July 20 - Christ's Will

July 20 - Hebrews 9:16-28 - Christ's Will

A covenant, a will, a testament ... these things are all quite similar. But for a will to be in force, a death must have occurred.

The author begins by showing us the importance of a blood sacrifice to not only consecrate the tabernacle, but to cleanse everything within it and the people of Israel. I think that it is difficult for many of us to understand the implications of sin. Under the sacrificial system, sin necessitated a death. Life was so important and the lives of the animals that were cared for by the Israelites were important. Life is important to God.

When we sin, the only way to reconcile that sin is with a sacrifice ... a death. The daily and yearly sacrifices that the Israelites made reminded them over and over again of the importance of their sin. It was not something they could take lightly, when they saw the life blood being drained from an animal. That life blood was shed as payment for their transgression.

We no longer see that intimate relationship between our sin and the loss of life. And it worries me that I sometimes have no concept of the depth of meaning behind Christ's sacrifice for me. I can only be grateful for it.

Under the old system, sacrifices had to occur each year, but it was only copies of heavenly things that were being purified. Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary, He entered heaven itself (Hebrews 9:24). And because of the magnitude of His sacrifice, He doesn't need to offer Himself year after year to purify the world.

Christ's sacrifice was made once so that all of the sin on earth could be purified. This sacrifice took away the sins of many people. And when He comes again, He will not be here to bear our sin - that has already occurred. He will bring salvation.

Come quickly, Lord Jesus!