A Perfect Love
Opening Prayer
Good Lord, these passages sometimes seem pretty hard for me to understand. Help me by Your Spirit, I pray.
Read Hebrews 9:11-22
[11] But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation. [12] He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. [13] The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. [14] How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! [15] For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance-now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant. [16] In the case of a will, it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, [17] because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living. [18] This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood. [19] When Moses had proclaimed every command of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves, together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people. [20] He said, “This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep.” [21] In the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies. [22] In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. All rights reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of International Bible Society.
Reflect
What is required in order for there to be forgiveness?During the year we buy presents for family birthdays. We don’t do that because of any law. We do it out of love. In the tabernacle, the priests had to make sacrifices in order to obey the law. How does that compare with Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross (12)? On the Day of Atonement, the high priest sacrificed many animals in order to fulfill the law (13). Remember the word used for “covenant” here also means a will, and that only comes into play when the maker of the will dies (17). So Jesus offered up his own blood to make us pure before God (13,14). Have we become so used to talking about blood sacrifices that we no longer think of the horror? When the high priest went into the Holy of Holies, he sprinkled the blood of a bullock, and later a goat, onto the mercy seat. Imagine what this looked like. There were no cleanup crews. The evidence of man’s sin remained there, staining the wood, forever. Have we become so used to the picture of Christ on the cross that we’ve forgotten the horror of Calvary? Yet because of his resurrection, the stains of our sins are gone–forever.
Apply
Ponder the questions in the paragraph above. Then ponder the wonder of the stain of your sins gone forever!
Closing prayer
Give Jesus your thanks today that he willingly gave up his life for you, out of his great love.
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