Should One Man Die To Save Many?

 

John 11:46-53 KJV; 5th Sunday in Lent; Jesus sacrificed his life on earth that many might live.

In The Order Of Melchisedec

Hebrews 5:1-10; 5th Sunday of Lent; The last High Priest in the order of Melchisedec and Jesus is his name.

Jesus As High Priest

Psalm 110:1-4; KJV; 4th Sunday in Advent/Christmas Eve.

Forgiven And Forgotten

The Curtain Was Torn

And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour.

And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst.

And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.

Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man.

And all the people that came together to that sight, beholding the things which were done, smote their breasts, and returned.

And all his acquaintance, and the women that followed him from Galilee, stood afar off, beholding these things.

                                                                            (Luke23:44-50 KJV)

Rip! The sound of the temple curtain being torn in two. Do you recall how St. Mark described what happened after Jesus' baptism? "And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him" (Mark 1:9-12) 

I was taught, as a young person, that the tearing of the curtain temple at Jesus' death meant that we now all have direct access to God. We are free to directly communicate and relate with and to God. The High Priests are no longer needed to stand between us and God. As Jesus died on the cross for us, he freed us from our sins so that we are now worthy to come before God. That is good news!

But, there is more... When a door is open it opens both way. We are indeed free to enter through that door even as that he who was on the other side of the once closed door comes to be with us. 

Behind the temple curtain was the Holy of Holies; God's earthy dwelling place. The tearing of the temple curtain signifies that with Christ's death, God's dwelling place on earth is no longer understood to be contained to a specific place. His dwelling place; his Kingdom, rushed out into the world as Jesus breathed his last breath and as the temple curtain was torn in two.

Jesus's message and the message he instructed his disciples to share was to repent "for the kingdom of God is at hand." (Matt 4:17; Matt 10:6-8)

The Kingdom of God is truly at hand. Live in it!

God's Peace - Pr. J

Covenant of Love

For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:

And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.

For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.

                                                                               (Heb 8:10-12 KJV)

Thanks be to God for the new covenant in Christ!

Jesus established the new covenant making the old one obsolete. The old covenant consisted of law. It consisted of what we must do. In following the law; although, we often try, we all fail miserably. So, in His wisdom and love God, sent His Son, as high priest, to make the ultimate sacrifice for us establishing a new covenant between God and man.

This new covenant is not about what we must do; but, what God has done for us. 

Thanks be God for His love and mercy is great!

God's Peace - Pr. J