Jesus provided a new and living way to God

I’m going to read Heb. 10:19-25 so we can get the full scope of these verses first, and then focus on verses 19-20.  Hebrews 10:19-25 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. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near. What can be more encouraging to people who have embraced God’s call to live to love with Jesus than to hear a direct admonition from the Scriptures to love based upon what God has done for us in Jesus Christ? Verses 19-22 provide the why behind our loving. Today let’s be encouraged by the first of two reasons for the Christian lifestyle of love.  We have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus. Let’s remember why we enter the holy place. We enter the holy place in heaven to receive mercy and grace to help in time of need. Let me remind you of Heb. 4:16. “Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” How do we gain access to the holy place? We gain access through a new and living way rather than through an old, dead way. Jesus made a new way through the veil of His fleshly body. We learn from Matthew 5:50-51 that when Jesus breathed His last breath, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom as Jesus passed through the veil of His flesh into the Holy Place in heaven. God provided a sign in the temple on the earth, which was a shadow of what is in heaven, signifying what took place in the heavenly reality. In His death, Jesus inaugurated a new and living way for us to enter into God’s presence. We, who live to love with Jesus, know we cannot display the fruit of the love of God apart from abiding in Jesus, who is seated in the Holy Place. Jesus means for us to draw near to Him continually. He said in John 15:5. “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him (this is a present active verb meaning continuous action), he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.”  So the encouragement today from verses 19-20 is that we may confidently, continuously draw near to the throne of grace through Jesus Christ. He is the way, the new and living way, to the Father’s presence, love, and grace. He is our source of life and love today. We have everything we need to love whoever God puts in our paths.