Recently I was in Chattanooga, Tennessee—the hometown of my friend. He told me, “You have to go up to Lookout Mountain.”
So I did.
Walking through Chattanooga, I was already impressed by the city—the world’s longest pedestrian bridge, the steepest incline railway, the scenic Tennessee River. But going to the top of Lookout Mountain changed everything.
Suddenly, I could see far beyond life on the ground—jets landing, birds soaring, the vast expanse of Tennessee stretching beyond what I ever could have imagined from the streets below.
That’s exactly what Hebrews 10 does for Easter.
“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, 18
This passage takes us to the top of the mountain, revealing what was happening in heaven after the resurrection. And for the original readers of Hebrews, this higher perspective couldn’t have come at a better time.
They were suffering. Persecuted. Tempted to abandon their faith. Fearful for the future.
Can you relate to that picture? Maybe your heart is under a cloud. Maybe winter lingers inside, even though spring is in the air.
The writer of Hebrews lifts their eyes to see what they could not see. And in doing so, he makes one powerful point: The plan worked. The path has been paved.
The Pre-Easter Fix
From the beginning, sin created a problem. In the Garden of Eden, when Adam and Eve rebelled, sin entered the world. It spread like a virus, passing down from generation to generation. It separated humanity from God.
So God established a priesthood. Priests stood between God and people, offering sacrifices day after day to hold back God’s judgment.
Hebrews 5:1 says, “Every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.”
This system required:
• Hundreds of priests
• Endless sacrifices
• Constant standing, constant working, constant atonement
But there was a problem—it never permanently removed sin.
“Every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.” (Hebrews 10:11)
It was never finished. The priests stood because their work was never complete. They kept sacrificing, kept working, kept atoning—but sin remained.
Then, everything changed.
The Eternal Solution
One priest came. One sacrifice was offered. One final atonement was made. Not Many Sacrifices, but One
“But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God.” (Hebrews 10:12)
The many sacrifices were replaced by One perfect sacrifice.Why does This matter? First, Jesus was the Perfect Sacrifice. The Old Testament required spotless lambs, but even they were still part of a fallen world. Jesus, the perfect Lamb of God, was completely untainted by sin. Conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, He was fully God and fully man.He succeeded where Adam failed. He obeyed where we disobey. And because of that, He was the only sacrifice that could truly take away sin.
Secondly, Jesus was a permanent sacrifice. The priests had to stand daily. They kept working. Jesus lived, died and rose again. He finished the work.
Then he sat down.
Three of the most powerful words in Hebrews 10. He. Sat. Down.
Why? Because the work was done.
When Christ rose from the grave, He ascended into heaven, walked into the presence of the Father, and sat down.
The plan worked. The sacrifice was accepted. Salvation was secured.
Securing Our Homecoming
Because Christ sat down:
• Our forgiveness is secure. No more sacrifices needed.
• We have an Advocate in heaven, interceding for us.
• He is preparing us to follow Him home.
Maybe today you feel uncertain, anxious, weighed down by fear. Maybe you never expected your life to look the way it does right now.
This is what you need to know: Christ sat down for you.He’s in heaven holding onto you, even when you feel too weak to hold onto Him. You will make it home
.Not because you’re strong, but because He is strong enough to carry you there.
And if today, you’re realizing that you’ve never trusted this Savior, that you’ve spent your life trusting the shadow instead of the substance, then let today be the day you see the reality of Christ.
Because He is risen, seated, interceding—and waiting to bring you home.
Photo by Daniel Wyatt on Unsplash
