3 APPEARANCES OF CHRIST
(Hebrews 9.24-28)
INTRODUCTION
When we think of the Bible, we usually think of it as Old and New Testaments. To me, in all the Old Testament stories, the defining event is the flood. It validates the entire OT, and explains a lot of things that people sometimes have trouble with. If we don’t accept the flood, everything can be called into question.
In the New Testament, the de-fining event is the resurrection of Christ. It also validates the entire NT, and if we don’t accept the Biblical fact that Christ rose from the dead, then everything in the entire Bible can be called into question.
Well, obviously you accept that fact, or you wouldn’t be here this morning. And when you leave in awhile, I hope you’ll go with a bit better understanding of what Christ’s resurrection means, as we look at 3 Appearances of Christ.
23It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heav-enly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things them-selves with better sacri-fices than these.
24For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven it-self, now to appear for us in God’s presence.
25Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own.
26Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has ap-peared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.
27Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,
28so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
I. v26 APPEARANCE #1: ON EARTH, TO PAY FOR SIN
A. "It is finished" - paid in full
B. "would have had to suffer many times"
> unlike the high priest
> daily sacrifices
C. "has appeared once for all"
> not to be repeated
D. "to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself"
> 1 Pet 1.20 "For He was foreknown before the founda-tion of the world, but has ap-peared in these last times for the sake of you..."
> 1 Jn 3.8 "...The Son of God appeared for this purposed, that He might destroy the works of the devil."
E. Why did Jesus come the first time? To Die!
> the disciples didn’t under-stand
> Israel wanted an earthly kingdom, Jesus a spiritual one
> "to do away with sin"
> 2 Cor 5.19 "namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them"
> Col 2.13-15 (don’t read)
II. v 23-24 APPEARANCE #2: IN HEAVEN, BEFORE THE FATHER
A. Christ’s Resurrection
> "I have not yet ascended to the Father"
B. Sacrifices
> not enough just to sacrifice, it must be presented and ac-cepted
>how do we know Christ’s sacrifice was accepted? He was raised from the dead!
> Resurrection is a key ingre-dient of the Gospel
C. He "appears for us in God’s presence"
> What does He do?
> He prepares
> He intercedes
> He waits
III. v27-28 APPEARANCE #3: AS KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS
A. v27 - 2 sure things
> death & taxes
> someday, all wrongs will be made right
>this life is not all there is
B. v28 - 2nd sure thing: Jesus Christ will return
> 2 Pet 3.3-7
> "not to bear sin" - why? That’s already done!
> "but to those who eagerly await him"
C. "for salvation"
> "deliverance" from the
penalty of sin
power of sin
presence of sin
physical bodies
this spoiled creation
CONCLUSION
If we were to sum up the message for this morning, there would be 3 lessons to take away:
1. My sin is paid for
> who is paying for your sins?
2. Christ is alive
> Jesus made good on His promises
> He is who He says He is
3. Christ will come again!
> are you "eagerly awaiting Him"?
> are you living in light of His return?
"Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen." - Hebrews 13.20-21
Christ is risen... He is risen in-deed.
