Way to God

The suffering and death of Christ Jesus our Lord on the Cross of Calvary was one of history’s most important moments and forever changed world history. The New Testament writers all document the voluntary suffering and sacrificial death of Christ Jesus our Lord, as well as His resurrection from the dead for the sins and salvation of the world.^[1] However, Christ Jesus’s suffering, sacrificial death, and resurrection were long ago predicted by Old Testament prophecy in order to bring the living Sovereign LORD God’s forgiveness, salvation, and unending mercy to all the world through repentance and faith in Him.^[2] At the death of Christ Jesus our Lord, from noon until three in the afternoon (sixth hour until the ninth hour), darkness came over the whole land and the sun stopped shining.^[3]

 

Here is the Good News: the massive and thick curtain (veil) of the Jerusalem Temple that separated the people from the living Sovereign LORD God of heaven and earth was ripped and torn in two from top to bottom at the death of His Righteous Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.^[4] The curtain’s tearing symbolized Christ Jesus, our Lord, opening the living way and giving everyone direct access and mercy into the Presence of His Holy Father through repentance and faithful obedience to Him as Lord.^[5] Notably, Christ Jesus our Lord opened the living way and access to His Holy Father, bringing together and uniting all people of every race, color, religion, nationality, creed, and sexuality to His Holy Father.^[6]

 

Now, the Resurrected Christ Jesus, who reigns and lives at the right hand of the Holy Father in heaven, freely offers and gives everyone salvation, grace (unmerited favor), peace (shalom), forgiveness, reconciliation, and access to His Holy Father and also adoption into His Kingdom with blessings for everyone through repentance with faith and obedience to Him as Lord and Savior.^[7] The New Testament describes repentance with faithful obedience to Christ Jesus our Lord as the way to salvation, new spiritual life, holiness, righteousness, and importantly, union with reconciliation to His Holy Father, who is the living Sovereign LORD God of heaven and earth.^[8] Christ Jesus is our Lord and Messiah, and most importantly, our Savior who gives everlasting life and salvation, who wholeheartedly comes to Him by repentance with faithful obedience and a commitment to do what is good and right - good spiritual fruit.^[9] Christ Jesus wants everyone to be one and united with Him and His Holy Father through the Holy Spirit of God so He can share His Holy Father’s glory and abundant love.^[10]

 

The author of the New Testament book of Hebrews called the miraculously torn curtain at Christ Jesus’s death symbolic and signified the immediate living way and direct access to the King of Heaven, who is the living Sovereign LORD God and Holy Father of Christ Jesus our Lord.^[11] The “curtain” that was a barrier in the Old Testament Tabernacle and later the Temple to the Most Holy Place (also known as the Holiest of All) where the Presence and Glory of the living Sovereign LORD God of heaven and earth resided was torn and split open at Christ Jesus’s sacrificial death on the Cross at Calvary so everyone can now have salvation and access to His Holy Father through repentance with faithful obedience to Christ Jesus as Lord.^[12] Sadly, sinful and rebellious living causes separation from the living Sovereign LORD God and leads to darkness, depression, and death.^[13] Here is more Good News: the living Sovereign LORD God loves us so much that He sent His Son, Christ Jesus, to lay down His life and die for sins and importantly deliver and redeem us with heaven’s forgiveness from ALL condemnation, sadness, and eternal death.^[14]

 

Christ Jesus our Lord offered His sinless body and precious blood as the final sacrificial Passover Lamb of God to take away our sins through repentance with faithful obedience in Him once and for all - past, present, and future, and to also declare and make us holy (sanctified) and righteous as a kingdom of priests before His Holy Father.^[15] Through repentance with faithful obedience in Christ Jesus and His sacrificial blood, believers in Him can enter into the Most Holy Place in the heavens with Him and His Holy Father.^[16] Christ Jesus our Lord is our Great High Priest and Apostle who gives everyone through faith in Him full access to His Holy Father and His Holy Father’s grace, mercy, and abundant blessings and life.^[17]

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^[1] See Matthew 27:33-56; Matthew 28:1-8; Mark 15:22-41; Mark 16:1-8; Luke 23:33-49; Luke 24:1-10; John 19:17-30; John 20:1-8; Acts 2:22-23; Acts 3:13-15; Acts 5:30-31; Acts 10:39-43; Hebrews 9:26-28.

