John Calvin Commentary Hebrews 10:11

"And every priest indeed standeth day by day ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, the which can never take away sins:" — Hebrews 10:11 (ASV)

And every priest, etc. Here is the conclusion of the whole argument: the practice of daily sacrificing is inconsistent with and wholly foreign to the priesthood of Christ. Therefore, after His coming, the Levitical priests, whose custom and settled practice was to offer daily, were deposed from their office. For it is the nature of contrary things that when one is established, the other falls to the ground.

He has until now labored enough, and more than enough, in defending the priesthood of Christ. The conclusion, then, is that the ancient priesthood, which is inconsistent with this, has ceased, for all the saints find full consecration in the one offering of Christ.

At the same time, the word τετελείωκεν, which I render “has consecrated,” may also be rendered “has perfected”; but I prefer the former meaning, because he deals here with sacred things.

By saying, them who are sanctified, he includes all the children of God; and he reminds us that the grace of sanctification is sought elsewhere in vain.

But lest people imagine that Christ is now idle in heaven, he repeats that He sat down at God’s right hand; this phrase denotes, as we have seen elsewhere, His dominion and power. There is therefore no reason for us to fear that He will allow the efficacy of His death to be destroyed or to lie buried; for He lives for this purpose, that by His power He may fill heaven and earth.

He then reminds us, in the words of the Psalm, how long this state of affairs is to continue: even until Christ lays all His enemies prostrate. If, then, our faith seeks Christ sitting at God’s right hand and rests quietly on Him as He sits there, we will at last enjoy the fruit of His victory. Indeed, when our enemies—Satan, sin, death, and the whole world—are defeated, and when the corruption of our flesh is cast off, we will triumph forever together with our Head.