Hebrews 9:26

In this place he has also veiled over something. "But now once more in the end of the world." Why "at the end of the world"? After the many sins. If therefore, it had taken place at the beginning, then no one would have believed; and He must not die a second time, all would have been useless. But since later, there were many transgressions, with reason He then appeared: which he expresses in another place also, "Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. But now once in the end of the world, hath He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself." (Rom. v. 20.)

What is, "He hath appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself"? What is this "putting away"? it is making contemptible. For sin has no longer any boldness; for it is made of no effect in that when it ought to have demanded punishment, it did not demand it: that is, it suffered violence: when it expected to destroy all men, then it was itself destroyed. "He hath appeared by the sacrifice of Himself" (he says), that is, "He hath appeared," unto God, and drawn near unto Him. For do not think because the High Priest was wont to do this oftentimes in the year. So that henceforward this is done in vain, although it is done; for what need is there of medicines where there are no wounds? On this account He ordained offerings "continually," because of their want of power, and that a remembrance of sins might be made.

For, he says, if it were necessary for Him to offer sacrifices many times, then it would have been necessary for Him to die many times as well, by virtue of the fact that He had to offer His own Blood. Here he also reveals …

470. – Then when he says, For then he ought to have suffered repeatedly since the foundation of the world, he proves that it would have been unbecoming to do the same thing in the New Testament, because the greatest impropriety would follow, because since …

That he could not have atoned for them without suffering. At the consummation of the ages - The sacrifice of Christ divides the whole age or duration of the world into two parts, and extends its virtue backward and forward, from this middle point wherein they meet to abolish both the guilt and power of sin.

For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world,....

The gospel is the last dispensation of the grace of God to men. From the inefficacy of the legal sacrifices, and the efficacy of Christ's sacrifice. The legal sacrifices could not of themselves put away sin, neither procure pardon for it now power against it.

WHEN the old dispensation was becoming worn out, and like a vesture ready to be laid aside. When the end of the typical twilight had come, then Jesus Christ came forth from the Father and brought the dawning with Him. When the often appearing of the Aaronic priests had not availed for the putting away of sin, He came whose once appearing perfected the work.

Rome's fiction of an UNBLOODY sacrifice in the mass, contradicts her assertion that the blood of Christ is present in the wine; and also confutes her assertion that the mass is propitiatory; for, if unbloody, it cannot be propitiatory; for without shedding of blood there is no remission (Heb 9:22).

WHEN the conscience is unenlightened and the heart is rebellious, man is divided from his God by a false sense of personal righteousness. He imagines that God deals harshly with him, that He looks upon his sin in too severe a light, and that although He may be offended, yet, in some other respects, he has a claim upon the consideration of his Maker. As soon, however, as the Spirit of God illuminates the understanding, this self-righteousness disappears! It is a flimsy cobweb which the broom of the Law soon sweeps away.

WHEN the conscience is unenlightened and the heart is rebellious, man is divided from his God by a false sense of personal righteousness. He imagines that God deals harshly with him, that He looks upon his sin in too severe a light, and that although He may be offended, yet, in some other respects, he has a claim upon the consideration of his Maker. As soon, however, as the Spirit of God illuminates the understanding, this self-righteousness disappears! It is a flimsy cobweb which the broom of the Law soon sweeps away. It is no more substantial than the mist of the morning, and it is at once dissipated by the rising sun of Divine Grace. Then man feels himself divided from his God by another and more real barrier—he has given up his self-righteousness, but now he is painfully conscious of his sinfulness, which appears to him to be an impassable gulf— separating him forever from the just and holy God. The more the conscience becomes quickened and the more fully the understanding is enlightened, the more desponding does the man become as to any hope of his ever becoming acceptable to the Most High. He puts himself into God's position—his enlightened understanding enables him to look upon sin in some degree as God would regard it—and he is horrified to think that he should have been so ungrateful to so kind a Father! He is ashamed that he should have broken laws so perfectly just, and he is altogether out of heart with himself for having done despite to a government every way so generous and righteous as the moral government of God. The awakened sinner says within himself, "I can never make recompense for the injury which I have done to God's honor. It is not possible that anything I do or suffer may compensate for my continued rebellion and obstinacy.

WHEN the old dispensation was becoming worn out, and like a vesture ready to be laid aside. When the end of the typical twilight had come, then Jesus Christ came forth from the Father and brought the dawning with Him. When the often appearing of the Aaronic priests had not availed for the putting away of sin, He came whose once appearing perfected the work. As it was said to the master of the feast, "You have kept the best wine until now," so might it be said of the great God of Grace, whose crowning gift to man came late, but not too late, to enrich the banquet of His love. There was a fullness of time before which the Messiah could not be cut off, but when that hour was come He was not slow with His sacrifice—He appeared in the appointed place to make Atonement for human guilt. We have, this morning, to proclaim in the hearing of this congregation an old Truth of God to which you have listened many and many a time. But it is a Truth which should be and will be exceedingly delightful to all those whose consciences are troubled with sin. If there are any here who are conscious of the burden of their past guilt, are quickened so as to be sensitive of the curse, can hear the rolling thunder of the impending wrath of God—to them it will be a great joy to hear of One who can put away sin! It is for such as you are that the great Redeemer in the end of the world came among men. He could not come to put away sin from those who had none, or from those who by their own efforts could put that sin away from themselves. It is, then, for such as you are who are hopelessly sinful. Hopelessly so, I say, if viewed from any aspect short of the work of Jesus Christ. It is for such as you that He has come.

IN those good old times when preachers did not grow weary, though they discoursed for three hours at a stretch. And when congregations were not given to slumber, even under such long discourses, the preacher had ample time not only to dilate upon the doctrine of his text, but to speak, also, upon what was then called "the improvement of the subject," namely, the practical and experimental application of the Truths of God taught to the cases of his hearers.

