•Monday, April 05, 2010
"Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God's inner sanctuary. Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal High Priest in the order of Melchizedek." Hebrews 6:18-20 NLT
As we celebrate the atoning death of Jesus and his miraculous resurrection, the emphasis is often on the long-term benefit of our salvation with little thought to the implications for the present. With Jesus' sacrifice, he purchased our eternity with God. We are no longer condemned as sinners! This is something to celebrate!
But there were changes that went into effect immediately upon Christ's death. It was established in Leviticus 16 that once a year the High Priest would enter into the Holy of Holies and make atonement for the people through the sacrificing of bulls and goats. When Jesus died, he achieved this once and for all, and the curtain in the temple that separated the Holy of Holies was torn in two, from top to bottom. As if the hand of God had reached down and opened the door for us to enter into his presence.
We often take it for granted that we have immediate access to the throne of God through prayer. Wherever we are--whoever we are--we can communicate directly with the Creator of the Universe. We do not need to rely on a priest to annually make us right with God. Jesus hears both our confessions and our cries for help.
When we feel adrift in the chaos of life, we have this hope as "a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls." We are never alone. Jesus hears our prayers.
As we celebrate the atoning death of Jesus and his miraculous resurrection, the emphasis is often on the long-term benefit of our salvation with little thought to the implications for the present. With Jesus' sacrifice, he purchased our eternity with God. We are no longer condemned as sinners! This is something to celebrate!
But there were changes that went into effect immediately upon Christ's death. It was established in Leviticus 16 that once a year the High Priest would enter into the Holy of Holies and make atonement for the people through the sacrificing of bulls and goats. When Jesus died, he achieved this once and for all, and the curtain in the temple that separated the Holy of Holies was torn in two, from top to bottom. As if the hand of God had reached down and opened the door for us to enter into his presence.
We often take it for granted that we have immediate access to the throne of God through prayer. Wherever we are--whoever we are--we can communicate directly with the Creator of the Universe. We do not need to rely on a priest to annually make us right with God. Jesus hears both our confessions and our cries for help.
When we feel adrift in the chaos of life, we have this hope as "a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls." We are never alone. Jesus hears our prayers.
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