But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 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. (Hebrews 9:26-28 NIV)
About 25 years ago, scientists made some amazing discoveries on the tallest mountains of South America. Know what they found? Mummies. Human bodies. The bodies of children from 500 or more years ago. They were frozen so solid that their bodies were perfectly preserved, including hair and fingernails and food in their stomachs. Do you know why those children were left on the top of a mountain? They were human sacrifices. The Incan people long ago would sacrifice their children to their Sun God. Those children would be brought to the top of the highest mountain, and there they would be left to die, probably by freezing to death. The snow and ice preserved them. There’s a 13-year old girl, a set of five-year olds—a boy and a girl—and many more.
And your heart breaks, and you say, “Why?” That sounds awful. That is awful! Why would those people sacrifice their children to their false gods? It’s because they understood something: We need to get right with God. That thought is ingrained in human hearts and minds through our consciences. Every person struggles with guilt. Every person by nature knows we aren’t perfect. Far from it. We need to get right with God! That’s a Christian truth, but it’s not just a Christian thing. In cultures all over the world, sacrifices have been made. Often heartbreaking ones, like those Incan children. People everywhere have always been trying to get right with God.
Until today. It seems like we’ve lost that today. Every culture in the history of the world has had some kind of gods and some way to try to be right with the gods… Until today. Something is happening in our world today that has never happened before. Humanity seems to be deciding that we have progressed so far that there is no god, and therefore we have no need to be right with him. That’s so foolish! To think that we’ve progressed beyond sin and guilt… To think that we can do it on our own… Somehow today our society has lost the need to be right with God.
Don’t believe me? This past week, I read a book review of a new book about the book of Genesis in the Bible. Here is what the reviewers said: “The God of the Bible is so immoral.” That hit me, because I’m not used to hearing God called “immoral”! But the reviewers were insistent. “The God of the Bible is so immoral!” Why? “Look at what he does to people: He killed people with the flood. How immoral! He destroyed people at Sodom and Gomorrah. How immoral!” Reading that hit me: This is how far we have fallen. The fear of God has so left our society. In the last generation, we people have become moral, and God has become immoral. Those ancient Incas sacrificing their children were closer to the truth that modern America is. Ancient peoples knew something that our culture denies: There is a God, and we deserve his judgment!
Can I tell you something that’s going to sound harsh? You have no idea how sinful you are. It doesn’t matter who you are. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been going to this church. You have no idea how sinful you are. As I was reading the Bible recently, I came across a story in Leviticus. A man did the unthinkable: He used God’s name in vain. Oh my! Can you tell I’m being sarcastic? We do that all the time today: “Oh my God. OMG.” No big deal, right? Do you know what happened to that man who used God’s name to curse? God commanded that he be stoned to death. Ponder that. A man used God’s name in vain one time, and he deserved death.
Does that surprise you? It shouldn’t! Sin deserves judgment. We are children of our culture. Our society impacts us more than we think. We get used to sin. We get used to the idea that God is too loving to hold people accountable for what they do. We buy into the lie that sin is okay. In fact, if God is against sin, there must be something wrong with God! If that’s what we think, we’re wrong. We need to wake up. Just one sin deserves death, at least according to God! How many times have we sinned? We have no idea how sinful we really are. Do you see what I mean?
The Bible says: “People are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.” God is not immoral. We are! God is perfect. God cannot stand sin. And we are sinners. Because of sin, every human being is going to die and be judged, just like the people who died in the flood. Just like the people who died at Sodom and Gomorrah. Deep down, you know that. Your conscience knows that. Mine does too. That’s why we’re so uneasy. That’s why we wonder what else we can do. That’s why people around the world have made sacrifices. Even their children. Trying to find a way to be right with God. Because we have sinned against God and deserve to die.
But there’s something the Incas had totally wrong. They thought that the answer to sin was for people to sacrifice something to God. They were so desperate they even gave up their own children. Over and over again. They were totally wrong. Because the answer to sin isn’t people sacrificing something to God. The answer to sin is that God sacrificed himself for us. Listen: “He has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.” This is the message of Good Friday: Jesus sacrificed himself for us to do away with sin.
No one ever could have imagined that! God sacrificed himself for us. Even with all the cultures and religions around the world, no one ever considered that as a possibility. That sounds too good to be true! The answer to sin isn’t us sacrificing something to God. That’s why it’s heartbreaking to hear of human sacrifices. That never was the answer. God sacrificed himself for us. When Jesus came into our world, he didn’t ask for volunteers. “Alright everybody. Who is willing to die to save the world?” Jesus never asked for volunteers. He came to do it himself.
“Once for all.” Did you hear that phrase? “He has appeared once for all … to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.” “Once for all.” Those are beautiful words! People kept offering sacrifices over and over again—sheep, bulls, people… But none of those sacrifices removed a single sin. Until God died. Until on the cross, God offered himself. How much is God’s life worth? Everything. Jesus’ death paid for every sin. For every sinner. “Once for all.” No more sacrifices are needed! People have invented lots of gods, but none like the true God. Once for all!
Because Jesus’ death didn’t just hide our sins or ignore our sins. His death removed our sins completely. I noticed three different phrases in our lesson for Jesus’ forgiveness. He “did away” with sin. He “took away” our sin. He “bore” our sin. Jesus didn’t just “overlook” our sin or “ignore” our sin. He did away with it. He took it away. He bore it for us. That means it’s gone! Because of Jesus’ sacrifice you are forgiven. Your guilt is gone. You are right with God!
Not by striving more. Not by working harder. Not by sacrificing more. No. No. No! Jesus didn’t say, “I did my share, now you have to do yours.” No! That’s not how you are saved. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). By faith, your sins are forgiven. By faith, your salvation is complete. By faith, eternal life is yours. I wish a missionary could have made it to the Andes Mountains earlier. To stop those families. To say, “you don’t need to do this. No child needs to die. No person needs to die. It’s already done. It’s already done for us! Jesus died once for all!” Can you imagine how much joy that would have brought those families? Grace brings joy.
I got to see that this week. We had a member receive a miracle. Mark from our church got a kidney transplant. It’s hard to think of a better picture of grace. Because someone died, Mark gets to live. What perfect timing—to get new life during Holy Week! Isn’t that what Jesus has done for us? He died, so that we can live. When I talked with Mark, he said, “I don’t know why God would do this for me! Why would God be so good to me?” What’s the answer? By grace. It’s all by grace! Mark said, “I want to use this life for God. I want to live for God!”
This is the truth of Good Friday. The bad news is that you are so sinful that God died for you. Don’t ever take your sins lightly! The good news is that you are so sinful that God died for you. Isn’t it amazing how gracious God is? “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32). Want to know if you’re loved? Look at the cross! Want to know if you’re cared for? Look at the cross! Want to know you’re forgiven? Look at the cross! Want to know why you don’t need to be anxious? Look at the cross! “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32).
“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 same Jesus who died for us is coming back. “He will appear a second time.” But by God’s grace, you don’t need to be afraid. Why? He will “bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.” You know that death we deserve? You don’t have to fear it, because Jesus already died for you. Once for all! You know that judgment we deserve? You don’t have to fear it, because Jesus was already judged for you. Once for all! When Jesus comes back, he’s going to take us home to heaven. Once for all!
In tonight’s service, we’re going to hear Jesus’ seven statements from the cross. As we hear them, listen to how they radiate the grace of God. God’s forgiveness. God’s love. God’s salvation for you and me. Once for all! God’s grace is something no human being ever could have imagined. Even Buddha. He seems to be pretty popular today. Do you know Buddha’s last words? “Keep striving.” Buddha was the ultimate “self-help” guru, which is really no help at all. “Keep striving!” What comfort does that give a guilty soul? None. None at all. But what were Jesus’ last words? “It is finished” (John 19:30). Do you hear the difference? It is finished. Jesus came once for all to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. To God be the glory!
Comments