Staying Connected with the Message

#4 - Jesus is Our Substitute Eph. 2:1-3 (Our sin has made us objects of God’s wrath) John 1:29; Romans 3:23; 6:23; Heb 9:22; 1 Pet 1:18-19 Colossians 1:21-22 (Our sins have alienated and separated  Read John 1:29. By what name did John refer to Jesus? us from God! See also Isaiah 59:2) (“The Lamb of God”)  Why did God require blood as payment for our sin?  Why would John use a Lamb/Animal to describe Hebrews 9:22b (Without the Shedding of Blood there Jesus? is No Forgiveness of Sins!) Note, even in the Garden, Out of all the other titles (Savior, Redeemer, King, etc.)? God shed an animal’s blood to cover Adam & Eve (Genesis 22:7-8; Isaac was looking for a lamb for the burnt before sending them out of the Garden (Gen 3:7, 21). offering. Ex. 12:5, 12, 21; The Lord required a sheep/ goat for  In Hebrews 9:13-14; 10:1-12, how was the sacrifice the Passover offering. Lev. 4:32-35; The Lord required a of Jesus far better than any other sacrifice? lamb for a Sin offering as payment for the sinner’s debt.) (Jesus is our High Priest who offered His own blood,  Notice what the sinner would do with his hands… once for all, the perfect sacrifice for our sins!) Lev. 1:3-4; 3:1-2, 8, 13; 4:4, 15, 24, 29, 33 (He would lay his hands on the head of the animal.)  In 1 Peter 1:18-19, how did God pay for our sins? Why was he required to lay his hands on the head of the (With the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, animal? (Leviticus 16:20-22) (It was symbolic of the transfer spotless Lamb of God.) of sin from the sinner into the body of the animal.) RESOLVING TO OBEY THE SCRIPTURES:  What role has the lamb taken on behalf of the sinner?  In light of what we’ve learned today, why do you (A substitute or sacrifice for his sin!) even need a “substitute”?  Therefore, in John 1:29, what might be another way for  If God has indeed taken your place as your substitute Jesus to be described instead of a “Lamb”? for sin’s penalty, through the body of Jesus, what (“The Substitute,” or “The Sacrifice sent by God, does this reveal about God’s Love for YOU? for the Sins of the World!”)  WHEN did Jesus become Your Substitute?  Why do we need a Substitute? (Many don’t believe (Many will say, “When He was crucified.” they It’s important for them to think when they first “laid need a substitute!) their hands on Jesus” and transferred their sin to Him. Let’s look at a few Scriptures that answer this question: If they don’t remember when, do they know for sure that this transfer has taken place? How is their life any Proverbs 20:9; Ecclesiastes 7:20; Romans 3:10-12, 23, different? Is there lingering guilt? Is there evidence of a (All of us have sinned. No one is righteous!) transformed life since Jesus became their Substitute?) Romans 6:23 (The wages of sin is death!)

______Life Transformation Studies Life Transformation Studies  How will your life be different as a result of knowing superior because he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time. God has taken your place and died on your behalf? Unlike the sacrifices in the old covenant, which had to be made year after year (10:1), Jesus’ sacrificial death only had to be made once and  What is your biggest takeaway from this study? was decisive in securing our redemption forever.  What are some steps that you could take this week to obey the message God is giving you through this study? BACKGROUND INFORMATION : Hebrews 9:14 Leviticus 1:4; 4:33 - “Lay your hand on the animal’s head”: The How much more: If the blood of animals had some effect in cleansing, sacrificial animal represented the worshiper in the ceremony (4:4, 15, the blood of Christ will be much more effective. will purify our 24, 29, 33; 16:21). This act signified the animal’s death represented the consciences: Christ’s sacrifice, unlike the sacrifices of the old covenant, death of its owner. In the ritual for the Day of Atonement, it signified that removes the paralyzing guilt that keeps us from God by decisively the sins of the owner were transferred to the animal (16:20-22). With cleansing us from sinful deeds (literally from dead works). the peace offering (3:2, 8, 13), the act seems to have indicated ownership of the animal being sacrificed. Hebrews 10:1 The phrase “in your place” may mean “in payment for sin” The old system under the law of Moses (literally The law), like the (sometimes called expiation) or “as a substitute for the sinner’s death” Tabernacle itself (8:5), was only a shadow, a dim preview of a greater (sometimes called propitiation) - to purify you, making you right with reality—namely, the good things that Christ inaugurated in the new him (or to make atonement for you) covenant. Under the old covenant, sacrifices had to be repeated again and again because they were not able to cleanse worshipers permanently Although older commentaries describe this process as “covering over” sin, or in such a way that they could come into the presence of God recent scholarship defines it as “blotting out, erasing, or cleansing from” perpetually. sin. The concept involves satisfying God’s wrath against sin, ceremonially cleansing the worshiper, and restoring fellowship with Hebrews 10:5-7 1 God in the community of God’s people. These verses quote Ps 40:6-8. Psalm 40:1-11 is a hymn of praise to God in which the psalmist confesses his desire to do God’s will. The author of Hebrews understands Christ (literally he; also in 10:8) to be the Hebrews 9:11-10:18 speaker. The author now contrasts the old system (9:1-10) with the superior sacrifice made by Christ as High Priest: The blood of Christ’s offering was his own Hebrews 10:5 blood, not the blood of animals (9:13-22; cp. 9:7); Christ’s offering was But you have given me a body to offer: God had prepared the psalmist made in the heavenly Tabernacle, not the earthly one (9:23-24; cp. 9:1-5); to be obedient, ready to do God’s will; Hebrews now applies this idea and Christ’s offering, rather than being made continually, was made just 2 to Christ. For Hebrews, the preparation of a human body, one time (9:25–10:18; cp. 7:27; 9:6-7) specifically Christ’s body, shows that God would use it as a superior sacrifice. Hebrews 9:12 Christ’s offering is superior because it was made with his own blood rather Hebrews 10:8-10 than the blood of goats and calves (Leviticus 16:35). Christ’s offering is The author follows the flow of thought in the psalm with great precision. First, Christ said, “You did not want animal sacrifices . . .”: 1 New Living Translation Study Bible (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House The author of Hebrews understands this as God’s rejection of the old Publishers, Inc., 2008), Le 1:4. system of sacrifices. • Then he said, “Look, I have come to do your 2 New Living Translation Study Bible (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2008), Heb 9:11–10:18. will”: The author of Hebrews takes this to be Christ’s willingness to ______Life Transformation Studies Life Transformation Studies being the supreme sacrifice for sins. The author of Hebrews concludes that because of Christ’s sacrifice, God has canceled the first covenant— God’s will, as shown by Psalm 40:6-8, was that Christ would die for sins as a sacrifice, and this only had to be done once for all time.3

3 New Living Translation Study Bible (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2008), Heb 10:8–10. ______Life Transformation Studies Life Transformation Studies