon their faith in Christ and return to the familiar rituals of Judaism.

The writer of Hebrews reminded these believers of a sobering lesson from their own history. Their ancestors had seen God’s mighty power in Egypt and at Mount Sinai, yet they still refused to trust God completely when it came time to enter the Promised Land.

Hebrews 3:19: So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.

The concept of “entering into rest” appears throughout Hebrews as a picture of experiencing all the spiritual blessings that God has for us through faith in Christ. Just as the Israelites missed out on the blessings of the Promised Land because of their unbelief, Christians can miss out on the fullness of God’s blessings when they fail to trust completely in what Christ has accomplished for them.

Hebrews 4:2-3: For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because they did not share the faith of those who obeyed. Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said.

This rest comes through accepting the finished work of Christ as our High Priest and perfect sacrifice. He alone provides our access to God the Father.

Hebrews 4:14-16: Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

In this lesson, we’ll focus specifically on what Hebrews teaches us about the superior work of Christ. While the first part of Hebrews emphasizes who Christ is, chapters 5 through 10 demonstrate what Christ has accomplished for us. This is truly the heart of the message of Hebrews.

Our lesson will explore three magnificent truths about Christ’s superior work:

• A better priesthood
• A better covenant
• A better sacrifice

A Better Priesthood

The priesthood was central to Jewish worship and daily life. Every sacrifice, every ceremony, every approach to God had to go through the priests who served in the temple. So when Hebrews declares that Christ is a better High Priest than Aaron and his descendants, this was a revolutionary claim that would have shocked its first readers.

But how could Jesus serve as a priest at all? The law was very clear that priests had to come from the tribe of Levi, specifically from Aaron’s family line. Jesus came from the tribe of Judah, which had never produced priests. The answer to this apparent problem reveals one of the most beautiful truths about our Savior.

Hebrews explains that Christ is not a priest according to the order of Aaron, but according to the order of Melchizedek—a mysterious figure who appears briefly in the book of Genesis.

Hebrews 5:6: And he says in another place, “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.”

Genesis 14:18-20: Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, and he blessed Abram, saying, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And praise be to God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.” Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

We don’t know very much about Melchizedek from the biblical record, but what we do know creates a remarkable picture that points us directly to Christ. Like Jesus, Melchizedek was both a king and a priest—something that was never permitted under the law of Moses. Like Jesus, his priesthood was not limited to serving only the Jewish people but extended to all nations. Most significantly, the Bible presents no genealogy for Melchizedek, no record of his birth or death, making him a perfect picture of Christ’s eternal priesthood.

Hebrews 7:14-16: For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. And what we have said is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears, one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life.

This eternal priesthood makes Christ infinitely superior to any human priest who ever lived. The writer of Hebrews carefully explains exactly why our heavenly High Priest is better than all the earthly priests who served in the temple:

Hebrews 7:24-28: But because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. For the law appoints as high priests men in all their weakness; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.

Consider the amazing contrasts between Christ and the human priests:

There were many earthly priests throughout Israel’s history, each serving for a limited time before death ended their ministry. But Christ is our one and only High Priest who lives forever to intercede for us.

Earthly priests had to die and be replaced by their sons or other relatives. Christ’s priesthood never ends because He conquered death and lives eternally.

Earthly priests had to offer sacrifices first for their own sins before they could minister on behalf of others. Christ was perfectly sinless and needed no sacrifice for Himself.

Earthly priests had to offer the same sacrifices repeatedly, day after day, year after year. Christ offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice once and for all time.

Notebook Moment: How does it change your perspective on prayer to know that Jesus, who perfectly understands human weakness and temptation, is always interceding for you before the Father’s throne?

This superior priesthood of Christ is so important that the writer of Hebrews pauses in the middle of his teaching to issue another serious warning to his readers.

Hebrews 6:1: Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God.

The danger for these Jewish Christians was not just returning to their old religion, but failing to grow in their understanding of what Christ had accomplished for them. God wants us to move beyond spiritual infancy and discover the full richness of our salvation in Jesus.

A Better Covenant

Understanding the concept of covenant is essential for grasping the message of Hebrews. A covenant is much more than a simple agreement between two parties—it is a solemn, binding relationship that defines how both sides will behave toward each other. A covenant spells out the promises and blessings that come from faithfulness, as well as the consequences that follow from breaking the agreement.

Throughout the Old Testament, God’s people lived under the old covenant—the system of laws, ceremonies, and sacrifices that God gave through Moses at Mount Sinai. This covenant included God’s promises to Abraham about blessing his descendants, the detailed laws that Moses received, and the promises to David about an eternal kingdom. But this old covenant had a fundamental problem that made a new covenant absolutely necessary.

Hebrews 8:7-8: For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another. But God found fault with the people and said: “The days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah.”

The fault was not with God’s law itself, which was perfect and holy. The problem was with the people who were supposed to keep the covenant. No human being could perfectly obey God’s righteous requirements, which meant that the old covenant could point out sin but could never actually remove it or give people the power to live righteously.

This is where Christ’s work becomes so magnificent. He didn’t just give us a better version of the old covenant—He became the fulfillment of everything the old covenant was pointing toward.

Hebrews 7:22: Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant.

Hebrews 8:6: But in fact the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises.

What makes this new covenant so much better than the old one? The old covenant was based on what people could do for God—their ability to keep the law, offer the right sacrifices, and maintain ritual purity. The new covenant is based entirely on what God has done for us through Christ. Under the old covenant, blessings depended on human performance. Under the new covenant, blessings flow from God’s grace and Christ’s perfect performance on our behalf.

