THE WALL OF SEPARATION CAST DOWN

Jonathan Edwards:

He [Jesus Christ] hath by his blood made atonement for sin, so that our guilt need not stand in the way, as a separating wall between God and us, and that our sins might not be a cloud through which our prayers cannot pass. By his atonement he hath made the way to the throne of grace open. God would have been infinitely gracious if there had been no Mediator, but the way to the mercy-seat would have been blocked up. But Christ hath removed whatever stood in the way. The veil which was before the mercy-seat “is rent from the top to the bottom” by the death of Christ. If it had not been for this, our guilt would have remained as a wall of brass to hinder our approach. But all is removed by his blood, Heb. 10:17, etc.

Jesus Christ: Our High-Priest

J. C. Ryle:

Our Lord Jesus Christ is doing for His people the work which the Jewish high-priest of old did on behalf of the Israelites. He is acting as the manager, the representative, the mediator in all things between His people and God. –He is ever presenting on their behalf His own perfect sacrifice, and His all sufficient merit, before God the Father. –He is ever obtaining daily supplies of fresh mercy and of fresh grace for His poor, weak servants, who need daily mercy for daily sins, and daily grace for daily necessities. –He ever prays for them. As He prayed for Simon Peter upon earth, so I believe He prays for His people now. –He presents their names before God the Father. He carries their names upon His heart, the place of love; and upon His shoulder, the place of power, –as the high-priest carried the names of all the tribes of Israel, from the least to the greatest, when he wore his robes of office. He presents their prayers before God. They go up before God the Father mingled with Christ’s all-prevailing intercession, and so are acceptable in God’s sight. He lives, … to be the friend, the advocate, the priest, the all-prevailing agent, of all who are His members here upon earth. As their elder brother He acts for them; and all that their souls require He, in the court of heaven, is ever carrying on. (“Able to Save”)