Hebrews 10:19-22 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
What Jesus has done for us by sacrificing himself on the cross should give us boldness, confidence, and assurance about our salvation if we put our faith and trust in him. In verse 19 the author continues the image of Jesus as our heavenly high priest who has entered God’s presence because he is the only one worthy enough to do that. Every other human being has been tainted with sin and alienated from God’s holiness. Our confidence is based on “the blood of Jesus” which he shed on the cross. The “blood” here could represent the literal blood that oozed from his body or more symbolically for his whole life being. The “new and living way” is the access we have to come into God’s presence and be in relationship with God. This is the type of existence that Adam and Eve had in the Garden of Eden. From Genesis 3 onward, all people have sinned and fall short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23). The author is reflecting on the tabernacle or temple structure of the curtain of separation that marked the entrance into the Holy of Holies. This veil was ripped in two when Jesus died. This was a significant symbolic act to show that people now have access into God’s presence. The curtain is described here as Jesus’ flesh. It is a new curtain, not the old one that kept us away but a new one that invites us in. Jesus as our high priest opens the way for us and changes our hearts so that we have “true heart in full assurance of faith.” There are many people who have doubts about God, salvation, their own spiritual status, the meaning of life, and many other uncertainties. For those who believe in Jesus, life takes on new meaning. There is a clearer purpose. We have a reason for living. Our hope is sure and unmovable. The reason is that our hearts have been “sprinkled clean” and purified from the sin that has ruined our lives. Jesus changes our insides, our consciences, and our outsides, our bodies. “Washed with pure water” could refer to baptism, but it is deeper than this and more symbolic. The water of baptism is symbolic of the deeper cleansing that the Holy Spirit does within us.
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