Hebrews 10:19-25 (NIV) - “Therefore, brothers and sisters, 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 and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another-and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
You may have heard of some forbidden locations that exist like Area 51, Club 33 at Disneyworld, the vault at Coca Cola, but have you heard of the one called the MHP? Now that one’s not made-up, we see it described in this passage as it lists the requirements from the Old Testament of getting into the Most Holy Place (MHP) of blood, curtain, priest. Yet, this passage goes on to describe how Jesus made a way for us to enter in - He is the great priest, it is his blood that was shed, and through the breaking of his body, the curtain, we are no longer separated from God’s holy presence.
Entering the MHP was done only once a year, and can you imagine the effort placed on the preparations of the priest and those who would be in attendance? It would have included the wearing of precise clothing, cleansing rituals, restriction of activities, being physically healthy - basically your life was lived in preparation of the worship. There was no come as you are because if you did and didn’t know how to properly conduct yourself during those holy moments, you could fall dead.
But this is no longer the case as through Jesus the way has been opened for us to enter, not just one person, only once a year, but us together gathered for corporate worship. We are not dependent on a person to enter the Most Holy Place on our behalf; we ourselves enter in. Jesus has done this for us - made it possible for us to come each week in confidence to draw near to God.
In preparation for our corporate times of worship together this week, whether it be TNE, large group, Sunday worship celebration, let us thank God for this reality that we can draw near again and again and again. Let us pray for these times for encounter with the Lord and let us seek to live this week in heart/mind/soul preparation for the worship of our Lord.
-AK
