When the weather starts to cool and the chocolate eggs and hot cross buns fill the grocery stores, it can only mean one thing, Easter is fast approaching.
Easter has always been my favourite time of the year. Even before I gained a deeper revelation of the true significance of Easter and Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice, Easter has just felt ‘special.’
As I grow in my relationship with God and journey with him through life, Easter becomes even more incredible and a time to reflect on what it means for us in our daily walk with Christ.
Before Christ
Before Christ, God’s people were under the old covenant and were subject to the law. God’s people could not access God like we can today. Only the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies once a year on the Day of Atonement, to atone for the sins of the people with a blood sacrifice (see Leviticus16).
If anyone entered at any other time, they would die because the Glory of the Lord was in that place. There was a curtain, a ‘veil’ that separated the holy place from the Holy of Holies.
If anyone simply walked behind the veil and they were not the High Priest and they did not do so on the Day of Atonement, that person would immediately die. It was a protection against a casual act of infringing upon the Most Holy Place which represented the very real presence of God. No one could look at God and live (Exodus 33:20) because He is a consuming fire (Deuteronomy 4:24, Hebrews 12:29).
The Shekinah-glory that was shining above the mercy seat would annihilate anyone but the high priest and so the temple’s veil protected humans from instant death. The veil was a symbol of the separation of God from sinful mankind. It marked the boundary between God’s pure holiness and the wickedness of mankind. It was not possible to go beyond the veil because our sins had separated us from a Holy God.’ (www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com)
After Christ
When Jesus died, the curtain or ‘veil’ that was separating God from his people was torn from the top to the bottom, which opened the entrance to the Holy of Holies. Why was this so significant and continues to be today?
Because now we can have direct access to God himself without the need of a high priest and blood sacrifices because Jesus is our high priest and was the ultimate blood sacrifice! He was the ‘lamb that was slain’ and paid the ultimate price for our sins and therefore we can freely access God anytime throughout the day.
‘For this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.’ Matthew chapter 26 verse 28
We can boldly enter the Holy of Holies, God’s presence, because we have Christ living inside of us. When the Father sees us, he sees his son and we are covered with his precious blood.
‘Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.’ Hebrews chapter 10 verses19–22
Jesus establishes the new covenant where God’s laws are written on our hearts. There is now a new covenant; a new relationship between God and people mediated by Jesus to anyone who believes in Jesus Christ.
I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will a man teach his neighbour, or a man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.Hebrews chapter eight verses 10–11
Who we are in Christ
When we accept Christ we become new creations in our spirit, the old man has died.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.2 Corinthians chapter five verse 17
When Jesus died, he did not just die for me, he died as me! And three days later he was resurrected into new life. We now have a new identity, and we need to know who we are in Christ so we can live with the freedom Jesus died for us to have.
We are a chosen people, part of a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession (1 Peter 2:9).
We are healed by his stripes (1 Peter 2:24).
We are forgiven, redeemed, and delivered (Galatians 3:13, Ephesians 1:7).
We are the light of the world (Matthew 5:14).
We are raised up with Christ and seated in heavenly places (Colossians 2:12 Ephesians 2:6).
We are strengthened with might (Colossians 1:11).
We are full of power, love, and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:17).
It is not I who lives, but Christ lives in me (Galatians 2:20).
This Easter I pray we gain a fresh revelation of Christ’s ultimate sacrifice and resurrection and what this means for us. I pray we truly grasp who we are in Christ, and that our new identity becomes our reality. I pray we step into this fullness so we can do all that he has planned for us to do, to bring his kingdom on earth.