Blood and Will

Hebrews sets the stage by saying the first covenant is “becoming obsolete,” not because it was bad, but because its God-given job as a teacher is giving way to what it was always pointing toward. The law acts like a guardian, a schoolteacher that can expose sin and steer a person toward mercy, but it cannot change the heart. The text keeps the law’s dignity while removing its direct authority over the believer, treating it like a mirror that shows what a person is and a telescope that shows who God is, yet never the power that actually transforms.

The contrast tightens in Hebrews 9. If the blood of bulls and goats could purify the flesh, how much more does the willing self-offering of Christ purify the conscience. The old arrangements were effective only insofar as they pointed somewhere. The new covenant, by contrast, reaches the innermost person. Therefore the author names Jesus as the mediator and guarantor of a new covenant, so that those who are called actually receive the promised eternal inheritance. The currency that funds this promise is not effort, ritual, or sincerity. The currency is blood.

Hebrews then anchors the promise to a legal image. A will only takes effect at death. So the covenants, promises, and previews that ran through Moses, the sacrifices, and the prophets were IOUs that waited on a single event. A death has occurred. Not ten-thousand animal deaths, but one once-for-all death that reaches backward to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and forward to every believer today. Moses already showed the pattern when he consecrated the book, the tent, and the vessels with blood, since without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.

The whole Old Testament system stands up and points. The law, the tabernacle, the bread table, the veil, the ark, even the worshipers are signposts to Christ. John the Baptist names him at the river as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” Revelation crowns him at the end as the Lamb who is worthy to open the scroll. The storyline begins with behold the Lamb and ends with worthy is the Lamb. If the church treats his blood lightly, it treats Jesus lightly. If the church clings to the Lamb, the conscience is cleansed, the inheritance is sure, and joy has a foundation.

Key Takeaways

• 1. The law was a guardian [49:43] The law can expose guilt and aim a sinner toward mercy, but it cannot heal the heart that it convicts. Its job is preparatory, like a schoolteacher who gets a student ready for the real thing. When Christ arrives, the guardian gives way to the Son who adopts and indwells. The church honors the law best by letting it point to Jesus rather than trying to make it do what only Jesus does. [49:43]
• 2. Christ’s blood cleanses the conscience [53:24] Animal blood could tidy the outside; Christ’s willing self-offering reaches the inside. A cleansed conscience does more than remove fear of penalty, it frees a person from dead works to serve the living God. Real holiness rises from the inside out, born from a heart set at peace by the Lamb. That is why confidence grows where the blood of Christ is trusted. [53:24]
• 3. One death secures the inheritance [01:10:44] A will is paper until the testator dies, and the covenants were promises waiting on a single death. That one death does not merely start a new chapter; it settles the entire account for saints before and after the cross. The inheritance is certain because the guarantor is the Son and the payment is his life. Assurance is therefore anchored in his finished work, not in fluctuating performance. [70:44]
• 4. No forgiveness without shed blood [01:13:22] Moses sprinkled book, tent, and people because God required a real payment for real sin. To minimize atonement language is to minimize Jesus himself. Love does not cancel justice; love pays justice with its own life. The cross is not divine harshness, it is divine faithfulness to both righteousness and mercy at once. [73:22]
• 5. All things point to the Lamb [01:18:31] From John’s river to heaven’s throne room, the Bible’s melody resolves on “Worthy is the Lamb.” The furniture of the tabernacle, the rhythms of sacrifice, the voices of prophets, all lean toward him. Worship that keeps the Lamb at the center stays aligned with Scripture’s center. Where the Lamb is honored, hearts are steadied, and hope keeps singing. [78:31]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [46:00] - Reading Hebrews 8:13
• [47:54] - The law as a teacher
• [49:43] - Guardian until Christ arrives
• [53:24] - Blood that purifies the conscience
• [54:21] - Christ the mediator and guarantor
• [55:02] - The IOU illustration of promises
• [58:26] - New covenant intimacy by the Spirit
• [60:24] - The currency is Christ’s blood
• [66:20] - One death for all the righteous
• [73:22] - No forgiveness without blood
• [75:28] - Tabernacle and law point to Jesus
• [78:31] - Worthy is the Lamb
• [81:31] - Call on the Lord and live
• [85:40] - Closing family encouragement

1. According to Hebrews 9:13-14, what specific contrast does the author make between the old sacrifices and Christ’s sacrifice?
2. The sermon compared the law to a schoolteacher or guardian (Galatians 3:24). What role does the law play in pointing people to Christ? [49:43]
3. How does the passage describe the effect of Christ’s blood on the conscience, compared to the old covenant sacrifices?
4. The sermon used the illustration of an IOU to explain the old covenant promises. What does Hebrews 9:15 say about how Christ’s death “settles the account”? [55:02]

1. Why do you think the old covenant sacrifices could only purify the “outside” (flesh) but not the conscience? What does this reveal about humanity’s deeper need?
2. The sermon emphasized that Christ’s death reaches “backward” to saints like Abraham and “forward” to believers today. How does this shape our understanding of God’s faithfulness across time? [01:06:20]
3. Hebrews 9:15 calls Jesus the “mediator” of the new covenant. What does it mean for Jesus to mediate a covenant, and why is this vital for our assurance?
4. The sermon warned against minimizing the necessity of Christ’s blood. Why might people struggle to accept the idea that “no forgiveness [exists] without shed blood”? [01:13:22]

1. The law is compared to a mirror showing our need for Christ. How can you let the law point you to Jesus instead of using it to measure your own performance? [49:43]
2. A cleansed conscience means freedom from “dead works” to serve God. What “dead works” (e.g., guilt-driven rituals, people-pleasing) do you need to release to serve God with joy? [53:24]
3. The sermon said assurance is anchored in Christ’s finished work, not our performance. How would your daily life change if you fully believed your inheritance is certain because of Jesus? [01:10:44]
4. John the Baptist called Jesus “the Lamb of God.” How can you intentionally keep the Lamb at the center of your worship, especially when life feels chaotic? [01:18:31]
5. The sermon urged believers to share the gospel with those who “claim Christ” but deny His sacrifice. How can you gently but clearly explain the necessity of Christ’s blood to someone who sees it as outdated or harsh?
6. The church is called to lean into community when feeling isolated. What practical step can you take this week to deepen connection with others who can remind you of the Lamb’s worthiness? [01:23:24]