His Appearance “For Us”

“For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence. Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.” -Heb. 9.24-28

Dear saint, have you ever been seized by the sweetness of that phrase, “he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence”?

He did not go merely to a man-made temple. Even His visits to the temple of Solomon, as historically significant as they were, did not mark the end of His intentions. He ascended “above the powers”, and entered the heavenly temple itself, where no sin can cast a shadow or taint the air. He went into the holiest place, where the Ancient of Days dwells in unapproachable Light and unquenchable fire. In that place where transcendent creatures worship, Cherubim and Seraphim serve and minister with flames, and the cry of “holy, holy, holy” echoes through the heavenly halls with incessant ascription to the One on the throne. He went into that Temple “itself,” but the staggering note is not that He entered, for it had been His dwelling place from before the foundations of the world. The staggering note is that He entered “for us.”

The most memorialized and esteemed saint of God in the history of Israel and the Church would not be able to stand for a fraction of a second in that great place. But He has entered for us.

Death is inevitable for all men, and every soul will stand before the Judgement seat of Christ. “It is appointed unto man once to die, and after that the judgment.” It is utterly final. But just as sure as is the inevitability of death and judgment, so is the power of Christ to take away sin and free us from the wrath to come.

Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people….

Oh dear believer! Have you cast your soul upon the Lamb of God? Do not permit the bickering and pestering voices of the enemy to cloud out the reality that Jesus Christ was sacrificed once and for all, to “take away the sins of many people.” He does not need to die again, it was a complete work, and you can bank your yesterdays, todays, and tomorrows on His words: “It is finished.”

It is for us that He has been crucified! It is for us that He has ascended and entered “heaven itself.” Not so we could live loosely, but be broken free from the spirit of this age, transformed in the innermost parts, and liberated to come into the knowledge of God and be conformed to His own image. For us! Not merely for our benefit, though the benefits are indescribable. Not merely for our advancement, but for us! Be gripped by this glorious truth, dear one, and afflictions will be sweeter, temptations less alluring, and condemnation and blame will dissipate in the light of His glory and grace.