1. A Glimpse at the Willing Purpose of Christ – 10:5a, 7
        1. The Willing Sacrifice – v. 5a
          1. When Christ was ready to be incarnated, standing on the threshold of Heaven talking to the Father, He indicates that He was eager to complete the plan of redemption: "Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says, Sacrifice and offering You have not desired, but a body You have prepared for Me."
          2. This plan was something that was agreed upon by the Godhead "since before the foundation of the world":
            1. The love between the Father and the Son was an eternal love – existing from before the foundation of the world – cp. John 17:24
            2. The intention was mutually agreed to from before the foundation of the world – cp. 1 Peter 1:19
            3. The efficiency of Christ’s sacrifice was assured from before the foundation of the world – cp. Revelation 13:8.
          3. There was no coercion of the Son into coming to die – He came because of a willingness and love – Ephesians 5:2
          4. Thus, the sacrifice of Christ was something that is a demonstration of the unity of God in love – a demonstration of their complete unity in rescuing men – Romans 5:8; John 15:13.
        2. The Willing Submission – v. 7
          1. The sacrifice of Jesus was a perfect sacrifice because it was offered in perfect obedience to the Father – "Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come (in the scroll of the book it is written of Me) to do Your will, O God.’"
          2. One might state: "Wasn’t it also His own personal desire?" – the answer is an unequivocal "YES!"
          3. However, it was through the obedience of Christ that He qualified to serve as the perfect substitute for our sin – he was perfected through the sufferings caused by His obedience – cp. Hebrews 2:9-10; Hebrews 5:8-9
      2. A Guarantee of the Workable Plan of Christ – 10:5b-6
        1. The Deficiency of the Sacrificial System – v. 5b
          1. There was never any real connection between a person’s sin and an animal sacrificed for that sin – merely a decree from God that He allowed it as symbolic.
          2. The sacrifice of an "amoral" animal could not bring forgiveness for a man’s moral offense against God.
          3. In addition, the people had lost sight of this symbolic representation and had fallen prey to a legalistic ritual.
          4. They had taken what was designed to be a symbol of real faith (sacrifice of an animal) and twisted it into a substitute for faith.
          5. Hence, Jesus – in His departing words from Heaven – indicates that "sacrifice and offering You have not desired" (v. 5b) and "In whole burnt offerings, and sacrifices for sin You have taken no pleasure." (v. 6)
          6. "When sacrifices were not offered in the right spirit, they could not even cover sin temporarily. They even lost their symbolic value."
          7. Mere form without content is absolutely worthless – and is in no way satisfying to God – cp. Isaiah 1:13-14.
        2. The Proficiency the Sacrificed Savior – v. 6-7
          1. What was the solution to this problem? "But a body You have prepared for Me."
          2. This body enabled Christ to be made like us – in order to represent us in a way no animal could ever do – cp. Hebrews 2:17
          3. The representation of Christ in our place was better than that of an animal – because the animal could only cover our sin and temporarily appease the wrath of God – whereas the sacrifice of Christ in our place took away our sin forever – cp. Hebrews 10:14-18.
          4. He took on a body so that He could die as a sacrifice – for it was impossible for Him to die otherwise. Therefore, through His death we are given the way to eternal life.