The Sufficient and Final Sacrifice of Christ

Christ’s incarnation is an unprecedented moment in time. He has appeared in history—“at the end of the ages” (cf. Heb 1:2)—once for all time to put away sin. Paul speaks with the same outlook on time in Galatians 4:4. “The removal of sin” means judging and condemning sin. The Son’s superior sacrifice dispenses sin, exiles it, places it under judgment, and ultimately defeats it. Though this phrase might be common in modern evangelical vernacular, the idea of the Messiah removing sin by sacrificing himself was truly revolutionary in the first century. Christ’s radical self-sacrifice is the means by which sin is finally overcome.

Hebrews 9:27-28

In the final two verses of this passage, the author brings new material into the conversation: man’s appointed judgment and Christ’s second coming. As the text makes clear, Christ comes a second time not for the sake of addressing sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

In verse 27 the author considers man’s looming death and judgment as they relate to the work of Jesus. The reason for our appointment with death and judgment takes us back to the garden of Eden. God told Adam and Eve they would die if they ate the forbidden tree’s fruit. He “appointed” their death in the event of their disobedience. And in their moment of rebellion, mortality entered the human experience. By virtue of our corporate union with Adam, our forefather’s sin, and his experience of death became part of our experience.

This emphasizes the finality in human existence. Life is lived one time, and then there is death and judgment—just as there was for Adam and Eve. Man will die and then God will judge him. This directly relates to the work of Christ. He too was appointed to die once. He died one time, and his death need never be repeated. And because he has died once, he will not come again to act as a sacrifice. Rather, he will come to bring final salvation for his people.

This focus on death and judgment refutes the notion that death is some kind of cosmic accident. Death is not just some natural process in the world. It is part of the divine judgment on sin. Death is a verdict. But this is not the end of the story. Because of the gospel, there is hope. It’s this hope to which the author turns in verse 28.

The message found in verse 28 is that life comes after death for those who trust in Jesus until the end. Christ was delivered up to be crucified in accordance with the definite plan of God (Acts 2:22-24). As is the case for all men, Jesus’s death was appointed. But unlike all other men, Jesus will return again. And as we consider the future with the knowledge that Christ is coming back, we must remember he’s not coming back to repeat his sacrifice. He’s not coming back to forgive sin; he’s coming back to save those who are eagerly expecting him. This is great news! Christ is returning to rescue those he’s saved and to claim his church solely for himself. For those who eagerly await Jesus, sweet salvation is coming.

The word waiting points to the fact that believers should be longing for Christ’s return. We who are alive should be consciously and readily anticipating his second coming. Those who are saved and share in the hope of Christ’s return are safe. Even though earthly struggles and toils still pervade our lives, Christians can and must hold to the hope that we are eternally secure in Christ right now. Again, this is part of the already/not yet tension the author has been highlighting throughout the letter. We are absolutely saved now, but Jesus is coming again to complete our salvation experience.

Our salvation is a past, present, and future salvation. It is past in the sense that what Christ accomplished by his blood happened long ago. It is present in the sense that we are saved and united with Christ right now. And it is future in the sense that we will be saved out of this broken world into eternal communion, peace, and freedom from sin when Christ returns. So, as we eagerly wait in the present, we rejoice in the past and anticipate the new heaven and a new, restored earth in the future. Every generation of Christians has been waiting for the coming kingdom. This is true of our generation as well. So as long as we are living, we are waiting. We must do so eagerly.