Text: Hebrews 9:11–15
Cross-references: Daniel 7:13–14; John 17
Introduction: Christ’s Work in Heaven
There is, perhaps, no truth more neglected among modern believers than that of the present work of our Lord Jesus Christ. We speak, and rightly so, of His incarnation, of His death upon the cross, and of His glorious resurrection—but how little is said of what He is doing now. The average Christian lives as if Christ simply ascended and disappeared, leaving us to carry on His work. But this is not the witness of the Scriptures.
What we must understand is this: that the work of our Lord Jesus did not conclude upon the cross, nor even with the empty tomb. Rather, the Scriptures teach us that He entered into heaven itself, into the true sanctuary, as both Priest and King, to appear in the presence of God for us. And in so doing, He fulfilled the vision that Daniel saw—the exaltation of the Son of Man to the Ancient of Days (Daniel 7:13–14). This was not merely a symbolic event; it was a literal, historical, and redemptive accomplishment. And it is this, I believe, that the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews sets before us so magnificently.
Let us never forget that Hebrews is not a mere theological treatise—it is a sermon. And the preacher, inspired by the Holy Ghost, is declaring to weary, persecuted Jewish Christians the absolute sufficiency of Christ’s person and work. He wants to anchor their faith not in earthly rituals, not in outward ceremonies, not in priesthoods that fade away—but in the risen, ascended, enthroned Christ who ministers in heaven right now on our behalf.
And so I say to you: if you are a Christian and yet your conscience remains troubled, if your heart still looks for assurance, if your soul is weary in service and uncertain in faith, it is because you have not rightly understood where Christ is and what He is doing. This passage, Hebrews 9:11–15, opens heaven’s veil to us. It shows us the High Priest who has entered once and for all, securing eternal redemption. And it is this action, this moment, that Daniel foresaw and that Jesus Himself anticipated in His high priestly prayer in John 17.
Let us then begin with the prophetic vision—the foundation of all that follows.
I. The Heavenly Scene Foretold – Daniel 7:13–14
A. The Vision of Daniel: A Prophetic Mystery
Daniel was given one of the most remarkable visions in all of Scripture. He sees, amidst terrifying kingdoms and collapsing empires, a figure unlike any other—a Son of Man. This is not a beast, not a monstrous ruler like those that came before, but one like a man, yet more than a man. “I saw in the night visions,” Daniel writes, “and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him” (Daniel 7:13, ESV).
This, my friends, is not the Second Coming. This is the Ascension. The language is decisive—He is not coming from the Ancient of Days, but to Him. This is not a descent to earth, but an entrance into heaven. It is the return of the Redeemer to the presence of His Father, bearing the spoils of His conquest—the blood of the atonement, the obedience of His life, and the names of His people.
It is a royal enthronement. “And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him” (v. 14). This is no earthly kingdom, subject to time or decay, but “an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away.” And who is this Son of Man? Who is this figure who approaches the Ancient of Days in such majesty? It is none other than Jesus Christ, the Risen and Ascended Lord.
You remember how often our Lord referred to Himself as the “Son of Man.” It was not simply to emphasize His humanity—no, it was to identify Himself with this very vision. Every time He spoke of the Son of Man coming on the clouds, He was alluding to this majestic scene in Daniel. And yet, how many missed it then—and how many still miss it now.
B. The Ascension Interpreted by the New Testament
Turn, then, to Hebrews 9:11–12. What does the apostle declare?
“But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.”
Do you see it? Here is the fulfillment of Daniel’s vision. Here is the Son of Man ascending—not into the skies merely—but into the very presence of God. And what does He bring? Not a political agenda. Not angelic fanfare. He brings blood. His own blood. The blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. The blood that once and for all satisfies the righteous demands of the law.
This is not a metaphor. This is not mere symbol. This is reality. This is the high point of redemptive history. When Jesus Christ ascended, He was not merely leaving earth—He was entering the throne room of heaven as our High Priest and King. He was being presented before the Ancient of Days, as Daniel saw, and to Him was given the everlasting kingdom.
