Bluetooth
My phone died this last Wednesday. My first discovery was it is shocking how much I rely on my phone. People would call and text; I could hear it ring, yet there was no way for me to respond. It was incredibly frustrating. However, I did discover a workaround. If my phone is in my truck, I could send text messages and make calls using the truck’s Bluetooth capabilities. However, for this to work, I needed to be in my vehicle, and it needed to be on; for this to happen, it meant running the engine because it was 95 degrees outside. A running truck uses gas; we all know gas prices are too high to sit in my vehicle and make phone calls. Therefore, I have been largely unreachable for the last five days. Then whenever I would get into my truck, I would see that I had missed notifications and texts to which I could not respond. Reminding me how much I use my phone with each report and alarm. Being tethered to a vehicle reminds me of a passage from Hebrews; the writer compares the earthly priesthood with the position that Jesus holds. Simplistically, priests are the agent acting between the people and God. The uncleanness of humanity requires purification before approaching a holy and righteous God. The priests were the conduit for the people of Israel to interact with God.
Hebrews 7:24-26 – “But because Jesus lives forever, his priesthood lasts forever. 25 Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf. 26 He is the kind of high priest we need because he is holy and blameless, unstained by sin. He has been set apart from sinners and has been given the highest place of honor in heaven.”
Hebrews 8:1-2 – “Here is the main point: We have a High Priest who sat down in the place of honor beside the throne of the majestic God in heaven. 2 There he ministers in the heavenly Tabernacle, the true place of worship that was built by the Lord and not by human hands.”
Similar to my phone, I needed a way to make and receive phone calls, but I needed to use my truck’s Bluetooth capabilities to channel the phone’s abilities. However, that would mean permanently attaching me to my vehicle, which is awkward and untenable. Prior to Jesus, God’s people were tied to a priesthood, a limited intermediary that could allow them to approach and connect with God. This changes with the sacrifice and priesthood of Jesus. He is forever able to intercede and interact with God, as he is God and in the presence of God. We do not have a secondary instrument required to connect with God. Our access to God is immediate and instantaneous. We don’t have to enter a man-made temple or location; we become the temple. We don’t need an intermediary or mediator; Jesus is that, and he always has access, and even more than that, his sacrifice made us a kingdom of priests. Making our access to God is perfectly complete. How great it is to have direct access to the God of the cosmos without needing a mediator.