Exodus 26:33 ESV And you shall hang the veil from the clasps, and bring the ark of the testimony in there within the veil. And the veil shall separate for you the Holy Place from the Most Holy.
The Veil was made using the four colors blue, purple, scarlet and white (of the fine linen) that correspond with the four gospels. The Veil is the final door to pass through, to enter into the presence of God in the Holy of Holies. Entry was forbidden to all except one, the High Priest, and his access was not free. He was permitted entry only one time a year, which was on the Day of Atonement, when he brought the blood of the sacrificed goat to sprinkle on the lid of the Mercy Seat of the Ark of the Covenant. The Veil reminds us that we are excluded because "we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). However, just as the Passover lamb was slain for the redemption of the children of Israel in Egypt, and the goat was slain so that its blood could obtain God's forgiveness for the Israelites on the Day of Atonement, so Christ Jesus "bore our sins in His own body on the tree" (I Peter 2:24). As our Lord Jesus was hanging there on the cross, God laid on Him the iniquities (the wrongdoings) of us all (Isaiah 53:6). The final pain of death came as Jesus cried out "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46). Seconds later "He cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up His spirit" (Matthew 26:50). He cried "It is finished!" (John 19:30). And He died. He was buried. But bless God, He arose from the dead. The physical veil of the temple was torn. The physical veil of our Lord's body was also torn. Therefore, we have access behind the veil and can come boldly before the throne of God. Matthew 27:51 ESV And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. Hebrews 10:19-22 ESV Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, (20) by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, (21) and since we have a great priest over the house of God, (22) let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Hebrews 4:16 ESV Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
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PICK UP YOUR CROSS AND CARRY IT: What does it mean?
Luke 14:27 ESV Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. In the days of our Lord when a person was condemned to be crucified, a part of the sentence was that he should carry the cross on which he was to die to his place of execution. We find that our Lord carried his own cross through the most populous part of the city until he fainted from fatigue and exhaustion. To carry or bear the cross to the place of execution was an incredible added burden which was also disgraceful, extremely emotional, and an addition to the punishment which had already been inflicted through the trial and beatings. To carry one’s own cross was an act of admission of guilt and a submission to the authority and laws of the one executing judgment. We speak a lot about the sins put on Christ when He hung on the cross. However, when our Lord carried His cross, it was His admission that He was guilty of the sins of the whole world as He chose to carry the weight of guilt for every human being that was ever born on our planet throughout history. In the Gospels when the mandate “to carry the cross” is used we know that it is a figurative expression, showing that we must endure whatever burden, emotional trial, or whatever is disgraceful, in following our Lord Jesus Christ. Part of our duty as Disciples is to let the people of the world think or speak of us as they may and us doing what is required within the Scriptures even if it produces shame, disgrace, or pain. |
AuthorCharles Morris. Founder and Senior Pastor of RSI Ministry, RSI School of Ministry, and RSI Publishing L.L.C.. Archives
March 2021
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