And the book of Hebrews tells us why this matters. Because He entered, we are accepted. Because He stands there now, our salvation is secure. Because He lives to intercede, we have confidence to draw near.
Let me ask you, dear friends: Is this how you think of Christ? Not as a distant figure of history, not as a crucified teacher or moral example—but as the living, enthroned High Priest, interceding for you now?
This is the very heart of Christianity—not just what Christ did, but where Christ is.
II. The Greater and More Perfect Tabernacle – Hebrews 9:11–12
Now we come to the very marrow of the passage. The apostle declares in no uncertain terms that Christ, when He appeared as our High Priest, entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, one not made with hands, not of this creation. This statement, my friends, is one of the most sublime and spiritually rich declarations in all of Holy Scripture.
What does he mean by this? What is this “greater and more perfect tabernacle”? It is none other than heaven itself. Not a tent of goat’s hair in a desert. Not a temple of stone in Jerusalem. But the true dwelling place of God. The heavenly sanctuary. The throne room of divine majesty.
The Apostle Paul says in Colossians that the earthly tabernacle was merely a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ (Col. 2:17). And again, in Hebrews 8, we read that the earthly priests “serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things.” The old tabernacle, with its golden lampstand and its ark of the covenant, its altars and its veil—these were not ends in themselves. They were signposts. Types. Shadows cast by a far greater reality.
You must understand: the entire ceremonial system of the Old Covenant was, from the very beginning, preparatory. God never intended it to be the final answer. It was never meant to cleanse the conscience or reconcile the sinner in full. It was a tutor, a teacher, to lead us to Christ.
And here in Hebrews 9, the apostle wants to shake us from any illusion that the old forms—beautiful as they were—could ever truly satisfy. He is addressing Jewish believers tempted to return to the old rituals, to the sacrifices and the temple rites. They had suffered for their faith. They were tempted to look back. And he says, “No! Christ has come, and with Him, the greater tabernacle!”
A. The Contrast: Shadows vs. Substance
Let us consider the contrast more closely.
The earthly tabernacle was made by men. It was built according to divine instructions, yes, but it was of this world—material, physical, and temporal. It could be torn down, and it was. It could be defiled, and it was. It was entered regularly by sinful priests who themselves needed atonement.
But Christ did not enter into such a place. He did not go into the old Holy of Holies, the one behind the veil in Jerusalem. No, He entered into the true Holy Place—the immediate presence of God. And He did not do so as one in need of cleansing, but as the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.
This is why the apostle emphasizes: not by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood.
Now this must be understood correctly. Christ did not carry physical blood into heaven as though offering it in some heavenly bowl. Rather, the emphasis is on the merit of that blood, the efficacy of that offering. It is by virtue of His shed blood—His completed sacrifice on the cross—that He enters. He brings the value of the blood, the power of the atonement, and that is what secures our eternal redemption.
You see, my friends, the Old Covenant was marked by repetition. The priest entered year after year, offering the same sacrifices, which could never take away sin. They could purify the flesh, yes. They could restore ceremonial cleanliness. But they could not cleanse the conscience. They could not change the heart.
But Christ has entered once for all—not every year, not again and again. Once… For all time… And in doing so, He has secured eternal redemption.
B. The True Day of Atonement
Consider for a moment the Day of Atonement, the high point of Israel’s calendar. On that day, the high priest would enter behind the veil, into the Most Holy Place. He would offer the blood of a bull for his own sin, and the blood of a goat for the people. He would sprinkle it on the mercy seat. He would burn incense. And all of this, under strict regulation, with fear and trembling, lest he die.
And yet, that entire ritual, year after year, was only pointing forward. It was never the substance—it was the shadow. What the high priest did in type, Christ has done in truth. What was enacted in symbol, He has accomplished in reality.
