A new relationship
by Dianne Eckermann
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How much more, then, will the blood of Christ … cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! (Hebrews 9:14)
Read Hebrews 9:1-14
Times change. Compared with the ways in which our grandparents worshipped in our churches, we now have a choice of new music, new worship songs, new translations of the Bible, all designed to provide greater understanding of the wonders of the life of Christ and what our God continues to do for all of us.
Today’s reading begins with a description of the traditional rituals carried out by priests in the temple in Jerusalem. Only the high priest could enter the inner part of the temple, and then only once a year to atone for his sin and the sins of the people. In contrast, Jesus brought redemption, not through rituals, but through his own sacrifice, a sacrifice that redeemed people for all time.
This marks a change in the relationship between God and his people from atonement, as understood in the Old Testament, to redemption through Christ. The curtain that closed off access to the most holy part of the temple is no more and the way to God is now opened. Jesus’ sacrifice opens the physical barrier between us and God. The blood sacrifices of the temple priests have been surpassed by the infinitely superior blood of Christ.
This is a significant change for the new Christians who are the audience for the message in Hebrews, far more significant than the relatively minor changes we have observed in our worship over the years. Jesus’ sacrifice also achieves far more than the priests in their humanity could ever hope to achieve. His sacrifice cleanses our consciences, which in itself is amazing. Even more amazing is that Jesus has overcome death and through him we now serve the living God! Through Jesus we are able to see God as the centre of all things because his death and resurrection have opened the way to a new relationship with God.
Heavenly Father, thank you for the incredible sacrifice Jesus made for us. Thank you that through the Holy Spirit our conscience is cleansed, and we have been given sufficient grace to love you and serve you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Dianne has served in Lutheran education as a teacher, school leader and system leader at Lutheran Education Australia. Now retired from full-time work, she continues to volunteer on several committees and as a school board member. She lives in the Adelaide Hills with her husband, Robert, and is in strong demand as a babysitter for her three grandchildren.
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