^[2] Luke 24:25-27, 44-48; John 1:41, 45, 49; John 5:39, 46; Acts 2:23-33, 38-40; Acts 5:31; Acts 10:43; Acts 13:38-39; Acts 26:22-23; Romans 1:3-4; Romans 5:8; Romans 8:32; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8; Galatians 1:3-4; 1 John 2:1-2; 1 John 4:9-14; cf. Genesis 3:15; Numbers 21:9; Deuteronomy 18:15-18; Psalm 2:1-12; Psalm 16:8-11; Psalm 22:1-2; Psalm 110:1; Isaiah 7:14; Isaiah 9:6-7; Isaiah 11:1-10; Isaiah 40:10-11; Isaiah 42:1-7; Isaiah 49:1-13; Isaiah 52:13-53:12; Isaiah 61:1-2; Jeremiah 23:5-6; Ezekiel 34:23-24; Daniel 9:24-27; Micah 5:2; Micah 7:20; Zechariah 6:12-15; Malachi 3:1-2; Matthew 1:21, 23; Luke 2:10-11; John 3:16; John 4:42.  

^[3] See Matthew 27:45-46; Mark 15:33-34; Luke 23:44-45; cf. Amos 8:9.

^[4] Matthew 27:50-54; Mark 15:37-39; Luke 23:45-47; John 19:29-30; see also Matthew 16:16; Mark 1:1, 11; John 20:30-31; cf. Exodus 26:31-34. 

^[5] See Hebrews 9:3, 8; Hebrews 10:19-22. 

^[6] See e.g., 2 Corinthians 5:18-21; Galatians 3:26-29; Ephesians 2:14-22; Ephesians 3:1-13.

^[7] See e.g., Mark 16:19; Luke 24:23; John 1:12-13, 16-17; John 10:10; John 14:6, 9-11, 15-18, 20-21, 23, 27; John 15:1-17. 26-27; John 16:33; John 17:2-3, 8, 17, 21-24; Acts 2:33; Acts 5:31; Acts 15:9-11; Romans 3:24-26; Romans 5:1-2, 10-11; Romans 8:34; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8, 20-22; Galatians 4:4-7; Ephesians 2:18; Ephesians 3:12; Colossians 3:1; Hebrews 1:2-3; Hebrews 4:14-16; Hebrews 12:2; cf. Psalm 110:1. 

^[8] See e.g., John 3:3-8, 15-18, 36; John 10:9-10; John 14:6, 15-17, 21, 23; John 17:21-24; Acts 4:10-12; Acts 16:30-31; Romans 1:16-17; Romans 5:1-2, 10-11; Romans 8:32; 1 Corinthians 1:2, 30; 1 Corinthians 15:9-11; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; Titus 2:11-14; Titus 3:3-8; Hebrews 10:10, 19-22; 1 Peter 3:18. 

^[9] See e.g., Matthew 1:21, 23; Matthew 4:17; Luke 2:10-11; John 4:42; Acts 2:36-40; Acts 3:19; Acts 10:34-35; Galatians 5:22-23; Galatians 6:7-10; Ephesians 2:8-10; Titus 3:8, 14; 1 John 4:14.

^[10] See e.g., John 17:21-24; Romans 5:5, 10-11; Ephesians 2:4-10. 

^[11] Hebrews 10:19-22; see also Matthew 27:50-54; John 10:9-10; John 14:6.  

^[12] See e.g., Hebrews 6:19; Hebrews 9:3, 7-8; cf. Leviticus 16:2, 15.

^[13] See e.g., Romans 3:23; Romans 6:16, 23; Ephesians 2;1-3.

^[14] See e.g., John 3:15-18, 36; John 17:21-24; Romans 5:6-8; Romans 8:1; Ephesians 2:4-10; Titus 3:5; 1 John 3:16; 1 John 4:9-10; 1 John 5:11-12.

^[15] See e.g., John 1:29, 36; John 17:19; Romans 1:16-17; Romans 3:24-26; 1 Corinthians 2, 30; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 2:10-11, 17; Hebrews 7:26-28; Hebrews 9:11-14, 24-28; Hebrews 10:5-18; Hebrews 13:12; 1 Peter 2:4-5, 9-10, 24; 1 John 2:1-2; 1 John 3:5; 1 John 4:9-12; Revelation 1:5-6; Revelation 5:9-10; cf. Exodus 19:5-6. 

^[16] Hebrews 10:19-20; see also Ephesians 2:18; Ephesians 3:12; Hebrews 9:11-12, 25-28. 

^[17] See e.g., Hebrews 2:17; Hebrews 3:1; Hebrews 4:14-16; Hebrews 7:19; Hebrews 9:7-8; Hebrews 10:19-22.