When Christ Came into the World (Hebrews 10:5–10)

Christmas Day comes once a year, and for Christians, this day means something more than traditions and gifts, as wonderful as those things can be. Christmas reminds us of the birth and thus in incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ. He became flesh to die for you and me. Hebrews 10:5–10 reminds us of these truths.

Hebrews 10:5–10 (ESV)

⁵ Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said

“Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired,
but a body have you prepared for me; ⁶ in burnt offerings and sin offerings
you have taken no pleasure.
⁷ Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God,
as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’ ”

⁸ When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), ⁹ then he added, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second. ¹⁰ And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Christ came into the world (Hebrews 10:5a).

The Gospels add detail to our Christmas clause, “when Christ came into the world” (Heb 10:5). Matthew 1–2 recalls His royal genealogy, His worship by the wise men, and His divine protection from the murderous Herod. Mark leaves out the birth of Jesus but knows He was “the son of Mary” (Mark 6:3). Luke 1–2 interweaves birth narratives of John and Jesus, complete with extended praises from key characters. John takes us back to eternity past— the Word who was with God is Christ, the Light who came into the world, the Word who became flesh, and the Son who makes the Father known (John 1:1–18).

Christ came to die for us (Hebrews 10:5b–10; cf. Psalm 40:6–8).

The author of Hebrews quotes Psalm 40:6–8 as the words of Christ to identify the purpose of His coming. Christ knew that the one thing most important was a commitment of the whole person to the Father’s will as written in His Word—more important than sacrifices and offerings (Heb 10:5–7). So, as Hebrews 10:8–10 explains, the Father did not desire sacrifices and offerings from His Son because the Son would offer His own body for our sins. By faith in Him, we find a once-for-all cleansing from sin that sets us apart unto God forever. 

Christ came to take us to God (Hebrews 10:19–25).

Hebrews 10:11–18 explains further the glories of Christ as our High Priest, ending with a handful of imperatives for the whole passage up to this point.

• First, we must draw near to God in worship through Christ because of the salvation He wrought for us (Hebrews 10:19–22).
• Second, we must hold fast our confession of Him, and we can because God holds our salvation secure (Hebrews 10:23).
• Third, we must edify and encourage one another in the faith, and urgently so as the day of our Lord’s return is closer than before (Hebrews 10:24–25).

Christ came into the world to die for us, but He came to take us to God. He was a Baby in a manger, but also the Man who hung on a cross. He died, but the Father raised Him up and brought Him to His throne.

Believe in Christ, draw near to God through Him, hold fast your confession in Him, and encourage others who do the same. He is coming again one day!

Merry Christmas!

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David Huffstutler is the pastor of First Baptist Church in Rockford, IL. He blogs here, where this article first appeared. It is republished here by permission.

Image by Jeff Jacobs from Pixabay