09/06/2026
In the Old Testament, we saw that God had made a way for His people to be purified from sin — through the blood of animals. But this only worked for a short period of time, then they would have to come back and sacrifice for their forgiveness again. In the New Covenant, we have a greater sacrifice, Jesus Himself. He is a spotless sacrifice who offered himself so that we could be cleansed — and this brings an eternal forgiveness (v.26).
Then at the end of verse 14, we see a picture as to why He offered Himself: “so that we can serve the living God.” Jesus’ sacrifice is of great benefit to us, but it ultimately isn’t about us! We are cleansed from our sins so that our hearts are properly aligned to God. This invites us into serving him with hearts that are pure. When we recognise what Christ has done, how could we not want to accept this invitation to serve the Lord with a pure heart!