Jesus' Superiority to the Sacrifices in the Old
Testament

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Question
How was Jesus' sacrifice for sin superior to the sacrifices offered in the Old Testament?
Answer
In chapter ten of Hebrews, there's a long section on the Old Testament sacrifices, and the emphasis is on the priest having to repeat the sacrifices again and again because they do not finally take away sin. But the perfect sacrifice of Christ is also extolled and held up for us to ponder and to consider. For example, here in chapter ten the contrast is made – this is verse eleven: "Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duty; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God." The great emphasis there is on the finished work of Christ providing full atonement for sin through his saving death on the cross, and therefore his sacrifice never needs to be repeated.

Answer by Rev. Dr. Simon Vibert

Rev. Dr. Simon Vibert is Senior Pastor of Christ Church Virginia Water, England, and the former Vice Principal and Director of the School of Preaching at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford.