Letter to the Hebrews Volume 96

 The Amazing Greatness of Jesus Christ's Sacrifice Part 5

Hebrews 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation. KJV Note: CEV=Contemporary English Version

The writer of Hebrews now concludes his discourse of the one time offering of the Blood of our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ for our sins with these words in the final verse of this Chapter 9 of Hebrews, "So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation." (Hebrews 9:28) (KJV). The little English phrase 'to bear' is translated by the Greek word anapherō meaning to take up (literally or figuratively): - bear, bring, carry up, offer up. In other words, when Christ died on the Cross, then resurrected from the dead, then ascended back to heaven, He took His Blood with the sins of humanity marinated, mixed, and mingled in with His Blood offering to God the Father and placed it on The Mercy Seat in heaven, therefore, when a sinner like me or you come to Him in repentance and faith believing/trusting that His sacrafice alone is the remedy for all our sins, then we are saved, as it is written, "So you will be saved, if you honestly say, 'Jesus is Lord,' and if you believe with all your heart that God raised Him from death." (Romans 10:9) (CEV). The English phrase 'unto them that look for Him' is translated by the Greek word apekdechomai meaning to expect fully: - look (wait) for. The Apostle Paul wrote to the Philippian Church this very meaning when he said these words, "But we are citizens of heaven and are eagerly waiting for our Savior to come from there. Our Lord Jesus Christ has power over everything, and He will make these poor bodies of ours like His own glorious body." (Philippians 3:20-21) (CEV). The English word 'salvation' is translated by the Greek word sōtēria meaning rescue or safety (physically or morally): - deliver, health, salvation, save, saving. The salvation of every sinner that turns to Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sin is done in a threefold process (3), for at the very moment the 'new birth' (John 3:3-8) the sinner is saved and immediately becomes a 'new creature or creation in Christ' (2 Corinthians 5:17), however, while he or she remains down here on the earth in their house/tent/body they/we are being saved as we 'walk by faith and not by sight' (2 Corinthians 5:7) during whatever time we are given here on the earth to serve the Lord Jesus Christ as we pilgrim and sojourn our way home to heaven.

Here is what Dr. John Gill had to say of Hebrews 9:28, "As man dies but once, Christ was offered but once, or He suffered and died but once; and that was not on His own account, or for His own sins, 'but to bear the sins of many': not of angels but of men, and these not a few, but 'many'; which is said to magnify the grace of God, to exalt the satisfaction and righteousness of Christ, and to encourage souls to hope in Him: hence many are brought to believe in Him, and many are justified by Him, have their sins forgiven them, and are glorified; though Christ bore not the sins of all men; for as all men have not faith, all are not justified, pardoned, and saved: what He bore were 'sins'; all kind of sin, every act of sin, and all that belongs to it; its filth, guilt, and punishment, even the iniquity of all His people; which must be a prodigious weight, and that which nothing could be more nauseous: His bearing them supposes they were upon Him, though not in Him, imputed, though not inherent; that He did not sink under them; that He made an entire satisfaction for them, and bore them wholly away, both from the persons of His people, and from the sight of justice. The way in which He came to bear them was this; He became a surety for all the elect; His Father imputed to Him all their sins, and He voluntarily took them upon Himself; where justice found them, and demanded satisfaction of Him for them, and He gave it; which is an instance both of His great love, and of His great strength: and unto them that look for Him: with affection, faith and patience: shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation; this is to be understood of Christ's visible and personal appearance on earth, which will be a glorious one; He will appear in His own glory, and in His Father's glory, and in the glory of the holy angels, and in the glory of His power, to the joy of saints, and to the terror of the wicked; for every eye shall see Him: and this is said to be 'the second time'; that is, that He appears on earth, and personally; for though He often appears to His people, it is in a spiritual way; and though He appeared to Stephen and to Paul, yet not on earth, but in heaven; and this is called the second time, with reference to His first appearance in human nature at His incarnation, and after that He ascended to heaven; and as this will be the second, it will be the last: the manner in which He will appear, will be, 'without sin'; without sin itself; without any thing like it: without any infirmities, which though not sinful are the effects of sin; without sin imputed to Him, with which He appeared before; without being a sacrifice for sin; and without sin upon His people that come with Him, or He shall meet whom He shall raise, or change, and take to Himself: and the end of His appearance with respect to them, will be 'unto salvation'; the end of His first appearance was to obtain salvation for His people, and He has obtained it, and there is a comfortable application of it made unto them by the Spirit of God; but the full possession of it will be hereafter, and into this will Christ put them, when He shall appear."

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.


Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…