“Victors in Faith”

Scripture: Hebrews 12:1-17

What is faith?
For the past 3 weeks, we’ve considered several aspects of our faith, such as belief in the cleansing power of Christ’s Blood; the power and grace that comes in Christ’s sacrifice for our sin; perseverance in the face of nearly overwhelming opposition to our walk with Christ. Each of these is an evidence of faith, a characteristic of faith, a demonstration of faith, but in and of themselves, they are not faith.
So what is faith specifically?

The author William Boggs writes:
What passes for faith in our time is not much different from that experience at the orchard. So often we stay right around the edges, not trying very hard to deepen our understanding, content to lead unexamined lives where we know ourselves very little and God even less. No wonder the fruits of religious experience taste so bitter in our mouths and bring so little nourishment to the lives of people who are otherwise quite famished and searching for something that will fulfill the deepest hunger of their souls.

How is it that a message as fresh and invigorating as the one the Bible gives us becomes more like taking a dose of castor oil than biting into a juicy, refreshing peach? Perhaps it is because we pick from the rigid, moralistic trees around the outer edges of our faith and never bother to go deeper into the truly satisfying experience of a God who deals with us in love and tender mercy. At the center of the Garden, grace brings forth fruits of judgment and mercy that blossom together.
-William Boggs, in his book, Sin Boldly: But Trust God More Boldly Still (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1990), 101-102.

So what is true faith all about? In Hebrews 11:1 we read “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Therefore, faith is confidence in knowing that Jesus Christ is the only “fruit of mercy” that can sustain our lives.

Read Hebrews 12:1-6

Don’t you love the expression “surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses”? It’s comforting to know that others are caring for you. Again, Hebrews 11 lists some 15-16 people by name – people like Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Joseph, Moses, Rahab, David, and the list goes on. And we are told that there are many who are unnamed, with all having been great witnesses to the power of faith in Almighty God. And we can probably add more than a few others who we have known personally as witnesses in faith for our lives. Why do you think that they so important for us?
From my own point of view, I need to read about the faith of our Hebrew brothers and sisters who took a stand in faith that was against all reason and worldly sense. I need to hear about the early faithful who risked everything, including life itself, to spread the message that Jesus Christ is our only hope for redemption and salvation and eternal life. I needed to experience the grace and love of people who took a risk to show me there was a better way in this life than the one I was leading.

The “cloud of witnesses” is such a vital and important part of our faith, and it is only when we become part of that “cloud” for others, that our faith begins to be put into action.

This witness to the Hebrews also tells us to “throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles” so that we might live the life that has been laid out for us. EVERYTHING, not just those things we are willing to give up, but everything that is not of Christ Jesus! And why is this important for our faith?
Because Jesus is not only our goal, he is our example for life. He threw off the glory of heaven, because that would hinder his work here on earth. He threw off the comforts of this life so that he could live as we live and suffer as we suffer. He even threw off the certainty of life, to the point of unwarranted punishment and humiliation and death, so we might come to know the love of God and the glory of heaven for ourselves. And that is what the great cloud of witnesses does for us now – they are the evidence of both God’s victory over death and his promise of eternity for us.
And this demonstration of love is never easy. Remember that Jesus told us that “If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. .. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me.” (John 15:20-21) Fear and hesitancy must also be torn away, if we are ever to become an effective witness to the world. That’s what discipline means for a disciple of Jesus Christ, that’s what correction means for a child of the King – it means that we are to throw off the expectations and demands of a world that doesn’t know the One who sent Jesus to us and for us.

Read Hebrews 12:7-13

Without a discipline of faith, we are nothing more than illegitimate children. If we aren’t disciplined, if we aren’t corrected, if we aren’t shown the difference between right and wrong, we are told that this is proof that we aren’t loved, and without love, there is no relationship. The writer also reminds us, as though we need reminding (!), that discipline almost always involves pain. My childhood is proof of that! Believe it or not, I was not exactly the most compliant child you will ever meet! We didn’t have that proverbial “woodshed” at home, but I certainly spent more than a time or two in the basement under the “corrective hand” of my Dad. But as I look back on those less than pleasant times, I am prompted to remember scripture’s admonition that the discomfort of discipline will produce a harvest of many good things. I don’t know if it brought “righteousness” into my life, but it certainly did me a lot of good for my later years!

