Only a Shadow of What's Coming
10 1 For the law has only a shadow of the good things to come — not the true form of these realities — and so can never make perfect those who draw near by offering the same sacrifices year after year without end. 2 Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers, once cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins. 3 But in these sacrifices there is a yearly reminder of sins. 4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. 5 Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; a a v5 These words from Psalm 40 are placed on the lips of Jesus as he came into the world — the Son entering a prepared body to do our Father's will. 6 in burnt offerings and sin offerings you took no pleasure. 7 Then I said, 'Look, I have come — in the scroll of the book it is written of me — to do your will, my Father.'" b b v7 When Jesus quotes Psalm 40 to describe his coming into the world, he is addressing the Father — these are the Son's own words to the One who sent him.
8 When he said above, "Sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor take pleasure in them" (these are offered according to the law), 9 then he said, "Look, I have come to do your will." He takes away the first to establish the second. 10 And by that will we have been made holy through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
11 Every priest stands day after day ministering and offering again and again the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But this one, having offered a single sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of our Father, 13 waiting from that time until his enemies are made a footstool for his feet. 14 For by one offering he has perfected for all time those who are being made holy. 15 And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us; for after saying,
16 "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says our Father: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,"
17 He then adds, "And their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more."
18 Now where these are forgiven, there is no longer any offering for sin.
Confidence to Come Home
19 Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, c c v20 The curtain sealed off the Temple's most holy room; Jesus' flesh is the new curtain, torn open so we walk straight in. 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of our Father, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in the full assurance of faith, our hearts sprinkled clean from a guilty conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold firmly to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to spur one another on to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another — and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
26 For if we keep on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27 but only a terrible expectation of judgment and a raging fire that will consume the adversaries. 28 Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled the Son of our Father underfoot, treated as unholy the blood of the covenant that made him holy, and insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know the one who said, "Justice is mine; I will repay," and again, "Our Father will judge his people." 31 It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living Father. d d v31 Our Father is the living God whose hands hold both fierce love and inescapable justice — fearful indeed to fall into them after rejecting his Son and outraging his Spirit.
32 But remember the earlier days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, 33 sometimes being publicly exposed to insult and affliction, and sometimes standing side by side with those treated this way. 34 For you suffered along with those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your possessions, knowing that you yourselves had a better and lasting possession. 35 So do not throw away your confidence; it holds a great reward. 36 You need endurance, so that after you have done the will of our Father you may receive what he has promised. 37 For yet "in a very little while, the coming one will come and will not delay; 38 but my righteous one will live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul takes no pleasure in him."
39 But we are not among those who shrink back and are destroyed; we are among those who have faith and preserve their souls.