(This message series is inspired and excerpted from Heaven is Now by Andrew Farley)
And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus.20 By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. 21 And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, 22 let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. (Hebrews 10:19-23 NLT)
The Huey P. Long Bridge opened in December 1935, replacing the Walnut Street Ferry. The bridge is named after the extremely popular and notorious governor of Louisiana who had just been assassinated in September of the same year. It was the first bridge to span the Mississippi River in Louisiana. The widest clean span is 790 feet long and sits 135 feet above the water. There are three navigation channels below the bridge, the widest being 750 feet. The distinctive rail structure is 22,996 feet long. Each roadway deck is a precarious 18 feet wide, with two nine-foot lanes, but because of the railroad component, is unusually flat for a bridge of this height. Normally, bridges this high have a hump to accommodate the height but this bridge is flat to accommodate rail traffic. By 2008 the bridge was crossed by 43,000 vehicles a day.
Legend has grown up around the Huey P. Long bridge. Allegedly several workers were entombed alive in the colossal cement pilings holding the bridge in place. Trestle workers, too, were among the men who lost their lives in the effort to erect this homage to the late Louisiana Governor. Knocked from their high perches by misplaced rebar or rods, the trestle workers plummeted to their deaths in the muddy Mississippi River below. Even today the Huey P. Long Bridge has its share of accidents. It is said that some of these accidents are caused by modern commuters trying to avoid striking what appear to be pedestrians on the busy bridge. Several commuters who had “near misses” in the recent past have claimed to have seen men in overalls walked abreast on the bridge, or someone climbing from over the side of the bridge and suddenly appearing in view. Swerving to avoid these “workers” modern day motorists end up in fender benders of their own. There are scary bridges all over this country. Do these facts and legends remind you of your “white knuckle” trips over those old skinny lanes of the Huey P. where there was no room for mistakes?
Crossing the bridge from the doctrine of condemnation and guilt to the gospel of free grace can be a “white knuckle” ride. Is the grass greener on the other bank? (No eastbank – westbank favoritism in this message) What will the toll be? Does it mean that all the energy I spent on trying harder because I’m bad, and God is good, is for nothing? How are you feeling at this point in the series, liberated, or cautious? (Inspired by chapter 4)
“So how do we cross over? And how can we afford to cross over to a place of grace when the fiery teachings of Jesus are staring us in the face? When most of us think of Jesus’s life on earth, we might think of his incredibly loving teachings about our union with him, the vine and the branches, the coming Holy Spirit, and the celebration of the Lord’s Supper— the “new covenant in my blood” (Luke 22: 20). But there’s a flip slide to Jesus’ teachings, because he served as a bridge between the old way of the law and heaven’s new way. Have you ever stopped to consider that Jesus actually said things like these?
If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. [30] And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell. (Matthew 5:29-30 ESV)
Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” (Matthew 19:21 ESV)
Do those teachings inspire you to seek this freedom? And it doesn’t stop there!
“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ [22] But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. (Matthew 5:21-22 ESV)
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ [28] But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (Matthew 5:27-28 ESV)
“What did Jesus mean by “you have heard that it was said”? Jesus was referring to the Old Testament law. And he was expanding on the law, raising the standard. Jesus was making it impossible for anyone to comply with his teaching. Cut off your hand? Now that’s commitment in your fight against sin! Pluck out your eye? That’s dedication! Oh, and by the way, sell everything in order to enter the kingdom of heaven – how many of us have done that one? And finally, in case we didn’t know exactly what the standard was:” (loc. 487 of 2138)
You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matthew 5:48 ESV)
How would these teachings cause you to feel? Do you see the flipside of Jesus’ ministry?
“Not only was he prophesying about a new way to come, but he was also burying people under the old way of the law. Jesus is the dividing line of human history. His life served as the means for two different ministries at once. He is the bridge from the old to the new.” (loc. 510 of 2138) How will this change the way you relate to Jesus? What did your old way look like? What will your new way look like?
Heaven Speaks [What Jesus might say if He were sitting right here.]
“Just at the right time I entered your world. I walked in the midst of all the hustle and bustle of downtown Jerusalem, where the priests offered their sacrifices in hopes of appeasing my Father. But this new priesthood is heavenly and different. And when the priesthood changed, everything changed.
Under the old way, I could never have served as priest. Only those in the line of Levi were eligible. Father arranged for me to be born into the line of Judah, departing from the regulations of the old. This enabled my priesthood to stand out as the beginning of a whole new era.
So I am your priest, and the new way is your only covenant hope. I purchased you away from condemnation and adopted you as my own. While some misunderstood the old way and tried to make themselves holy through it, I mad you holy through the one-time sacrifice of my body. Through the new way you are forever holy!
Since you are in me, you can see behind the veil of the law to realize that it was only given to point humanity toward me. Now that you are joined to me, the veil has been taken away, and you can see my simple, loving will for you. I want you to know me, and enjoy life as a healthy, flourishing branch, bearing my fruit. I want this for you because I love you so deeply.
The law was only a dim picture of a more beautiful reality – me in you, your true hope. I have woven my desires into the lining of your heart so that you can live freely from the core of your being. You’ll be surprised at just how intuitive your new life can become.
I love you, and I am life to you. – Jesus” (inspired by Rom. 5:6; 8:15-16; Gal. 4:4-5; Heb. 7:12-14; 9:16-17; 10:1, 10, 16; 1 Cor. 3:14-16; John 15:5; Col. 2:16-17.) (loc. 527 of 2138)
Awakening to Heaven [A sample prayer to close]
“Thank you Jesus, for dying to bring the new way inaugurated in your blood. You have given a covenant of life. By this great covenant, you have made me holy and one with you. I see that am free from the obligation of rules as I live and walk by your Spirit in me. I will forever honor your eternal, heavenly priesthood. Thank you for purchasing me and placing me firmly under the new way so that I may be rooted and grounded in your grace. I will celebrate you and the new way you have paved for me, without compromise. I choose to reject the guilt and fear of the old way. I choose to feel the freedom of your grace, as this is my destiny. I love you Jesus.” (loc. 527of 2138)
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