And it is this very discipline that prepares us to put aside the encumbrances of life, and to become part of that great gathering of witnesses in Christ. Jesus was quite adamant when he told us in Matthew 6:24 that “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other.” At the time, he was talking about God and money, but the saying is equally true of any other master that comes from the world. It’s a hard lesson to learn, but we can only live by one standard, and if we try to merge the two – those of God and of the world - it will certainly create quite a mess and it won’t allow us to serve either one very well.

Read Hebrews 12:14-17

It’s a terrible thing to miss out on the greatest blessing of your life, simply because you were more concerned about your physical need of today than you were about your great promise for tomorrow. (Genesis 27:1-40) Esau missed out on both his blessing and his inheritance, simply because his stomach was growling, while his twin brother Jacob, who was available and ready and focused and, of course, more than a little deceitful, gained it all.
What do we miss out on because we are more interested in living this physical and temporary life, instead of being available and ready to hear of our blessed inheritance in Christ? Just as with Jacob, it isn’t about who we are, or what we think we should receive, or how much good we do, or how secure and strong we think we are. Remember Mr. Boggs’ words -

Perhaps it is because we pick from the rigid, moralistic trees around the outer edges of our faith and never bother to go deeper into the truly satisfying experience of a God who deals with us in love and tender mercy.

We can never dance around the edges of faith and think that it’s enough. We can’t believe that a shallow faith is better than no faith at all. From John’s Revelation 3:15-16, regarding the church at Laodicea “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” A lukewarm, shallow, indecisive faith can never be sufficient, and it will only bring us failure.
Listen to the “great cloud of witnesses” that the Lord sends into our lives. Their stories of faith are about a victory that we can never achieve on our own - it is one that can only come by inheritance. When we become the children of God through Christ, everything of great worth becomes ours – not because we deserve it, or have earned it, or even expect it. It is solely through the grace and mercy of Jesus himself.
Don’t stay at the edges of faith! Get to know Christ in new and marvelous ways. And tell others about the victory that awaits them when they put their life in the Lord. Don’t ever be like Esau, thinking that another day will be soon enough to check in on your inheritance. Tomorrow may never come.

- Prayer -

“Rejoice in the Things to Come” (Thanksgiving Eve)

Scripture: Joel 2:21-27

Thanksgiving is one of those holidays that most folks take for granted. It is a time to get together with family and friends, to eat far more than we really need to, and to watch parades and football games, usually “through” our eye lids! But a day to give thanks can never be taken lightly – it’s an incredible opportunity to consider and acknowledge the many ways we have been blessed in our life.
But these things, too, are generally taken for granted – personal freedom, home, family (regardless of how strong or damaged those ties may be), financial security, to right to worship as we choose, the right to choose our nation’s leaders, and the list can go on for quite some time. Do we ever actually list them? Are we sufficiently intentional in our thanks to the point that others understand our gratitude as well as the recipient of our gratefulness?
The prophet Joel did and was.

Read Joel 2:21-24

The prophet is reminding us of all that God has done for us, and that whether we live in difficult times or peaceful ones, we need to keep our thanksgiving in the proper perspective.

Joel talks primarily about food from the harvest. Some days, it is abundant beyond our greatest expectation, and at other times, it is nearly destroyed by insects and drought and disease, and becomes barely sufficient for our needs. But through it all, the Lord is with us and will provide.

And Joel is also telling us that as good and plentiful as life may be, as good and gracious as God may be, there are even better times coming – that the Day he has Promised will be filled with overflowing blessings and bounty for all who come to the Lord’s everlasting and never ending feast. Until that day, though, we have to live a life of thankfulness, regardless of the day – one that encompasses not only our own life, but one that serves and gives to those who we love, as well as those who we don’t know and care little for.

