Read the transcript from today's video devotional.
Do you ever think about what Jesus Christ accomplished for us? How significant it was? What He did 2,000 years ago affects the whole world. It is affecting you and I forever. Because He lives, we can live.
I love our Verse of the Day today. It's Hebrews chapter 10, verse 20. "By His death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place."
What does that look like? Well, the book of Hebrews is all about the superiority of Jesus Christ. He's superior to all the people in the Old Testament—to Abraham, to Job, to Moses. He's also superior to the entire sacrificial system. As Hebrews unfolds, there are several themes, all about the work of Christ—who Jesus is and what He did. He's superior to any system. The writer of Hebrews also warns us of false teachers and encourages us to persevere.
The Shadows and the Substance
As we drive up to our Verse of the Day, we know that in verses 1 through 4 there are shadows, and those shadows were never the substance that Jesus Christ was. In verses 5 through 10 we see that Jesus' perfect obedience replaced the old sacrificial system. We also know that earthly priests kept standing to offer these never-ending sacrifices—but Jesus finally sat down at the right hand of the Father.
The "Let Us" Passages
Because Jesus Christ lives, and this passage sits right in the middle of this Gospel-oriented truth, there are a few things we want to look at. We call them the "let us" passages. There are three Gospel-driven exhortations that motivate us to live for Jesus because of His self-offering. Because He lives, we should want to live for Him. In what way?
Let Us Draw Near
Number one: let us draw near. This is all about faith. Let us draw near in full assurance of faith. Because Jesus Christ lived and because He opened the way for us, we can come right into God's presence. We can worship. We can pray. Ever notice that when you sit down to pray, it's just an act of faith? Lord, I pray for my wife. I pray for my kids. I pray for my job, whatever it might be. Demonstrate faith by praying, by worshiping, by singing. That's faith.
Let Us Hold Fast
Number two: not only draw near in faith, but also let us hold fast without wavering. Verse 23. This is all about hope. The hope in the Bible is never a whim. It's never a hunch or an "I hope so." True hope in the Bible is the absolute certainty—the anticipation of the truth that God knows exactly what He's doing and He's going to come through for us. Here we're called to hold fast to a theme of the book: persevere. Hebrews reminds us we can approach the throne of grace with confidence when we have needs, and we can look to Christ for the ability to persevere in this life.
Let Us Consider One Another
Thirdly: not only draw near and hold fast, but finally, let us consider how we may love one another and spur one another on to love and good deeds. That's verse 25 of Hebrews. Did you know that you're supposed to consider before you go to church or a Bible study? You're to think about how you may stimulate, how you may be spiritual caffeine to somebody, so that they might be spurred on to love and good deeds. Because Jesus Christ lived for you and for me—because of this self-giving that Jesus did for us, dying on the cross and making a way to God—we should offer our lives as a living sacrifice to Him.