And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. (Hebrews 10:11-14, ESV [show] [11]And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. [12]But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, [13]waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. [14]For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. (ESV)
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I can think of fewer images that are more offensive to me than those portraying Christ as perpetually on the Cross. Indignation springs unbidden at the sight. Why? Because Christ is no longer on the Cross. He was offered once for all, and now sits at the right hand of the Father. He is not re-presented for sacrifice. He is no longer a “victim” — in fact, he never was. He offered himself willingly – “I lay down my life of my own accord – for I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again.” And that one offering was sufficient to completely satisfy the just wrath of the Father for all of his people for all time. There is no need for recurring offerings because there are no more sins to be dealt with legally. There is no need for recurring offerings because there is no more wrath of God toward his people.
Would you have some way to “remember” what he did? He gave us the Lord’s Supper. It is a remembrance of that cross – not a re-presentation of it. Just as the Passover meal was a remembrance of what happened in Egypt and not a re-deliverance from Egypt. Would you have some way to “remember” what he did? He gave us baptism – the symbol of our death and resurrection in and with him. What arrogance has dictated that those ways of remembrance which Christ has given us are somehow insufficient?
He conquered sin and death that day once for all of his, and once for all of time. Once! And he absolutely must be honored for his finished work. To require that he be re-presented for sacrifice is to require that his blood is not sufficient to atone (see above ). It is to say that the Father was not pleased with his one offering. It is to say that God’s wrath remains unsatisfied. He must be recognized as Christus Victor – he who reigns from the right hand of the Father in heaven.
“It is accomplished!” — so take him off of that cross!
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