A Lord's Supper Devotional

Heb 10:19 Therefore, brothers,

     since we have(bold) 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.

I so love the Book of Hebrews!

since we have(bold) confidence – Before Christ came there was no confidence or boldness to enter into God’s presence. Humanity had no indwelling presence and only fear and loathing.

to enter the holy places  - If you went into the Lord’s presence and weren't permitted to, you could be struck dead. If you were a priest and you went at the wrong time, you could be struck dead. Why? Because of our sinful nature.

But now, by the blood of Jesus – Because the perfect Lamb of God, not a dumb lamb, goat or bull, shed his blood, the way is open. God wrath is assuaged.

And, 20 by the new and living way – New as it is the New Covenant, and Living because none of the old sacrifices lived. Jesus alone rose from the dead!

he opened for us through the curtain,  that is his flesh – As the Veil separated the Holy from the Holiest, and blocked the approach of man to God, so the body of Christ veiled His divinity! Humans had no access through the veil except at God’s beck and call, and not without blood. But to grant access, through the Body of Christ, to God; Jesus gave up His life for us on the cross. Because the body was ‘broken’ and died, along with the blood shed, we have Boldness to enter. Both Body and blood are invoked here, just as in Christ’s last supper.

21 and since we have a great priest – The priest is the go-between, between God and Man. Priests are chosen by God, they're human, and they accept and perform the duties of priesthood.

So the writer is saying, Jesus is both Priest and the sacrifice!

And because of these things - 22 let us draw near – That is God’s Goal! To draw his bride near to Him. He paid a high price for it because He loves us so. And since He loves us He wants us to draw near. Not in some pretend Romantic play, but…

with a true heart – Not with the heart of wickedness and deceit, but a heart changed by the application of Christ’s character. This is done in counterpart to the application of His righteousness to our standing before God, when God conforms us to the image of Christ, and sanctifies us. Psa 51:6

in full assurance of faith – reminds us there is no righteousness, alluded to by “true heart”, without faith! Abraham believed and it was credited to him as righteousness. Without faith it is impossible to please God. So this faith, granted to us, is required, and it accompanies the true heart as we draw near.

with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience – Another allusion to Old Testament ritual is seen in the sprinkling. Blood of sacrifices was sprinkled on both items and people who were being consecrated to God. The evil conscience reminds us that our conscience and self-awareness includes evil and wickedness but also the misery of guilt and the results of sin. But the blood shed for us, and the sprinkling suggests it is applied to us, so that both wickedness and guilt are removed.

and our bodies washed with pure water – often considered an allusion to Christian baptism, it is another reference to ancient ritual, as when Aaron and his sons were bathed with water as a part of their purification as priests.

These sprinkling and washing references are most important to the passage precisely because they do invoke the picture of the sanctification of priests under the Old Covenant. Because in the New Covenant all God’s people are His Royal Priesthood. It is because of this that we all have access to God and may, in fact are called and commanded to, Draw Near!

So Draw near today. Draw Near in Worship, giving God praise for all He has done, for who He is and specifically for Jesus Christ opening the way for us to draw near.

Draw near in prayer, as we bare our hearts to Him and make our requests known.

Draw near in taking the Lord’s Supper as a reminder of His work, a reminder of our current salvation, and a reminder of His return , to once again draw us to Himself, only this time with eternal bodies to be with Him for ever and ever.

7 Reasons Jesus Came to Earth - The First Time

Why Jesus came the 1st time:

1.     To Rule His People

     Mat_2:6  And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.

2.     To Fulfill the Law and do His Father’s will

     Mat_5:17  Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. Joh_6:38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.

3.       Not for the righteous but to call sinners to repent, to seek & save the lost

     Mat 9:13 But go ye and learn what that means, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Mat 18:11 For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost. Luk 19:10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. Luk 9:56 For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. Joh 12:47 And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. Mar 2:17 When Jesus heard it, he said to them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Luk 5:32 I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

4.       To bring division, not peace, between those who believe and reject

     Mat_10:34  Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. Mat 10: 35  For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. Luk_12:51  Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division: Luk_12:49  I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled? Joh_9:39  And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.

5.       To preach the good news and be a light

     Mar 1:38 And he said unto them, Let us go into the next towns that I may preach there also: for there-fore came I forth. Luk 8:1 And it came to pass afterward, that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and showing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God… John 18:37, "Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice." Joh 12:46 I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.

6.       To give abundant life

     Joh 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

7.       To give His life as a ransom and die on the cross

     Mat_20:28  Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. Mar_10:45  For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. Joh_12:27  Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. (Arrest and crucifixion)

All of these point to the ultimate purpose, the cross. He came to proclaim the good news, be a light, and give life abundant to those who would believe. He came in total obedience to give His life as a ransom. That means he paid a price. To whom? Not to Satan. He owed Satan nothing. All Satan claimed to have he got as a usurper. No, Jesus came to expiate and propitiate. Expiate means to remove sins and Propitiate means to satisfy the wrath of God. That is the One to whom He paid the price. God the Son, satisfying God the Father. God the Father so loved the world that He sent God the Son. God the Son so loved the Father that He came and died and when all things were accomplished (Jn 19:28), He stated "tetelestai." (JN 19:30) The purpose is accomplished, it is finished, the goal is achieved! 

And He came to rule His people. And He shall reign forever and ever.