Hebrews 9:24 Commentary and Bible Study

Christ was never a member of the Levitical priesthood; he was of the tribe of Judah. He did not function as a priest on earth; he did not serve in the Jerusalem temple, because he is the great high priest of the new covenant who is our Redeemer. He died and rose again and entered into heaven itself now to appear in the presence of God for us, the better tabernacle, the better sacrifice. We cannot be redeemed by the blood of bulls and of goats, so a better sacrifice has come, the highest person ever. God the Son entered into a human body, to become the Word made flesh. Our sacrifice is the highest person of all, the one who was to be given a name which is above every name. There is no one who has descended lower, and there is no one who has been raised higher, the only man to be pure and holy, and above and beyond reproach. He came to be a man, in order that he could suffer the pain and the separation from God, which should have been ours, and to suffer it in our nature. But how could anyone suffer in a human body, a human personality, the punishment due to the sin of billions of people, an eternal punishment compressed into the space of six hours? How could a mortal frame stand the staggering agony and separation and anguish of this? Christ could do it because he was also God. He suffered as man and his divinity sustained him and he bore away the punishment due to us. Christ Jesus came with love that was willing to face the horror of the cross, with love that fixed each one of his elect people in his mind, all who would ever be pardoned and saved. He knew us all personally on that cross, and he did it for the joy that was set before him. What he was gaining – the eternal salvation, life, and peace of his bride, his church – sustained him as he made that better sacrifice. Christ had such refinement of character, such wonder of character that he could not only atone for us, but his perfections could purchase heaven for all his people.