November 6 - Beyond the Veil

And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. (Mark 15:38 ESV)

Sometimes when reading the Old Testament it can come across as extremely old and a bit weird. There are over 600 rules mentioned in just the first five books. And a lot of those rules sound very silly to us today. But there was a reason for them. Many of them God put in place as a type of protection for the Jews, but some of them fall into a category theologians call typology—meaning they reference Christ in some way as a symbolic figure.

The giant curtain that hung in the Temple was important to God's people. During the Temple days it was all that separated sinful man from the holy presence of almighty God. One man passed over to the other side once a year. Once. His job was to make a sacrifice that covered the sins of the people for the next year.

The curtain ripping at the moment of Christ's death was no accident. Jesus was God-made-flesh, sacrifice, and great High Priest. Only God could do the work to restore the relationship between himself and man. God did it. Jesus died, and where only one man was allowed annually, now all can go. Jesus brought down the curtain so that all can experience the presence of God in their lives. All can go beyond the veil.

September 23 - Are You?

John 18:12-18

The servant girl at the door said to Peter, “You also are not one of this man’s disciples, are you?” He said, “I am not.” (John 18:17 ESV)

In every journey of faith there is a decision point. Truthfully there are many many times you will be faced with tough decisions. But some of those will be more difficult than others.

Jesus had been arrested and his disciples fled. Well, almost all of them. Peter and another disciple had followed Jesus into the compound of the Jewish High Priest. It was a dangerous place for them to be found.

While there Peter was identified as a follower of Jesus. Suddenly his anonymity was gone, and he was faced with a potentially mortal question. "Are you a disciple?" And Peter did the unthinkable, he denied Jesus.

You will probably find yourself in a similar place in this life. At some point down the road you will be on hostile territory, surrounded by people who don't understand you, and they will pointedly ask if you have any allegiance to Jesus. Sometimes this can be an overt kind of persecution that leads possible violence. Or, as is often the case in western cultures, it is the prelude to quiet disdain and snarky rejection.

How will you answer the question when you are asked? Will the weight of the circumstances influence your decision?

September 22 - Jesus, the Christ

Mark 14: 53-65

But he remained silent and made no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” (Mark 14:61 ESV)

Jesus was put on trial as a sham. Those in power had predetermined the trial's outcome. They had orchestrated false witnesses, with disagreeing testimonies. All of it was done under pretenses of maintaining Judaism. In reality, it was about squeezing Jesus out. The religious fat cats were afraid of the affect Jesus would have on their coffers.

But the seeds had been sown. Not all of those in power doubted Jesus' claims. Many of the common people had been undeniably touched by Jesus' miracles. The disciples and many others had come to see Jesus as the Christ. The Messiah the Old Testament writers promised would bring redemption to Jews and the rest of the world.

The high priest was a different matter all together. He had the most to lose because of Jesus. And using a tool straight out of the pit of Hell, a tactic used by Satan himself during the temptation in the wilderness, he attacked Jesus' identity.

Jesus answered boldly. He loudly declared the truth of his identity for all in attendance to hear. He gave them a chance to believe. Jesus, the Christ, gives all who would ask of him the chance to believe.