Hebrews 7:11-19

Let me invite you to join me in your copy of God's Word in Hebrews chapter 7.

Hebrews 7 · chapter mention

We had yesterday a 10-year family reunion for the church, and I'm tired.

! Maybe that's why words aren't coming out of my mouth the way they should.

Our text for this morning is Hebrews chapter 7, verses 11 through 19 as we continue our verse-by-verse study.

Hebrews 7:11–19

Of this letter. Before I read it, beloved, let me remind you this is God's Word to us written for His glory and our good.

So we would all do well to listen to it in order to believe its promises and to obey its commands.

Verse 11 of Hebrews chapter 7.

Hebrews 7 · chapter mention

Now, if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood, for under it the people received the law,

what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek,

rather than one named after the order of Aaron?

For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well.

For the one of whom these things are spoken belonged to another tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar.

For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, and in connection with that tribe, Moses said nothing about priests.

This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek,

who has become a priest not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent,

but by the power of an indestructible life.

For it is witnessed of him, you are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

For on the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness,

for the law made nothing perfect.

But on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.

Before we begin our consideration of this morning's text about Melchizedek,

I would like to re-deliver the summary I gave you last week of the author of Hebrews,

when he begins mentioning Melchizedek back in chapter 5.

Recall that the author first mentioned him in speaking of Jesus' earthly priesthood.

He goes on in Hebrews chapter 5, verse 11 to say,

Hebrews 5:11

about this we have much to say.

And he's referring to Jesus' Melchizedekian priesthood.

And it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.

So he stops to rebuke this little, tired, suffering church.

This letter is meant to be pressing them on in their faithful endurance.

And he stops at this point and rebukes them.

He says, you have become dull of hearing.

And he warns them against apostasy, against abandoning the faith altogether.

And he then exhorts his hearers to faithful and patient endurance

to inherit the promises, chapter 6 and verse 12.

And he roots the surety of those promises in Jesus' person and work.

Chapter 6, verses 19 and 20.

We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul.

A hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain.

Where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf.

Having become a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.

So we've been following an arc, I pointed out to you last week,

over about seven or eight weeks.

Beginning in chapter 5, verse 10.

Being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.

To, verse 20 of chapter 6.

Having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

He picks back up that theme here again.

So, we've come back to our author.

Explaining the significance of what it means that Jesus is a Melchizedekian priest.

In the beginning of chapter 7, we saw last week that Melchizedek foreshadows Christ's offices.

That he foreshadows Christ's qualifications.

And that he foreshadows Christ's superiority.

And the author is driving his original hearers and us in our study this morning.

To this point found in Hebrews chapter 7 and verse 25.

Hebrews 7 · chapter mention

Consequently, he, being Christ, is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God.

Through him, being Christ.

Since he always lives to make intercession for them.

This is the case that is being built.

It's that Christ is able to save forever.

To be able to save perfectly all those who come to God through him because he lives.

And because he lives, he intercedes for us.

You see, the Hebrew believers were being tempted through their suffering to abandon their faith.

And go back to the comfort of Judaism.

And the author of this letter wants them to avoid doing so.

Out of a great pastoral care for them.

He's saying, don't go back.

Don't make shipwreck of your faith.

Continue to pursue Christ.

He wants to see them and us faithful to the end.

The question for us is, will we persevere?

Will we persevere?

Now, if we are Christ, we most certainly will.

But we are living in that time right now.

Will I be faithful to the end?

Now, we most likely will not be tempted to turn to Judaism.

But we very well may be tempted in the trial of life, in the discomfort of living as a people for the praise of God,

to turn to some other religion of the world.

And this is the simplicity of it.

You have two basic religions in the world.

And everybody ascribes to one of the two.

The one that we're commending this morning is to place your faith in Jesus Christ.

Saving faith.

To throw all of yourself on Him.

Turn from your sin.

And plead His person and His work for the salvation of your soul.

The other, in whatever form it takes,

merely works to be found right before God.

Whether a person recognizes that there is a God,

will be good enough in some measure,

will live by their own command and their own rule.

Everyone who doesn't place believing faith in Christ,

who doesn't recognize that nothing they can do can make them accepted,

can make them right,

is following this way.

And Judaism is that.

It fits in that category.

