Show Notes
In this powerful episode of Peaceable and Kind, host Derek Vreeland takes a deep dive into the Book of Hebrews to explore its profound insights on atonement, the cross, and the redemptive mission of Jesus. During this season of Lent, we focus on what the death of Jesus truly means, how it rescues us from sin, and why understanding atonement through a biblical, Old Testament lens transforms our faith.
Derek unpacks key passages from Hebrews that reveal how Jesus, as our High Priest, fulfills and surpasses the Old Testament sacrificial system. He explains how Jesus’ sacrifice was once for all, breaking the power of sin and death and opening the way for us to experience God’s presence like never before.
If you’ve ever wrestled with the meaning of atonement, struggled with misconceptions about God’s nature, or wanted a clearer biblical understanding of the cross, this episode is a must-listen.
Key Takeaways:
The Book of Hebrews gives us a powerful biblical imagination for understanding the cross, sacrifice, and atonement.
Jesus is our High Priest, offering His own blood to cleanse us from sin and secure our redemption forever.
The cross isn’t about satisfying God’s wrath—it’s about God’s radical love breaking the power of sin and death.
Forgiveness of sins restores our covenant relationship with God and marks the beginning of a new creation.
Through Jesus’ sacrifice, we can boldly enter God’s presence, free from guilt and shame.
The cross is the end of all sacrifice—Jesus’ death fulfilled and completed the old system, bringing true reconciliation.
Scriptures mentioned in this episode:
Hebrews 1:1-3 – Jesus as the radiance of God’s glory
Hebrews 2:14-17 – Jesus breaks the power of death
Hebrews 8:6-7 – The new and better covenant
Hebrews 9:11-14 – Christ’s sacrifice purifies us forever
Hebrews 10:19-22 – Jesus opens the way into God’s presence
Preorder Derek’s new book, Incarnation: 8 Lessons on How God Meets Us here: https://amzn.to/42jSZAs
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Transcript
Narrator: Welcome to Peaceable and Kind, the podcast where we explore the transformation. Power of living out Jesus’ call to peace and kindness in our everyday lives. Each week your host, Derek Vreeland, will delve into the stories, scriptures, and practical steps that help us embody these essential Christian virtues.
Derek Vreeland: Welcome back to another episode of Peaceable and Kind. I am your host, Derek Vreeland. And I’m so glad that you have joined me for this episode during the season of Lent. And if you haven’t already, would you consider leaving a rating or review? That does help the podcast channel. And if you find value in Christian content like this, would you consider sharing this episode or share another episode with a friend? We are in the season of Lent and we are focused on the cross because Lent is a season Where we journey with Jesus over 40 days towards Jerusalem, towards the cross. And in the season of Lent, we often will fast or we give something up. Maybe you’ve done that. Maybe you have given up something for Lent. Now, normally we keep those things secret, but I’m willing to share with you that for this Linton season, I’ve simply given up sweets and desserts and candy and those kind of things. Now if you don’t know me, I do have a sweet tooth. I do if I see candy, I want to eat it. I might be 50 years old, but I have the appetite of an eight-year-old. And so for this season of Lent, I’m giving that up. No candy, no sweets, and the tradition of fasting or giving things up. Is so that during this time we can in a very small way enter into and identify with the sufferings and sorrow of Jesus So Jesus began his public ministry by spending forty days in the wilderness where he was tempted by the devil. During that forty day period he fasted, ate no solid food. And that became a bit of a template for the season of Lent. Lent is 40 days before Easter, not including the Sundays. And so for 40 days we fast or give things up. So I’ve given up sweets, and it is difficult because there are sweets in the house. I opened one cabinet in our kitchen and there’s a bag of MMs and every time I see it, I’m like, nope. I’m giving that up for Lent. Now, the tradition also says that on Sundays you can enjoy whatever you are giving up or fasting. Because every Sunday, even the Sundays during Lent, it’s a mini celebration of the resurrection So, whatever you are doing through the season of Lent, I hope it is causing you to draw near to Jesus because during Lent we want to be Christ-focused and we want to be cross-focused. So here on Peaceable and Kind through the season of Lent, we have this series focused on the cross, and we’re looking at different places. Throughout the scriptures that teach us and reveal to us things about the cross. On today’s episode, we are going to spend time in the book of Hebrews I’ve often found in books on the cross that many writers don’t emphasize Hebrews perhaps as much as they should. I think if we’re going to understand with clarity and depth what the cross means and how the death of Jesus rescues us and saves us from our sins, I think that we need to have a biblical imagination about the cross, about sacrifice, and about the atonement. And when I say a biblical imagination, what I really mean is an imagination that’s shaped by the Old Testament. Sometimes I see people emphasizing