WHAT DOES IT MEAN THAT JESUS CAME TO DO GOD'S WILL?
Hebrews 10:1–18 — Why One Sacrifice Changed Everything
Why Did Jesus Say, “I Have Come to Do Your Will”?
We often think of God's will as something He wants us to do.
Obey His commandments. Love our neighbors. Live faithfully.
But Hebrews 10 speaks about something much greater.
It tells us that Jesus came into the world to accomplish God's will in a way that no one else could.
The writer quotes Psalm 40:
“Behold, I have come to do your will, O God.”
— Hebrews 10:7
What was that will?
And why did accomplishing it require the death of Jesus?
To answer those questions, we need to understand the problem Hebrews has been explaining throughout the letter.
1. Why Were the Sacrifices Repeated?
Hebrews 10 begins:
“For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near.”
— Hebrews 10:1
The writer is referring especially to the sacrifices offered under the Law of Moses.
Those sacrifices were commanded by God.
They were not meaningless.
But they were not the final answer to the problem of sin.
The writer calls the Law a shadow of the good things to come.
A shadow can tell us something about what is approaching. But it is not the thing itself.
The sacrifices pointed forward to something greater.
And their repetition demonstrated that their work was not complete.
Think about it.
If a sacrifice could permanently remove sin and bring worshipers into a complete relationship with God, why would the same sacrifices need to be offered year after year?
That is precisely the question Hebrews asks.
2. What Could the Animal Sacrifices Not Accomplish?
Hebrews continues:
“Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins?”
— Hebrews 10:2
The writer is not suggesting that a forgiven person would never remember having sinned.
He is discussing the continuing awareness of sin that remained under a system requiring repeated sacrifices.
Then he explains:
“But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.”
— Hebrews 10:3–4
That is a remarkable statement.
God commanded those sacrifices.
Yet Hebrews says the blood of those animals could not take away sins.
How can both statements be true?
Because the sacrifices served a purpose within the covenant God established with Israel, but they could not provide the final and complete removal of sin.
Their effectiveness was never independent of God's greater saving purpose.
They pointed beyond themselves.
And Hebrews has already explained that Christ's death provides redemption even for transgressions committed under the first covenant (Hebrews 9:15).
The sacrifices were part of God's arrangement for Israel.
But the final answer to sin was Jesus Christ.
3. “A Body Have You Prepared for Me”
Now we come to the words that give this study its title.
Hebrews 10:5–7 quotes Psalm 40:
“Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me ... Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God.’”
There is an important detail here.
In the Hebrew text of Psalm 40:6, the psalmist says, “You have given me an open ear,” or more literally, “ears you have dug for me.”
But Hebrews follows the ancient Greek translation, which reads, “A body you have prepared for me.”
The wording is different, but both emphasize the person who comes to obey God.
The writer of Hebrews applies these words to Christ.
Jesus did not come merely to add another sacrifice to the long history of sacrifices.
He came to offer Himself.
Hebrews 10:10 will make that unmistakably clear.
The body prepared for Christ was the body He would offer in obedience to God's will.
This does not mean that God was displeased with every sacrifice He had commanded Israel to offer.
The Old Testament itself explains that sacrifices without genuine obedience and faithfulness were unacceptable to God (1 Samuel 15:22; Psalm 51:16–17; Isaiah 1:11–17).
The sacrifices were never intended to replace obedience to God.
And now the writer of Hebrews shows us the One whose obedience would accomplish what those sacrifices could not.
4. What Was God's Will?
Hebrews 10:9 repeats Jesus' words:
“Behold, I have come to do your will.”
Then verse 10 explains:
“And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”
There is the answer.
In this passage, God's will is especially connected with Christ's obedient offering of Himself.
Jesus came to accomplish what the repeated animal sacrifices could not accomplish.
He offered His own body.
And that offering was made once for all.
We should be careful not to make the passage say more than it says.
Hebrews 10 is not giving us a complete explanation of every aspect of God's eternal plan.
It is explaining how Christ's obedient sacrifice fulfills God's purpose and replaces the former sacrificial arrangement.
The emphasis is not simply that Jesus was obedient in everyday life, although the New Testament certainly teaches His obedience.
The emphasis here is that His obedience led to the offering of Himself.
And through that offering, believers are sanctified.
