Every priest stands daily at his ministry, offering frequently those same sacrifices that can never take away sins. 12 But this one offered one sacrifice for sins, and took his seat forever at the right hand of God; 13 now he waits until his enemies are made his footstool. 14 For by one offering he has made perfect forever those who are being consecrated. 15 The holy Spirit also testifies to us, for after saying: 16 “This is the covenant I will establish with them after those days, says the Lord: ‘I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them upon their minds,’” 17 he also says: “Their sins and their evildoing I will remember no more.” 18 Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer offering for sin.
The priestly service performed daily offered sacrifices that could not take away sins. Jesus, who replaced the many priests, offered himself as one, eternal, unrepeatable sacrifice for sins and is now enthroned in heaven at God’s right hand. Many priests under the Law stand daily offering ineffective sacrifices, but the one Jesus offered the perfect sacrifice and sits at God’s right hand; ‘The Lord says to my lord: “Sit at my right hand, while I make your enemies your footstool (Ps. 110:1).”’ He awaits the fulness of his sovereignty when all his enemies will be made subject to him; “Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to his God and Father, when he has destroyed every sovereignty and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death (1 Cor. 15:24-26).”
Through his one sacrificial offering, Jesus has made those who are being sanctified perfect forever and given them access to the Father. Part of the oracle of Jeremiah is quoted (Jer. 31:31-34) to show the prophecy of a New Covenant by the Holy Spirit has been fulfilled and God will remember the sins of believers no more because he has forgiven them.
Almighty
God, we offer you a sacrifice of praise in thanksgiving for all you have done
for us, and we desire only to be steadfast in our faith and effective in our stewardship
of the Gospel. This we pray through Christ
our Lord. Amen!
Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.
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