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I'll read the entire chapter 
and then we'll introduce a few things and then look at Hebrews 
1 verse 3. So this is Hebrews 1 beginning 
in verse 1. God who at various times and in various ways spoke 
in time past to the fathers by the prophets has in these last 
days spoken to us by his son whom he has appointed heir of 
all things through whom also he made the worlds. who being 
the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person, 
and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had 
by himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the 
majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, 
as he has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. For to which of the angels did 
he ever say, you are my son, today I have begotten you, And 
again, I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. 
But when he again brings the firstborn into the world, he 
says, let all the angels of God worship him. And of the angels, 
he says, who makes his angels spirits and his ministers a flame 
of fire. But to the son, he says, your 
throne, O God, is forever and ever. A scepter of righteousness 
is the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness 
and hated lawlessness, Therefore, God, your God has anointed you 
with the oil of gladness more than your companions. And you, 
Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and 
the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but 
you remain, and they will all grow old like a garment. Like 
a cloak, you will fold them up, and they will be changed. But 
you are the same, and your years will not fail. But to which of 
the angels has he ever said, sit at my right hand till I make 
your enemies your footstool. Are they not all ministering 
spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation? Amen. So in this first chapter 
of the epistle to the Hebrews, We have the author, who is most 
likely the Apostle Paul, writing to Jewish Christians for a particular 
reason. You see, the occasion for the 
writing of this letter was Jewish persecution, unbelieving, of 
course, Jewish persecution upon Jewish Christians, most likely 
by those who were once near, if we read the book of Hebrews, 
we read those accounts throughout the epistle, where there are 
warnings to anyone who falls away, those who were close to 
the preaching of the gospel, those who had come under the 
ministry of gospel preaching, those who had even, though unregenerate, 
been the blessed recipients of the Spirit's work in bringing 
to bear the truth of Jesus Christ to the gathered church, nevertheless, 
in their unbelief, apostatized or fell away and were engaging 
in persecution upon the church, upon Jewish Christians. And so 
Paul comes and he seeks to bolster the faith of the Jewish Christians. 
He seeks to gird them up in their most holy faith in order to keep 
them, in order to cause them to be steadfast in the things 
of Jesus Christ. And so the theme of the letter, 
in order to encourage Christian steadfastness, the theme of the 
letter is, to use the words of Pink, the superabounding excellence 
of Christianity over Judaism. Or to maybe even sharpen that 
a little bit more so it's Christocentric, the superabounding excellence 
of Jesus Christ over the articles of old covenant religion. You 
see, if it was the argument that, well, this Jesus Christ is not 
where true religion is to be exercised, but rather it is those 
old covenant articles of temple religion that are to be seen 
as religiously efficacious, therefore you who are worshiping this Jesus 
are engaging in irreligion. Well, Paul wants to encourage 
the Christians that they most certainly are in the right to 
worship this Christ, to be engaged in New Covenant religion, because 
all of those articles of Old Covenant religion were typical. 
They pointed forward to the Lord Jesus Christ. So that's why here 
we have the author, the Apostle Paul, in the first few verses, 
speaking with regards to Christ's superiority over the prophets. 
Christ's superiority over the prophets, God who at various 
times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by 
the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by his son. There is an introduction of the 
lesser so that the following, the greater, can be highlighted. 
Jesus Christ has come as that final and pure revelation Jesus 
Christ comes to exegete and to open up the Father. Not that 
those former ways were impure, not that those former ways were 
somehow inadequate, but in a divinely designed greater way, Jesus Christ 
comes as the greatest prophet in order to reveal the promise of salvation by him 
and all those blessed new covenant realities. Then, the Apostle 
Paul speaks to the fact that Christ is higher than the angels. 
So if we have in verses 1 to 3 Christ as higher than the prophets 
or Christ greater than the prophets, then in verse 4 through to verse 
14 we have the fact and even into chapter 2 we have the fact 
that Christ is better than the angels. Verse 4, having become 
so much better than the angels as he has by inheritance obtained 
a more excellent name than they. But suffice it to say, the point 
of the epistle to the Hebrews is to demonstrate, to show, to 
perspicuously set forth the fact that Jesus Christ is superior, 
is supreme, to show that his sufficiency is such that these 
articles of old covenant religion have been put away by the sacrifice 
of himself. In other words, you are not to 
go back to temple religion. You are not to go back to the 
articles of old covenant religion because Christ came as the once 
for all sacrifice for sin who has brought all of those things 
to fruition, to fulfillment, to completion. So we're going 
to look though specifically at verse 3. And in verse 3 we read 
this, who being the brightness of his glory and the express 
image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of His 
power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at 
the right hand of the Majesty on high." That last portion of 
the verse is what we're going to look at tonight, when He had 
by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the 
Majesty on high. But just very briefly, before we do that, it's 
good to Make a note of this because it's absolutely amazing. Notice 
what it says here prior to when he had by himself purged. We 
read about Jesus concerning Jesus this particular truth and upholding 
all things by the word of his power when he had by himself 
purged our sins. What is that saying? It's saying 
that at the very time that Christ was being crucified upon the 
cross he was upholding all things by the word of his power. It's an amazing truth. You see, 
Christ in the incarnation did not divest himself of his deity. He did not set aside the fact 
of his deity, but rather taking on humanity, he was at the very 
same time both God and man. This is what James Dolezal says 
with regards to this particular truth. He says, what's happening 
with Christ's divine nature at the moment he is crying out, 
my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? The very person 
who suffers in the moment that he suffers is autemporally, eternally, 
simply, omnipotently upholding the world by the word of his 
power and dwelling in mutual and perfect love with the Father 
and with the Spirit. And it's not just a divine nature 
that's communing with the Father and the Spirit, it is the person. 
I think we get this idea that Jesus, because he is one person 
with two natures, divine and human, has to sort of toggle, 
as it were, between one nature and the other. Sometimes he's 
acting according to his human nature, most especially at the 
cross, and sometimes he is acting in his divine nature, like maybe 
when he raises the dead. What I want to say is that Jesus 
is always acting at the same moment, perfectly according to 
both natures in one person. And that's what we find here 
in Hebrews 1. Jesus Christ was upholding the world by the might 
of his power, as the text says, upholding all things by the word 
of his power at the same time when he was purging our sins 
upon Calvary's tree. It's the amazing truth of God 
manifested in the flesh Jesus Christ, one person in two natures, 
holy divine, holy human. We're going to look, though, 
at this particular verse under three headings, the nature of 
Christ's saving work, the exclusivity of Christ's saving work, and 
then the finality and perfection of Christ's saving work. So notice 
first of all under the nature of Christ's saving work it was 
a purging of sins when he had by himself purged our sins. What does that mean when it says 
that Christ purged our sins? Well, when we have a look at 
the biblical witness generally to that language of purging, 
we see that it carries the thrust of a thorough cleansing or a 
removal of impurities, a removal of any ungodliness, wickedness, 
that sort of thing. Physically speaking, in the Old 
Covenant, you can maybe even turn here just to follow along 
as we read, in 2 Chronicles 36, or excuse me, 2 Chronicles 34. 
2 Chronicles 34, the same sort 
of language of purging, just a quick review of how the Bible 
considers this language or uses this language in 2 Chronicles 
34 at verse 3, we read this, for in the eighth year of his 
reign, speaking with respect to Josiah, for in the eighth 
year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek 
the God of his father David, and in the twelfth year he began 
to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the wooden 
images, the carved images, and the molded images. Here that 
language of purgation or thorough cleansing, in this case purge, 
is used with regards to the removal of idolatry from the covenant 
land, in this case from Jerusalem. You see there was an infection 
of, there was a defection manifested in pagan idolatry in the nation 
of Israel and so purging here, same word that we find in Hebrews 
1, is used of the cleansing of of covenant religion here in 
2nd Chronicles 34. In Isaiah, if you move a little 
bit to the right there to the book of Isaiah, we have a purging 
as it pertains to the covenant community itself and the members 
of the covenant community. In Isaiah chapter 1 at verse 
25, God speaking with respect to divine In fact, in this case, 
it's less divine judgment than it is a grace-filled condescension 
of God in purifying the covenant community. Notice verse 25 of 
Isaiah 1, I will turn my hand against you and thoroughly purge 
away your dross and take away all your alloy. That simply speaks 
to the fact that God would maintain a remnant And he would do so 
by purifying the covenant community of those who were not the remnant, 
those who were not believers. He would remove those impurities 
so that what would remain would be a church populated solely 
and alone by those who were called from out of darkness and into 
marvelous light. We also see this language, if 
you just want to make a note, if you are making notes, Ezekiel 
20.38, Malachi 3.3. In the New Testament, if you go to 1st Corinthians 
5 we have this language of purging as well. Just to sort of move 
from the study of the concept generally to the specific application 
in Hebrews 1, in 1st Corinthians 5 we have the language used by 
the Apostle Paul there, 1st Corinthians 5 and verse 7. Therefore purge 
out, well maybe beginning at verse 6, your glorying is not 
good, do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump 
1st Corinthians 5 7 therefore purge out the old leaven that 
you may be a new lump since you truly are unleavened for indeed 
Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us so you see what one of 
the implications is coming from the perfect saving work of Jesus 
Christ is that either or and or but first off the church is 
to purge itself of any leaven that is among them. In other 
words, any impurities, any sinfulness, any unrepentant individuals are 
to be purged from among the gathered assembly. It either has that 
meaning or it is focused on the individual Christian with our 
own sanctification or our own self-mortification. We are to 
put to death those sins that we engage in with regards to 
our remaining corruption and to live unto righteousness. But 
the point there is, is that there is this purging, a cleansing. In, just by way of observation, 
not turning there, but for example, the same sort of language is 
used in Luke 3 at verse 17, and I believe Matthew 3, 12, And 
the idea there is John the Baptist is preaching in Luke 3.17 and 
he says with regards to Christ's divine judgment, he says he will 
thoroughly, with his winnowing fan, he will thoroughly cleanse 
his threshing floor. In other words, he would come 
with divine judgment and burn away the chaff, burn away those 
apostates among Jerusalem who did not believe Him, who did 
not worship Him, and who did not obey the gospel of Jesus 
Christ. So we come back to the book of 
Hebrews chapter 1 verse 3, and we find here specifically that 
the purging is spiritual and salvific in nature. It is a thorough 
cleansing. It is a comprehensive removal 
of impurities with regards to Christ and the sinner. The saving 
work of Jesus and the efficacy of it pertaining to the sinner. Turn to 1st John for a moment 
because the language is used there, this language of purging, 
as we just described it briefly, a salvific purging that Jesus 
Christ accomplishes by his saving work. In 1st John chapter 1, 
verses seven and nine. Notice beginning at verse seven, 
but if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship 
with one another and the blood of Jesus Christ, his son, cleanses 
us from all sin. It's that same language that's 
used in Hebrews 1.3 of purging or purification. The blood of 
Jesus Christ, his son, cleanses us from all sin. Notice as we 
continue, if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves 
and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is 
faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us 
from all unrighteousness. There's the language again, just 
in the span of three verses. A cleansing that is also a purging, 
a purgation or a purification is completed and perfected by 
the Lord Jesus Christ. for all those whom the Father 