5. What Did Jesus Take Away?
Hebrews 10:9 says:
“He takes away the first in order to establish the second.”
What are the first and second?
We must read the surrounding verses.
In verse 8, the writer lists sacrifices and offerings made according to the Law.
In verse 9, he contrasts those sacrifices with Christ's coming to do God's will.
In verse 10, he explains that God's will is accomplished through the offering of Jesus Christ.
So the immediate contrast is between the former sacrificial arrangement and the effective offering of Christ.
The writer is not merely saying that God wanted people to stop offering animals and begin trying harder to obey.
He is saying that the former sacrifices have been superseded by Christ's obedient, once-for-all sacrifice.
This fits the larger argument of Hebrews.
Hebrews 8 describes the new covenant.
Hebrews 9 explains Christ's superior priesthood and sacrifice.
Hebrews 10 shows why the former sacrifices no longer need to continue.
The first arrangement gives way to the fulfillment God intended in Christ.
Why Was the Sacrifice of Jesus Different?
We have seen that animal sacrifices could not permanently take away sin.
But why could Jesus accomplish what those sacrifices could not?
The answer involves something very important.
Sin entered the human family through human disobedience.
Romans 5:12 tells us that sin entered the world through one man, Adam.
Then Romans 5:19 explains that through the obedience of one man, Jesus Christ, many will be made righteous.
Notice the contrast.
One man's disobedience brought sin.
One man's obedience provides the answer.
But Jesus was not merely another man.
He Became One of Us
Hebrews 2:14 says that Jesus shared in our flesh and blood.
Hebrews 2:17 says He had to be made like His brothers so that He could become a merciful and faithful high priest and make atonement for their sins.
He was genuinely human.
He experienced temptation, suffering, and death.
But there was one enormous difference between Jesus and every other human being.
He never sinned.
Hebrews 4:15 says He was tempted as we are, yet without sin.
He had no sins of His own for which He needed forgiveness.
Hebrews 7:27 explains that unlike other priests, Jesus did not need to offer sacrifices for His own sins.
He Offered Himself
The animals offered under the Law had not committed the sins of the people.
Their sacrifices were commanded by God, but Hebrews 10:4 says their blood could not take away sins.
Jesus was different.
He was truly human.
He was without sin.
And He willingly offered Himself.
Hebrews 9:14 says that Christ offered Himself without blemish to God.
Hebrews 10:10 tells us that His body was offered once for all.
The sacrifice was not simply another innocent life being taken.
It was the sinless Son of God, who had become human, willingly offering Himself for human sin.
And because His sacrifice accomplished what God intended, it never needed to be repeated.
That is why Hebrews 10:12 says:
“When Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God.”
The repeated sacrifices were finished.
Christ's one sacrifice was sufficient.
Not because God had lowered His standard.
But because Jesus Christ had accomplished what no other sacrifice could accomplish.
6. Why Does Hebrews Keep Saying “Once for All”?
Hebrews 10:11 describes the work of the former priests:
“And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.”
Notice two words.
Stands.
Repeatedly.
The priests continued standing because their sacrificial work continued.
They offered sacrifices again and again.
Then the writer contrasts their work with Christ's:
“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
One sacrifice.
For all time.
And then He sat down.
That picture matters.
The former priests continued offering sacrifices.
Christ's sacrifice did not need to be repeated.
His sitting at God's right hand also points to His exalted position as the reigning Messiah, fulfilling Psalm 110:1.
It does not mean Jesus has stopped all activity on behalf of His people.
Hebrews 7:25 says He continues to intercede for them.
The point is that His sacrificial offering is complete.
No further sacrifice for sin is required.
7. Is Jesus Waiting to Become King?
Hebrews 10:12–13 says that Christ sat down at God's right hand:
“Waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet.”
This quotation comes from Psalm 110.
Some readers assume that because Jesus is waiting for His enemies to be defeated, His reign must still be entirely future.
But that is not what the passage says.
Jesus is already seated at God's right hand.
His exaltation has already taken place.
The waiting concerns the final defeat of His enemies, not the beginning of His authority.
Paul explains the same pattern in 1 Corinthians 15:25:
“For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.”
Notice the word until.
Christ reigns while His enemies are being brought under His authority.
The final enemy to be destroyed is death (1 Corinthians 15:26).
So Hebrews 10 does not describe a Christ who is waiting to receive His kingdom.
