Let All the People Worship Jesus - Part 771

"For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities: but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:15-16)

Author Patrick Hamilton once wrote: "The Law saith, Where is thy righteousness, goodness, and satisfaction? The Gospel saith, [Jesus the] Christ is thy righteousness, goodness, and satisfaction!" The author offers a synopsis of the significance between the old and new testaments in the Bible -- oft referred to as covenants. Unfortunately, too many times, church organizations and theological teaching institutions want to teach primarily from the old testament -- and in so doing, neglect the greatest love story ever shared with humanity. That is, the same God who created us in the beginning loved us so much that He took it upon Himself  to shed His precious blood on a cross in order that you and I might have everlasting life. Through His grace and mercy, we can fully receive His intended blessings on our life -- by believing on Jesus the Christ. We can be forgiven once and for all by the same God who knew us from the womb -- the same God who fearfully and wonderfully made us -- because the Word that was God became flesh. (John 1:1-18, Psalm 139:14)

For those who may not be aware, there is a vast difference in the teachings and ordinances between the old covenant and the new covenant in the Bible. The former is primarily about man's fall from paradise, and the implementation of the Law and the Ten Commandments. Remission of sin was made through a blood sacrifice. In the inner court of the temple in Jerusalem, in the Holy of Holies was the Ark of the Covenant. Once a year, the high priest would go in and offer atonement for the sins of the people. Separating the Holy of Holies from the rest of the temple was a very thick curtain, known as a veil. 

But as we know from the Old Testament, the perfection that should have emerged from Law and Commandments did not happen. Indeed, the human condition was not improving. Hebrews 7:11 states: "If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the Law) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec and not be called after the order of Aaron?"

This is the crux of the issue. "For there is verily a disannulling for the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof for the law made nothing perfect." (Hebrews 7:18-19) Nothing was made perfect by the law. Regardless of a human willingness to obey the 10 commandments, the human race failed miserably. "For the law makes men high priests which have infirmity." (Hebrews 7:28) Even then, "all had sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23)

"But the bringing in of a better hope did, by the which we draw nigh unto God ... by so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament. And they truly were many priests because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death, but this man because He continueth ever hath an unchangeable priesthood -- wherefore He is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them. For such an high priest became us -- who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens -- who needeth not daily as those high priests to offer up sacrifice, first for His own sins and then for the people's; for this He did once, when He offered up Himself." (Hebrews 7:19-28)

In other words, when Jesus died on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins, the curtain -- "The veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom." (Mark 15:38) Herein, God was essentially saying, I have made a way for you to directly enter the Holy of holies by believing on Jesus through His precious blood shed on the cross. No longer can our sins be forgiven by men or priests, but instead, we can personally take hold of the promises of our Lord God and Saviour. We can enter into a personal relationship with the Most High. The new covenant is all about Jesus being the "only" mediator between God and man. (I Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 12:24-29)

"For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. For finding fault with them, He said, "Behold, the days come," saith the Lord, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah -- not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, because they continued not in my covenant and I regarded them not," saith the Lord, "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." (Hebrews 8:7-12)

In that He saith, "A new covenant He hath made the first old -- now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away." (Hebrews 8:13) There was no other choice. "For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh, how much "more" shall the blood of Christ, through the eternal Spirit offer Himself without spot to God -- purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this cause He is the mediator of the new testament -- that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament -- they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance." (Hebrews 9:13-15)

The greatest love story ever told -- so that you and I can walk in the cool of the day with our Lord God and Saviour. Praise Jesus! Stand in the offering plate.