had given to Him. So this purging of sins is salvific 
in nature, and it does pertain not to the Spirit, not to the 
Holy Spirit applying the saving benefits of Christ's work to 
the believer, though the Spirit does do that, but rather specifically 
to the cross work of Christ in shedding His blood. This is John 
Owen. This purging then of our sins, 
which the Apostle declareth to have been effected before the 
ascension of Christ and his sitting down at the right hand of God, 
consisteth not in the actual sanctification and purification 
of believers by the Spirit, though of course the Spirit does do 
that, but blessed theological and salvific things in their 
proper places. in the application of the blood 
of Christ unto them, but in atonement made by Him in the sacrifice 
of Himself, that our sins should not be imputed unto us. And therefore 
is He said to purge our sins, and not to purge us from our 
sins. And wherever sins, not sinners, 
are made the object of any mediatory act of Christ, that act immediately 
respecteth God, and not the sinner and intends the removal of sins 
so that it should not be imputed." The point that John Owen is saying 
there is that this has specific application to the blood shed 
work, the cross work of Jesus Christ wherein he sheds his blood 
for guilty sinners. So it was a purging. Secondly, 
and this is perhaps more to the theological nitty-gritty of the 
purging of sins in this context, it was an expiatory sacrifice. Now, We like to use big words 
and hopefully it's not simply so that we just sound smart. 
If that's ever the case, you know, might God strike us down 
and bring us into eternal bliss so that we don't get puffed up 
in our, you know, big Christian minds. But there is a wholesome 
and a humble use of big words in order to capture blessed theological 
truths. When we talk about Christ's purging 
of our sins being an expiatory sacrifice that has to do with 
the removal of the guilt of sin. And that is what is in view here. 
The removal of the guilt of sin by the blood shedding of Jesus 
Christ. And when we say guilt, we need 
to understand what we mean. Because very often the conception 
of guilt is that it refers to the psychological weight of sin 
upon the mind or the heart of the believer. And there is a 
legitimate sense to where guilt does mean that. That's a legitimate 
meaning of guilt. The psychological weight of sin, 
that godly remorse that comes upon a believer or prior to believing 
the spirits the spirit convicting and that sort of a thing prior 
to prior to believing that weight of remorse for transgressing 
the laws of of the holy potentate so we have this reality of of 
that being being described by the word guilt but the The meaning 
of guilt with regards to Christ removing the guilt of sin has 
to do with legal culpability. In other words, the sinner who 
transgresses God's law is legally culpable, legally liable, legally 
responsible for that violation. They are guilty. They are deserving 
of condemnation. They are deserving of the juridical 
severity of God to punish them for their transgression. of his 
holy laws. We think of an earthly court. 
If a criminal is guilty, yes, there might be a psychological 
weight of having done something stupid and criminal, but there 
is the greater reality that they are legally culpable for the 
violation of the law. And so that is what we have in 
view with regards to expiation. We have Christ offering up himself 
to deal with human sin, specifically at the point of the guilt for 
sin. All have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of 
God. So Christ answers that. And if 
you're in the book of Hebrews, we'll look at a few places where 
we see that theme continually brought to the audience by the 
Apostle Paul. You can turn to Hebrews 7. In Hebrews 7, we have this idea 
and just Just so you're wondering why, or if you're wondering why 
we don't pause and that sort of thing, I think for the sake 
of good recording over the internet and no pauses and no moments 
of silence, we go through the material and then if you do have 
questions at the end, then by all means ask them. But in Hebrews 
7, notice at verse 26, with regards to this language of Christ offering 
himself as an expiatory sacrifice, Verse 26 of Hebrews 7, For such 
a high priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, 
separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens. 
Who does not need daily as those high priests to offer up sacrifices 
for his own sins, and then for the sins of the peoples. For 
this he did once for all, when he offered up himself. This language 
of offering, of course, has to do with sacrifice, with the requirement 
of a sacrifice being offered in order to expiate sin, in order 
to deal with the guilt of sin. And notice, remember what we 
said during the introduction is that the occasion of the letter 
is that Christians were being tempted and pressured to return 
to temple religion where the high priest, where the human 
and sinful high priest was offering up sacrifices in order to take 
away sins. So Paul comes, this is prior 
to AD 70, probably written around AD 65 before the destruction 
of the temple. There were still sacrifices going 
on and we know that by verse 27. speaking of Jesus, who does 
not need daily as those high priests to offer up sacrifices 
first for his own sins and then for the sins of the people. For 
this he did once for all when he offered up himself. So Paul 
is presenting an apologetic, saying those high priests, those 
high priests that your brothers and your sisters and your fathers 
and your mothers and your friends are pressuring you to go back 
to They are offering up no efficacious sacrifice because the great high 
priest who offers up himself as the holy and pure sacrifice 
has now come to do that perfect work of salvation. So why would 
you go back? Why would you cave under the 
pressure of those who are trying to bring you back to what is 
now a blasphemy? You see, prior to the coming 
of Christ, there was a legitimate and a wholesome and a divinely 
designed use to temple sacrifice. It was legitimate, it was divinely 
designed. But you see, it had a prophetic 
and divinely designed obsolescence. That means it was to end, it 
was to end when Christ himself came as the perfect temple, as 
the perfect sacrifice, as the high priest, as the one who would 
bring an end to the articles of old covenant religion because 
he was the substance of those shadows. If we turn now to Hebrews 
9, we see more of the same language. It's just a couple, maybe one 
page, maybe a couple pages to your right there, Hebrews 9 and 
verse 11. But Christ came as high priest 
of the good things to come with the greater and more perfect 
tabernacle not made with hands that is not of this creation. 