It describes the exalted Christ whose sacrifice is complete and whose enemies will ultimately be defeated.
8. What Does “Perfected Forever” Mean?
Hebrews 10:14 says:
“For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.”
This is one of the most important statements in Hebrews.
Christ's offering is complete.
Its effectiveness does not expire.
It does not need to be repeated.
But notice something else.
The writer speaks of people who are being sanctified.
The completed work of Christ and the continuing life of His people are both present in the same verse.
We should not confuse the perfection accomplished by Christ's sacrifice with the claim that Christians never sin or never need to grow.
Hebrews has repeatedly encouraged believers to remain faithful, draw near to God, and persevere.
The writer is explaining the sufficiency of Christ's sacrifice to provide the access to God that the former sacrifices could not provide.
He is not telling Christians that their conduct no longer matters.
Christ's sacrifice is complete. Our lives of faithfulness continue.
9. The Holy Spirit Confirms the New Covenant
In Hebrews 10:15–17, the writer quotes Jeremiah 31:33–34.
God promised a new covenant in which His laws would be written on the hearts and minds of His people.
And then comes this remarkable promise:
“I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”
The writer introduces this quotation by saying that the Holy Spirit bears witness to us.
This connects Christ's sacrifice with God's promised new covenant.
The new covenant is not merely a change in religious ceremonies.
It involves a changed relationship with God.
His people know Him.
His will is written upon their hearts.
And their sins are forgiven.
The writer is showing that what God promised through Jeremiah has been accomplished through Christ.
10. No More Offering for Sin
Hebrews 10:18 concludes:
“Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.”
Think about what that means.
Under the former covenant, sacrifices were offered repeatedly.
But Christ has offered Himself once for all.
His sacrifice has accomplished what the former sacrifices could not.
And where that forgiveness has been provided, no further sacrifice for sin is needed.
This is not saying that Christians never need to repent or seek God's forgiveness.
It is saying that Christ's sacrifice never needs to be repeated.
There is no additional sacrifice that can improve upon what He has accomplished.
One sacrifice. One sufficient Savior. No need for another offering for sin.
11. What Does This Mean for Us?
It is easy to read Hebrews 10 as though it were simply explaining an ancient religious system.
But the writer has a very practical purpose.
He is encouraging Christians who are in danger of turning away from Christ.
He wants them to understand what they would be abandoning.
They have something greater than the former sacrifices.
They have a high priest whose offering is complete.
They have access to God through Jesus Christ.
They have the promised new covenant.
And they have the assurance that no further sacrifice for sin is necessary.
That is why the next section of Hebrews begins:
“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus ... let us draw near.”
— Hebrews 10:19, 22
Notice the connection.
Because Christ's sacrifice is sufficient, believers can approach God with confidence.
Not confidence in their own goodness.
Not confidence in the number of religious activities they perform.
But confidence in what Jesus Christ has accomplished.
And the writer will go on to urge them to hold firmly to their hope and encourage one another.
The completed sacrifice of Christ is not an excuse for carelessness.
It is the foundation for faithful Christian living.
Conclusion — What Was God's Will?
We began with Jesus' words:
“I have come to do your will, O God.”
What did that mean?
Hebrews answers.
The former sacrifices could not bring God's people into the complete relationship with Him that He intended.
Jesus came in obedience to the Father's will.
He offered His own body.
He did it once for all.
He sat down at God's right hand.
And through His sacrifice, the promised new covenant forgiveness has been provided.
The writer's conclusion is unmistakable:
“Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.”
The work of sacrifice is finished.
The invitation to draw near to God remains.
And the question for us is not whether another sacrifice is needed.
It is whether we will trust the sacrifice God has already provided.
Before You Leave
Read Hebrews 10:1–18 for yourself.
Then consider three questions:
If the former sacrifices could completely remove sin, why did they have to be repeated?
What does Hebrews mean when it says Christ offered Himself “once for all”?
Why does the writer connect Christ's completed sacrifice with our confidence to draw near to God?
And remember the question that should guide every Bible study:
What does the Scripture actually say?
TEXT B4 TRADITION
Read First. Conclude Later.
GOING DEEPER
Three Questions Worth Examining in Hebrews 10
1. Why Does Hebrews Quote Psalm 40 Differently?
Psalm 40:6 and Hebrews 10:5
There is an interesting difference between these passages.
