What a beautiful representation of the significance of what Jesus did on the cross. In light of that, His Words as He took His final breath have so much deeper meaning. “It is finished.” As Pastor Ron will clarify, this wasn’t referring to His ministry or life. The need for continual sacrifice and work in a religious system that could never actually bring salvation was finished. All of those symbolic sacrifices could end. All of the work of mediation was no longer needed because Jesus’s sacrifice brought salvation.  

We never lived through the Levitical system of priests and sacrifices representing various heart postures towards God. It was complicated, messy, and a never-ending cycle. The priests couldn’t take away sin; their sacrifices only offered a symbol of atonement, demonstrating repentant, obedient hearts. As Pastor Ron will explain in today’s message, with Jesus, His sacrifice on the cross was once and for all. It was the last sacrifice we will ever need, and all we need to do is trust in Him for salvation.

The Levitical priesthood had no permanence. What does that mean? One priest would come along, carry out his rituals, over and over, and then he would die and need to be replaced by a new priest, who would go on to carry out the same rituals, over and over. It was a never-ending cycle of symbolic sacrifice after symbolic sacrifice. As Pastor Ron will explain in today’s message, Jesus brought a permanent resolution and was not just symbolic – He brought real atonement for sin, once and for all. 

Most of us don’t know what it’s like to deal with slaughtering animals. We enjoy the ease of picking up a package of meat at the grocery store and never having to kill the animal or deal with the mess that comes with that process. The sacrificial system of the Old Testament would not have been as shocking in its time, but it was deeply meaningful. As Pastor Ron will point out in today’s message, we can learn much from the rituals they practiced while enjoying the rest we have in Christ’s sacrifice.

As Pastor Ron continues our study in Hebrews today, we’ll encounter guidance given to the early Church concerning their relationship with their old religious ways in light of Christ’s sacrifice. They knew that the old covenant had been given by God, and they’d grown up and developed spiritually under its precepts. It felt wrong to just let it go. Those old laws and rituals had meaning and value, but as we’ll learn through this book, Jesus didn’t cancel out that old system; he fulfilled it completely.

The Hebraic system of priesthood and sacrifice was imperfect. It was symbolic of the relationship between God and His people. It was messy and ongoing, offering no real rest. But, as Pastor Ron explores the priesthood of Melchizedek and how it connects to the priesthood of Christ, we’ll be reminded that Jesus’ sacrifice was eternal. Instead of needing another sacrifice almost immediately because we’ve once again sinned, we can rest forever in the atonement He brings through the cross.

Who was Melchizedek, and why does he matter? There’s a lot of mystery around this man. He was both a priest and king of an order that would only be shared with one other person: Jesus. As Pastor Ron continues our study in the book of Hebrews today, we’ll encounter a passage that reveals this connection and offers some insight into why we need to understand it. As followers of Jesus, we long to know Him more intimately, and Melchizedek offers us a chance to do just that.    

Security is a huge issue in our world. Whether in banking, jewelry sales, prisons, school safety, or even at church, we see security in some form. Some of these contexts are about keeping people in, others are about keeping people out. But none of these will ever be more secure than being in God’s hands! Pastor Ron reminds us of God’s assurance to us of our security in Him. He will never forsake us, leave us, or send us out from His presence. We can rest in Him, knowing that He will always hold onto us.

My grandpa was a firm believer in handshakes. If you gave your word on something, followed up by a handshake, that was, in his eyes, as good as (or better than) any legal agreement written on paper! Unfortunately, many of us today don’t have that level of trust in a handshake deal. In fact, many times we are caught in broken promises ourselves! But Pastor Ron reminds us that God’s promises have always been a sure guarantee. He has never gone back on His Word, and we can trust that He never will!

When you accept Jesus as your Savior, you don’t get a card in the mail certifying you as a member of the Christian religion. You won’t get a monthly email from God reminding you to pay your dues, say your prayers, and follow the rules to stay in good standing. No, He puts His mark on you. Not a physical mark, but He marks your heart as His. You enter a relationship with Him and your Heavenly Father. As Pastor Ron will clarify in today’s message, this is about who you are in Christ, not what you do.