11/16

Hebrews 9:27-28

²⁷And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, ²⁸so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

Sometimes we can become dogmatic about expressions in Scripture that we misinterpret. Some people use our passage today to prove that all people who claim to have died and returned are liars, in spite of the medical evidence. Is the author of these verses describing a general, God-appointed pattern or an unbreakable law? His point is that Jesus only needed to die once and will come again for us.

We can easily see that this is not a law by considering the numerous people in Scripture who were raised from death. Jesus raised three people. Paul and Elijah each brought a dead person back to life. Death is the general rule, but even that is not the case with Elijah and Enoch. Lazarus and others Jesus raised from death died twice. Be cautious about arguing outside the main point of a passage. Arguing about minor issues is rarely fruitful (Philippians 2:14).

The author is telling us the work of Christ bearing our sin was completed upon His death. Nothing else is needed. He never needs to pay that price again. It was a once-and-for-all act. It covered all past, present, and future sins. He will return to receive those of us who are eagerly waiting for Him.

Consider: Are you eagerly waiting for His return? It is a sign of your heart's dedication to Him above everything else in this world.