Episode Transcript
Hebrews 10
19 Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus,
20 by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh,
21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God,
22 let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
We Can Enter the Holy Place
We know that doing church is not about ritual but worship. That doesn’t mean all ritual is bad. Religious rituals are good slaves but ruthless masters in our lives. Only Christ paid the one offering for sin. No other offering will bring us close to God. Jesus did the work on our behalf.
19 Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus,
20 by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh,
Without an offering, without any religious ritual whatsoever, we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus—the new way He inaugurated at the cross when His flesh was broken for our sakes.
Consider the holy place. The holy place was a part of the Jewish Temple. To put it simply, the Temple comprised an outer court, inner court, holy place, and holy of holies. Gentiles could enter the outer court. Levites could approach the inner court. Only consecrated priests could enter the holy place. Only the high priest could enter the holy of holies once each year (cf. Exodus 25:1ff).
At first, it looks like the preacher describes believers in Jesus as only going into the holy place. Then, in verse 20, he mentions the veil that once separated the holy place from the holy of holies. When Jesus’s flesh was torn, so was the veil between the holy place and the holy of holies (Matthew 27:50-51)—profoundly symbolic, don’t you think?
There was no more holy of holies. In the threshing of the veil, the holy and most holy places were joined together. God pulled His mercy seat that was in the holy of holies up to the communion table in the holy place to feast with His people. This is the wedding supper of the Lamb. If we know anything at all about the Temple and the sacrificial system, this imagery can’t escape us.
People no longer had to rely on priests to go to the table and approach God’s mercy seat on their behalf. That’s why we don’t have priests in the protestant church today. Jesus gave the only offering that can bring us to God’s table, there is no longer any barrier between us and God. We can enter the holy place, sit, and dine with the holy God. We don’t have to worry about being purified first. We don’t have to get our lives together first. We don’t have to straighten up our acts first. We don’t have to make ourselves ready. If our faith is in Jesus, we can confidently enter. God puts no burdens on us because Jesus paid it all.
We Have a Great Priest
21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God,
The author takes this a step further. Not only is Jesus the final and only real sacrifice; He is the great priest. This word for “great” in the Greek (μεγας), can translate to the Hebrew for “high” priest. According to the author, Jesus is both the sacrifice paying for sin and the high priest serving as the only mediator between God and His people. Jesus is the holy of holies. By His wounds, we are healed.
No matter what our sin, we have confidence to enter the holy place through the veil of Christ’s flesh and sit at the table with God in Christ Jesus.
We Should Draw Near in Faith, Not by Works
22 let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
Here’s the author’s invitation. Since the price has been paid and we can go to God directly because of Jesus regardless of how messed up we are, why wouldn’t we go? Why would we stay home? Why would we get caught up in our own religion? Why would we choose to complain? There are no excuses because the veil was torn and we can draw near to God.
People often say their sin separates them from God. They see themselves as unworthy. They want to get their lives together before they approach such holy ground. While that ambition sounds admirable from a worldly perspective, it is actually a very prideful position to take. To think that I can do a better job than God at cleaning up my life is to make ourselves mightier than God and to judge ourselves harshly when God is the only one with the right to really judge us. The invitation isn’t, “Go clean up your life and then get in church.” The author is not telling us to leave our baggage at the door before we approach the throne. He isn’t telling us not to bother God with our problems. Jesus gave us access because He wants us to come. Why would we stay away? God knows the darkness in us, and He wants us to come anyway.
So, we can draw near with a sincere heart. We can bring our baggage. We can bring the dirt in our lives. We don’t have to get clean first. We don’t have to pretend to be holier than we are. God wants us to come like children. He wants us to come with the full assurance of faith—not the self-righteous pride of our works. Faith is a strong belief or trust in a person. A child doesn’t start out trying to earn his dad’s favor. A good father doesn’t require his children to earn his favor. A child has faith in his father, and a good father doesn’t constantly hold his children’s wrongs over their heads. When a child leaps into his father’s arms in faith, a good father catches his child and brings him close.
In Christ, this is how free we are with the Father. This is not burdensome religion like every worldly religious system. Christ has set us free by His sacrifice.
As a pastor, this is how I feel about my congregation. When we come to church, when we gather with the body of believers in Christ Jesus, this is how we should be toward one another. Leap in faith. Love one another. Don’t place heavy burdens on others without lifting a finger to help. Grant one another the freedom of faith we experience in Christ.