From a book by Dr. Richard Carlson:

I have learned that the best way to be of service is often very simple - it's those little, quiet, often unnoticed acts of kindness that I can choose on a daily basis - being supportive of a new endeavor by my spouse, or simply taking the time and energy to listen [to someone]. I know that I have a long way to go toward my goal of becoming a more selfless person. However, I also know that as I have attempted to integrate service into my life, I have felt better and better about the way I choose to live. There is an ancient saying: “Giving is its own reward.” It's really true. When you give, you also receive. In fact, what you receive is [in] direct proportional to what you give. As you give more freely of yourself in your own unique ways, you will experience more feelings of peace than you ever thought possible. Everyone wins, especially you.
-Richard Carlson, Ph.D., Make Service an Integral Part of Your Life, Don't Sweat the Small Stuff ... and It's All Small Stuff (New York: Hyperion, 1997), 178-179.

I think that both Joel and Dr. Carlson are telling us that our thanksgiving is expressed and proven by those things that we do in our thankfulness. And most of them are simple, but important, acts – acts like Listening, Loving, Caring, Supporting, Sharing.

Read Joel 2:25-27

The apostles and the prophets both tell us that, in Christ, we will be filled to overflowing by his grace and his wonders and his blessings. And that all he desires in return are our praises and acknowledgement that he, and he alone, is God.

And whenever we reach out to others in our thankful nature, in gratitude for all that the Lord has given us, in faith for all that is coming to us, we offer praises to God.

When the Pilgrims managed to get through that first year in this land, they gave thanks. They didn’t slap each other on the back in congratulations to each other, they didn’t celebrate their accomplishments – they gave thanks to Almighty God who had carried them through some pretty dark days.

President George Washington proclaimed a day of thanksgiving – a day to offer praises to the Heavenly Father for his goodness in leading us through that terrible conflict we know as the Revolution.

President Abraham Lincoln, in 1863 – in the middle of our Civil War, offered these words in proclamation of this special day:
“No human counsel [has] devised nor [has] any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, [has] nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged, as with one heart and one voice, by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are [traveling] in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who [dwells] in the Heavens.”

Thanksgiving is not a day to just stuff ourselves with the sacrificial turkey and to watch TV football games and parades ad nausium – it is a day to give true and honest thanks to our Savior who has already given great things to us, and has promised us even greater things to come.

Be truly thankful for all you have received in this life, and be sure to give something of yourself to someone else.

“No Grace, No Glory”

Scripture: Hebrews 10:19-31

The letter to the Hebrews is one that is notably oriented toward a merging of the Hebrew faith in Jehovah God, with the new understanding of faith in Jesus Christ. When this letter was written, The Christian sect, known as “The Way”, may have still been based within Judaism, but regardless of the exact date of the writing, the writer is laying out a comparison that the Jews would definitely understand.
As a reader of this epistle, we need to see how the writer makes the connection between the faith of Israel and the faith of followers of Jesus. We have seen Jesus described as the new High Priest; we have seen the discussion of the former blood sacrifice versus the sacrifice of Christ; we have seen how the old covenant that was given for the Hebrews has been tied into the new covenant that is given for all in Jesus Christ.

Today, we continue to see some of these relationships, even as the writer advances the thought that the new has come and the old has passed away, and his call to live this new life in Christ.

