Our Perpetual High Priest

Mark 15:33-38

And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” ... And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.

In this sequence of verses, we have the foundation of our eternal destination laid out for us.  The darkness over the entire world represents the sin that engulfed mankind.  Jesus crying out to the Father, "why have you forsaken me?", indicates that in taking on the sins of the world Jesus was separated from the Father - who cannot have sin in His presence.  And then, instantly and gloriously, the death of Christ opened up heaven to all of us.  The veil of the old covenant that represented the separation of God from the people, except through the intercession of the assigned high priests, was torn away.  In that moment, the new covenant of salvation was opened up to all mankind with Jesus Christ as our perpetual High Priest before the Father.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for establishing the blessed hope and assurance of the new covenant through Your Son, Jesus.  May the eyes of the world be opened to see the way, the truth and the life that is in Your Son.  May the hearts of the world be prepared to receive Your Son as their Savior.  May the hearts of the world be molded so that they may surrender to Your Son as their Lord, Master, and King.  May it all be for Your honor and glory, for the honor and glory of Your Son, Jesus, and for the honor and glory of the Holy Spirit.  Father, we pray that You will allow our lives to be living testimony to this glorious message.