not with the blood of goats and calves, but with his own blood 
he entered the most holy place, once for all having obtained 
eternal redemption." Notice the language continues here. For 
if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling 
the unclean sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much 
more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit 
offered himself without spot to God, Cleanse your conscience 
from dead works to serve the living God. There's that same 
language of purging. Cleanse your conscience from 
dead works to serve the living God. So in Jesus Christ, we have 
the priest offering the sacrifice and not an earthly priest offering 
up an earthly sacrifice of type and shadow, but the High Priest, 
the capital H, capital P, High Priest who comes to offer the 
pure and the perfect sacrifice for the remission of sins. If 
you scroll down a little bit, scroll down. If you move over 
to verse 23, therefore it was necessary that the copies of 
the things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the 
heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 
For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, 
which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to 
appear in the presence of God for us. And notice here the great 
distinction between the typological and earthly activities and the 
insufficient, if you will, activities of the high priests of the land 
compared with the work of Jesus Christ, the high priest. Verse 
25, not that he should offer himself often as the high priest 
enters the most holy place every year with blood of another, He 
then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of 
the world. But now once, at the end of the ages, He has appeared 
to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. You see there, the 
purging of our sins, that expiatory sacrifice, the removal of guilt 
by a perfect offering is rendered by the Lord Jesus Christ for 
our sins. And again in Hebrews 10 at verse 
12, speaking of Jesus. But this man, after he had offered 
one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of 
God. It's basically that same language. It is that same language 
that we read in Hebrews 1.3. After he offered himself once 
for sins forever, Jesus Christ sat down at the right hand of 
God. in this language outside of Hebrews 
is used as well. You can note Ephesians 5 too. And it's very important to understand 
this as well, that it is that when we're reading this, we are 
reading fulfillment of the Old Testament Scriptures. If that's 
not obvious already and if that's not obvious already in your profession 
as a Christian, I know that it is, but we turn to places like 
Daniel 9 24 and we find there not a reference to some future 
age where an Antichrist comes and does bad stuff and inaugurates 
temple sacrifices and then they come to an end and all this sort 
of nonsense but rather we have a prophetic Old Testament announcement 
of the coming Christ who would come and make a sacrifice for 
sins putting to end the sacrifices of the temple. Notice in verse 
24 of Daniel 9, 70 weeks are determined for your people and 
for your holy city to finish the transgression, to make an 
end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting 
righteousness. And notice as we continue here 
to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy, 
notice as it continues here we see this bringing to an end certain 
things. Know therefore and understand, 
verse 25, that from the going forth of the command to restore 
and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, there shall be seven 
weeks and sixty-two weeks. The street shall be built again, 
the wall, even in troublesome times. And after the sixty-two 
weeks, Messiah shall be cut off, but not for himself. And the 
people of the Prince who is to come shall destroy the city and 
the sanctuary. the end of it shall be with the 
flood until the end of the war desolations are determined then 
he not not the the prince who is to come but the Messiah then 
he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week but in the 
middle of the week he shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering 
and on the wing of abomination shall be one who makes desolate 
even until the consummation which is determined is poured out on 
the desolate Now, if we don't understand everything in there, 
because some of it is very difficult, understand this, that Jesus Christ, 
the perfect High Priest, the perfect Messiah, the one who 
is promised to come, shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. He shall make an end of sins 
to finish the transgression, to bring in everlasting righteousness. 
So, Jesus Christ is prophesied in the Old, He comes, inaugurates 
the New, and in doing so, offers up a perfect sacrifice. a perfect 
expiatory sacrifice removing the guilt of sin. Now, thirdly, 
under the nature of Christ's work, not only is it an expiatory 
sacrifice, but another word for you, it was a propitiatory sacrifice. The difference here, and this 
is not some theological concept imposed upon the Bible, because 
as we'll read in four examples, the Bible uses that very language 
of propitiation. But the language here, distinct 
from expiation, is that if expiation is, and it is, the dealing of 
human guilt for sin by this sacrifice of Christ, propitiation is then 
an offering made to satisfy divine wrath. So if we can say that 
the sacrifice of Christ answers in expiation to the problem of 
human sin and guilt, Christ in his sacrifice answers with regards 
to propitiation at the point of divine wrath. Divine holiness 
is to be vindicated and divine justice satisfied and Christ 
does that upon Calvary's tree. Where do we find that in our 
Bibles? Well first off in Hebrews, we find it in Hebrews chapter 
2. In Hebrews chapter 2 at verse 17, with regards to this idea 
of propitiation, we have it clearly listed here. Well, in fact, just 
sorry, just before you go there, it's good to rehearse this. Because 
before we actually understand the fact that Christ deals with 
divine wrath, we need to understand and appreciate and build the 
apologetic for those who would object that there is actually 
the reality of divine wrath. So let's turn to John 3 for a 
moment, because there we have the reality of divine wrath set 
forth. In John chapter 3, you can make 
a note, verses 18 to 21. This follows upon the heels of 
verse 16. For God so loved the world that 
he gave his only begotten son, that all the believing ones might 
not perish, but have everlasting life. Well, in verse 36 of the 
same chapter, we have this closing out that particular chapter. 