So we're not so different from the Hebrew believers.

Temple worship was meant to point to something greater.

It was meant to say to the Hebrews,

not this,

but this is a dress rehearsal for something much grander.

We want you to see what you really need

as this ironic worship is carried out.

Now, an example of a failure to persevere,

as far as we can tell,

has come to light just in the past couple of weeks.

Some of you may be familiar with Josh Harris.

Wrote half a dozen books.

I Kissed Dating Goodbye is the most popular of them.

Not the best of them,

but the most popular of them.

Pastored a Sovereign Grace church for 14 years,

I believe.

He recently announced on social media

that he was divorcing his wife.

Prior to that,

he had just repudiated a bunch of his writing.

He's divorcing his wife,

and just here recently,

has decided that he's no longer a Christian.

I want to read to you,

this is the post that he put on Instagram,

and I do this with a heavy heart.

I don't,

none of this is standing in judgment of Josh Harris,

but to help you to see the danger,

outward appearance.

Who would have ever thought,

who would have ever thought

we'd be reading these words

written by Josh Harris?

He says,

My heart is full of gratitude.

I wish you could see all the messages

people sent me after the announcement

of my divorce.

They are expressions of love,

though they are saddened

or even strongly disapprove of the decision.

I am learning that no group

has the market cornered on grace.

This week,

I have received grace from Christians,

atheists,

evangelicals,

ex-evangelicals,

straight people,

LGBTQ people,

and everyone in between.

Of course,

there have also been strong words of rebuke

from religious people.

While not always pleasant,

I know they are seeking to love me.

They have also been spiteful,

hateful comments that angered and hurt me.

The information that was left out

of our announcement

concerning the divorce

is that I have undergone

a massive shift

in regard to my faith in Jesus.

The popular phrase for this

is deconstruction.

The biblical phrase

is falling away.

By all the measurements that I have

for defining a Christian,

I am not a Christian.

And I appreciate he's at least

intellectually honest.

He's willing to take the Bible

as the framework for Christianity.

But he's saying,

I can't call myself that

any longer.

He goes on,

Many people tell me

that there is a different way

to practice faith.

And I want to remain open to this,

but I'm not there now.

Then he quotes Martin Luther,

which is interesting.

But he says,

Martin Luther said

that the entire life of believers

should be repentance.

There's beauty in that sentiment

regardless of your view of God.

I have lived in repentance

for the past several years,

repenting of my self-righteousness,

my fear-based approach to life,

the teaching of my books,

my views of women in the church,

and my approach to parenting,

to name a few.

But I specifically want to add

to this list now

to the LGBTQ plus community,

I want to say that I'm sorry

for the views that I taught in my books

and as a pastor regarding sexuality.

I regret standing against marriage equality,

for not affirming you

and your place in the church,

and for any ways that my writing

and speaking contributed

to a culture of exclusion and bigotry.

I hope you can forgive me.

Now, there's certainly a lot of sentiment

in there that's good and healthy.

There's some things he says

that you can say,

yes, well, we would want to apologize

for contributing to cultures of bigotry,

to be sure.

But you can see the way in which it seems

as if he's entirely abandoned

the gospel of Jesus Christ,

even at his admission.

Now, we cannot know with any finality

what is going on in the soul of Josh Harris.

I'd invite you to join me in praying for him.

He has many close friends

who are walking beside him

and working with him.

I've even seen him tongue-in-cheek say

they're welcome to hang out with him

because now it would be considered evangelism.

We would like to think

that Josh has come to just a low place

in his life

and he is, in fact, in Christ.

But, either way,

this points to the reality

that the danger is real.

The temptation is out there.

He, as a public figure,

got a lot of heat.

And he found himself,

rather than standing firm in Christ,

Christ being the anchor of his soul

and pressing on in truth,

abandoning faith.

Abandoning it for something else.

The temptation is there.

And as you continue in your pursuit

of a life pleasing to God

in Christ Jesus,

you will experience trial

and you will experience discomfort.

Hold, beloved.

Hold.

This is the message of Hebrews.

And this morning's text

makes this point

by showing us two things.

Number one,

the insufficiency

of the Aaronic priesthood

and the Old Covenant.

And two,

the sufficiency

of the Melchizedekian priesthood

and the New Covenant.

