“He Entered in Once into the Holy Place”

Hebrews 9:12

 

When the Lord Jesus Christ entered into heaven, to appear in the presence of God as our Advocate and High Priest, he perfectly fulfilled the typical significance of the Day of Atonement in Leviticus 16. By the merits of his blood he obtained eternal redemption for us.

 

By what sacrifice did Christ enter within the veil? — “His own blood.” Our Savior did not literally carry his blood into heaven to sprinkle it upon a literal mercy-seat. (He is himself our mercy-seat!) Christ entered into the holy place by the virtue and merit of “his own blood” poured out unto death at Calvary.

 

It was the blood of an innocent man, shed for the sins of guilty men. It was the blood of a man who is God. Therefore it is of infinite value. It was the blood of a substitute. Christ died in the stead of his people. The blood of Christ is efficacious blood. When he shed his blood the law of God was fully vindicated and satisfied.

 

How did the Lord Jesus Christ enter within the veil? — “Once!” When our Savior cried, “It is finished,” the work of redemption was fully done. Nothing can be added to it. Nothing can be taken from it. And it will never need to be repeated. His sacrifice had an immediate and everlasting efficacy. By it the salvation of his people was secured.

 

Why did Christ enter in within the veil? He entered in (1) to make an atonement within the veil (Hebrews 9:23), (2) to perpetually appear in the presence of God for us (Hebrews 9:24), (3) to perfect forever his own elect (Hebrews 10:14), (4) to abide there as a priest upon his throne (Hebrews 10:12-13). And (5) Christ entered in within the veil so that we who believe might have the same nearness to God that he has (Hebrews 10:21-22). We are now accepted with God, accepted by the virtue of Christ’s blood. And that acceptance never varies!

 

What is the result of our Lord’s entrance within the veil? — He “obtained eternal redemption for us!” Redemption is deliverance by the payment of a price. Christ delivered us from the curse of God’s holy law by paying the price of infinite satisfaction — “His own blood!” And the redemption which is obtained for us is an “eternal redemption.” It is by an eternal purpose, of eternal consequence, and has an eternal duration.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don Fortner

 

 

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