no more blood on your clothes: hebrews 10:12

I've been reading Hebrews this week. (I stopped on chapter 4 for awhile which speaks of God's rest. It was awesome, you should check that chapter out...) I've been reading about the crazy, scandalous concept of the New Covenant and the New Priesthood brought to us by the potent blood of Jesus. I'm not going to lie, it's hard to understand. Now I know nothing about the arguments about authorship of the book, but it seems to me impossible that this book was Paul. It just reads differently than any other book in the Bible. It's so smart it's like reading a dictionary with a pair of bifocals. Okay, not that bad but you get my point - basically i'm saying it translates into a book of concepts and sentences that go way over my head - so I've been reading it in what I like to call my "water bible" translation - the New Living Translation. But it's been helping me understand Melchizedek and why Jesus was called a priest according to his line. I love it...it actually says in chapter 7 that Mel remains a priest forever, resembling the Son of God. (7:3) And he does. There's mystery cloaked around this endless priest, just like the whole book of Hebrews.
Anyway, in chapter 10:12 it says:
"But our High Priest offered himself to God as one sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down at the place of highest honor at God's right hand. There he waits until his enemies are humbled as a footstool under his feet. For by that one offering he perfected forever all those whom he is making holy."
Woah. There's so much to think about that... I am trying to picture living back in the day during the law of Moses. Can you imagine trying to be close to God during that time? Because you want to and because your a Jew, the apple of God's eye - one of His people, however, knowing that you should be following the Law but you can't obtain perfection (you think being a Christian can be frustrating now?). You know, growing up memorizing the law, getting blood on your hands and clothes because you kill things for sacrifice, and not doing anything on Sundays (well, actually Saturday's right?). Thus living a life knowing the infinite distance from the One who made you. I'm maybe making it dramatic, but I think that I would feel a bit of that? I think.
Then Jesus comes and dies once. And because He sacrificed Himself as the God Man, and not as a Levite but under a whole new set of rules (Melchizedek priesthood)- the distance doesn't seem so infinite anymore. None of those daily sacrifices could do what He did (no matter how many annoying stains were left on your nicest tunic, how many times you walked up the hill with all of your family for sacrifice)- it was an is nothing you or I can take credit for. God's actually sitting up there next to God (I'd like to picture in this context that he's reclining or eating an orange or something) thinking your perfect just as you are. I mean, he perfected you forever and is making you holy. The now and the not yet. :) Don't worry you don't have to get anymore calves blood on your clothes...

This is a bit abstract, I know. i'm still thinking about the crazy differences between the Law and Jesus's shattering of it. And what it all means. And how it changed everything. And how thankful I am.