Dying Once for All

 

Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. (Hebrews 9:23–28 ESV).

 

The letter to the Hebrews is so rich in meaning. Today we come to a passage that is particularly well known and often quoted. The writer says after death follows judgment. He explains it quite matter-of-factly: “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many.” (v. 27).

 

After a person dies, neither he nor anyone else can present an offering for that individual’s sin that could alter his destiny. Death ends a person’s opportunity to change his or her position in life; there are no second chances. Nor does anyone die repeatedly, as taught in reincarnation. A person’s earthly life is closed at death, and everyone’s eternal destiny is determined and fixed during his or her life here on Earth. From this thought springs a sobering reminder: death irreversibly places people in either heaven or hell based on their relationship to Jesus.

 

Death is an “appointment”. Everyone dies. Scripture records only a few exceptions. First are Enoch and Elijah. They were taken directly to heaven (cf. Hebrews 11:5; 2 Kings 2:11). Second, there will be a generation of believers who will not experience death but will be taken directly to heaven at the Rapture of the church (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:51–52; 1 Thessalonians 4:17). And Scripture also mentions people who died twice: Lazarus, who was resurrected and died a second time (cf. John 11:43–44), and the people who were resurrected at the time of Jesus’ crucifixion (cf. Matthew 27:52–53). All others have or will die.

 

Our reading today teaches that Christ was sacrificed one time and died once for the sins of mankind. His was a final act that cannot be repeated or reversed. This was a major consideration for the Jewish believers being addressed in Hebrews, as they compared Christ’s sacrificial death with the teachings of the Levitical system.

 

Christ’s appearance for believers is mentioned three times in Hebrews 9:24–28. His first appearance was on Earth to become a once-for-all sacrifice by bearing mankind’s sin on the cross (v. 26). His second appearance was to minister as our Advocate in heaven (v. 24). His third appearance will be at His Second Coming (v. 28). As believers, we have much for which to be thankful. Jesus Christ purchased our redemption, removed our sin forever, restored us to fellowship with God the Father, advocates for us in heaven, and has promised us an eternal inheritance at His Second Coming. He died once forever defeating death! Hallelujah, what a Savior!