From the Prairie to the Promised Land: The Hinge Point of History

This morning our Life of Christ professor, Abner Chou, asked us where we would go if we could go back in time just once. He said some people would say, "Seeing David fight Goliath would be pretty cool" or "Noah and the flood would be awesome", but really, the most glorious time, the most critical in all of human history, is the life of Jesus Christ - His life is the hinge point of redemptive history. He fulfilled all that the previous events led up to and all that God had promised.
So far, our field trips have been based in and around Jerusalem. Earlier this week we visited the base of the Temple Mount and then we saw a model of Jerusalem, including the temple on the Temple Mount. We briefly discussed the need for the temple and for the High Priest and his duty. Yesterday we were able to visit the Temple Mount. It is now run by Muslims who only allow non-muslims on the mount between 8-10 a.m. They have built an impressive building, the Dome of the Rock, right over the spot thought to be where the Holy of Holies used to be. As upsetting as it is to see a Muslim building over the very spot where God's glory use to rest, I know that there is no longer any need for a temple, a high priest, or a Holy of Holies. Christ fulfilled all these things - He is our forerunner, our High Priest forever (Heb. 6:19-20). Because of Christ's life, death, and resurrection, we can now come before God boldy, because of His grace. The Muslim's might be able to defile the site where the temple use to be, where sin was atoned for by the High Priest in the Holy of Holies, but they can do nothing about what has been accomplished "once for all", that is, Christ dying for our sins, bringing us to God, and making us alive with His Spirit (1 Peter 3:18)!