But oh, how much more glorious His ministry! The Old Covenant priest never sat down. There were no chairs in the tabernacle. Why? Because his work was never done. But Christ, when He had offered a single sacrifice for sins, sat down at the right hand of God. (Heb. 10:12)
Let me ask you: are you trusting in a Christ who is seated? Are you resting in the finality of His work? Or are you still laboring under the burden of a guilty conscience, as though the sacrifice were incomplete?
This is the glory of the Gospel: our High Priest is not ministering in the shadows—He is in the reality. He has entered the heavens with the merit of His own obedience and death, and He now ministers there for us.
C. What This Means for Us
Now what does all this mean practically?
It means, first, that your salvation is as secure as Christ’s position in heaven. As long as He remains there—and He shall remain forever—your redemption stands. You are not saved because you feel saved. You are not accepted because of your sincerity or your devotion. You are accepted in the Beloved because Christ has entered once for all, bearing His own blood.
It means, second, that you must stop looking to yourself. You must stop measuring your assurance by your performance. The conscience is cleansed not by introspection, not by self-effort, not by emotional catharsis—but by the blood of Christ applied through faith.
It means, third, that you may draw near. The veil is torn. The throne of grace is open. You do not need a human mediator, a priest or a pastor to represent you before God. Christ Himself is your Mediator. He bids you come boldly—not arrogantly, but confidently—because He has gone before you.
Oh, how little we make of these truths today. How often we reduce Christianity to therapy, or to moral improvement. We forget the grandeur of our redemption. But here it is, laid bare: Christ, our High Priest, has entered heaven itself, and has secured for us an eternal redemption.
“For Christ has not entered into holy places made with hands… but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.” (Heb. 9:24)
Let us marvel at this. Let us worship. Let us bow in reverent wonder. For this is the Gospel—not only that Christ died, but that He now lives and reigns as our Mediator and Priest in the heavenly sanctuary.
III. The Fulfillment of the High Priestly Work – John 17
We have looked into the heavenly tabernacle—this “greater and more perfect tent”—and we have seen that Christ has entered it not with the blood of animals, but with His own blood, thereby securing an eternal redemption. And now, before we examine more closely the blood itself, we must turn our attention to that deeply solemn and sublime passage which reveals the heart and intention of our Lord immediately before He offered that blood: John 17.
This chapter is often referred to as the High Priestly Prayer of Christ—and rightly so. It is a sacred moment, a hush before the storm. The cross lies directly ahead, yet the Lord is composed, clear, and determined. He lifts His eyes to heaven, and what follows is not mere private devotion, but a public unveiling of what is to come. This is not the weak pleading of a man at the end of his strength—this is the King-Priest declaring the completion of His mission and the inauguration of His heavenly ministry.
Indeed, John 17 is nothing less than a prophetic unfolding of what Christ will do immediately following His ascension into the heavenly sanctuary. The language is confident. The vision is certain. The Son knows the glory that awaits Him, and He gives voice to that which He shall fulfill once He ascends.
Let us consider several vital statements from this chapter.
A. “Father, the hour has come” – John 17:1
“Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you…”
The “hour” of Christ has arrived—the appointed time decreed in eternity past when the eternal Son would complete His mission on earth. And what does He ask? “Glorify your Son.”
This glorification includes the cross, yes, but it does not end there. It includes the resurrection and the ascension and the enthronement. It is the whole movement upward, back to the presence of the Father—not merely as the eternal Son, but now as the God-Man, the High Priest who bears our names upon His heart.
This is the fulfillment of Daniel 7: “One like a Son of Man… came to the Ancient of Days… and to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom.” Jesus is now setting in motion the very ascent depicted by Daniel. He is, even in this prayer, preparing to walk the path that will lead from the cross to the clouds, from the tomb to the throne.
B. “I have glorified You on earth” – John 17:4
“I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.”
Notice the past tense: “I have glorified… I have accomplished.” Though the cross lies immediately ahead, Christ speaks as though it were already complete. Such is the certainty of His obedience, the resolve of His love, and the unshakable decree of God.
