“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.” (NIV)

Imagine the day has finally arrived. The one day of the whole year that the High Priest can enter the Holy of Holies. Incense burns and the fragrance ascends to heaven. The bull and the goat have been killed. The blood is ready for the mercy seat. Dressed all in white, the high priest can go behind the curtain to offer animal sacrifices for himself and all the sins of Israel.  

‍

What must it have been like to enter the Most Holy Place on that one day each year? I imagine it was not with joy, but with holy fear, that the high priest carried out his important duties for all the people to have atonement, to be made right with their holy God. One slip-up and the priest could die for not obeying the rules God had laid out for that all-important sacrifice. In fact, priests had died before. The sons of Aaron, who was one of the first men God called to be a priest, both died because they brought unauthorized fire into the temple. God had a warning for Moses that is recorded in Leviticus 16: “The LORD said to Moses: ‘Tell your brother Aaron that he is not to come whenever he chooses into the Most Holy Place behind the curtain in front of the atonement cover on the ark, or else he will die. For I will appear in the cloud over the atonement cover.’” It was so dangerous to be in God’s presence because of sin, but then, many generations later, a new high priest made the ultimate sacrifice of himself.

These past few weeks if you’ve been following along in Hebrews, you’ve seen how God sent Jesus to provide a way for people to be cleansed of their sin. Chapter 6 tells us our hope “goes all the way into the Most Holy Room behind the curtain. He went there to open the way ahead of us. He has become a High Priest forever.” And chapter 7 says, “The law didn’t make anything perfect. Now a better hope has been given to us. That hope brings us near to God.”

‍

The thick fabric curtain of the Holy of Holies was torn from the top to the bottom, meaning it was not done by human effort. God took away that separation so that we may come BOLDLY, Scripture says: boldly before the most high and holy God. I can scarcely wrap my mind around this profound truth. Men in the temple had trembled to cross that barrier, but now Christ has made a way to be in God’s presence unafraid. Now we are the temples, and the Holy Spirit lives in us. Ultimate and complete forgiveness and freedom is available. It is finished. That kind of complete atonement for sin changes everything, our relationships, our worship, our service, our daily life and our final destination.

‍

How can you let Christ’s sacrifice and resulting forgiveness change an aspect of your life? What have you not yet surrendered to his transformative power? Draw near to God boldly because our hearts have been cleansed and our bodies made pure by the sacrificial death of the Lamb, in whom we have full assurance in faith.

God, today we praise you for your holiness! You are set apart, and we are unworthy as sinners to be in your holy presence. But your Word tells us that we can come boldly before you because of the blood of your Son Jesus. How humbled we are that you extend forgiveness to us, no matter what we have done or will do. Our high priest has opened the way of life to us, and we are eager to receive that gift and long to be with you forever. We pray in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.