At sundown this evening (October 8th), Yom Kippur begins! This is considered the most holy of all the Feasts, known as “The Day of Atonement.” Here, the high priest entered the Holy of Holies with blood and incense to make atonement for all the sins of Israel. (See Leviticus 16).
Jesus annihilated and obliterated sin forever. He crushed it!
When Jesus rose from the dead, His blood made atonement for all sins, for all time. He didn’t just cover sin for a year, He annihilated it forever! Not only did He annihilate sin by His one offering of Himself, He purged our consciences from dead works. Now, no longer burdened to bear sin-laden consciences, we can serve the living God!
Jesus’ resurrection as the firstborn of many brethren was followed by Jesus being declared as High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. (See Hebrews 2:17; 3:3; 4:14-16; 7:17-28). This meant a new priesthood, a new covenant, and a better sacrifice! As a better covenant established on better promises, Jesus Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come.
Sadly, through our traditions, many of these truths found in Hebrews 2-10 have been lost, hidden away, or made of no effect. We celebrate Jesus’ birth at Christmas and His death on Good Friday; we rejoice at His Resurrection on Easter and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost; but there we stop. Until Christmas comes again, and we repeat.
But there’s more! MUCH more!
Jesus prays for us! He saves us to the uttermost: in the greatest possible, most extreme ways…basically, to the max! Such truth, power and liberation get unlocked when we appropriate and understand that Jesus, our High Priest, is salvation to the uttermost through His intercession! “But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7: 24, 25, NKJV).
He appears in the presence of God for us (see Hebrews 9:24); He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified (see Hebrews 10:10); and He gives us boldness to enter into the Holiest by His blood, through His flesh, as High Priest over the house of God (see Hebrews 10:19-22). This is the maturity of the saints! Our perfection is in our knowing Jesus Christ as High Priest.
Praise Him for His Provision!
The simplest way to practice this and glorify the Father for His provision is to read Hebrews 2 through 10 on the “Day of Atonement” and continue with the following five days leading up to Sukkot Sunday. Give ample time for reflection and praise.
When I began to see what Jesus is presently, continuously doing in the presence of God as my High Priest, my boldness went to a whole new level. Boldness has become the freedom to speak, the freedom to be myself in my place in Christ. Not self -consciousness, but Christ-consciousness. Likewise, this Yom Kippur, get ready to be empowered, loved, awakened and given boldness to access all that the Lord has made available to you!
