The Blood of Bulls, Goats, and Sheep would Never be Enough

 The Shadow and the Substance

Scripture: Hebrews 10:3–10

“But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins... Then He said, ‘Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.’ He takes away the first that He may establish the second. By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” (Hebrews 10:3–4, 9–10)

Imagine trying to clean a stain with something that only hides it temporarily. That’s what the Old Testament sacrifices did. They were never meant to fully remove sin—but they pointed to the One who could.

The Incomplete Nature of Old Testament Sacrifices (vv. 3–4):

Hebrews reminds us that every sacrifice offered under the old covenant—every bull, every goat—was not a solution, but a reminder of sin. Every Day of Atonement, every offering, brought the same message: We are still guilty. We still need cleansing.

Why? Because “it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.” These animals were substitutes, but not equal ones. They bore the symbolic weight of sin, but they could not bear the true punishment it deserved.

The Purpose Behind the Sacrifices:

If they could not remove sin, why did God command them?

Because they were shadows of the substance to come. They were object lessons, preparing God’s people to understand the seriousness of sin and the need for a greater sacrifice. The law was never the end goal—it was a tutor leading us to Christ (Galatians 3:24).

These rituals created a spiritual longing. They taught the people to wait for the Messiah—the one who would not just cover sin, but remove it.

Christ’s Perfect Obedience and Sacrifice (vv. 5–10):

Into this story steps Jesus. He says, “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You have prepared for Me.” Christ came not to repeat the old system, but to fulfill it. He is the perfect, willing sacrifice—once for all.

By doing the will of the Father, Jesus replaces the shadow with the reality. His obedience, His offering, His death is the one true act that sanctifies us—makes us holy and acceptable before God.

The Final Remedy

The old sacrifices were reminders, not remedies. They pointed to a deeper need and a deeper grace. In Jesus, that grace has come. And now, we no longer look to altars and animals—but to a cross and a Savior.

Let us never forget: we are not saved by repeated rituals but by a once-for-all Redeemer.

More: Lesson 6 Understanding Sacrifice