Read Hebrews 10:19-25

Did you see the ties that are made for Israel? “The Most Holy Place”, “the blood”, “a new way .. through the curtain”, the “great priest”, the “House of God”, “cleansing .. and washing”? These are all references that pertain to both the old faith and the new, but would Israel see the connection to Christ?
The “Most Holy Place” had always been located in the temple, but now it speaks of heaven itself – the place of God that no mortal had any hope of gaining – except through Jesus.
The ‘blood” was always about animal sacrifice for sin that had to be offered for each individual, over and over again, but now it speaks of the blood of Jesus, the offering that is made once and for all.
The "way through the curtain” was available to only one person – the High Priest of Israel – and then only on the Day of Atonement. But now the way is no longer a limited, physical passage, but rather one that exists by faith, for all, in Jesus Christ.
The “great Priest” had always been a mortal human, fragile and frail, and now this is the One who is both Son of Man and Son of God, the one who became fragile for us, but who has now become eternal power and grace.
And “cleansing and washing” was another ritual that had to be experienced over and over by human hands, but now it was done by God Himself, on our behalf.

The author Cindy Jacobs writes:
Sometimes we [prefer to] take a little shower at Calvary rather than let God deeply cut and wash away the hurts with his atoning blood. Oftentimes we are unaware of the extent of the damage to our hearts until we are in difficult situations and our bitterness reveals itself in our words and actions. Unless we let the Holy Spirit shine his light on all the unforgiveness in our lives, our prayers will be tainted by the wounds of our hearts.
--Cindy Jacobs, Possessing the Gates of the Enemy (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Chosen Books, 1994), 45.

Jacobs is telling us that the washing that we receive in Christ is not only one that cleanses and forgives, but also one that heals. Have you ever thought of it that way? In the “sin healing” that comes to us from Jesus, our broken relationship with Almighty God is also healed and restored.
And the writer of Hebrews also talks about the healing that our relationship with other people receives. We are told that we are to encourage each other in faith, and not just at a distance, but up close and personal. “Let us not give up meeting together”. There had been a huge rift between the people of Israel and those who were from Samaria and the Gentile nations – they saw themselves as the Chosen, and others as excluded. But Galatians 3:28 tells us that “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” And if we are truly “one”, how can we possibly exclude anyone else from our circle?

Of course, we would never exclude anyone, would we? We would never make anyone uncomfortable, would we? Are we inviting as well as welcoming? Inviting and welcoming of those who have yet to know Jesus? Who are totally different from us? Who worship in different ways than we do? One of the greatest barriers that Kairos has had to overcome in the prison is in the bringing together of Protestants and Catholics. At Waymart, it took us several years before the walls began to fall, and now the level of religious tolerance has, for the most part, embraced all. We even had an Amish man and a Muslim man come to a weekend, and they were welcomed warmly. That is what being “one in Christ Jesus” is all about – a union of all sorts of believers, and seekers, alike.

Read Hebrews 10:26-31

Some commentaries say that this warning against “deliberately keeping on sinning” is related to the previous thought regarding those who fall away from meeting with each other. Being part of the Body of Christ can never be a part time thing – it must be joyful and consistent. In verse 29, we see neglect of the Church as comparable to “trampling the Son of God under foot” – a rather extreme but apt comparison. In Chapter 6:4-8 of this book, this same issue is described as “crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.” Trampling on Jesus, crucifying Jesus – not very pleasant thoughts, are they?

Therefore, the sinful way that is mentioned in verse 26 is no routine sin, but rather the intentional and decided rejection of Christ after coming to know him in a personal and committed way. The writer is also implying that those who stop meeting with other Christians fall into this category! In other words, if we turn away from the Body, it is equivalent to turning away from the Lord. If we reject the grace, how can we expect the glory?

But the concluding verses tell us that judgment of these acts is not ours to claim – that it is God’s and his alone. So what are we to do about those who are about to fall away from the church? Do we have any responsibility in this matter? Do we have any obligation to them?
The answer is a resounding “Yes”! We must understand that this doesn’t apply to those who miss a Sunday of worship now and then – it is about those who are rejecting the entire concept of the Body, and the redemption that is and of Jesus Christ. And this isn’t something that happens over night.

