After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

Hebrews 1:3–4

Many of us have heard that the priests weren’t allowed to “sit down” in the tabernacle or the temple, because the work of purification was never finished; there was always more sin to atone for. When the author of Hebrews writes that Jesus “sat down,” he’s making a declaration about the work of Christ. There’s no more to be done in the cosmic battle against sin. From an eternal perspective, Jesus has won, has defeated sin.

Now, we still live in the midst of the earthly battle, working to fight against the indwelling sin in our lives as we seek to conform ourselves to Christ and his example. However, we should do so without ever forgetting that Jesus’ work is now to remind God of his accomplishments as our Mediator (1 John 2:1-2). There’s no more for him to do! The sin in us fights to do as much damage as it can but Christ is not anxious about our sin. He rests from the work of purification.

I fight legalism constantly and I think it’s easy for me to imprint those fears and tendencies on Jesus’ attitude. I am anxious about my sin because I want to be good enough, I want to be better. Jesus just wants me to love him. If the work is completed by him, the only worthwhile motive for pursuing holiness is demonstrating our love for Christ and for the work which he has finished! If we have that mindset, our fight against sin will be less infused with anxiety and more worshipful.

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The “Isolation Introspection” series started as an opportunity for me to encoruage members of our Bible Study with daily reflections from the M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan during the 2020 “Stay at Home” mandate in Los Angeles. I’ve moved them here so that they can be shared easily, and perhaps benefit others. I hope you enjoy!