If you're taking notes,

you could just say

insufficiency, O-T,

insufficiency, N-T.

First,

the insufficiency

of the Aaronic priesthood

and the Old Covenant.

See this in verses 11 through 14.

Now, if perfection

had been attainable

through the Levitical priesthood,

for under it

the people received the law,

what further need

would there have been

for another priest

to arise

after the order of Melchizedek

rather than one named

after the order of Aaron?

For when there is a change

in the priesthood,

there is necessarily

a change in the law as well.

For the one of whom

these things are spoken

belong to another tribe

from which no one

has ever served

at the altar.

For it is evident

that our Lord

was descended from Judah

and in connection

with that tribe,

Moses said nothing

about priests.

Now, we talk about this

a bit at length

about the different order

and why it was

that Christ came from

the Melchizedekian order

versus the Aaronic order

and he's just continuing

to make that point here.

He's saying,

if the law had been able

to make us perfect,

then why not just have

another priest in the order

of Aaron?

But because it couldn't,

verse 11 is making this point,

if perfection had been attainable,

they couldn't bring about perfection,

then a different type of priest

was necessary.

A different priest

that came from

a different line.

Jesus coming from,

verse 14,

the line of Judah

was not allowed to serve

as an Aaronic priest,

a Levitical priest,

but he was appointed by God,

not because he was

in a lineage of man,

but because God

appointed him

a priest.

And this idea of perfection,

we very quickly

think of it

in terms of maturity,

being grown up in.

Now, certainly,

if you were able

to keep the law perfectly,

you could attain

to such perfection.

But the meaning

is a bit broader than that,

and we get a clue of that

as we look further down

in the text,

the parenthetical

in verse 19,

where the writer of Hebrews says,

for the law made

nothing perfect.

Same Greek word.

And he ties it

into this idea

of being able

to draw near

to God.

So it's an ability

to have unfettered access

to God.

And the law

could not

accomplish this.

Now,

that does not exclude

the ability

of the God-worshippers

under the Old Covenant

to draw near to God,

but the author

is driving us toward

and speaking

of a better hope.

They had a

fettered access

to God.

We now,

in Christ,

because he is

the better hope,

have an

unfettered

access.

God dwelt

in a tabernacle,

in an inner place

called the Holy of Holies,

and then in a temple,

in an inner place

called the Holy of Holies.

This is where his

presence was.

It wasn't amongst

and in his people.

It was in a

place.

And they could

draw near

by visiting

the temple.

They had to remain

outside the Holy of Holies

through much

sacrifice,

through much

cleansing,

all of these

rites

and rituals

that were meant

to point to

a greater

sacrifice,

meant to point

to a greater

cleansing.

And I wish,

I wish that we

could just get

an injection

of understanding,

a feeling

of the weightiness

of that temple

worship.

We are so far

removed from that.

Our minds,

when we see

that there's a

better hope

in drawing near

to God,

go,

okay.

these people

would have

had much,

they would have

been consumed

with this idea

of being able

to draw near

to God.

And this was

tied in their

minds,

most often

and regularly

to the temple.

We can see this

all throughout

the Psalms.

C.S. Lewis

in his work

Reflections on the

Psalms

wrote this,

these poets

knew far less

reason than we

for loving God.

Yet they express

a longing for Him,

for His mere

presence,

which comes only

to the best

Christians or to

Christians in

their best moments.

They long

to live all

their days

in the temple

so that they

may constantly

see the fair

beauty of the

Lord.

Psalm 27

in verse 4.

Their longing

to go up to

Jerusalem and

appear before

the presence of

God is like

a physical

thirst.

Psalm 42.

From Jerusalem

His presence

flashes out

in perfect

beauty.

Psalm 50

Psalms 50:2

verse 2.

Lacking

that encounter

with Him,

their souls

are parched

like a waterless

countryside.

Psalm 63

Psalms 63:2

verse 2.

They crave

to be satisfied

with the pleasures

of His house.

Psalm 65

and verse 4.

Only there

can they be

at ease

like a bird

in a nest.

Psalm 84

and verse 3.

One day

of those

pleasures

is better

than a lifetime

spent

elsewhere.

Psalm 20.

So,

they seem

to comprehend

these inspired

psalmists.

The beauty

of being

in the presence

of God

and they

tied it

to this

place.

