Hebrews 9:15-28
15 For this reason he is mediator of a new covenant: since a death has taken place for deliverance from transgressions under the first covenant, those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance. 16 Now where there is a will, the death of the testator must be established. 17 For a will takes effect only at death; it has no force while the testator is alive. 18 Thus not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood. 19 When every commandment had been proclaimed by Moses to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves [and goats], together with water and crimson wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 20 saying, “This is ‘the blood of the covenant which God has enjoined upon you.’” 21 In the same way, he sprinkled also the tabernacle and all the vessels of worship with blood. 22 According to the law almost everything is purified by blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
23 Therefore, it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified by these rites, but the heavenly things themselves by better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ did not enter into a sanctuary made by hands, a copy of the true one, but heaven itself, that he might now appear before God on our behalf. 25 Not that he might offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters each year into the sanctuary with blood that is not his own; 26 if that were so, he would have had to suffer repeatedly from the foundation of the world. But now once for all he has appeared at the end of the ages to take away sin by his sacrifice. 27 Just as it is appointed that human beings die once, and after this the judgment, 28 so also Christ, offered once to take away the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to take away sin but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await him.
Remember—the sacrifices of the Mosaic covenant were given in place of the actual penalties due for serious sins—they were a plea, as it were, for mercy, a token of the repentance of the person involved. In verse 15 “he” is Jesus, “mediator of a new covenant” and his death did for the Jews what the sacrifices never could do: deliver them from their sins. Now, “those who are called” (Jews first, and now the nations) “may receive the promised inheritance” of everlasting life with the Father.
In the next verses, the Preacher makes puns on the word for “covenant”—the same word also means “will” and a will only comes into force when the will-maker dies. When Jesus died, his new covenant went into effect. This was pictured for the people of the earlier covenant when Moses showed their hoped for union with God by sprinkling the blood of the sacrifice on the altar (the altar representing the presence of God) and then on the people. Blood because blood meant life. (Poke a hole in an animal and let the blood run out, and the animal is dead. Its life left with the blood. Nothing could be more valuable than that. It all belonged to God, so it is not to be eaten as other foods, other parts of the animal could be.) When Moses sprinkled, the people had a sign of their union with God. A sign, but not the actuality.
And, even after Solomon built the Temple, all that was a copy: the real tabernacle is in heaven. The real, substantial union of God and his people had not happened—so the ritual of the Atonement, Yom Kippur, had to be repeated each year, in the earthly Temple. Christ, however, enters once and for all into the Temple “not made by hands” that is, the truly permanent Temple that has always been God’s throne room in Heaven. It is his human/divine life blood he offers that unites us with God. Since Jesus IS God, he has the Creator’s connection to every human being, which shows us that our human life blood (good for 70-80 years, say) can be permanently bonded with his everlasting divine/human Life. Once Christ has done that, it never needs to be repeated. It is done once for all people of all times and places. That is, it is made available to everyone who repents, is baptized and has faith = is bonded with Christ. The way to everlasting life is open—the question remaining is presenting “the way” to people still subject to sin and death.
Let me leave you with this:
“There is not, never has been, and never will be a single human being for whom Christ did not suffer.” Catechism of the Catholic Church #605, quoting the Council of Quiercy, A.D. 853.
That is GOOD NEWS!
Thank you , Jim. Your comments are so encouraging, but most of all , so good at explaining concepts foreign to me. I’ve always had difficulty with the sacrifices in the Old Testament. ALL that sprinkling of blood !! I think this answers my question about Leviticus Chapter 14,regarding infections. According to the law, everything being purified by blood. ????
Partly at least, Anon. More later. Thanks