The Way Was Closed Until the Veil Was Torn: Jesus Is the Way
Dr RJ Sing, 23 min
Originally preached as “The Way”
Sermon outline
Under the old covenant the way into God's presence was closed, but through His blood and the torn veil Jesus opened a new and living way, because He Himself is the way.
Main text
- Leviticus 9:22-10:3
- Hebrews 10:19-23
- John 14:5-14
Opening
He welcomes viewers to Life in the Spirit from Faith in the Word Ministries and reads Leviticus 9:22 to 10:3, where the glory of the Lord appears to the people but Nadab and Abihu die for offering unauthorised fire. He then defines 'way' from the dictionary: a line of communication between two places, a path or road, a route or direction, and a condition or state.
When people came before God their own way, the way was closed
In Leviticus, people who approached God's presence in a way He had not commanded were struck dead. God said He would show Himself holy among those who come near Him, so under the old order the way was closed.
Illustration: Nadab and Abihu offered unauthorised fire and fire came out from the Lord and consumed them.
“So hence the way was closed.”
- Leviticus 9:22-24
- Leviticus 10:1-3
No one could approach except with blood and the way prescribed by God
David moved the ark on a new cart, and when the oxen stumbled Uzzah took hold of it and was struck dead. The ark then blessed the house of Obed-Edom, and David brought it up to Jerusalem with sacrifices and dancing. At that time Israel was acting as a servant, not a son.
Illustration: Uzzah tried to do it his way and was struck dead by the presence of God.
“No one could approach the most holy place except with blood and except the way prescribed by God.”
- 2 Samuel 6:1-15
The book of Acts keeps speaking of 'the Way'
Saul went to Damascus to arrest those who belonged to the Way; Apollos was instructed in the way of the Lord; some in Ephesus publicly maligned the Way, and a great disturbance arose about it; Paul admits he persecuted the Way and later worshipped God as a follower of it. The repeated phrase raises the question: what is the Way?
“All the scriptures that I've read so far, kept on talking of the way.”
- Acts 9:1-2
- Acts 18:24-26
- Acts 19:9-10
- Acts 19:23-24
- Acts 22:4-5
- Acts 24:14-16
A new and living way opened by the blood of Jesus
Hebrews explains that while the first tabernacle stood, the way into the most holy place had not yet been disclosed, and only the high priest entered once a year with blood. Now we have confidence to enter by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened through the curtain, His body. When Jesus died, the veil was torn from top to bottom, showing it was done by God and not by man.
Illustration: He cites Josephus describing the veil as four inches thick, fifteen feet square, of the finest dyed linen worked with threads of gold, yet it was torn in two.
“A living way has been opened between God and man and this way is the Lord Jesus Christ.”
- Hebrews 9:6-10
- Hebrews 10:19-23
- Mark 15:33-38
Jesus said, 'I am the way'
When Thomas asked how they could know the way, Jesus answered that He is the way, the truth and the life, and no one comes to the Father except through Him. Anyone who has seen Him has seen the Father, and those who believe will do greater works and can ask anything in His name.
“So Jesus is the only door and Jesus is the only way back to our eternal Father.”
- John 14:5-14
Putting it into practice
- Come to God through Jesus and His blood, not by a way of your own making.
- Accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour and be reconciled to God.
- Draw near to God with confidence and full assurance of faith.
- Ask in Jesus' name, expecting Him to act.
Closing
He retraces the journey from Leviticus and 2 Samuel, through Acts and Hebrews, to Jesus' words in John 14, and invites viewers to accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour. He prays for healing, inviting viewers to touch the screen as a point of contact, sets free those oppressed by demonic spirits, and gives a word to a viewer named Daniel who has been plagued with depression, telling him to find a good church.
In his words
- “It's a line of communication between point A and point B.”
- “No one could approach the most holy place except with blood and except the way prescribed by God.”
- “So Jesus is the only door and Jesus is the only way back to our eternal Father.”
- “There is no other way except Jesus Christ.”
Every scripture in this message
- Leviticus 9:22-24
- Leviticus 10:1-3
- 2 Samuel 6:1-15
- Acts 9:1-2
- Acts 18:24-26
- Acts 19:9-10
- Acts 19:23-24
- Acts 22:4-5
- Acts 24:14-16
- Hebrews 9:6-10
- Hebrews 10:19-23
- Mark 15:33-38
- John 14:5-14