Come Closer to God
Hebrews 4: 14-16 (NLT): So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.
Communion is the representation of the last meal Jesus shared with his disciples the night before he was crucified. It was the beginning of the establishment of the new covenant. The old covenant did not allow for us to receive all that God had intended for us, thus, through the death and resurrection of Jesus, we were given full access to God and all He had in store for His children. Jesus was the final sacrifice that fulfilled the duties of the old covenant. God’s yearning to communicate with His creation was so strong that Jesus came to earth and lived a perfect life–thanks to the God in Him–where he healed and ministered to hundreds of people. Eventually, the religious leaders turned on him. He was handed over to the Romans, where he was crucified. There was much happening in the natural, but so much more was happening in the supernatural. There was a tremor through Heaven. As Jesus breathes his last and gives his spirit, he descends into the depths of the earth and pays the price. He defeats death; we no longer have to fear death. He defeats the devil. Then, he ascends up to his disciples for a short period of time before he returns to Heaven, where he presents his blood, the final sacrifice for humanity, and God accepts it. And every single human being from that point on has access to God.
Communion, this eating and drinking together, can be summed up in one word: Access. Jesus said, “I am the door.” When we walk through the door of Christ, we gain full access to God. We feel unworthy, for we sin. We wonder how God can accept us. It is because Jesus is the Great High Priest. As it says in Hebrews, Jesus faced ever temptation we face and gained victory over each one. Through this understanding, he gives us the grace and mercy we so desperately seek when we enter the presence of God.
The writer of Hebrews talks about a man named Melchizedek who appears briefly in the Old Testament. Abraham has gained great spoils of war after he went to war against multiple kings in order to free his nephew. One such king was the King of Sodom. The King of Sodom went to Abraham and demanded his stuff back. In the midst of this, Melchizedek appears. No one knows where he comes from or who he is. He simply appears in the midst of this fight between Abraham and the King of Sodom. Things are suddenly suspended. It is almost like the King of Sodom is dealing with Abraham when everything is suddenly suspended and Melchizedek appears. He brings bread and wine, and together, they have the first communion. Abraham is so touched by this that he gives a tenth of the spoils to Melchizedek. Melchizedek disappears after that and is never heard from again. Many Bible scholars believes this occurance is a theophany–when Christ appears in the Old Testament.
The communion they shared was a glimpse of what was to come. A few thousand years later, Jesus sits with his disciples. He breaks the bread and shares the wine. He says that he is going to leave soon; his hour had come; he was going to establish a new covenant. Humanity would soon have access to God; the same access Jesus had, we were going to have. Yet, so often, we don’t feel worthy. But Hebrews says to “come boldly to the throne of God. There, we will receive mercy.” The mercy you seek is in the throne of God. There, we find mercy. There is the grace to help us in times of need.
Abraham was justified because he believed. The world cannot understand this concept. We have been preprogrammed to think that we can’t get something without earning it. Do this in order to get that. It is not so with God. You cannot earn His love and acceptance. He has freely given it. All we can do it keep moving forward, keeping taking one step at a time, and keep moving toward Him. The closer you get to God, the softer you become. Suddenly, life is not all about you. The Holy Spirit comes to the soft heart and softens it even more until we open up to God’s grace and love and begin to make that journey.
He keeps the mercy and grace in the Throne Room because He wants us close. He wants us to come to Him. He wants us there with Him forever. He has everything we need. He knows we don’t feel worthy. He encourages us a make another step. To come a little closer. He has it all. Just come in. “Come into my presence,” God says, “without fear. Because there was a sacrifice. There was some blood, and there was a body that has been presented to me that once and for all gives you access to my mercy and my grace. Come and be with me. Come closer. I’m not the God for you to fear. I’m not that angry God that the devil has tried to deceive the world. I’m not that God who judges and casts down and turns from. I’m the God of redemption. I’m the God of the second chance. I’m the God of healing. I’m your Father. Come. Come into my presence.”
Jesus shows up in the midst of our battles, our anxieties, and our short comings. We break bread together, we share some wine together, and we fellowship together. And He gives us strength to make the right choices. He helps us get stronger by taking us into the presences of God, the strength of God, and the mercy of God. He says, “Come in.”
When you come into that throne room, there is strength. The closer you get to God, you change. The more you go into God’s presence and partake in His grace and mercy, the stronger your become. Come to God every single day. You will become stronger. The presence of God is the only antidote for the soul. The presence of God washes away all things that hinder you from Him. Will you come in?
