“But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes Judgment, so 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.” Hebrews 9:26-27 (ESV)

What happens to us when we die? Does anyone know? This is a question many people are concerned, some worry a great deal about it, others obsess over ideas of a destination after death. We know there is a destination and we know the way, the truth, and the life that will get us to God. With the observation we have in these verses, the realities of what is to come in our after-life, come into focus. We humans are sinful creatures. We were born in that state and we all are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment. That is a promise we need to take very seriously. But the danger of this is turned aside by the fact that Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people. We can notice the word “once” and what it tells us. It emphasizes the finality and the singleness of Christ’s sacrificial work.  The law that Christ came to fulfill stood in contrast as the Levite Priests repeated their sacrifices over and over. We also note the promise that, the “once”-sacrifice of Christ compares with the “once”-death of each person. 

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