Tony Evans Teaches On HebrewsParaugs

Do you remember layaway? Layaway is an agreement in which the seller of an item holds it for a customer until that customer pays for the full price for the item in installments. The customer would pay a little bit here and a little bit there and would keep doing this until all the necessary payments were paid for the item. However, sometimes a customer would never make all the payments, and the item would never be secured.

There is an important yet overlooked fact concerning the Day of Atonement in the Old Testament. When the priest went into the Holy of Holies, in order to sacrifice an animal to atone for the sins of the people, there was no chair. You will not find a chair in the description of the tabernacle. There was no place for the priest to ever sit down. Why? Because his work was never finished. This was a task he repeated over and over again. It was God’s layaway plan. The priest had to atone for sins here and atone for sins there. But he could never make the payment in full. There was no permanent solution to the problem of sin in the Old Testament.

Right away, the book of Hebrews sets the focus on Jesus Christ and His uniqueness to encourage us not to give up. We see Jesus is the heir of all things, the creative power and exact representation of God, the sustainer of life and the perfect atonement for our sins. After He finished His work of redemption by dying as our sin bearer, He rejoined the Father in heaven, and He sat down. Once Jesus died on the cross, a chair entered into heaven because this did not ever have to be repeated again. It was once for all. Let me put it another way. The book of John says Jesus’ last word was tetelestai, which means “it is finished.” Why would Jesus say that? Because the debt was paid in full and our salvation was secured.

How does Jesus’ last words encourage you?