This is about those who have been hurt by the church – know anyone like that? It is about those who decide that they don’t need the church any longer – know anyone like that? It is about those who decide that they have better things to do than be part of the church – know anyone like that? This isn’t about folks whose jobs require them to work on Sunday, it isn’t about the elderly who are unable to be part of the church’s activities because of their physical infirmity. It isn’t even about those seekers who come to worship a couple of times, and then never come back.
It is about a deliberate decision on the part of a member of Christ’s Body to separate themselves from the Body. And we are to be the means for the healing in this broken relationship. We can never be content to quietly let anyone slip away from the fellowship. We are to extend the hand of grace to them - to listen to them; to let them know that Christ’s covenant with them is still intact even if their covenant with other people has been damaged; we are to be the hands and feet and voice of Almighty God for the world.

Returning to the advice we received from Cindy Jacobs at the beginning of this message, “Unless we let the Holy Spirit shine his light on all the unforgiveness in our lives, our prayers will be tainted by the wounds of our hearts.” Unless WE let the Holy Spirit shine his light and mercy and grace and glory on all who feel unforgiven and set upon and abused and wounded by whatever means or purpose, the wounds that they bear must become our wounds, too.
In Romans 1:11-12, Paul writes “I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong – that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.” We need each other, and those who feel as though they are no longer a part of the Church are in a much greater need. They will never be encouraged in faith by themselves – that is our job, and Jesus Christ is depending on us to “spur one another on toward love and good deeds”. We are to show the grace that comes to us from Jesus through the presence of the Holy Spirit, so that others will receive that grace, and will know the glory of God.

Will you be the one who lives God’s grace in such an obvious way that others may come to know his glory? Who will you reach out to today? How will you renew the covenant of Christ in the wounded heart of a brother or sister? When will you begin?

“The Heavenly Will”

Scripture: Hebrews 10:1-18

Last week, we considered the power and promise that comes in the blood of Jesus Christ – that it is the evidence that is offered on behalf of the new covenant that we now have. The first covenant was made in the blood of animals, and had to be renewed over and over again. The second was made in divine blood – that of Jesus Christ – and therefore was made once and for all, never needing to be reenacted or refreshed.
Today, we look to the reason and purpose for that holy offering of Divine Blood.

Read Hebrews 10:1-7

“The law is only a shadow of the good things to come – not the good things themselves.” Does this mean that we can ignore the law? Not on your life! Scripture says that it is a “shadow” of that which is coming, not a perversion of it, not a false representation of it. A shadow is not an exact replica of the original, but it can’t exist without that image. A shadow can, of course, have other images imposed on it without the viewer being able to easily differentiate which is which. But no matter how distorted the shadow may be, the original image is still there, and with skillful study, can be discerned.

But the imperfect law and the imperfect sacrifice continue to be strictly followed by many today. But now that we have moved into the 21st century, and now that we have a new covenant in Jesus Christ, shouldn’t we see both the law and sacrifice as no longer pertinent? Aren’t they obsolete? Aren’t we, who are in Christ Jesus, allowed to reject the law and sacrifice? Again, no. Much of the law is still relevant for our lives, and sacrifice must still be a part of our Christian walk. But the law that we follow must be in sync with the teachings of Jesus Christ, and our sacrifice is no longer made in animal blood and grains, but rather in those things that we need to remove from our life. The “shadow” of law, as imperfect as it may be, is still the best guide that we have until the day when the Christ returns.
“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, .. with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased.” It is no longer about the things that we can do – it is about what Jesus Christ has already finished for us.

Read Hebrews 10:8-10

“Here I am, I have come to do your will.” (v. 9)

The author Paul Jones wrote:
At the heart of [life] is the bottom line to every account: [and it reads] overdrawn. All that is left to offer are the empty hands of a derelict spirit. That is precisely what Jesus did -- not as a hero, but as a broken reed, a dampened wick. In so doing, it was a perfect sacrifice, not as 'full and sufficient,' but as broken and empty -- and thus enough.
--W. Paul Jones, Theological Worlds: Understanding the Alternative Rhythms of Christian Belief (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1989), 213.

