2- Access

As you have probably studied, the Old Testament temple was divided into various sections which could only be entered by certain people. The innermost section of the Temple was where the presence of God himself was said to be, called the Holy of Holies or the Most Holy Place. This Holy of Holies could be entered once a year by one man, the High Priest.

I can only imagine how much I would have longed to see behind the curtain that separated the Holy of Holies from everything else. The PRESENCE OF GOD? The God that spoke light into existence and breath into my lungs, the God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob, the God that parted the Red Sea and the Jordan as He showed his power over Pharoah and freed my ancestors from slavery, the God that made Mt. Sinai shake and who’s voice I could not handle, THAT GOD IS THERE! How amazing would it be to peak behind that veil!

In what almost seems to be a passing statement, Matthew says this,

“And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.

And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split.”

We will never be able to grasp the full magnitude of this statement! The veil that separated the presence of THAT GOD from us because of our sin was torn from top to bottom. No longer did we have to wonder what it was to peak behind the veil, upon becoming a Christian we are all thrust behind this veil to know God in a way only dreamed of even by such men as Abraham and Moses.

We now, because of Christ, have unlimited access to THE GOD!

My dad is a pretty big deal. He was the State Champion in Gymnastics in Louisiana all of his high school years, He was an All-American gymnast at Memphis and Jacksonville State, and was even close to making the Olympics. He is now one of the greatest and most desired tumbling coaches in the country; people around the country pay large amounts of money just for small amounts of time with him. Dad owns a gym in Gadsden, AL called ACE of Gadsden. On the door that leads into the gym itself, there is a sign that says “NO ONE IS ALLOWED ON THE FLOOR EXCEPT FOR COACHES AND ATHLETES!”

But guess what . . . . . I can walk through that door whenever I want. It doesn’t matter what he is doing, whether he is coaching a class or working in his office, at any moment I can go to him and spend as much time as I want to talking to him, and he is always overjoyed to see me. People around the country spend so much to just spend a little time with him, and I get to spend as much time with him as I want, whenever I want, for free.

You know why? Because I am His son, and because of that, I have unlimited access to Him.

People around the world, throughout all of history, have spent their money, their time, their very LIVES seeking just a glimpse of the divine and great being that we call God, and we get to go in and talk to him whenever we want, for as long as we want, and He is ALWAYS overjoyed to see us taking time to come to Him.

You know why? Because Christ, The Son, has made us his brothers and sisters, and has opened the door to the gym for us, to our infinitely loving father. He has given us unlimited access.

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. 2 Cor 3:17-18

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Heb 4:14-16

This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. Eph 3:11-12

Christ has won you access to approach God whenever you wish, and assures you that God, because of Christ, is always overjoyed to see you.

Grace and Peace