Once and Done

By Pastor Chad

The gospel is, at the very least, the good news of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I don’t think we ever graduate beyond the gospel; in fact, it is good to be consistently reminded of the transformative power of the sacrifice of Christ. Though all Christians understand the basics of the gospel, none can fully comprehend its depth and beauty. It is a mystery saints of old have pondered and studied, yet no one has ever grasped the complete impact of the gospel. If we were to learn something new about the gospel every day for all eternity, we would never run out of new truths to learn. 

On Sunday morning, one of my principal focuses was that the sacrifice of Christ is sufficient. The sacrifice that Christ offered on the cross was suitable to redeem the souls of mankind. It satiated the atoning need of humanity and satisfied the wrath of the Father. Jesus’ death is enough. What this means is that we do not need to accomplish anything else; Jesus did it all. We do not need to appease God with good works. Our works could never accomplish what Jesus’ work did. We do not need to continue to offer sacrifices; these were “but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities…” (Hebrews 10:1). The impact of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross is so powerful and transformative that its potency can accomplish what nothing else can.  

There are few passages in all of the New Testament that are as succinct about the inability of animal sacrifices to save mankind than Hebrews 10:4. There the author of Hebrews is clear when he writes “it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” The author’s point is that only the sacrifice of the Spotless Lamb of God can take away the sins of the world. If Jesus’ death was not sufficient, then His blood is not enough. Yet, the author of Hebrews says we are made holy “through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Hebrews 10:10). His death was the necessary work needed to pay for the sins of the lost.  

Additionally, I argued that Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross is definitive. Christ offered Himself “once for all” time and now His atoning work has been completed. When Jesus exclaimed, “It is finished!” on the cross (John 19:30), He was declaring the atoning work was accomplished.  Yet, His suffering was a one-time act that has eternal consequences for all who come to Him. If you and I had to pay the punishment for our sin, our judgment would be eternal. Jesus suffered temporarily, so that all who call upon His name would not be eternally judged for their sins. His death has such capacity that the sins of believers are wiped away. We can offer nothing to make the death of Christ any better. All our works are but filthy rags. But the redemptive work of Christ is so effective, that its influence is forever.