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Meditations on the Glory of Christ: He is the Once for All Sacrifice for Sins

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In Hebrews 1:2-4, the author makes seven claims about Jesus that when taken together greatly exalt his glory. The sixth claim the author makes about the Son is that he made purification for sins. The Son is the heir of all things, he is the one through whom the Father created all things, he is the radiance of the glory of God, he is the exact imprint of the nature of God, he upholds all things by the word of his power, and oh by the way, he also made purification for sins.

Since the fall of Adam and Eve, and the destructive entrance of sin into the human heart and race, one of the main questions hanging over history, and the Bible itself, is this: how can our sins be washed away so that our consciences are cleansed before God, and we are able to enter into deep communion with God? The author’s answer is “nothing but the blood of Jesus.” He’ll go into a lot more detail later in his sermon, but for now he wants us to hear and be blown away by the truth that after several millennia of waiting, someone has come along who is able to deal completely and permanently with the problem of sin.

And in the big picture, this ought to take our breath away for just as the Son is the agent of creation, the agent of the nature and glory of God, and the agent of the purposes of God, so also he is the agent of salvation. All things have come into being by the Son. The nature and glory of God are made visible by the Son. The purposes of God are brought to fruition in and by the Son. And the way of salvation is the Son.

Please notice how I stated that: the way of salvation is the Son, not something outside of the Son. Jesus Christ made atonement for sins with no outside help and by offering the sacrifice of himself. He is the priest and he is the offering. He is the intermediary and he is the once-for-all sacrifice for sins. Jesus himself is the way to peace with God. Who has ever heard of, or even imagined, a priest like this?

Beloved, this is no theoretical claim: Jesus made purification for sins by offering himself as the once-for-all sacrifice for sins! Think about how great he must be in light of this truth. Think about how exalted a position he must hold in light of this truth. Indeed, Jesus is highly exalted and he alone is worthy of our praise, our allegiance, our souls, our lives, our all. Let us therefore bow before him and offer the worship that is due his holy name!


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