While verse 27 of Hebrews chapter 9 is sometimes used as a counter-example to the idea of reincarnation, I think that it is just mentioning something that was known to be true. It’s part of a larger thought, though.
Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
Hebrews 9:27-28 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/heb.9.27-28.NIV
If Christ’s sacrifice was somehow only good “retroactively”, as I often consider the sacrifices at the tabernacle to be (i.e., paying for sins already committed); then, at the end of time, He would have to die for our sins again, in order for them to be covered. However, His blood already covers our sins for all time, so His return will not need to be for atonement (i.e., paying for our sins), but for the salvation of those of us who have already been justified (i.e., pronounced righteous) before God.
Although Jesus died, He lives again. And, at the “end of time”, He will bring His followers into His “fold” (to use a shepherding term) and live with them forever. When we die, at the “end of time”, we will face the consequences of our choices: whether we’ve chosen to pay for our sins ourselves (reaping the penalty of them), or whether we have accepted Jesus’ payment for our sins (reaping the rewards of what we have done for Him).
So, for those who have accepted Jesus’ sacrifice for their sins, even when things are tough on this earth, chapter 9 reminds us that we can eagerly look forward to when Jesus returns.
For a sports team, we might say “one and done” as a bad thing, when a team can’t repeat their championship victory the next year. We might talk about “one-hit wonders” in music (although many musicians would probably appreciate even one Top 10 hit in their careers). When it comes to our salvation, though, and our covenant relationship with God, praise Jesus that His one-time sacrifice was all that we needed: it was “One and Won!”
From Sunday School lesson prepared for March 15, 2026
References:
- Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
- The College Press NIV Commentary – Hebrews, by Jim Girdwood and Peter Verkruyse. © 1997 College Press Publishing Co.
