“I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
No one can come to the Father, except by way of Me.”
JESUS — John 14:6
The Tabernacle, the dwelling place of God among His people, was to have a wall that surrounded it. This wall would be made of woven linens and would stretch around the perimeter of the courtyard. At the front of this wall was an elaborate gate, made of blue, purple and scarlet linen. The gate was a thing of beauty, for those to behold as they walked into the courtyard of the tabernacle. It also stood out from the rest of this wall, so people could easily recognize the only way into the courtyard. The wall and gate provided one way in and one way out of the Tabernacle.
When a person would enter through the gate, the first thing he or she would encounter was the altar of burnt offering. This large alter, which was covered with bronze, would be the place were sacrifices would be made and the offerings burned. Two things stood out about this altar inside the courtyard. First, there would always be blood stains from the offerings. Second there would always be the smell of burning sacrifices (this may sound gross, but there was as reason). These sights and smells were a reminder of the price that had to be paid for sinful people to enter God’s presence. To gain access to God, death was a requirement. God’s holiness demanded that the penalty for sin be paid for, through the sacrifices of bulls and other animals. God wanted His people to realize that access into God’s presence was impossible without forgiveness of sin and the sacrifice that provided this forgiveness.
So get the picture in your head. You want to enter God’s presence by coming in the Tabernacle. You are seeking forgiveness and fellowship with God. You want peace and contentment in life that comes from God. To get there, you must enter through the gate, the only way, and pass the altar, the place of sacrifice.
We do not have a Tabernacle, but this tent is an image of a greater reality! If we want access to God, there is only one way. The only access to God is by trusting Jesus Christ. In fact, In John 10:9, Jesus said, “I am the gate.” And Jesus is more beautiful and wonderful than any man made gate will ever be. Furthermore, the first thing you will encounter when you come to the gate is the place of sacrifice. For Jesus, this is the cross, the place where He became the eternal sacrifice for your sin. That blood stained cross that held the body of our Lord is an eternal reminder of the incredible price paid for our forgiveness.
You can have eternal life, forgiveness, peace, contentment, and access to God. But there is only one way, and that way passes the place of sacrifice.