He who believes in the Son has everlasting life, and he who 
does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of 
God abides on him. So there we have the reality 
of divine wrath set forth. If anyone wants to argue some 
ethereal and fanciful notion that God is not a God of wrath, 
that it is somehow in opposition to or contrary to divine love, 
then they argue against the force and the thrust and the verity 
of Holy Scripture. There we read clearly that if 
one does not believe the Son, they shall not see life, but 
rather the wrath of God is abiding on them. And obviously Romans 
1.18, remember what we have in Romans 1.18, after the theme 
of Romans is set forth that The gospel is the power of God unto 
salvation to everyone who believes. We have then the introduction, 
the setting forth of the fact that the wrath of God is revealed 
from heaven against all unrighteousness and ungodliness of men. But actually, 
and this is the blessed thing of the fact that Romans continues. You see, if Paul just stopped 
at Romans 3.20, for example, there would be nothing but loss, 
nothing but hopelessness, nothing but the reality that divine wrath 
has been revealed against all unrighteousness and ungodliness 
of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. We would 
have nothing but loss. But you see, with that wrath 
revealed, as we move to verse 21 of Romans 3, we have this 
wonderful reality set forth. But now the righteousness of 
God, apart from the law, is revealed. So bad news, wrath of God revealed 
against sin, its severity, its immensity, the seriousness of 
depravity. But then verse 21 of Romans 3, 
the righteousness of God is revealed. And then we have this language 
of propitiation spoken of in this section of scripture. Notice 
verse 22, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus 
Christ to all and on all who believe, for there is no difference 
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God being 
justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is 
in Christ Jesus now notice verse 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation 
by his blood as a wrath bearing sacrifice by his blood so divine 
wrath is a wholesome manifestation of divine severity resting upon 
those who transgress the laws of Almighty God, but Christ comes 
in due time, sent forth by God to be a propitiation by His blood. So moving back to Hebrews 2 to 
see verse 17, with this in our minds that Christ is a propitiatory 
sacrifice, that is, He is a wrath-bearing sacrifice that answers the reality 
of divine wrath against sin. In Hebrews 2.17, not too far 
from our passage and focus tonight, we read, Therefore in all things 
he, Jesus, had to be made like his brethren, that he might be 
a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to 
God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. To make 
a wrath-bearing sacrifice efficacious for the sins of the people. We also see this language of 
Christ's sacrifice satisfying divine wrath in 1st John in two 
places. Now, depending on your translation, 
I think in one of these texts in 1st John, it might be the 
first one, 1st John 2.2, It might not say propitiation in your 
particular translation. Maybe you can tell me ESV and 
ASV and IV it might say atonement 1st John 2 to what does it say 
there? Okay, well well done ESV passes 
the test But anyway, let's read the text 
here beginning in verse 1 my little children these things 
I write to you so that you may not sin and And if anyone sins, 
we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, 
and he himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours 
only, but also for the whole world. So you see here, this 
language, he himself is the propitiation or he himself is the wrath bearing 
sacrifice for our sins. He answers the problem of divine 
wrath for those who believe in him. And also 1st John, if we're 
still there, 1st John 4. In 1st John 4, we have the same 
language before we move on here. 1st John 4 10. In this is love, 
not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his son 
to be the propitiation for our sins. You see, far from wrath, 
being opposed to the love of God, we see here these two things 
brought into the scope of God's loving performance of salvation. It is an act of love that though 
his wrath did rest upon the elect, though his wrath did rest upon his people, nevertheless in that 
love he sent forth Christ Jesus to be the wrath-bearing sacrifice. for the sins of his people. So 
we have this blessed reality of propitiation. Yes, we as reformed 
Christians use big words, but is it really a big word, a big 
theological word? No, our Bibles use it. You'll 
find in the original Greek that God uses a lot of big words to 
describe the perfection of his saving work and to exalt the 
reality of Christian truth. above the madness of pagan religion. Propitiation is a blessed truth. Again, Christ is an expiatory 
sacrifice. He is a propitiatory sacrifice. 
And then just lastly, under the nature of Christ's saving work, 
the entire work was one of substitution. The entire work was one of substitution. You see, when Christ, when we 
read simply the biblical language of Christ died for us, We need 
to move past some simple idea that it was simply a gift. It 
was a gift, and I don't want to minimize the gift nature of 
the saving work of Christ. But you see, when we read the 
language, Christ died for us, we need to see and understand 
and rejoice in the fact that it carries the thrust of Christ 
died in our stead. Christ died in the stead of us. 