In the Hebrew text of Psalm 40:6, David says:
“Ears you have dug for me.”
Many English translations express the meaning as “You have given me an open ear.”
But Hebrews 10:5 reads:
“A body have you prepared for me.”
Why the difference?
The writer of Hebrews is quoting the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament, commonly called the Septuagint.
The Hebrew wording emphasizes a person prepared to hear and obey God.
The Greek wording speaks of a body prepared for that person.
Both fit the larger theme of obedience, but they are not identical statements.
We should not pretend that they are.
The writer of Hebrews uses the Greek wording to explain Christ's coming into the world and the offering of His body.
Hebrews 10:10 makes the connection explicit:
“By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”
What can we conclude?
Hebrews applies Psalm 40 to Christ and explains how His obedient offering fulfills God's purpose.
We do not need to invent a hidden meaning in the Hebrew word for ears or claim that the two versions say exactly the same thing.
We should recognize the textual difference and follow the argument the writer of Hebrews actually makes.
2. What Does Hebrews 10:9 Mean by Taking Away the First and Establishing the Second?
Hebrews 10:9 says:
“He takes away the first in order to establish the second.”
What is the first?
What is the second?
The answer must come from the surrounding verses.
In verse 8, the writer refers to sacrifices and offerings made according to the Law.
In verse 9, he contrasts those offerings with Christ's declaration:
“Behold, I have come to do your will.”
Then verse 10 explains that God's will has been accomplished through Christ's once-for-all sacrifice.
The immediate contrast is therefore between the former sacrificial arrangement and Christ's obedient offering.
The larger context of Hebrews also explains the transition from the first covenant to the new covenant (Hebrews 8:6–13; 9:15).
But we should distinguish the immediate argument from the broader conclusion.
Hebrews 10:9 directly contrasts the former sacrifices with Christ's fulfillment of God's will.
Within the larger argument of Hebrews, this belongs to the replacement of the old covenant arrangement by the new covenant established through Christ.
The writer is not simply telling people to exchange animal sacrifices for better personal behavior.
He is explaining why Christ's sacrifice accomplishes what the former sacrifices could not.
3. If Christ Has Perfected Believers Forever, Why Are They Still Being Sanctified?
Hebrews 10:14 says:
“For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.”
Notice the two statements.
Christ has perfected them for all time.
They are being sanctified.
How can both be true?
We must first ask what perfected means in Hebrews.
Earlier, Hebrews 10:1 said that the repeated sacrifices could never “make perfect those who draw near.”
Hebrews is concerned with whether a sacrifice can accomplish what is necessary for worshipers to approach God.
The former sacrifices could not accomplish that permanently.
Christ's sacrifice does.
That is why the writer says His one offering has perfected believers for all time.
The sacrifice is complete and sufficient.
But the writer also describes those people as being sanctified.
The wording connects Christ's completed offering with the people who are being made holy.
We should not assume that perfected forever means Christians have become incapable of sin.
Nor should we assume that continuing sanctification means Christ's sacrifice is incomplete.
Hebrews itself calls believers to perseverance, obedience, and continued faithfulness.
The writer is not contradicting himself.
Christ's sacrifice is complete. The lives of those who belong to Him continue.
Their confidence rests in the sufficiency of Christ's offering, not in their own perfect performance.
And that is precisely why Hebrews 10:19–22 invites believers to draw near to God with confidence.
What Do These Three Questions Teach Us?
All three examples remind us of the importance of careful Bible study.
Psalm 40 teaches us to pay attention to the wording and source of an Old Testament quotation.
Hebrews 10:9 teaches us to identify what the writer is contrasting before drawing conclusions.
Hebrews 10:14 teaches us to understand words in their immediate context rather than importing meanings from a theological system.
And all three bring us back to the same central truth:
Jesus Christ accomplished through one sacrifice what the repeated sacrifices under the Law could never accomplish.
His sacrifice does not need to be repeated.
Read First. Conclude Later.
Hebrews 10:10 already says believers “have been sanctified,”while verse 14 describes those “being sanctified.” Some may think that these verses make the difference sound like a simple contrast between a finished sacrifice and unfinished moral improvement. But, the passage emphasizes the decisive effectiveness of Christ's offering; the continuing expression in verse 14 should be interpreted within that argument.
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