Day 26: Sunday, March 26, 2017           Hebrews 10

High Stakes Testing

As anyone who works in education or has a child in public school, Texas is one of the many states which requires several exams on top of course work to graduate from high school. In  Texas, students must pass English I, English II, Biology I, Algebra I, and US History.  And if you think these exams are easy and anyone can pass them, you would be mistaken.  I tried the online version of several of the tests, biology and algebra to name two, and I would have to sit the course to pass the exam.  Now, students may retake any exams that are failed as many times as the exam is offered, but there are some seniors that reach this time of the year, and they still have some exams to pass or they will not be able to walk the stage with their class.  And I’m the lucky testing coordinator who has to tell the students this heartbreaking news.  If I never have an 18 year old boy tear up in my office when he finds out he didn’t pass the English II exam again, that will be just fine with me. But missing the cut score by even one question negates an entire body of course work and all his 12 years in school.  I’m not always sure that is fair.

What if those same standards were applied to Christians?  What if we had a series of challenges we had to meet to get into heaven?  We could keep trying to meet the standard, and many would meet that standard the first time around.  But what if we got to the senior season of our life and we had one hurdle yet to conquer?  What if we couldn’t, even with the help of the pastor and all the good people from the church.  We just couldn’t finish, and we can’t get into heaven no matter how well we have done in every other aspect or test in our life.  We simply have to  accept that we were not good enough for heaven as we couldn’t fulfill all the requirements no matter how we tried.

Jews in the time of Jesus faced tests that they could not pass, laws they could not keep, and an afterlife that was not fully appreciated.  Six hundred thirteen laws to follow, most of which were impossible to follow, and blood sacrifice that was necessary to atone for the sins of the law breakers.

But those impossible standards placed upon Jews were negated by the blood sacrifice of our Savior.   Hebrews 10 states that all sin has been negated by the blood sacrifice of Jesus, God’s son.  For those who accept his gift, their gift is eternal life.  The last test has been passed.  The last hurdle overcome.  Heaven is ours for the taking.  And this promise is ours whether we accept Jesus as our Savior as a child or as a senior.  We can walk the stage at our graduation and know our family will be there to greet us on the other side.

Prayer:  May we reach the last stage of our life knowing that You are there to accept us as we walk across that stage to meet You.  Amen.

Contributed by Susan Frisch