The Perfect Tent

Scripture:

Hebrews 9:11-15
9:11 But when Christ came as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation),

9:12 he entered once for all into the Holy Place, not with the blood of goats and calves, but with his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption.

9:13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, with the sprinkling of the ashes of a heifer, sanctifies those who have been defiled so that their flesh is purified,

9:14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to worship the living God!

9:15 For this reason he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, because a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions under the first covenant.

Observation:

The greater and perfect tent of Christ became the completion of all things. The earlier tabernacle where sacrifices had been made was not the ultimate answer for humanity. Human hands had built the tabernacle and place of sacrifice but now, the work of Christ would be complete through Divine intervention. 

Application:

The Lenten journey has brought us to Holy Week and we journey together with Christ to the cross. It is not an ordinary journey for it is not constructed by human hands. It leads to the perfect tabernacle, that place where we can be restored as God's holy people.

I'm afraid that sometimes it's easy to become comfortable with the things made with human hands. We understand those things because they can be seen, touched and held. The Lenten journey is a faith journey because it doesn't lead to the things that are easy for us to see. For us to enter into Christ's place of perfection, we must step out in faith and follow him all the way to the cross. The cross didn't look very victorious to Jesus' disciples but that's because the battle wasn't being won against earthly powers. The Romans didn't realize that their rule was simply temporal and that their great Empire would one day vanish.

We can't always see the victory but that's why we have to continue onward in faith. If things seem bleak, just think about this week and what it meant for Christ and the disciples. Following Christ is not always easy and it requires a life of faith. We must continue to have hope in the things which are unseen. The greater and perfect tabernacle was not visible during that first Holy Week and yet a small band of disciples remained faithful. It's worth it. Hang in there. Trust in Jesus. Follow him and be restored as a child of God because of the unseen perfect tabernacle.

Prayer:

Lord, some days it feels harder than others to press on in faith. Please help me to press on in following you on this Lenten journey. Amen.


If you would like to read more "Reflecting the Image"  click on the image to take you to the NPH bookstore.The book is also available in Kindle format on Amazon.com.