All of us have sinned and fallen short of God’s expectation. The wages of sin is death, or eternal spiritual separation from God. The tabernacle sacrificial system that God introduced in the Old Testament to temporarily cover the sin of men was a shadow of what was to come.
On the Day Of Atonement each year, Aaron the High Priest entered the Holy Of Holies—the earthly tabernacle which was a replica of the one in heaven—with the blood of the goats as a sin offering. However, the Day Of Atonement is also a yearly reminder that their sins cannot be completely removed, because the blood of animals is an imperfect sacrifice which merely covers the sins instead of removing them. Therefore, the Day Of Atonement points to the work of Jesus Christ.
We all need eternal redemption. To redeem means to buy back or to purchase. We were slaves, but Jesus has purchased us and set us free! Jesus is the Lamb Of God who takes away the sin of the world because His blood has obtained an eternal redemption for us—He is the ultimate sacrifice. Once His blood was offered at the heavenly tabernacle, God remembered our sins and lawless deeds no more, as opposed to just being covered through the offering of animal sacrifices.
The difference between the earthly High Priest and Jesus, our High Priest, is that Jesus sat down at the right hand of the Father after He offered up His blood, whereas the earthly High Priest had to repeat it yearly with the blood of animals. No more sacrifices are required after Jesus offered His blood in the heavenly tabernacle. Our conscience is cleansed since the blood of Jesus Christ has caused us to have His righteousness. The redemption of mankind is done, and there is absolutely nothing for us to add to it in order to approach God. We simply approach God by faith that Jesus has completed the work of redemption. This is what pleases God!
Sermon Series: What Pleases God? (Part 1)
耶稣的献祭无以复加
希伯来书9:11-15 但现在基督已经来到，作了将来美事的大祭司，经过那更大更全备的帐幕，不是人手所造也不是属乎这世界的。并且不用山羊和牛犊的血，乃用自己的血，只一次进入圣所，成了永远赎罪的事。 若山羊和公牛的血，并母牛犊的灰洒在不洁的人身上，尚且叫人成圣，身体洁净。 何况基督借着永远的灵，将自己无瑕无疵献给神，他的血岂不更能洗净你们的心。（原文作良心）除去你们的死行，使你们事奉那永生神吗？ 为此他作了新约的中保。既然受死赎了人在前约之时所犯的罪过，便叫蒙召之人得着所应许永远的产业。
我们所有人都犯了罪，辜负了 神的期待。罪的工价乃是死，或者说是灵里与 神的永远分离，神在旧约中引进了会幕的献祭仪式来暂时遮掩人的罪，预示了那将要到来的事。
每年在赎罪日，大祭司亚伦进入至圣所—地上的会幕，天上会幕的仿制品—带着羔羊的血作为赎罪祭。然而，赎罪日也是作为一年一度的提醒，就是他们的罪无法被完全的除去，因为动物的血是不完全的献祭，只能遮盖罪，不能完全除去罪。因此，赎罪日所表明的是耶稣基督所完成的工。
我们都需要一个永恒的救赎。救赎意味着赎回或购买。我们曾是奴隶，但耶稣赎回了我们并且使我们得自由！耶稣是 神的羔羊，除去这世界的罪，因为耶稣的宝血带给我们永恒的救赎–祂是终极的献祭。耶稣的宝血一旦献上在天上的会幕， 神就不再记念我们的罪和不法的行为了，而不是仅仅借着动物的献祭来遮盖罪。
地上的大祭司与我们在高天的大祭司耶稣的区别在于，耶稣在献上自己的宝血后便坐在了天父的右手边，而在地上的大祭司却需要年复一年地用动物的血献祭。当耶稣在天上的会幕献上自己的宝血后，就不需要再献祭了。我们的良心被洗净，因为耶稣基督的宝血使我们有了祂的公义。人类的救赎已经完成了，我们不需要再画蛇添足做任何事情好来亲近 神。我们仅需凭借信心来亲近 神，相信耶稣已经完成了救赎的工作。神所喜悦的正是这个！
讲章系列：什么能得上帝的喜悦？（第一部分）