PrayerBits for Tuesday

PrayerBits

A bite sized devotional program
produced by the West Side Presbyterian Church

Tuesday

Scripture lesson: Hebrews 9:11-15 How blemished is blemished?

Time to reflect: There was a whole industry to provide the Jerusalem Temple animals for sacrifice that did not have any obvious defects. A defective sacrificial animal was considered to be an insult to God and therefore ineffective in obtaining forgiveness from God. What then of a sacrifice of the perfect one – Jesus? Hebrews is making the point that this is the only truly unblemished, truly effective sacrifice that cleanses us all.

Moving through the day: Meditate on the idea that Jesus' perfection is able absorb ALL the sin of the world.

When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!

 For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.