Under the old covenant, people had to go through human priests to approach God. Under the new covenant, Christ Himself is our High Priest, giving us direct access to the throne of grace. Under the old covenant, sacrifices had to be repeated constantly because they could never truly remove sin. Under the new covenant, Christ’s one sacrifice has completely and eternally dealt with the sin problem.

✏️ Notebook Moment: Look over the following table that compares the Old and New Covenants. As you do so, think about areas of your life where you might still be trying to earn God’s approval through your own efforts. How does understanding the new covenant change your approach to these areas?

Old Covenant	New Covenant
Based on Human Performance. Blessings depended on our ability to keep God’s law perfectly (Hebrews 8:9)	Based on God’s Promise. Blessings flow from what Christ has already accomplished for us (Hebrews 7:22)
Many Mortal Priests. Human priests served for a limited time and had to be replaced when they died (Hebrews 7:23)	One Eternal Priest. Jesus lives forever and serves as our permanent High Priest (Hebrews 7:24-25)
Repeated Sacrifices. The same animal sacrifices had to be offered again and again but could never truly remove sin (Hebrews 10:1-4)	One Perfect Sacrifice. Christ offered Himself once for all time and completely removed our sin (Hebrews 9:12; 10:14)
Limited Access to God. Only the high priest could enter God’s presence, and only once each year (Hebrews 9:7)	Open Access to God. Every believer can come boldly to God’s throne through Christ (Hebrews 4:16; 10:19-22)
External Commands. God’s law was written on tablets of stone, showing us our sin but not giving us power to obey (Hebrews 8:10)	Internal Transformation. God writes His law on our hearts and minds, giving us both the desire and power to please Him (Hebrews 8:10; 10:16)

A Better Sacrifice

The entire Old Testament sacrificial system was built around one central truth: sin is so serious that it requires the shedding of blood for forgiveness. Every morning and evening, every Sabbath and feast day, every time someone became aware of their guilt—the solution was always the same. An innocent animal had to die in the place of the guilty person.

But there was something heartbreaking about this system. No matter how many animals were sacrificed, the problem of sin was never truly solved. The next day would bring the need for more sacrifices. The next year would require another Day of Atonement. The consciousness of guilt was never permanently removed.

Hebrews 10:1-4: The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins. It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

What was the purpose of all these sacrifices if they couldn’t actually remove sin? They served as constant reminders of two essential truths: first, that sin is deadly serious and separates us from God; and second, that God would one day provide the perfect sacrifice that could truly take away sin forever. Every lamb that died on the altar was pointing forward to the Lamb of God who would take away the sin of the world.

This is where Christ’s work becomes absolutely breathtaking in its perfection. While human high priests entered the Most Holy Place in the earthly temple once a year with the blood of animals, Christ entered the true Most Holy Place in heaven once for all time with His own precious blood.

Hebrews 9:24: For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence.

The writer of Hebrews beautifully summarizes Christ’s work by describing three different “appearances” of our Savior:

First, Christ appeared on earth to deal with our sin problem through His death on the cross.

Hebrews 9:26: But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.

Second, Christ appears right now in heaven as our High Priest, interceding for us and giving us access to God.

Hebrews 9:24: For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence.

Third, Christ will appear again in the future when He returns to take us to be with Him forever.

Hebrews 9:28: So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

This progression shows us that Christ’s work as our priest and sacrifice is complete, ongoing, and future all at the same time. He has already accomplished everything necessary for our salvation. He is presently applying that work to our daily lives as He intercedes for us. And He will ultimately bring that work to its glorious conclusion when He returns.

Notebook Moment: How does knowing that Christ is currently appearing before God on your behalf affect the way you think about your failures and weaknesses?

The finality and completeness of Christ’s sacrifice is emphasized throughout this section of Hebrews. In dramatic contrast to the earthly priests who had to stand and offer sacrifices repeatedly, Christ sat down at the right hand of God—indicating that His work of atonement is finished forever.

Hebrews 10:12-14: But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.

Conclusion

Through these three magnificent truths—Christ’s better priesthood, better covenant, and better sacrifice—Hebrews shows us that everything we need for salvation and spiritual life has been perfectly accomplished by our Savior. He has paid for sin completely and forever. His work is finished. There is nothing we need to add and nothing that can be taken away.

This is why the Jewish Christians who first read this letter should not have been tempted to return to the old system of priests and sacrifices. That system was just a shadow pointing to the reality that had now appeared in Christ. To go back to the shadow when you have the reality would be like preferring a photograph of food when you have a banquet spread before you.

Hebrews 10:16-18: “This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.” Then he adds: “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.” And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary.

The new covenant that Christ established is not written on tablets of stone but on our hearts. God no longer remembers our sins because they have been completely removed by Christ’s perfect sacrifice. When forgiveness is complete, there is no more need for any other sacrifice.

This truth should transform how we live every day. We don’t approach God hoping that our good deeds will somehow make us acceptable to Him. We come boldly to His throne of grace because Christ has already made us perfectly acceptable through His finished work. We don’t try to earn God’s love through religious performance—we live in grateful response to the love He has already freely given us in Jesus.

The rest of the book of Hebrews will show us exactly how this understanding should change our daily lives as believers. When we truly grasp the superiority of Christ’s work, it will produce superior living that honors our great High Priest and Savior.

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