It was God’s Will, his Divine Will, that Jesus should come into this world and empty himself , surrender himself to the world’s hate and spite, and he did it solely for our benefit. Human made sacrifice can never do what a God created gift will do. In Genesis 15, The Lord calls Abram to make a sacrifice of 5 animals - a heifer, a goat, a ram, a dove and a pigeon. He was to cut the first three in half, and laid them out opposite each other and beside the other two. And in the darkness, the Lord speaks to Abram and tells him of all that will come to be for his descendents, and then the Lord, seen as a smoking fire pot, moved between the pieces. The significance of this act is that God makes the covenant, and then in preparing the blood and walking through it, he is saying that this is the covenant, and even though it will be stretched and violated and dragged to the breaking point by the people, he will be the sacrifice (he will walk in his own blood), to set all things back on track.
It is only God’s Will that can always trump our sin, and this is why Jesus said “Here I am, I have come to do your will.”

Read Hebrews 10:11-18

Did you hear that – that because of Jesus’ sacrifice at Calvary, those who believe in him have been made perfect and holy. Perfect and Holy! A lot of folks I know struggle with that concept – are there any “strugglers” here today? We’re told over and over that only God is perfect, that only God is holy, but now we read that those descriptives just might pertain to us!
But please don’t equate the earthly concept of perfection with the heavenly one. On earth, “perfection” means no blemishes, no faults, no mistakes, no weakness, no sin, and the word “holy” is used to define only God, and by these definitions, we are neither! But in God’s eyes, all who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior have been made as thought we are perfect, and have been granted access to the throne of God, a place where only the holy can go to worship the Almighty.
In Christ and through his redemptive forgiveness, we are perfect in the sight of God, and we are holy in Divine eyes, and we can never deny that. It is by his blood that we have been perfectly cleansed, and by his grace, we have been justified, or in other words, vindicated of our imperfections. It has nothing to do with anything that we have done or anything that we are or have been. It is completely and solely about Jesus, and what he has done for us, and what he has become for us!

So what does that mean for our lives? James Chase writes:
It is time to ask a very important question, and it's time to seek the answer. What does God really want of you? Have you ever wondered? Perhaps you have heard the church talk about surrender and sacrifice. Do you understand what surrendering to God means? Do you know what Paul means when he writes about presenting ourselves as living sacrifices before God (Romans 12:1-2)?

In human terms, surrender means give up or give in. Maybe you've surrendered to your friends' influences from time to time. You know, God wants us to surrender, too. God wants us to surrender to his influence. When we do this, we don't lose: We win! When we give up control of our lives, God gives back some incredible gifts. You have been given very special and unique gifts, and [the Lord] wants you to develop them. It's true! You have hopes and dreams, right? God wants you to tell him about them! God wants you to trust him! God will work in your heart to bring focus to your dreams and hopes, showing you how to maximize your spiritual gifts to their greatest potential.
--James A. Chase, What Does God Want of You? January 6, 1999, www.integrityonline12.com.

Think of it this way - when we surrender our lives to Jesus Christ, the judgment that we receive and the sentence that is pronounced are ones of “perfection and holiness”. And it is only by this “sentence” that we can come into the Lord’s glory. And you just might be wondering why God would go to such great lengths and to such extremes to bless us. That’s a pretty good question, and the only answer that I have is “Because he wants to!” It is God’s Blessed Will for our lives!

And what are we to do about it?
First, we don’t take our new life as a Christian for granted. We can never live our life in the attitude that “Well, now I’m saved, so I don’t have to worry about church any longer.” The truth is that for the new Christian, church has only begun! It takes on a whole new meaning, and will lead us in a whole new direction.
Second, it means that we must now share our faith and joy with others. All too often people seem to be afraid to tell others about Jesus, or they may simply think that they don’t have to share the gospel of Jesus Christ, and this is a terrible mistake. It’s true that Jesus died for us, but he also died for “them”. And if they never hear what your new life in him has brought, why should they ever give the Lord a second thought? If you love the Lord, and appreciate all that he has won for you, why wouldn’t you want to tell others?
Third, we can never think that we know everything that we need to know. We have only begun to learn about the Father and his Son and his Spirit. Study and growth and service must be seen as lifelong efforts, because getting to know Jesus is not a simple thing. We have to get closer and closer to his will, every moment of every day.

