In our last meditation on this subject, we considered the words of John the Baptist, the greatest of all the prophets, who spoke of Jesus as ‘a Man who is preferred before me’, John chapter 1 verse 30. Later on, one of the New Testament writers also spoke of this unique Man: ‘But this Man, AFTER He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God’, Hebrews chapter 10 verse 12.

Before Christ came there had been numerous priests in the city of Jerusalem and they always stood to carry out their priestly duties; indeed, there were no seats in the Temple that enabled them to sit. Their work never ended. In today’s parlance their service was 24/7, even on the sabbath day (Saturday). They never offered up a sacrifice that ended all sacrifices. The value of each animal sacrifice they made was only temporary and none of them could take away sin.

Once again, God’s AFTER changed all this. In the Person of Jesus Christ, He provided one sacrifice for sins, for ever, that never needed to be repeated. Jesus completed His work on one day on the cross at Calvary and, unlike the Jewish priests, He sat down on the right hand of God, when He returned to heaven, following His resurrection from the dead. The ‘right hand’ in the Bible is the position of favour, power and authority. His one sacrifice for sins (the sacrifice of Himself) is all we need to make us fit for heaven. As long as He sits in heaven at the right hand of God, our salvation is secure!

GOD’S ‘AFTER’ WAS, INDEED, WORTH WAITING FOR!