elements of the atonement that are more connected to atonement theories. and theological discussions around the atonement. And I’m all for it. I think doing good theology around atonement is important. But I think instead of viewing the cross through the lens of all the many different atonement theories, I think it’s most important to understand the cross. And read what New Testament writers say about the cross in the context of the Old Testament I think to have a Old Testament imagination, that is a Jewish imagination, around the themes of atonement helps us to understand what the New Testament writers are saying. And no book in the New Testament more clearly leans on the metaphors and motifs of the Old Testament. Than the book of Hebrews. Now, the author of the book of Hebrews is a bit of a mystery. We don’t know who wrote this book. But the church from the very beginning has seen the book of Hebrews as a part of our holy scriptures. And the writer of the book of Hebrews draws upon Old Testament language and imagery. in such an important way that today what I want to do is walk through quite a number of verses in the book of Hebrews to show you atonement in this book And again, the word atonement is simply a word that means how the death of Jesus rescues us or saves us from our sins. So let’s start at the beginning, Hebrews chapter 1, verse 1, and I’ll be reading today from the New Living Translation This is a newer modern translation of scripture, and it’s what I’m reading from every day. In fact, after my morning Bible reading recently, I went into the book of Hebrews and just did a quick read through the book, underlining and highlighting the passages I’m going to share with you today. Because I wanted to take a bit of a deep dive into what Hebrews says about the atonement, about the death of Jesus. So this came out of just my morning Bible reading. Now I’m going to throw a lot of scripture references at you from Hebrews, but all of the scripture references will be in the show notes, so no need to write those down. But let’s get started. Chapter 1, verse 1. And I’m going to read Hebrews 1, verses 1 through 3. Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. And now, in these final days, He has spoken to us through His Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son He created the universe The sun radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven. I love the opening of Hebrews because it points us to Jesus. This very opening announces that Jesus radiates God’s glory, that Jesus expresses the very character and nature of God. So when we want to know what God is like, we look at Jesus. And there is this quick line that when he cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in a place of honor This is speaking of the cross, and you’re going to see this theme all throughout the book of Hebrews, that what the death of Jesus, what atonement means, is atonement is a cleansing, of our sin. Let’s move on to chapter 2. In Hebrews 2, and I’m going to read verses 14 through 17, we read this. Because God’s children are human beings made of flesh and blood, the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil who had the power of death. Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying. Pause for just a moment. I’m going to continue reading in just a second. But these verses are extremely important. It tells us that Jesus became a human being. That Jesus became a real human being just like us. He was made flesh and blood. And he became a human being that he might be our human representative, because only a human could die And in the death of Jesus, again, this is cross atonement language, that in the death of Jesus, he broke the power of the devil, that is, the power of death. The problem for which the cross becomes the solution is not so much God’s need for punishment that God had to punish someone Rather, the problem for which the cross is the solution is sin and death. And here in Hebrews 2, verses 14 and 15, Death is the problem. Death is the enemy. We are enslaved to death, and we are enslaved to the fear of dying. I appreciate the message translation of Hebrews 2. 15, where it says that we are that Jesus has set free everyone who is scared to death of death. But let’s keep reading. Verse 16. We also know that the Son did not come to help angels, he came to help the descendants of Abraham. Therefore it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful high priest before God. then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people. Here the writer of Hebrews introduces the concept of the high priest. And this will be a recurring theme through Hebrews, that Jesus is our high priest. Now this draws upon the Jewish language of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement You can read about that in Leviticus 16. On the Day of Atonement, the high priest would make atonement for his sins, and that he would enter the holiest place of all, the holy of holies And there was the Ark of the Covenant, where the glory of God would rest. And on the lid of the covenant, of the Ark of the Covenant, the high priest would sprinkle blood. And in sprinkling blood, that blood would cleanse Israel of their sins. It would take away their sins So in Hebrews 2, what we see is that atonement, the death of Jesus, rescues us from our sins by taking it away. This is very similar to what John the Baptist said in John 1. 