Thursday, April 7, 2011
No Longer on the Outside
Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. . . .
—Matthew 27:51
If I could have been present at certain moments in history, one event I would like to have seen was the veil of the temple being torn in two.
In the inner court of the temple in Jerusalem, in the Holy of Holies, was the Ark of the Covenant. That was where the high priest would go once a year to offer atonement for the sins of the people. A veil, a very thick, woven curtain, separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the temple.
When Jesus died on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins, that heavy curtain was torn from top to bottom. It was not ripped from bottom to top, as though a man were ripping it. Instead, it was ripped from top to bottom, because God was ripping it.
God was saying, “You no longer are on the outside. You can come in. My Son has made a way for you.”
The apostle Paul explained how we can now draw near to God:
Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith. (Hebrews 10:19–22)
The veil was torn. Jesus is now our Intercessor. We don’t have to go through a person to reach God anymore. We don’t have to go through rituals anymore. Instead, Jesus made a new and living way for us to reach God.
Jesus paid it all. And that is so important to remember.
April 7
Explore:
- Download and listen to the song RighteousMan. Think about what makes Jesus different from other religious leaders.
- Meditate on this scripture from today’s devotion “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith.”
Share:
- Remember what it felt like to be “on the outside”? Invite a coworker to attend your church’s Easter service.
- Share today’s free music download via Facebook.
Access more devotions and downloads by visiting the Road to the Resurrection at risen.harvest.org.
Copyright © 2011 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Bible text from the New King James Version is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Attn: Bible Rights and Permissions, P.O. Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214-1000.
For more relevant and biblical teaching from Pastor Greg Laurie, go to www.harvest.org
and
Listen to Greg Laurie's daily broadcast on OnePlace.com.
Watch Greg Laurie's weekly television broadcast on LightSource.com.
SPECIAL OFFER
Join Pastor Greg on the Road to the Resurrection!
Two thousand years ago Jesus said to a man named Matthew, “Follow Me.” The phrase that He used means, “follow with Me.” In other words, walk with Me. We are to be walking with Jesus.
Road to the Resurrection is a resource that will help you walk with Him through the events leading up to His death and resurrection. It is available not only in book form, in appreciation for your gift this month, but it will also be available to read in electronic format.
You can have your own copy of Road to the Resurrection in appreciation for your gift to Harvest Ministries this month.