IN those good old times when preachers did not grow weary, though they discoursed for three hours at a stretch. And when congregations were not given to slumber, even under such long discourses, the preacher had ample time not only to dilate upon the doctrine of his text, but to speak, also, upon what was then called "the improvement of the subject," namely, the practical and experimental application of the Truths of God taught to the cases of his hearers. Nowadays when we are restricted to three-quarters of an hour—not altogether to our loss or yours—there are occasions on which we feel our course so wide, and our time so narrow, that having found a good sea to sail upon, and objects of surpassing interest to attract our attention in the morning, we venture to resume the current of thought and follow up with the application in the evening. Those of you who were present this morning, (See No. 911, "The Putting Away of Sin"), will not have forgotten the fullness of the text. It seemed as though every word were on fire, for we were warmed and comforted by each word as it broke on our ears and appealed to our hearts. I am sure that God the Holy Spirit spoke to some of us. If we never heard Him before, we certainly did then feel the power of His Presence in our souls. "Did not our hearts burn within us" while we meditated upon the precious Truth contained in this passage of Holy Scripture? We saw very clearly God's way of putting away sin. We knew that sin was the great obstacle which kept us from God, and we perceived how Jesus Christ, by making Himself a Sacrifice, had completely cast down and cleared off the separating wall, so that now we have access with boldness to this Grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God! By His offering of Himself upon the tree, He put away sin once and for all on the behalf of those who trust in Him.

The two great links between earth and Heaven are the two advents of our Lord, or, rather, He is the great bond of union, by these two appearings. When the world had revolted and God had been defied by His own creatures, a great gulf was opened between God and man. The First Coming of Christ was like a bridge which crossed the chasm and made a way of access from God to man—and then, from man to God.

The two great links between earth and Heaven are the two advents of our Lord, or, rather, He is the great bond of union, by these two appearings. When the world had revolted and God had been defied by His own creatures, a great gulf was opened between God and man. The First Coming of Christ was like a bridge which crossed the chasm and made a way of access from God to man—and then, from man to God. Our Lord's Second Advent will make that bridge far broader, until Heaven shall come down to earth and, ultimately, earth shall go up to Heaven. At these two points a sinful world is drawn into closest contact with a gracious God. Jesus herein is seen as opening the door which none can shut, by means of which the Lord is beheld as truly Emmanuel, "God with us." Here, too, is the place for us to build a grand suspension bridge by which, through faith, we, ourselves, may cross from this side to the other of the stormy river of time. The Cross, at whose feet we stand, is the massive column which supports the structure on this side. And, as we look forward to the Glory, the Second Advent of our Lord is the solid support on the other side of the deep gulf of time. By faith we first look to Jesus and then for Jesus—and herein is the life of our spirits. We dwell between these two boundaries—Christ on the Cross of shame and Christ on the Throne of Glory—these are our Dan and Beersheba and all between is holy ground! As for our Lord's First Coming, there lies our rest—the once-offered Sacrifice has put away our sin and made our peace with God. As for His Second Coming, there lies our hope, our joy, for we know that when He shall appear, we shall be like He, for we shall see Him as He is. The glories of His sacred Royalty shall be repeated in all the saints, for He has made us unto our God kings and priests—and we shall reign with Him forever and ever.

I NEED not read the text again, for I shall not go far away from it, but again and again shall we come back to these precious words about our Lord's one great Sacrifice for sin. What Christ meant to do on the Cross, He actually did. I always take that for granted. He did not die in vain. He did not leave any part of His work undone. Whatever was His intent, by the laying down of His life, He accomplished it, for, if not, dear Friends, He would come here again!

I NEED not read the text again, for I shall not go far away from it, but again and again shall we come back to these precious words about our Lord's one great Sacrifice for sin. What Christ meant to do on the Cross, He actually did. I always take that for granted. He did not die in vain. He did not leave any part of His work undone. Whatever was His intent, by the laying down of His life, He accomplished it, for, if not, dear Friends, He would come here again! If any of His work were left undone, He would return to the earth that He might finish it, for He never did leave a work incomplete, and He never will! Christ effected the redemption of His people by one stroke—coming here, living, and dying—He put away sin. He did not merely try to do it, but He actually accomplished the stupendous work for which He left His Glory-Throne above. He did not die to make men salvable—He died to save them. He did not die that their sin might be put away by some effort of their own—He died to put it away. "Once in the end of the world has He appeared to put away sin by the Sacrifice of Himself." There was one death, one Sacrifice, one Atonement, and all the work of man's redemption was forever accomplished, so that we can sing— "Love's redeeming work is done; Fought the fight, the battle won." If the mission on which Christ came to this earth had not been fulfilled, I say again, He would have returned to complete the work that He had begun. That would have meant that He should often have been offered since the foundation of the world, an idea which we cannot hold for a single moment! For Christ to die twice would be contrary to all analogy. He is the second Adam. He, therefore, is like unto men.

For then must he often have suffered - That is, if his blood had no more efficacy than what the Jewish high priest offered, and which was so often repeated, it would have been necessary that Christ should have often died. But now once - Once for all; once in the sense that it is not to be repeated again - ἅπαξ hapax. In the end of the world - In the last dispensation or economy; that under which the affairs of the world will be wound up; see the phrase fully explained in Heb 1:2 note, and Act 2:17 note; 1Co 10:11, and Isa 2:2. Hath he appeared - He has been manifested in human form. To put away sin - (1) To remove the punishment due to sin, or to provide a way of pardon; and, (2) To remove the stain of sin from the soul; see the notes on Heb 9:14. By the sacrifice of himself - see the notes on Heb 1:3; Heb 2:14; Heb 7:27.