Beloved,

we don't

have a place.

We are

a people.

Praise God

that He

now indwells

us

and gathers

us together

for times

such as this.

The law

could not

atone

for sin,

grant

a clean

conscience,

or provide

unfettered

access

to God.

The author

of Hebrews

makes this

point throughout

the letter.

The law

could not

atone

for sin,

could not

pay the

price

that was

due

our sin.

The law

makes us

painfully aware

that the price

needs to be

paid.

That none

of us

have perfectly

kept

the law

of God.

And it

is a good

law.

It is a

law that

ought to

be

commended

and

obeyed.

None

of us

have

kept

it.

Most

of us

have been

guilty

at every

point

of it.

And there's

a great

unfathomable

debt

that is

due

because we

are rebels

against the

most holy

God.

The law

serves us

in this

way.

It says

to us

you need

atonement.

There needs

to be

a penalty

paid

for your

rebellion.

But the

law

itself

could not

atone

for sin.

This

temple

practice,

this

Aaronic

priesthood

was all

about

making

atonement.

And it

was constant.

It was

always

ongoing.

Blood

flowed

constantly

off the

temple

mount.

Again

and again

and again.

There were

sacrifices

of all

kinds.

And there

were sacrifices

made for

the sins

that you

weren't even

aware that

you made.

It was

meant to

be a

system

built

to show

that there

was a

greater

sacrifice

necessary.

The author

of Hebrews

Hebrews 10:4

chapter 10

verse 4

says,

For it is

impossible

for the

blood of

bulls

and goats

to take

away sins.

And then

in verse 11

of chapter 10,

And every

priest stands

daily at

his service

offering

repeatedly

the same

sacrifices

which can

never

take away

sins.

being a

Levitical

priest

sounds

exhausting.

I feel like

at the end

of your

shift you

would just

be like,

What are

we doing?

We're going

to have to

pick it up

and do it

again tomorrow.

You would

have hoped

of all

people that

the Levitical

priests would

have been

in the

scripture and

been longing

for that

perfect

sacrifice

that would

take away

the sins

Of the

world.

So the

law could

not atone

for sin.

The law

also could

not grant

a clean

conscience.

We won't

spend much

time talking

about and

thinking about

conscience.

But we

have experienced

a guilty

conscience.

We have

experienced

doing something

that was

offensive to

God and

carrying the

weight of

that offense.

The law

heaps guilt

on the

conscience

to drive us

to Christ.

It cannot

clean.

The

conscience.

Hebrews

Hebrews 9 · chapter mention

chapter 9

last half

of verse

9 says

gifts and

sacrifices are

offered that

cannot perfect

the conscience

of the

worshiper.

Also the

law could

not provide

unfettered

access to

God.

And that's

the point

being made

in verse

11.

Now if

perfection had

been attainable

through the

Levitical

priesthood for

under it

the people

received the

law.

If it

could have

what further

need would

there have

been for

another priest

to arise

after the

order of

Melchizedek?

The law

also cannot

give us

unfettered

access to

God.

However,

praise the

Lord that

this text

speaks

secondly to

the sufficiency

of the

Melchizedekian

priesthood

and the

new covenant.

The Aaronic

and the

old

meant to

point us

to,

to make

us aware

of our

need of

the other.

Verse 15

through the

end of the

text.

This becomes

even more

evident when

another priest

arises in

the likeness

of Melchizedek

who has

become a

priest not

on the

basis of

a legal

requirement

concerning

bodily

descent,

but by

the power

of an

indestructible

life.

For it is

witnessed of

him,

this is

Psalm 110

Psalms 110:4

verse 4,

you are a

priest forever

after the

order of

Melchizedek.

For on the

one hand,

a former

commandment

is set

aside because

of its

weakness

and uselessness,

for the

law made

nothing

perfect.

But on

the other

hand,

a better

hope is

introduced

through

which we

draw near

to God.

So remember

last week,

we talked

a bit

about

this

Melchizedek.

He is a

rather obscure

character in

the Bible.

We read

about him

in Genesis

Genesis 14 · chapter mention

chapter 14.

You can

get much

of that

information

right here

in the

beginning

of Hebrews

Hebrews 7 · chapter mention

chapter 7.

Abraham

goes out,

fights a

battle.

