There's One Way Past the Veil - Jesus

Before I get to business I want to tell you that this message, this teaching is for you. Although I'm not sitting with you at a coffee shop, on a park bench, or at a youth group event, I am writing to YOU personally. God knows you by name even if, as I write tonight, I don't. So, as you read on, remember this post is written to you. . . I'd be glad to do coffee if you'd like, I'll buy!

I have said before that God is who he is and that not all religions point to the same God. Paul understood this when he entered the Areopagus (Mars Hill) in Athens, Greece nearly two thousand years ago. The Greeks had objects of worship to many gods in the Areopagus but Paul knew that there was only one God and it was (Yahweh) so when he saw an altar with the inscription "TO AN UNKNOWN GOD", he found a starting point to tell the Greeks about God the creator of heaven and earth; a God who had been unknown to them. Today I want to tell you about this same God and share why we here at the I-61 Project are so passionate about YOU knowing him. If you already know him then maybe today you'll be all the more amazed.

WARNING! This may sound a bit like a social studies lesson but stay with me and you'll be blessed (even you recent graduates - you know who I'm talking to)!

When the Israelites were wondering in the desert after leaving captivity in Egypt, they were commanded by God to build a tabernacle where he would dwell with them. The term that was used for this majestic presence of God was his "Shekinah" or his glory. I won't go into the details of the tabernacle but in the inner most part of it was the "Most Holy Place" or the "Holy of Holies". In this small room, which measured about fifteen feet by fifteen feet and fifteen feet tall, was the Ark of the Covenant (a gold covered box that held the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments, Aaron's staff, and a gold jar of manna). Don't worry if those mean nothing to you yet.

God's "Shekinah" glory resided in the Holy of Holies and was unapproachable by man. God was and is holy while man was and is sinful. Therefore, man could not come into the Holy of Holies or he would die. To keep this place separated from the people, God instructed them to place a large curtain (the "veil", which literally meant "a separator that divides") at the entrance to the room. Only the high priest could enter the Holy of Holies once a year on the day of atonement (the day when he would come before God for the sins of the people - today called "Yom Kippur"). The high priest had to do meticulous preparations before he could enter. He had to wash himself, put on special clothes, and burn incense to let the smoke cover his eyes from a direct view of God. The people would tie a rope around him before he went into the Holy of Holies just in case he died. That way they could just pull him out! There was a small problem. This had to be done year after year after year. There was no permanent solution for the sin problem . . . yet!

So, you get the idea that God was absolutely pure and holy and was unapproachable by sinful men. The curtain or veil was the mechanical barrier that illustrated the spiritual barrier that existed between men and God. Now you may have a vision of God as the big guy in the sky or a wise old man with a white beard. Maybe he is just this vague spirit of love but the bible reveals that while he is indeed "love" he is also holy and just. The "just" part is the part that many people and many churches leave out. It's the part that judges sin and the part that demands a sacrifice to pay for sin. It's the reason that man's sin kept him from being in the presence of God. By the way, don't get hung up on the word "sin". It just means "to miss the mark". We've all missed the mark, so you and I are not alone (eg. pride, hate, lust, greed, selfishness, deceit).

So enter Jesus, the only Son of God. Not just a good man. Not just a prophet. Not just a wise teacher or moral leader. Jesus was called the Lamb of God. Why? Because he was the ultimate sacrifice for the sin of man. Only a perfect, unblemished, sinless God-man could pay the penalty (death) for mankind. Not over and over again every year but once and for all.

Here is the amazing part of the story. You have all likely heard the story of the death of Jesus on the cross at Calvary. You may have heard that just before he died he cried out "It is finished". And maybe you heard that "At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom." But let this sink in. The curtain of the temple of Jerusalem was sixty feet high, thirty feet wide, and was four inches thick. It was too tall for man to reach and too thick for man to tear. Friend, God tore the curtain from the top down when Jesus paid the price for your sin (and mine!). It was finished! The Holy of Holies was open and accessible. God was approachable.

No matter what you've done. No matter how far from God you've been. Jesus has made a way for you to come home. You can't come on your own though. God is still holy! You can only come through faith in Jesus. It's his sacrifice that opened the door and you can come by faith in him. I know that in this politically correct world of "all things lead to the same end" this message may not sit well with some but a wise and seasoned preacher once told me that my job was to "just deliver the mail". Well, I have dropped the mail in your box. I hope and pray that you will be blessed by it. I recommend you listen to Ivor's song "Come Home" if you can. You can find it on iTunes or Cd Baby (Ivor Thomas "Nowhere Else to Go").

One quick update: Our first audio podcast is on line at our main site "The I-61 Project". Go check it out when you get a chance.

Peace, David