11 But Christ has appeared as the high priest of the good things that have happened. He passed through the greater and more perfect meeting tent, which isn’t made by human hands (that is, it’s not a part of this world). 12 He entered the holy of holies once for all by his own blood, not by the blood of goats or calves, securing our deliverance for all time. 13 If the blood of goats and bulls and the sprinkled ashes of cows made spiritually contaminated people holy and clean, 14 how much more will the blood of Jesus wash our consciences clean from dead works in order to serve the living God? He offered himself to God through the eternal Spirit as a sacrifice without any flaw. 15 This is why he’s the mediator of a new covenant (which is a will): so that those who are called might receive the promise of the eternal inheritance on the basis of his death. His death occurred to set them free from the offenses committed under the first covenant. 16 When there is a will, you need to confirm the death of the one who made the will. 17 This is because a will takes effect only after a death, since it’s not in force while the one who made the will is alive.
Reflection
In Jeremiah Chapter 31 Jeremiah prophesied that the Lord would make a new covenant with his people that would be unlike the covenant made with their ancestors who were led out of Egypt. The new covenant would be put into the people’s minds, written on their hearts and they would know him directly.
In the book of Hebrews the author describes the Definitive Nature of Christ’s Work, 9:11 – 10:18. The work of Christ as high priest contrasts dramatically with that of the temple rites. Christ’s atoning work on the cross secures an eternal redemption. Christ’s blood purifies the conscience – the inner person. The eternal Spirit, The Holy Spirit, are the agency of the accomplishment of God’s saving will through Jesus.
In Jeremiah 61:1-2 there is a joyful proclamation, “The Lord God’s spirt is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me. He has sent me to bring good news to the poor, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim release for the captives, and liberation for prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and a day of vindication for our God, to comfort all who mourn.” These words are used by Luke in chapter 4:18-19, when Jesus is in Nazareth, stood up and read verse 21, saying to all present today, this scripture has been fulfilled, just as you have heard it.
Jesus came to do the will of God through his atoning death. He did this by offering his body. The finality of Jesus’ act is seen in that this is a one-time, single offering, for all time. No further sacrifice is necessary.
Later this week we will lament what we cannot imagine, the pain of the cross. And then, having experienced that loss, we can rejoice in the prospect of healing, strengthening and peace.
by Clarence Beverage
For Pondering & Prayer
At this season, when we are trying to be introspective, I am humbled by times I can remember when someone did something for me that made a change in my life. When I was 14 years old I got a Novice Class Amateur Radio license because my uncle, who worked for RCA as an engineer, suggested to my parents, when I was 8 years old, that they should give me an electronics kit for Christmas. In between those years I built a transmitter from a kit and could not get it to work. My dad knew a man who owned a radio TV repair shop who volunteered to figure out why it did not work, no charge, but he made me sit beside him for hours until he found my mistake. I did not know it then, but that lesson in sticking to it until you find the answer, has been a lifelong inspiration.
Don’t you wonder how the disciples matured from needing to be taught values to carrying the values Jesus taught them so valiantly?
Would they have been able to achieve what they did without seeing, first-hand, the selfless way that Jesus gave up his earthly life and opened their eyes to life eternal?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, through your Spirit, we pray for the humble heart that you exemplified in your life. We are so grateful for all that you have done and the love that you have available for us and that we can ask for others. We thank you for the ability to understand, at least partially, all that you do for us and ask for the ability to ever grow in your word. Amen
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