Hebrews 10:19-22
In many ways, this short passage acts as summary of
everything that the writer of Hebrews has laid out in the preceding nine
chapters. In essence, the death of Jesus has inaugurated a new stage in history
and fundamentally changed the way in which humanity is now able to relate to
the living God. It’s a rich passage full of meaning and yet, to appreciate
fully what the huge implication of what the writer is saying, we need to
understand something of the first century Jewish temple
The temple was made up of various areas, the Holy of Holies
being the most sacred of these, understood as the dwelling place of God
himself. It was the inner sanctuary where, as we read in chapter 9, only the
High priest was allowed once a year to offer sacrifices. A thick curtain would
have separated this area, from the rest of the temple signifying the separation
between an awesome, Holy God and sinful man.
And yet the writer of Hebrews here is outlining the full
implication of the death of Jesus. Now, all of us, not just a select few,
through the blood of Jesus can have confidence to ‘draw near to God’, to ‘enter
the Most Holy Place’. Just as the thick curtain was torn in torn on that first
Good Friday, so now God and man need no longer be separated. We need not
approach God with fear and trembling; instead, ‘by a new and living way’ we can
confidently approach our God.
It’s so easy to take for granted the enormity of what Christ
has done. For the first century Jew, being able to freely enter the Holy of
Holies would have been unthinkable. Yet, this is the reality for each of us. At
any time, in any place, we can freely enter the Holy of Holies as it were. We
can experience the reality of God’s presence. Today, let us not take that for
granted, but take the time to do just that-draw near to God with confidence and
with gratitude, knowing that the blood of Christ has made an intimate
relationship with the holy, awesome God of the entire cosmos possible.
(Trinity College student)