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Thursday 3 August 2023

Hebrews 7:27,28 - Made perfect forever

7:27

The Levitical priests had to offer sacrifices daily. They had to do this first for their own sins, and then for the sins of the people. The fact that they had to do it for their own sins was the first key difference between them and Christ. Jesus was without sin, so had no sins of His own to atone for. The second key difference was the repeated nature of the offerings. The sacrifices of the Old Testament did not in themselves really cleanse anyone, rather they pointed the way forward to the one true sacrifice. Jesus, in contrast, offered Himself, and this was a one for all sacrifice. Jesus was (and is) the Son of God, He lived a life of perfect obedience to, trust in and love for God. His sacrifice truly atoned for our sins, and no further sacrifice is needed. Indeed, to offer a further sacrifice would be to deny the effectiveness of the sacrifice of Christ. 


7:28

The priests appointed by the Law were appointed in their weakness, i.e. in full acknowledgement of their failings and sins. Conversely, the Great High Priest was appointed as a Son, a Son who “has been made perfect forever”. This does not imply that once He was not perfect, but is using perfect in the sense of completeness. Jesus was not complete as a sacrifice until He had lived His life of obedience, trust and love.


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