A new covenant, a new way, a new high priest and a new sacrifice – all by the hand of God, and offered at no cost to us! A holy and eternal gift from God, not out of obligation, but out of the all consuming love and will that he has shown to us. How can anyone say “No thank you” to a gift like that? How can anyone turn their backs on God’s blessing? How can anyone say it doesn’t work for them?
It is the only hope that the world can truly count on.

“Worship in the New Temple”

Scripture: Hebrews 9:11-28

For the past 4 weeks, we have been taking a look at the rebuilding of the temple after the people began to return from captivity. It had originally been built by Solomon in the 9th century BC, and would be destroyed about 350 years later. It was rebuilt in the time of Zechariah in the late 4th century BC, it would be expanded and enlarged by Herod the Great in the mid 1st century BC and would be destroyed once again in the later part of the 1st century AD. In 77AD, after a disastrous uprising, Rome would raze the temple, and Israel would be dispersed to the far corners of the Roman Empire. And for nearly 1900 years, the Children of Israel would have no land to call their home.
The temple had been the center of Hebrew worship, and was the only place where official sacrifice, where true worship, could be held. It had become a symbol of Jewish faith and power, and when it was taken away, they would be lost once again. But Christianity was beginning grow by leaps and bounds, and with it came an entirely new concept of what “temple” and “priesthood” and “covenant” was all about.

Read Hebrews 9:11-15

We see some very interesting images here – “high priest”, “the greater and more perfect tabernacle”, “the Most Holy Place”, “new covenant”, “eternal redemption” and “eternal inheritance”. Let me take just a brief moment to say a few words about each of these.
“High Priest” – this person was the only one who could enter the holy of holies – the sacred “residence” of God, and then, only once a year after an extensive purification ritual. He was the people’s human representative to God, but for us Jesus is this sacred and perfect representative, he is our High Priest.
“The greater and more perfect tabernacle” – the tabernacle was the mobile place of worship, instituted during the Exodus, and continued to exist, in one form or another, until the building of Solomon’s temple. It was divine in design, but earthly in construction, and it had a finite life. Jesus, “the greater and more perfect tabernacle”, will always move with us wherever we go, and he can never be replaced. His body is perfect and far greater than anything of earth - Jesus has become the new temple, and he is where we must now worship.
“the Most Holy Place” – refers to heaven, the very presence of God the Father.
“New Covenant” – Jeremiah 31:31-34 describes this, as well as Luke 22:20. The law is no longer simply written on a stone – it is placed in our hearts and minds, and all will know the Lord, not just a select few. In the passage from Luke, this new covenant is given and proved in the Blood of Jesus.
Also see 2 Corinthians 3:7-18
“Eternal Redemption” – Redemption is the claiming of an item that has already been paid for. In Christ, we receive the eternal life that has already been paid for, and dearly at that, by Jesus himself.
“Eternal Inheritance” – An earthly inheritance is a legal gift that is given, upon the death of a person, to those who have meant the most to the deceased. Jesus died for us, that we might inherit eternal life, and it is bestowed purely out of his love of us.

The writer of this letter is laying out the plan of salvation to the people, explaining the new way of Jesus in terms that may be a bit strange to us, but ones that the Jews already understand. V. 15b – “he has died as a ransom to set [you] free from the sins committed under the first covenant.” He is telling the people that the first covenant – God’s promises to the people – was only a precursor to the second. The first has not changed, but the second has made it all possible.