Christ died in our room and in our place. And the Bible brings 
that out time and time again. For example, if you want to turn 
with me in Romans to see here a few texts that speak to Christ's 
saving work, the purging of our sins, His blessed cross work 
as an act of substitutionary salvation. In Romans 5, for example, 
we read this language at verse 6 and continuing to verse 8. For when we were still without 
strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous 
man will one die, yet perhaps for a good man Someone would 
even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own 
love toward us in that while we were still sinners, Christ 
died for us. Again, that simple language of 
for us carries with it the theological and blessed weight of died in 
our stead or in our place and room. If we move a little bit 
further, for example, to Galatians, if you move a little bit to the 
right, we see this language becoming even more perspicuous, not that 
it's deficient in Romans, but the New Testament adding to the 
weight of substitutionary curse bearing in Galatians 3 at verse 
13. Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, note, having 
become a curse for us. For it is written, cursed is 
everyone who hangs on a tree. So instead of the believing ones 
having to bear, having to fall under the curse, the curse and 
having to fall under, take upon themselves the curse, for violation 
of the law, having to take upon themselves the weight of divine 
justice, the weight of divine wrath for their sin, Christ comes 
and he becomes a curse instead of us in our place and in our 
room. That's why Paul can write there, 
having become a curse for us. If we turn to 1 Peter 2, 1 Peter 
2. Would somebody mind grabbing 
me some more coffee? That would be splendid. Thanks, 
Mike. in 1 Peter 2. And we need to appreciate here 
what Peter is doing. Peter is bringing to the fore 
Isaiah 53 language. In other words, he's citing Isaiah 
53. He's basically affirming and 
arguing that the suffering servant of Isaiah 53 is the Lord Jesus 
Christ. And in 1 Peter 2, at verse 24, 
he uses the same language as Isaiah 53, 
but just backing up to 1 Peter 2 and verse 23. Speaking of Jesus, 
who when he was reviled did not revile in return, when he suffered 
he did not threaten, but committed himself to him who judges righteously, 
who himself bore our sins in his own body on the tree, that 
we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness, by whose 
stripes you were healed. You see the language of substitution 
there, who himself bore our sins in his own body on the tree. And it's very interesting here, 
you see, some really horrible and blasphemous notions of Christ 
saving work reduce it to simply an action of a God-man coming 
and dying a death of perfect moral example, the sort of moral 
example of the atonement, idea of the atonement, that Christ 
just comes and he provides us with a chief exemplar of sacrificial 
service. That is not what he does at the 
atonement. Now, is there application somewhere 
down the line for an example? Well, Peter is sort of using 
it in that sense, setting forth Christ as the chief exemplar 
of not reviling when he was reviled, of committing no sin but committing 
himself to him who judges righteously and that sort of a thing. But 
you see, in arguing or in setting Christ forth as the chief example 
of submission, of this chief moral example, he brings to bear 
the greater truth of his substitutionary curse bearing, who himself bore 
our sins in his own body on the tree also first Peter 318 it 
should be just to your right there first Peter 318 notice 
and notice the language it's very close to Hebrews of course 
we should expect that because the Bible isn't just slapped 
together with contradictory notions and truths but rather we have 
in the 66 books of the Bible we have a corpus of infallible 
inerrant inspired truths that come to us with the consent of 
all the parts. There is harmony, there is unity, 
there is the consent of all the parts, and we have Peter affirming 
Paul here in 1 Peter 3.18, for Christ also suffered once for 
sins the just for the unjust that he might bring us to God. 
So you see there, Christ is the just, the just one, dying for 
the unjust. He bore our sins in his own body 
on the tree. He has become a curse for us. And this simply takes up, again, 
the language of Isaiah 53. If we were just to say we're 
a Christian in another nation and we didn't have a whole Bible, 
a full Bible. We had the New Testament or we 
had maybe even just a portion of the New Testament for the 
case of this example. And someone was to come to us 
and give us Isaiah 53, but not tell us it was written 750 years 
prior to the death of Jesus Christ. In fact, maybe even a little 
bit more than that. But let's say 750 years prior 
to the death of Christ, and they hand us Isaiah 53. If we were 
to read that, we would think that this is a post-crucifixion 
reflection upon the finished substitutionary work of Jesus 
Christ. But it was written as a prophecy 
750 years prior to the death of Jesus Christ. And there the 
language is absolutely striking. And it comes to us with the tone, 
with the tenor of substitution. Isaiah 53, 4. Surely He has borne 
our griefs and carried our sorrows, yet we esteemed Him stricken, 
smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement for our peace 
was upon Him. By His stripes we are healed. You see the language, this reciprocal 
language here of He and His and our and Him and that sort of 
thing. Surely He has borne our griefs 
and carried our sorrows. the language of substitution. 