29, where John the Baptist saw Jesus coming and declared, Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Jesus was our sacrificial lamb. He was sacrificed on a Roman cross. And according to John the Baptist in John 1. 29, his sacrifice was to take away our sins, which is exactly what the writer of Hebrews says in Hebrews 2. 17. Let’s move on to Hebrews 8. In the eighth chapter of Hebrews, again we see this theme of Jesus as the high priest. Let me read for you Hebrews 8, verses 6 and 7. But now Jesus, our high priest, has been given a ministry that is far superior to the old priesthood For he is the one who mediates for us a far better covenant with God based on better promises If the first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no need for a second covenant to replace it. Here the writer of Hebrews is saying that Jesus as our high priest offers himself as a sacrifice, a blood sacrifice. And that this blood sacrifice is renewing the covenant or establishing a new covenant. In the Old Testament, the Old Testament prophets, many of them would talk about a coming day when God would enact a new covenant. And in the Old Testament and in the ancient Semitic world, covenants were established through blood sacrifice. So when we see Jesus in his sacrificial death on the cross, Hebrews 8 is showing us that that death is a way of Jesus enacting a new covenant In fact, a better covenant based on better promises. And Jesus Himself reveals this In Matthew 26 and verse 28, Jesus is with his disciples for that final meal, the Last Supper. And in Matthew 26, 28, Jesus he holds up the cup. And he says, this is my blood of the covenant poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. Jesus, even before his death, was enacting the new covenant. And so in speaking of of the wine, which eventually would become for us communion wine. This was establishing the practice of the Lord’s Supper or Holy Communion. Jesus was saying that my blood is the blood of the covenant. Poured out for the forgiveness of sins. And the forgiveness of sins was not just a matter of individuals who had done individual wrong, but the ancient people of God Recognized that it was because of their sin, particularly the sin of idolatry, injustice, immorality, that had led them into exile. And so by the day of Jesus the ancient people of God had returned to their ancestral homeland, but they were under the boot of the Roman Empire. There was still this occupying force. So there was a sense that the exile was still continuing. And so forgiveness of sins was a signpost to mean your sins are forgiven and exile is over. We are now entering into a new covenant. Hey friends, I wanted to pause for just a second to let you know that my next book, Incarnation, Eight Lessons on On how God meets us is available for pre-order. This Bible study is for individual devotional use or for small group discussion. Link to pre-order is in the show notes. Let’s move on to the next chapter, chapter 9. Let me start by just reading verse 5 Above the ark were the cherubim of divine glory, whose wings stretched out over the ark’s cover, the place of atonement. Remember the lid of the Ark of the Covenant was called the mercy seat. The Greek word is Hilesterion. It’s the place where atonement was made Now skip down to verse 11, Hebrews 9. Let me read verses 11 and 12. So Christ has now become the high priest over all the good things that have come. He has entered that greater, more perfect tabernacle in heaven, which was not made by human hands and is not part of this created world. With his own blood, not the blood of goats and calves, he entered the most high place once for all time and secured our redemption forever Jesus has become the sacrifice that ended all sacrifice. Remember Jesus taught us that he did not come to abolish the law and the prophets. He didn’t come to abolish the law which included the way to carry on the sacrificial system. But Jesus did teach that he is the fulfillment of the law and the prophets, that he is the termination point. He is the summation of the law and the prophets. So Jesus, as our high priest, in enacting this new covenant, is the sacrifice that ends all sacrifices. So there will be no more need for blood sacrifice because Jesus entered into the holy place to sprinkle his own blood one time for all and for all time. Skip down to verse 14, Hebrews 9, 14. Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences. from sinful deeds, so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the Eternal Spirit Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. Again, we hear that purifying language here in Hebrews 9. A part of what the blood of Jesus does is it Purifies our consciences so that we have a conscience that’s formed according to the values of God’s kingdom and new creation. Now I want to stay here in chapter 9, but move down to verse 20. Let me read Hebrews 9. 