On his

return from

that battle,

he meets

with this

priest king

Melchizedek

and he

offers to

him a

tithe

of his

spoils of

war.

And this

priest king

blesses

Abraham.

And then he

disappears

from the

pages of

scripture

until in

Psalm 110

and verse

4.

There's this

inspired

revelation

of who

Christ would

be,

where he

says,

you are a

priest forever

after the

order of

Melchizedek.

And I

praise God

for our

inspired text,

for the

New Testament

that gives

us so much

explanation of

the Old

Testament,

that the

writer of

Hebrews

was shown

what all

of this

means for

us.

It's

incredible.

So remember

that Melchizedek

foreshadows

Christ's

offices,

the offices

of king

and of

priest.

Verse 2

chapter 7.

He is first

by translation

of his

name,

king of

Melchizedek,

king of

righteousness,

and then he

is also

king of

Salem.

That is

king of

peace.

He, being

Melchizedek,

foreshadowing

Christ, was

one who

could hold

both offices.

And the

Levitical priests

could not be

kings, and

kings most

certainly could

not be

Levitical

priests.

Much judgment

was brought

upon kings

who tried to

serve in

that role.

So they're

unique, and

they're appointed

uniquely.

Secondly,

Melchizedek

foreshadows

Christ's

qualifications.

He had

no genealogy,

that is no

genealogy by

which to

show himself

a Levitical

priest.

He was

from the

line of

Judah.

Verse 3,

he is

without father

or mother

or genealogy.

We have

no record

of this

in the

text about

Melchizedek,

and has

no beginning

or end.

Again,

interpreting

from silence,

we know

not anything

about

Melchizedek's

beginning

or end,

and this

is meant

to show

us

something

of

Christ.

Right?

But resembling

the Son

of God,

verse 3,

he continues

a priest

forever.

And in

our text

today,

this is

where the

author is

still going.

That's why

I'm reminding

you of

this.

Because in

verse 16

and 17,

he's making

that point

once again.

Right?

He didn't

become a

priest on

the basis

of a legal

requirement

from the

old covenant,

but by

the power

of an

indestructible

life.

Right?

Put to death

on the cross

but raised

again

three days

later.

He's a

priest

forever,

verse 17,

quoting Psalm

Psalms 110:4

110,

verse 4.

A priest

forever

after the

order

of Melchizedek.

So

significant.

Which is the

third thing

that Melchizedek

foreshadows

for us

about Christ.

Christ's

superiority

over

Abraham,

over

Melchizedek,

over

all.

We see

that the

inferior

tithes

to the

superior

and secondly

the superior

blesses

the inferior

verses 4

through 7.

All of

this is

driving us

to understand

the superiority

of Jesus

Christ.

So

Jesus

Christ,

our

forever

perfect

priest,

atones

for sin,

he grants

a clean

conscience,

and he

provides

unfettered

access

to God.

Why would

you go

back to

the old

is what

the author

of Hebrews

is saying.

Why would

you do

that?

It was

insufficient.

But

Christ

is sufficient.

Jesus

Christ

atones

for sin.

Hebrews

Hebrews 10:12

chapter

10

verses

12

14

when

Christ

had

offered

for

all

time

a

single

sacrifice

for

sins.

He

sat

down

at

the

right

hand

of

God

waiting

from

that

time

until

his

enemy

should

be

made

a

footstool

for

his

feet.

For

by

a

single

offering

he

has

perfected

for

all

time

those

who

are

being

sanctified.

So

here

again

is

this

idea

of

perfection.

Having

the

ability

because

we

have

Christ's

righteousness

to

draw

near

to

God.

And

by

what?

What

atones

for

our

sin

in

order

to

bring

us

to

God?

The

sacrifice

of

Christ.

A

single

sacrifice.

Not

continued

sacrifice.

Not

all

day

never

ending

sacrifice.

But

a

single

sacrifice.

He

offered

himself

as

a

perfect

sacrifice

that

we

might

be

perfect

in

him.

And

the

last

half

of

verse

12

is

so

significant

because

the

temple

had

nowhere

to

sit

down.

There

was

no

sitting

furniture

for

the

Levitical

priests.

Why?

Because

they

didn't

have

time

to

sit

down.