Read Hebrews 9:16-22

Sacrificial blood had always been a sign of cleansing and repentance. Pagans have always used the concept of blood sacrifice; Israel used it in Egypt as a sign to the angel of death that they were to be spared for God; one of the scapegoats was sacrificed to free the people from their sin and the other was sent off into the wilderness as a sign that their sin was taken far away (Leviticus 16:5-26); and Passover involved the blood of hundreds of thousands of perfectly innocent lambs as a sign of atonement. If we were to put the blood sacrifice into words, we might hear “Make me worthy to be one with you.”

And in the sacrifice that Jesus made on our behalf, it would be his blood that proclaims “spare us for God”, that proclaims the sign of eternal redemption, that makes us worthy. Why else should we joyfully declare that we have been “washed in the blood of Jesus”? It isn’t some ugly, satanic, ghoulish concept that we should cringe from – it is a glorious and heavenly act that we should embrace! This new concept of sacrificial blood no longer falls on our outward being, but rather on our heart and our soul. This is the message of the gospel, and Eugene Peterson puts it this way:

The gospel life isn't something we learn ABOUT and then put together with instructions from the manufacturer; it's something we BECOME as God does his work of creation and salvation in us, and as we accustom ourselves to a life of belief and obedience and prayer.
--Eugene Peterson in Leap Over a Wall, quoted in Christianity Today, March 1, 1999, 64.

Claiming the redemptive act of being “washed” in the Blood is an act of faith and obedience. The 4th verse of Elisha Hoffman’s wonderful hymn reads “Lay aside the garments that are stained with sin and be washed in the blood of the Lamb; There’s a fountain flowing for the soul unclean; Oh be washed in the blood of the Lamb.”
- Elisha A. Hoffman, Are you Washed in the Blood of the Lamb, Living Hymns, 1975, Montrose, PA:Encore Publications, pg 160)

Read Hebrews 9:23-28

Under the old covenant, sacrifices had to be made over and over, because they were neither sufficient nor complete. The writer of the letter tells of how the high priest had to fearfully and annually enter the holy of holies to make the sacrifice for the nation. It was never enough, never satisfactory, never ending, because they were made with human hands and earthly objects.
But the sacrifice that Jesus became was not human, and was not earthly. His sacrifice was Divine and heavenly and eternal, and he did not enter that “Most Holy Place”, that is heaven, to continuously repeat his redemptive act – it was made and finished, once and for all, at Calvary. (John 19:28-30)
The writer also compares Jesus’ first coming to his second – the first was to destroy the hold that sin has on all who will believe, and the second is to bring salvation to the faithful who wait for his return. His death occurred only once, and from that came his glorious resurrected life. And those who accept the Christ as Lord and Savior will also experience a single and temporary death, and will be raised into new life upon his return. But the writer is very specific, isn’t he. He states in no uncertain terms that salvation will come only to those “who are waiting for him.” (v. 28)

Jesus has become not only the high priest, the perfect and only sacrifice, the cleansing and redeeming flow, but he is also the new covenant and the new place of worship. There is nothing that we can possibly need that Jesus cannot provide. He has become our all in all.

So the question is no longer “Is Jesus waiting for us?” – a valid question, certainly - but a better question for today is “Are you waiting for him?” Are you eager to receive his salvation, his life, his eternity? His return and judgment must be a glorious expectation for us, and is not something that the “washed” should ever fear. It is only the “unwashed” who must dread that day. Judgment will be a simple separation – the washed from the unwashed.

Has your heart and soul been truly washed in the blood of the Lamb? It is the only source of cleansing and worthiness that can bring us to that “Eternal Inheritance”; that can gain us entrance into the New Temple and the right to worship at the foot of God’s throne. Remember that Jesus never washed Peter’s feet until the disciple allowed him to. (John 13:3-9) We, too, must invite Jesus to wash us and make us worthy, and he will patiently wait for the day when we make that conscious decision for him.

Have you let him “wash [you] in the blood, in the soul cleansing blood of the Lamb? Are your garments spotless, Are they white as snow? Are you washed in the Blood of the Lamb?”