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Redemption through His Blood
Hebrews 9:11–28 explains why Christ’s priestly work is greater than earlier sacrifices. The writer compares old covenant blood rituals with Christ’s own blood, his single offering, and his future appearing.
Understanding the passage
The setting of these words
In this teaching passage, the writer moves step by step through priesthood, cleansing, covenant blood and sacrifice. The argument begins with Christ as high priest, then explains redemption and conscience, recalls blood in the first covenant, and ends with Christ’s once-for-all offering, human death and judgment, and his appearing again.
Hebrews 9:11–28Main takeaway
Hebrews 9:11–28 teaches that Christ’s own once-for-all sacrifice brings eternal redemption, cleanses the conscience, and leads to his future appearing for those waiting for him.
Follow the letter’s teaching
Open a card to explore the full explanation and its Bible references.
01Christ entered with his own bloodChrist is presented as high priest of the coming good things. The passage says he came through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands and not of this creation.
Explanation
Christ is presented as high priest of the coming good things. The passage says he came through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands and not of this creation. Unlike offerings using goats and calves, he entered once for all into the Holy Place through his own blood and obtained eternal redemption.
02His sacrifice cleanses deeper than outward ritualsThe writer says animal blood and the ashes of a heifer could sanctify to the cleanness of the flesh.
Explanation
The writer says animal blood and the ashes of a heifer could sanctify to the cleanness of the flesh. Christ’s blood is then shown as greater. Through the eternal Spirit he offered himself without defect to God, and his blood cleanses the conscience from dead works so that people may serve the living God.
03Death and blood are central to the covenantChrist is called mediator of a new covenant because a death has occurred for redemption from transgressions under the first covenant, so the called may receive the promised eternal inheritance.
Explanation
Christ is called mediator of a new covenant because a death has occurred for redemption from transgressions under the first covenant, so the called may receive the promised eternal inheritance. The writer then uses a will to show why death is necessary and recalls Moses sprinkling blood on the book, the people, the tabernacle and ministry vessels.
04Christ was offered once and will appear againThe passage says copies of heavenly things were cleansed with these sacrifices, but Christ entered heaven itself to appear before God for us, not a hand-made holy place.
Explanation
The passage says copies of heavenly things were cleansed with these sacrifices, but Christ entered heaven itself to appear before God for us, not a hand-made holy place. He did not offer himself often, but once at the end of the ages to put away sin. People die once and then face judgment, and in the same argument Christ was offered once and will appear a second time to save those eagerly waiting for him.
Questions to explore
Pause, look back at the verses and talk together.
01What contrast does the passage make between earlier cleansing and Christ’s cleansing?
Look at the difference between cleanness of the flesh and cleansing the conscience to serve the living God.
02Why does the writer bring in the example of a will or testament?
The example explains why death is necessary in connection with the new covenant and the promised inheritance.
03How do verses 27 and 28 strengthen the point that Christ was offered once?
Notice the comparison between people dying once and then judgment, and Christ being offered once before appearing again.
Read the Bible passage
World English Bible ClassicScripture quotation · Public domain
Hebrews 9:11–28
11But Christ having come as a high priest of the coming good things, through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation,
12nor yet through the blood of goats and calves, but through his own blood, entered in once for all into the Holy Place, having obtained eternal redemption.
13For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled, sanctify to the cleanness of the flesh,
14how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without defect to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
15For this reason he is the mediator of a new covenant, since a death has occurred for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first covenant, that those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.
16For where a last will and testament is, there must of necessity be the death of him who made it.
17For a will is in force where there has been death, for it is never in force while he who made it lives.
18Therefore even the first covenant has not been dedicated without blood.
19For when every commandment had been spoken by Moses to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of the calves and the goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people,
20saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which God has commanded you.”
21He sprinkled the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry in the same way with the blood.
22According to the law, nearly everything is cleansed with blood, and apart from shedding of blood there is no remission.
23It was necessary therefore that the copies of the things in the heavens should be cleansed with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
24For Christ hasn’t entered into holy places made with hands, which are representations of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us;
25nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest enters into the holy place year by year with blood not his own,
26or else he must have suffered often since the foundation of the world. But now once at the end of the ages, he has been revealed to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
27Inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once, and after this, judgment,
28so Christ also, 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.