20 through 22. Then he said, This blood confirms the covenant God has made with you, and in the same way he sprinkled blood on the tabernacle, and on everything used for worship. In fact, according to the law of Moses, nearly everything was purified with blood, for without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. So here again we see that the blood of Jesus is reestablishing the covenant. The need for forgiveness was necessary To restore the relationship between God and people. So again, the blood of Jesus purifies us. There’s a purifying effect. And this forgiveness we experience re-establishes our covenant relationship with God. Move down to verse 24. For Christ did not enter into a holy place made with human hands, which was only a copy of the true one in heaven. He entered into heaven itself to appear now before God on our behalf. Yes, the death of Jesus is, we could call it substitutional in the sense that what Jesus did, he was not atoning for his own sins. Because he himself was without sin. What Jesus was doing, he was doing for us. Jesus suffered death so that in one sense we don’t have to. Let’s move down to verse 26, and I’d like to read verses 26, at least the second half of 26, and 27 and 28. But now, once for all time, he has appeared at the end of the age to remove sin by his own death as a sacrifice And just as each person is destined to die once, and after that comes judgment, so also Christ was offered once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. I know the writer of Hebrews is being repetitive, but I think whenever scripture repeats itself, it’s trying to get our attention. And here we again see these metaphors, these pictures, that the death of Jesus, it removes our sins, it takes away our sins. Now, we have to continue on in chapter 10. Let me read Hebrews 10, verses 4 and 5. For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. That is why when Christ came into the world, he said to God, You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings, but you have given me a body to offer. The writer of Hebrews here is quoting from Psalm 40, Jesus came to take away our sins because the ancient sacrificial system. that shed the blood of bulls and goats, couldn’t really remove sin from us. But Jesus’ offering, his offering of his own blood, takes sin away from us. Now look at Hebrews ten, verses nine and ten. Then he said, Look, I have come to do your will. He cancels the first covenant in order to put the second into effect. For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all time. So we’re made holy. That is, we’re purified from our sins. Sin is removed and we’re made holy. We’re made sacred and Set apart. We’re made holy, and this holiness empowers us to be covenant partners with God Then look at verse 14. For by that one offering he forever made perfect those who were being made holy We are being perfected. And that word perfection doesn’t mean flawlessness. It means mature by the blood of Jesus Alright, let’s wrap it up here in Hebrews chapter 10, verses 19 through 22. And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s most holy place because of the blood of Jesus By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the most holy place. And since we have a great high priest who rules over God’s house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts, fully trusting Him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. I love this passage in Hebrews 10 because it’s a microcosm of the big story that the Bible is telling. And that is, God desires to be with people. In the Old Testament, it was only one male high priest, Because the high priests were men, only one man, one time a year, could enter into this most holy place where the presence of God was known. But here in Hebrews 10, we learn that by the blood of Jesus we are washed, mind, conscience, and body. We have been washed so that we can enter into that place and experience the presence of God. So the death of Jesus is restoring our covenant relationship with God so that we can know God personally, that we can know God up close and personal. The presence of God with God’s people is one of the primary themes that the Bible is telling from the very beginning in Genesis in creation. Where God is with Adam and Eve, walking with them in the cool of the day, all the way to Revelation 21 the second to last chapter in the Bible, where it speaks of the holy city, the new Jerusalem coming from heaven to earth, where God wipes away tears, and there’s no more pain, there’s no more death. And in Revelation 21, there’s this beautiful picture of God with God’s people forever. This is the big story that the Bible is telling that God wants to be with us. And so Jesus is God, come in human form, John 1. 14, that said, the word became flesh and dwelt among us. And I’m a huge fan of the message translation of John 1. 14 that says the word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood. In Jesus, we see God’s desire to be with us. God saw us in the mess we were in, and God didn’t stand far away and aloof. But God has come to us. God has moved into the neighborhood. And Jesus, who is the word made flesh, who is God with us, Emmanuel. Jesus came to be with us, to live among us, and ultimately to die once for all, creating this new and living way to God. That all of us, through faith in Jesus, can live with this God who wants to be with us. And I find that a beautiful picture. Well, today was really a Bible study. This episode was a Bible study, and I hope you found it enlightening, informative, and I hope that it causes you to fall in love with Jesus even more. Well that’s all we have for today. Thank you for joining me for this episode. Go in peace and be kind.
This transcript was generated with AI and may contain errors.