The work He refers to is not merely His teaching or miracles. It is the work of perfect obedience, the fulfilling of all righteousness, and ultimately the atoning death that would satisfy divine justice.
But again, this work is not an end in itself. It is the ground upon which He shall stand as Mediator in heaven. The cross qualifies Him to enter the true Holy of Holies—not as a victim, but as a Victor; not as one to be sacrificed again, but as the Priest who has already offered the once-for-all sacrifice.
C. “Glorify Me… with the glory I had with You” – John 17:5
“And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.”
This is perhaps one of the most astonishing requests in all of Scripture. The eternal Son, having taken upon Himself our flesh, now prepares to return to the glory He shared with the Father before the foundation of the world. But now, He returns not only as God—but as the God-Man. As the second Adam, the Great High Priest, the Mediator of a better covenant.
This moment—His glorification in the presence of the Father—is precisely what Hebrews 9 reveals: that He entered not into holy places made with hands, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.
Christ, by His own death, is preparing to resume the glory of heaven—but He does so not alone. He does so bearing the names of His people, having secured our place with Him.
D. “I desire that they… may be with Me” – John 17:24
“Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory…”
Here we see the very heart of the priestly ministry. Why does Christ die? Why does He rise? Why does He ascend and intercede? It is so that we—His blood-bought people—might be with Him, to see and share in His glory.
This is not vague sentiment. This is covenantal purpose. The blood He is about to shed is not simply to pardon, but to purchase a people for glory. His ministry is not simply rescue from judgment, but restoration to communion.
This is the very end for which the blood will be spilled, and it brings us directly into the next portion of our passage.
For if Christ desires that we be with Him and see His glory, we must ask: How is that accomplished? How is sin removed? How is the conscience cleansed? How is entrance into the presence of God made possible?
The answer, as Hebrews 9:13–15 now shows us, is through the power of the blood.
IV. The Blood That Speaks – Hebrews 9:13–15
It is here that the entire argument of the epistle—and of redemption itself—comes to a head. The Son has entered heaven. The High Priest has taken His place. But on what basis? With what authority? By what means?
And the answer is given in glorious clarity: the blood of Christ.
For if the blood of bulls and goats and the sprinkling of ashes had any ceremonial effect under the old covenant, how much more shall the precious blood of the sinless Son of God cleanse the conscience, purge the heart, and prepare us to serve the living God?
“For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh,
how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God,
purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.” (Hebrews 9:13–14)
A. The Inner Work: Purifying the Conscience
Now notice carefully what the apostle says: that the blood of Christ purifies not merely the body, not the outward man, but the conscience.
My dear friends, let me say this with great clarity: a guilty conscience is one of the great hindrances to true Christian service. It robs the believer of joy, of peace, of power in prayer. It makes us timid, anxious, uncertain. And tragically, many Christians live in a condition of spiritual instability because they have never fully grasped the sufficiency of the blood of Christ.
They confess sin, but still carry shame. They sing of grace, but live under guilt. Why? Because their conscience has not been purified by the living application of Christ’s blood through faith.
Do you understand what the blood of Christ does? It speaks to your inner man. It declares, “It is finished!” It silences the Law’s demands. It hushes the accuser’s voice. It cleanses the stain that nothing else could ever reach. No ritual can do this. No good work can bring it. No philosophy can provide it.
Only the blood of the spotless Lamb, offered through the eternal Spirit, to God on your behalf, can cleanse your conscience so that you may serve—not as a slave, but as a son.
And what a transformation that is! From dead works—those futile efforts to justify oneself before God—to living worship and service. From hollow religion to spiritual communion. From dread of God to delight in Him.
This is the effectual, inward work of the new covenant, purchased by blood. And it is the necessary preparation for the Christian life—not just for conversion, but for the entire Christian pilgrimage.
B. The Mediator of the New Covenant (v.15)
“Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance,
since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.”
Now the apostle lifts our eyes higher still. Christ is not only a Redeemer—He is the Mediator of a new covenant.
And what is a mediator? It is one who stands between two parties—representing each, reconciling both. Christ is the one who bridges the chasm between God and man. He fulfills both sides: He satisfies divine justice as God, and He obeys the law perfectly as man.
And this mediation, we are told, ensures that “those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance.”
You see, this is not theoretical theology. This is intensely personal. There are a people—called, chosen, beloved—who shall, because of Christ’s blood, receive the promised inheritance. Not just forgiveness, but eternal fellowship with God. Not just rescue from judgment, but restoration to glory. Not merely escape from hell, but entrance into the very presence of God, where there is fullness of joy.
But how is this possible? “Since a death has occurred…” Yes, this is the bedrock. Christ has died—once, for all. The curse of the law has been satisfied. The transgressions of the first covenant—those countless violations of the Mosaic Law—have been dealt with. The price has been paid. The debt is cleared.
And the result? The way is opened. The inheritance is secured. The covenant is enacted.
Now understand this, dear friends: This is not some abstract transaction. This is not mechanical or distant. This is the heart of God expressed through the cross. It is love in action. It is justice and mercy meeting in the blood of Christ.
This is what Christ was preparing to do in John 17. This is what He entered heaven to proclaim in Daniel 7. And this is what the Holy Spirit now declares through Hebrews 9: that the blood of Jesus Christ purifies, redeems, mediates, and secures.
But having laid such glorious theological foundations, the apostle will not leave us in the clouds. He brings us down to earth. He now calls us to respond—not with cold assent or detached admiration—but with wholehearted, practical submission.
For if these things be true—and they are—then they demand everything from us. They demand our attention, our worship, our service, and our lives.
And so we are led, quite naturally and necessarily, into our final consideration:
V. Application and Exhortation: Living Under the Power of a Perfect Priesthood
For what is all this theology—this glory, this cleansing, this eternal inheritance—meant to produce? Is it not meant to shape the way we live? To affect how we think, how we pray, how we walk in this present evil world?
It is not enough, you see, to admire the priesthood of Christ—we must live in light of it. We must live as those whose consciences have been cleansed, whose debts have been paid, whose eternal destiny is secure.
And the New Testament never separates doctrine from duty. The indicatives of grace always lead to the imperatives of godliness. If Christ is now in heaven for us, then what should that mean for our lives now, here below?
It is to this vital, searching, and glorious question that we now turn.
Having seen the glory of the ascended Christ, the superiority of His sacrifice, and the eternal redemption He has secured through His blood, we are now confronted with a question of deep personal significance: What does all of this mean for us? What should be the effect of this glorious truth upon the daily life of the believer?
My dear friends, I fear that many professing Christians live far beneath their privileges. We affirm great doctrines, yet we live like paupers. We sing of redemption, but carry guilt like those still under the law. We hear of a High Priest in heaven, yet we often live as if we must still mediate for ourselves.
And so, the question we must answer this morning is this: How should we now live, in light of the finished work and heavenly ministry of Christ?
Let me offer three great exhortations drawn directly from the logic of Hebrews and the implications of John 17.
A. Let Us Rest in a Perfect Salvation
The first application is this: rest in the finished work of Christ. Cease from your striving. Stop your vain attempts to earn God’s favor. Lay down the weary burden of self-righteousness.
Why? Because Christ has already done what you never could. He has obeyed the law perfectly. He has satisfied the justice of God. He has sprinkled the mercy seat—not with the blood of another, but with His own—and the Father has accepted it.
Do not insult this great High Priest by doubting His sufficiency. Do not grieve the Spirit by living as though the cross were incomplete. Your salvation does not rest upon your strength, but upon His blood and righteousness.
Oh, how many Christians live under a cloud because they will not believe that Christ’s blood truly cleanses! How many continue to confess the same sin—not because they are repenting, but because they do not believe it has been forgiven.
