The Atonement

Sermon on Hebrews 4:14-5:1-10, Belgic Confession Article 21 - The Satisfaction of Christ, Our Only High Priest, for Us. Lords Day September 15th, 2024 - Trinity Reformed Church

Hebrews 4:14-16 (NKJV) 14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast [our] confession. 15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all [points] tempted as [we are, yet] without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

We believe that Jesus Christ is ordained with an oath to be an everlasting High Priest, after the order of Melchizedek; and that He has presented Himself in our behalf before the Father, to appease His wrath by His full satisfaction, by offering Himself on the tree of the cross, and pouring out His precious blood to purge away our sins, as the prophets had foretold. For it is written:
He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and numbered with the transgressors
; and condemned by Pontius Pilate as a malefactor, though he had first declared Him innocent. Therefore, He
restored that which he took not away
, and
suffered, the righteous for the unrighteous
, as well in His body as in His soul, feeling the terrible punishment which our sins had merited; insomuch that
his sweat became as it were great drops of blood falling down upon the ground.
He called out:
My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
and has suffered all this for the remission of our sins.
Wherefore we justly say with the apostle Paul that we know nothing
save Jesus Christ, and him crucified; we count all things but loss and refuse for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord
, in whose wounds we find all manner of consolation. Neither is it necessary to seek or invent any other means of being reconciled to God than this only sacrifice, once offered, by which
he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified
. This is also the reason why He was called by the angel of God, JESUS, that is to say, SAVIOUR, because He would
save his people from their sins.