Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings. (Heb. 10:22)
The author of Hebrews connected Jesus’ sacrifice to the priestly rituals with which the Jews would have been familiar and explained how Jesus’ sacrifice fulfilled those rituals:
OT: God’s presence resided in the Holy of Holies, behind a thick curtain.
NT: We gained direct access to God’s presence (the most holy place) through Jesus’ body (torn like the curtain was torn).
OT: Only through priestly rituals could someone be declared clean and forgiven.
NT: Only through Jesus (the great priest) could anyone be declared clean and forgiven.
OT: Blood from the animal sacrifice was sprinkled as a part of the ritual that cleansed sin. NT: Jesus’ blood had the ultimate cleansing effect on hearts to rid from sin and guilt.
OT: The high priest washed himself in clean water repeatedly.
NT: The water of baptism symbolized purity once and for all.
Unlike the rituals of the Old Testament, which had to be performed over and over again with each new sin, Jesus’ sacrifice was the ultimate sacrifice for all people and all time. Jesus revolutionized the system for forgiveness and for entering God’s presence. He sacrificed everything so that we would have a new confidence, compelling us to become more intimate with him.
Take hold of the confidence available through Christ’s sacrifice.
Andrea Summers is a teacher, pastor, writer, advocate, and campus pastor/dean of spiritual formation at Indiana Wesleyan University.
© 2021 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