When

they

were

working

their

shift

they

were

busy

making

sacrifice

making

sacrifice

making

sacrifice

sins

piling

up

sacrifices

being

made.

It

was

never

enough

because

it

wasn't

meant

to

be.

It

was

meant

to

point

us

to

the

perfect

sacrifice

of

Christ.

So

the

last

half

of

verse

12

says

he

sat

down.

We

know

he

declared

it

is

finished

and

he

sat

down

at

the

right

hand

the

place

of

honor

of

God

the

Father.

One

sacrifice

for

all.

First

Peter

chapter

two

verse

twenty

four

says

the

same

he

himself

bore

our

sins

in

his

body

on

the

tree.

He

took

the

punishment

that

was

due

us.

He

took

it

on

himself.

God

couldn't

overlook

the

sin.

He

had

to

punish

the

sin.

He

punished

it

in

Christ

that

we

might

die

to

sin

and

live

to

righteousness

by

his

wounds

you

have

been

healed.

Jesus

Christ

and

Jesus

Christ

alone

atones

for

sin.

The

law

cannot

accomplish

this.

It

points

us

to

his

accomplishment.

Second

Jesus

Christ

grants

a

clean

conscience.

Having

had

our

sin

atoned

for

we

no

longer

have

to

bear

the

guilt

of

our

sin.

Hebrews

Hebrews 9:14

9

verse

14

how

much

more

would

the

blood

of

Christ

who

through

the

eternal

spirit

offered

himself

without

blemish

to

God

purify

our

conscience

!

from

dead

works

to

serve

the

living

God.

What a

glorious

thing

it is

that if

we are

in

Christ

the sins

that we

continue

to

commit

our

flesh

wields

its

ugly

head.

we

forget

who

we

are

in

Jesus

and

we

still

sin

that

that

sin

was

also

covered

by

the

blood

of

Christ.

Brother,

we don't

need to

do

penance.

We

merely

need

to

do

repentance.

And

repentance

when we

sin

is a

merely

going

that

was

sin.

Praise

God

for

the

cross

of

Christ.

Many

of us

who

take

sin

seriously

want

to

spend

a

period

of

time

mourning

our

sinfulness.

We

want

to

spend

much

time

beating

ourselves

up

over

what

we

have

done.

And

I've

been

asked

the

question,

how

long

should

I

mourn

!

my

sin?

My

answer

is only

as long

as it

takes

to get

you

back

to

the

cross

of

Christ.

Flee

to it

and flee

as fast

as you

can.

Mourn

the sin

on your

way

there,

but

when

you're

there,

recognize

that this

too

was covered

by the

blood of

Christ.

Have your

conscience

made clean.

Don't

bear the

guilt that's

not years

to bear

that Christ

died

for you.

Jesus Christ

grants

a clean

conscience.

The law

could not

do this.

I

imagine

going through

the ritual

practice of it,

living

living in

that day

and the

outskirts

of Jerusalem

and making

the trek

up the

mountain

and buying

the sacrifice

and taking

the sacrifice

to the

Levitical

priest

and him

going

through the

practice

of making

the sacrifice

and turning

around and

feeling the

exact same

way.

Feeling

nothing.

These people

would have

had a faith

that went

beyond the

sacrifice

itself.

Somehow

God is

pleased

as I'm

doing this.

Looking

to

the

ultimate

sacrifice.

Looking

to

the

hope

of a

clean

conscience.

Third,

Jesus Christ

provides

unfettered

access

to God.

There's

nothing

that

restrains

this

access.

You have

to remember

it is so

massively

significant

that when

Jesus died

the temple

curtain

which was

the curtain

that divided

the holy

place

from the

holy

of holies

was

dividing

where people

could go

to where

only one

person

could go

one day

a year

the presence

of God

and he

wasn't there

in Jesus'

day by the

way.

He had

left long

ago.

It was

just an

empty

space.

But there

was a

curtain

still there

and it

signified

something.

You're

unclean.

You can't

come in

here.

This

curtain

was as

thick as

a man's

hand.

My hand's

not very

thick.

It was

thick.

And it

was torn

from the

top

to the

bottom.

Christ

gives us

access

to the

place of

God.

God is

saying you

will no

longer

worship me

in this

way.

There's a

better hope

for you

to draw

near to

me.

Verse 19

for the

law made

nothing

perfect.

But on