Lent 5 (3)
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11 When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation. 12 He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. 13 The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. 14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! 15 For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.
What is the difference between a disease or injury and symptoms? A disease is that medical condition of what is wrong with your body. It may be a cancerous tumor, failing kidneys, a faulty valve in the heart, a strained ligament or a broken bone. The symptoms are those pains, changes in function, weakness, dizziness, etc. that is your body’s way of telling you that something is wrong.
How do you deal with these medical conditions? You can just address the symptoms by using pain relievers, combating them with other drugs, rest etc. But I think we would all agree that to be healthy the disease or injury itself needs to be dealt with and sometimes very aggressively.
It is painful to set a broken bone.
The surgery and recovery period of joint replacement is something many of our members have experienced.
Medications to combat chronic diseases may keep them in check but cause other side effects.
I think we are all aware of how debilitating cancer treatments with surgeries, radiation, and chemotherapy is.
But unless the disease or injury is dealt with head on, it will continue to impact our health presenting itself in symptoms and may often lead to crippling or killing us.
The point of this is that just as with our bodies it is important to deal with the cause of poor health instead of just masking the symptoms. It is also important for the cause of our broken relationship with God to be dealt with at the root instead of just temporarily masking the seriousness of sin.
This is the comparison that the writer to the Hebrews is making here in our text. His overall theme of this letter is to encourage Jewish Christians to remain faithful to Jesus. This was important because they were seriously considering reverting back to Judaism and denying Jesus in the face of persecution.
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. 4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, 6 because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.”
His argument for them to remain faithful to Jesus includes the statement that Christianity is superior to Judaism in several key ways. Jesus is greater than Moses. Jesus is greater than Aaron. Jesus’ role as high priest is greater than that of Jewish high priests. Jesus’ sacrifice is greater than the sacrifices offered to God according to Mosaic law. That is the main point of this section.
11 When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation.
The Jewish Christians were very familiar with the history of the tabernacle and the current temple in Jerusalem. (short description) In a world where there were not a lot of large buildings as we have today, it would have stood out. It reminds me of the capitol building in Bismarck, ND. Unlike most capitol building which have a dome, this one is a fourteen story building which towers above the surrounding area. But put it in Chicago and you may not even be able to find it. The temple in Jerusalem was 151 feet (about the same height) and towered above the city. It was man-made but represented a tabernacle which is located in heaven and greater and more perfect and is eternal. The Jewish tabernacle (tent of meeting) was portable (kind of like the buildings in M*A*S*H.) Solomon’s temple was destroyed, a new temple rebuilt on the same location, remodeled, and then destroyed. Although there are some who plan to rebuild a temple on the same site, no temple has stood there for almost 2000 years. It was temporary. Jesus has entered the real temple and continuously carries out his ministry of interceding for us until we get to heaven.
12 He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. 13 The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. 14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!
Worship at the temple was the center of the Jewish believers approach to God. In a very intricate and detailed form of worship, God had instructed Moses (who then passed it on to the priests) how that worship was to be carried out. It reminds me of how we are instructed as to how we approach our God in worship although we have many freedoms when it comes to our practices and for many of our congregations that is changing with the introduction of the new hymnal.
A key element in Jewish worship was the use of sacrifice. Time does not permit to go into all the details. For now the key point is that sacrifices were necessary to enter the temple and necessary to cover up the symptoms of the deeper sickness of sin. But they were only a cover up just as masking symptoms does not remove the insidious effects of injuries or disease. Hebrews 9:13 (NIV84)
13 The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean.
But it didn’t remove the powerful consequences of sin.
1 The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. 2 If it could, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. 3 But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, 4 because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
Not all the blood of beasts
On Israel's altars slain
Could give the guilty conscience peace
Or wash away the stain.
2 But Christ, the heav'nly Lamb,
Takes all our sins away,
A sacrifice of nobler name
And richer blood than they.
14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! 15 For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.
5 Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; 6 with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. 7 Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll— I have come to do your will, O God.’ ” 8 First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them” (although the law required them to be made). 9 Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second. 10 And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11 Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. 13 Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, 14 because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.
By his sacrifice on the cross, Jesus has fulfilled the demand of Old Testament sacrifices.
One may wonder why the Jewish people no longer make sacrifices. Their answer would be that it is not possible because they have no temple.
Why don’t Christian’s sacrifice? Even though we have a temple (the heavenly tabernacle), it is not necessary for us to sacrifice because Jesus has made the ultimate sacrifice which has cured us from sin. Just as one who has been healed needs not further treatment, no more sacrifices are necessary.
The other impact of Jesus sacrifice is that he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.
Our sins have been paid for.
We have been forgiven.
We are given a new life in Christ.
14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. 16 Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.