Hebrews 1:1–4 ‘After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.’ (v3b)
The homecoming scene has been the finale to many a film: the lost child is reunited with her parents; the broken marriage is resolved; the hero who has won the day and cheated death is brought back into the safety and warmth of the family.
Imagine the homecoming scene in heaven when Jesus returns to heaven. He ascends back to His Father having fully accomplished all that He set out to do, and we might employ a little dramatic license and imagine a standing ovation from the angelic host.
The Hebrew writer mentions in particular ‘when he had provided purification for sins’. The Hebrews readers would know of the sacrificial system instituted that they may be in fellowship with a holy God, and the seriousness of the annual day of atonement when the high priest would enter the holy of holies to sacrifice on behalf of the people.
Now Jesus, in His once and for all sacrifice through His death, would be, as John would put it, ‘the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world’ (John 1:29).
For a readership who revered the angelic and were tempted to exalt them and even the Old Testament practices above Jesus, it was also necessary to state that He was superior to angels. Who of them had served humanity in this wonderful way?
We may or may not be aware of our sins as we read this. But the wonderful news is that one sits in heaven who has made an end of them. Indeed, the psalmist says that God will not remember them. So, if your sin is forgiven, and you bring it up with God, He won’t know what you are talking about!
A Prayer To Make:
Thank You, Lord, that I am clean and free from condemnation. Amen.
An Action To Take:
When you are next tempted to drag up old sins, remember God’s forgetfulness!
Scripture To Consider:
Lev. 16:8–34; Ps. 103:10–18; 1 John 1:1–10; Heb. 9:13–28