Christ, in His saving work, in His purging of our sins, in His 
perfection, in the perfection of His cross work, He does so 
in a substitutionary nature, bearing the curse for us and 
bearing our sins in His own body on the tree. So the nature of 
Christ's saving work, it's a purging of sins, we see in it an expiatory 
sacrifice, a propitiatory sacrifice, we see in it a work of substitution. Secondly then, the exclusivity 
of Christ's saving work. If you can find your way back 
to Hebrews chapter 1, the exclusivity of Christ's saving work. Notice 
the simple language there, back in verse 3 of Hebrews 1, when 
He had by Himself purged our sins. We have the reality set 
forth there, of course, that we cannot save ourselves. The 
text is explicit and the text is perspicuous. Christ alone 
saves when He had by Himself purged our sins. We cannot save 
ourselves. Romans 3.19 and 3.20 tell us that quite clearly. We 
find the reality set forth there that the law comes and the law 
comes to stop the mouth of the entire world. The law shuts the 
mouths of those who would seek to say that they can in any way 
be accepted before a holy God based upon deeds wrought by holiness 
of heart or deeds wrought in the flesh. The law comes and 
it stops their mouths and and makes everyone guilty before 
God. And then Paul writes that by 
the deeds of the flesh, or by the works of the law, no flesh 
shall be justified in God's sight. We cannot save ourselves. Galatians 
2.16, we read that in morning worship last time, that we're 
justified by faith in Christ not by the works of the law for 
by the works of the law no flesh can be justified and so we cannot 
save ourselves and of course no one else can save us because 
of the universal reality of Romans 3 23 that all have sinned and 
have fallen short of the glory of God so if no one if we can't 
save ourselves And if no one else can save us, where then 
does salvation come from? When I say no one else can save 
us, obviously we know what we mean. No man can save us. No 
mere man can save us. Rather, we need the Lord Jesus 
Christ, the God-man who did come, who by Himself purged our sins. And you see, this Christianity, 
and this book, and this text, argue against any notion of salvation, 
save for salvation by Jesus Christ, and any pseudo perversion of 
Christianity that seeks to say, okay, yes, Christ, but also a 
little bit of ourselves. You see, whether in whole or 
in part, or by the most minuscule exercise of our own wills or 
of the contribution of our own works, we cannot be saved. And so the notion, it is a petty 
God and a pagan conception of deity that says man can be saved 
by himself, by an offering that he gives up, by an offering that 
someone else can do. It is a pagan deity that can 
have wrath placated by man's contributions. And we come to 
the scriptures and we have instead the pure and unrivaled presentation 
of the living and true God who is eternal, who is infinite, 
eternal and unchangeable in His holiness and in His justice and 
can only be placated, if we can use that language, but rather 
can only have that holiness and justice satisfied by a perfect 
sacrifice and only Christ offers that up. We have the exclusivity 
of Christ's saving work given to us in a couple texts that 
we ought to know if we're arguing with those who say, well, you 
know, there's many ways that someone can enter into heaven. 
Well, we come to them with John 14.6, where Christ himself says, 
I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the 
Father but by me. We come to them with Acts 4.12, 
where Peter, preaching to unbelieving Jewish religious authorities, 
says there is no other name under heaven given among men by which 
we might be saved but Jesus Christ. And so we have the reality of 
Christ being exclusive, of the exclusivity of Christ's saving 
work, when he had by himself purged our sins, Paul writes. And just as a side note, but 
related, because we're studying the book of Hebrews, if it is 
the Apostle Paul, and both Pastor Butler and I, I'll be speaking 
with Pastor Butler if he's listening. But speaking for him, we both 
believe that it's the Apostle Paul here writing the book of 
Hebrews. If that's the case, then it could very well also 
be the case that Paul is basically expanding upon the theology that 
as an unregenerate, unbelieving, blasphemous man, he heard Stephen 
preaching as he gave the assent for him to be crushed with rocks. Remember that scene, the Apostle 
Paul there in the text, Saul, a young man named Saul, is giving 
consent to the murderous execution of Stephen. He had just listened 
to Stephen basically give a concise theological presentation of the 
book of Hebrews. So here, if we have the Apostle 
Paul writing the book of Hebrews, yes, the Apostle Paul was the 
recipient of divine revelation as he's penning theological truths, 
but no doubt he'd be recalling what he heard this godly man 
Stephen argue for wholesomely before his head was crushed with 
rocks. It's a wonderful reality if this 
is the case, that Paul is writing the book of Hebrews. But getting 
back then, so we have the nature of Christ's saving work, the 
exclusivity of Christ's saving work, he had by himself purged 
our sins, And now finally, the finality and perfection of Christ's 
saving work, just as we wrap up here and look towards closing 
in prayer shortly. The finality and perfection of 
Christ's saving work. And we see that in the text at 
this very point. Well, of course, when He had 
by Himself purged our sins, if we know the reality of who Christ 
is and what His work is, that first part no doubt argues for 
the finality and perfection. but it's highlighted and it's 
stamped by what we find after purged our sins, sat down at 
the right hand of the majesty on high. We have this fact that 
Christ performs the work of salvation and its efficacy, its perfection 
is vindicated and testified by the reality that Jesus Christ 
sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high. It was a 
work of finality, and we see that again in Hebrews 7.27, in 
9.12, in 9.26, and 28. In fact, I mean, that's the point 
of the book of Hebrews, is the finality and the perfection of 
Christ's saving work. There is no need for the high 
priest to continually go in and offer up sacrifices that Paul 
says can never take away sin, but this man, Jesus Christ, has 
come at the end of the ages to render one perfect and efficacious 
sacrifice once forever and has now sat down at the right hand 
of the Majesty on high. We have this highlighted by, 
or we have the finality and the perfection of Christ's saving 
work given from his own mouth or spoken of from his own mouth 
on the cross. John 19.30. What does Christ 
say there? Three words in the English, one 
in the Greek. He says, it is finished. or tetelestai, 
the Greek word. He says, it is finished. And 
you've heard this before, and it's a remarkable thing. That 
word, tetelestai, or perhaps a variation, but that word, tetelestai, 
has been found on receipts from that era contemporaneous to the 