Let the blood speak louder than your shame. Let the intercession of Christ drown out the accusations of the devil. Let His entrance into heaven assure you that you belong there too—not because of what you’ve done, but because of what He has done for you.
B. Let Us Serve the Living God with a Clean Conscience
Secondly, the apostle tells us that the blood of Christ purifies the conscience to serve the living God (Hebrews 9:14). True service flows not from guilt, but from grace—not from fear, but from joy.
We are not called to serve in order to be saved, but because we are saved. The priesthood of Christ does not make our service unnecessary; it makes it possible and acceptable.
Before Christ, the conscience is defiled. Even our best efforts are tainted. Our “righteous deeds are as filthy rags.” But now, being washed and made new, we can offer spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:5).
And so I ask you: are you serving the Lord? Are you using your gifts, your energy, your time in view of the mercy you’ve received? Have you moved beyond ceremonial religion into living worship? Does the reality of the heavenly sanctuary shape your priorities on earth?
Let it never be said of us that we loved doctrine but neglected duty. Let it never be said that we rejoiced in Christ’s intercession but failed to intercede for others. Let us rise and serve the living God with confidence—not to earn His love, but because we already have it.
C. Let Us Live in Light of the Eternal Inheritance
Finally, we are told that those who are called receive the promised eternal inheritance (Hebrews 9:15). That is our destination. That is our hope.
You see, Christ has not only purchased our forgiveness—He has secured our future. He did not enter the heavenly tabernacle merely to stand there; He entered as our Forerunner (Hebrews 6:20), preparing a place for us.
How does this affect your daily life? It means you can endure suffering with patience. It means you can resist temptation with purpose. It means you can say no to the world’s offers because you have something infinitely better.
We are strangers and pilgrims here. Our citizenship is in heaven. And one day, we shall see the Son of Man again—not coming to suffer, but to reign—not to offer sacrifice, but to claim His bride.
And when He comes, He shall not come for those who merely nodded at His doctrines, but for those who longed for His appearing—those who lived as if heaven were real, and Christ were near.
Conclusion: The Throne, the Blood, and the Call to Come
Let me end where we began. The Christian life stands upon a mighty foundation: a throne, a priest, and a blood that speaks better things than that of Abel.
Christ, the Son of Man, has ascended to the Ancient of Days. He has taken His seat at the right hand of the Majesty on high. He has entered the true tabernacle, having obtained eternal redemption.
He is the fulfillment of Daniel’s vision. He is the answer to His own high priestly prayer in John 17. And He is the one whom the author of Hebrews sets before us—not as a figure of history, but as a present and living reality.
So I ask you now, as a preacher of the gospel and as your fellow pilgrim:
- Have you fled to this High Priest for refuge?
- Has His blood cleansed your conscience?
- Are you living under the power of His intercession?
- Are you longing for the inheritance He has secured?
Do not be content with outward religion. Do not settle for cold orthodoxy or ceremonial routine. Come all the way in. Come past the outer court. Come beyond the veil. Come by the blood of Jesus into the presence of the living God.
“Let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith,
with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” (Hebrews 10:22)
And let us live—joyfully, courageously, and reverently—as those whose names are written in heaven, whose sins are covered by blood, and whose High Priest reigns forever.
To Him be glory and dominion and majesty forever and ever. Amen.
Before you go!
Would you please take a moment to pray for my dear brother and sister in Christ—Mitchell and Paige Geerts—who were just married this past weekend and are currently on their honeymoon? Pray that the Lord would shape Mitchell into a godly, sacrificial leader in their home—a true reflection of Christ, a savior to his bride. Pray that Paige would joyfully and wisely submit to his leadership and become a mother-of-life in their household—a steadfast, Spirit-filled prayer warrior for their marriage and for our church. Your prayers for them mean more than you know. Thank you for lifting them up before the throne of grace.
Reformed Faith Insights 