Lord Jesus Christ. And it's found on receipts and 
on legal documents, bringing the weight and meaning of the 
debt has been paid. And so Jesus at the cross is 
saying, in a sense, the debt has been paid. He says, it is 
finished. All of those things promised 
concerning me, I am now perfecting and completing and finalizing 
by my efficacious work upon this Roman implement of murderous 
execution. And so the perfection and the 
finality of Christ's saving work is brought out In the Bible in 
the book of Hebrews, and it's spoken of concerned by by Christ 
himself from the cross Very quickly Hebrews 725 Hebrews 725 on this 
idea which we know which we rejoice in as Christians which we rest 
upon in Hebrews 725 this idea of the finality and the perfection 
of Christ's saving work therefore Paul writes, he is also able 
to save to the uttermost those who come to God through him since 
he always lives to make intercession for them. You see Jesus Christ 
as the high priest offers up the sacrifice himself that is 
efficacious for sin, for the payment due for sins and 
the punishment for sins, he offers up that efficacious sacrifice 
and then he continues based upon the perfection of that sacrifice 
to offer up continual and perfect intercession for his people. This is what the office of the 
priest was. The priest would offer a sacrifice and he would 
intercede before God between the people and God for the sins 
of the people. Jesus Christ performs that perfect 
work. where he saves to the uttermost 
those who come to God through him since he always lives to 
make intercession for him. And the language of simple texts 
like the birth narrative of Jesus Christ or the announcement in 
Matthew 121 by the angel Gabriel, you shall call his name Jesus 
for he will save his people from their sins. The simple and perspicuous 
language in the birth narrative, Jesus Christ, this one who would 
be born, will save his people from their sins. 1st Timothy 
1.15, blessed language, this is a faithful saying and worthy 
of all acceptance that Christ Jesus came into this world, sinners 
to save. And you know, probably as we 
close, and we really will after we read this text and make a 
few seconds of comment, turn to John 10. Because here we have, 
if someone was struggling with their assurance, if someone was 
a Christian, a believer, was down, was having doubts, whatever, 
the weight of remaining sin perhaps, the stuff that our confession 
speaks of, those dark times where the spiritual rains come and 
they seem that they're at a distance from God, The most blessed, if 
I was to recommend one text in the Bible for them to go to, 
it would be John 10, 25 to 30. In fact, perhaps John 10, 14 
and 15, and then 22 to 30. Notice what John writes in John 10, 
14 and 15. I am the Good Shepherd, and I 
know my sheep, and am known by my own. As the Father knows me, 
even so I know the Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep." 
In fact, if you want one text that simply and clearly argues 
for definite atonement, for particular redemption, for limited atonement, 
it is there. I lay down my life for the sheep, 
not for the goats, for the sheep alone. And the great shepherd 
lays it down with perfection. And then notice 25 to 30. This 
is a passage of scripture that we ought to have Memorized because 
it presents the finality and perfection of Christ's saving 
work and the fact that he holds us Safely in the palm of his 
hand Jesus answered them the unbelieving Jews. I told you 
and You do not believe the works that I do in my father's name. 
They bear witness of me and But you do not believe because you 
are not of my sheep, as I said to you. My sheep hear my voice, 
and I know them, and they follow me. And I give them eternal life, 
and they shall never perish. Neither shall anyone snatch them 
out of my hand. My Father who has given them 
to me is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them 
out of my Father's hand. I and my father are one. So you 
see when we read in Hebrews concerning this great high priest who by 
himself purged our sins and sat down at the right hand of the 
majesty on high, we have that reality that Jesus Christ as 
the great shepherd died for his sheep and all the sheep are safely 
in his sovereign grip. No one, nothing can snatch them 
out of his hand. We didn't really get to it and 
we need to close in prayer, but that whole idea of Christ sitting 
down at the right hand of the Majesty on High, has to do with 
the perfection of his priestly work. You see, the earthly and 
the Jewish high priest could not sit down because the work 
was never done. He had to continually, day after 
day, or year after year, offer up those sacrifices, which again, 
can never take away sin. But this high priest, this man, 
has been offered once for all, making that perfect sacrifice. 
So he sits down and I think it also pertains to the fact that 
the father is honoring him and rewarding him in a sense for 
the perfection of his completed work. He gets a position of prestige 
at the right hand of the majesty on high because he really did 
complete the will, the work the father sent him to do. You know, 
and it is the case that, or that is the case by virtue of Christ's 
human messianic work. Obviously as God, Jesus Christ 
has all things under the sway of his sovereign majesty and 
according to his divine ownership. But as, with respect to his humanity, 
he perfectly performs his messianic work and he's brought to that 
place of honor and prestige, and it's because he has perfectly 
saved all those whom the Father had given to him. And so if we 
can rest on anything, we rest on that blessed truth that we 
read, that Jesus Christ himself purged our sins. We have the 
forgiveness of sins by virtue of the perfect work of the Lord 
Jesus Christ, and we can stand before God safely in the grip 
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Well, let's close in prayer and 
then if there are any questions, feel free to ask. God, we thank 
you for this time and your word. Please help us, Lord God, to, 
as your people, rejoice in the things of our Savior, the Lord. 
Jesus Christ. We do thank you for this blessed 
truth that he did by himself purge our sins, that he now sits 
at your right hand where he lives to make intercession for his 
people where he ever lives to do so. We thank you for the blessed 
truths of Holy Scripture. We thank you for the work of 
our Savior. We thank you that Jesus Christ's work was final 
and perfect, and that we are the blessed beneficiaries of 
that perfect saving work. And we do pray that you cause 
us daily to walk in a manner worthy of our calling by grace, 
that we might bring honor and glory to your most high name. We just pray that you go with 
us now and cause us to live righteously in this lower world, that those 
who see us, those unbelievers who see us, that they would not 
be able to blaspheme your word or bring a reproach upon the 
gospel and that, Lord God, you would use us as witnesses to 
set forth the excellence of Christ to others. It's in his name that 
we pray. Amen.