Jesus is the Perfect One

Our first readings today have the followers of Jesus in disarray. We first have the women coming to the tomb because they desire to anoint Jesus after his death. We know that there had been some time that has passed since the death of Jesus.

We know that Jesus didn’t receive the normal burial ritual first because he was crucified and those that were crucified usually were considered unworthy to receive them and second because there was limited time between Jesus’ death and the Sabbath so there wouldn’t have been time to take care of the body properly.

This would mean as Martha tells us so eloquently in the King James version when Jesus tells her to roll away the stone of Lazarus’ tomb “Lord, by this time he stinketh.” The women were not going to let a little odor get in the way of what they were going to do.

But there was also another problem. There was a large stone that would be covering the tomb that they would have to have moved before they would be able to get to the body of Jesus. That was their main concern.

They didn’t have to be concerned because the stone was rolled away and Jesus was not there. They didn’t have to worry about the smell and they didn’t have to worry about the stone. Jesus had risen.

When we are willing to serve our Lord what we believe to be obstacles can end up just disappearing. We can discover that God has already been at work. We also may find that what we believe will be problems turn out to be blessings.

We need to believe that God is at work in and around the situations where he asks for us to choose to follow him. The disciples seemed to have forgotten this as they are unwilling to believe that God is at work.

They were unwilling to believe that Jesus had risen. They had eyewitnesses tell them that he was not there. They had Mary Magdalene tell them that she had seen Jesus. But despite the proof they were unwilling to believe the possibility.

We have Mark further speak of their unbelief by bringing up that two other followers of Jesus reported that they also had seen him. But they could not overcome their grief and their doubts. They were unwilling to believe that Jesus has risen, he has risen indeed.

This should remind us that when others tell us about something miraculous that God has done, we should not doubt. We should believe that anything is possible for our God. He is the God that heals the sick, raises the dead, and makes the leper clean. Anything is possible for our God.

We are also blessed because he is a God who forgives. Eventually the disciples see Jesus and they believe. Yes, he does reprimand them for their unbelief, but he also seems to forgive them for doubting that he would be able to conquer death.

Jesus will at another time say “blessed those who have not seen but yet believe.” It takes faith to believe in Jesus. It takes faith to believe that Jesus was able to perform miracles and died on the cross but is able to forgive our sins. It is why we have to remember that he is the perfect one.

This leads us to Hebrews 10:16-25 which says to us “16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,” 17 then he adds, “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.” 18 Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.

19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Those that believe these words have been forgiven of their sins. We have been set free from the power of sin. It is through the blood of Jesus that we have been saved. Jesus was the perfect one. The one who died so that we could live.

We spoke earlier in this series about how the curtain between the Holy of Holies where God resided in the Temple was torn so that humanity was able to have a direct connection with God. The perfect one allowed for us to be saved directly by God.

The power of sin was removed. Guilt and shame should have disappeared. We have been set free. We are able to be forgiven, Why? Because Jesus made it so that all of us are good enough.

There is nothing that we have done that he will not save us from. It is our human weakness. It is our unwillingness to allow Jesus to save us that stops us from removing the power of the sins that we have committed.

The scripture quote used by the writer of Hebrews comes from the prophet Jeremiah. It is to remind us that we no longer need to atone for our sins. Life should now be about connecting with God in both our hearts and minds. It should be about being the person that God desires for us to be.

The perfect one died for us so that we can be forgiven by God through grace. Grace is the unearned, undeserved gift from God that allows us to be free from the power of sin and to have hope not only here on earth but also in Heaven.

What does this have to do with us. Most of us if not all of us have not grown up with a Jewish background. Why should this matter to us? This matters because many of us still deal with the guilt and shame of sin. We may need to hear a message like this today or for you if not today someday to be reminded that your sins have been forgiven.

Your sins have been forgotten by God. You have been made right with God through his love and grace. A love and grace that is available and offered to all people no matter what they may have done in their lives.

So, let us as verse 22 says “draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith.” Let us choose to connect with God. Let us decide that we are not going to focus on what we have done or even what we may do in the future. Let us focus on being forgiven and having as close as possible connection to God.

We do this by choosing to spend time with God. We get to know God better and become closer to God when we read the words associated with him. We call that the Bible. It is through reading about God that we are able to get to know God better.

We become connected to God when we communicate with God. It is through our willingness to talk to God and tell him about our struggles and ask for our desires that we can feel closest to God.

We communicate with God by having a conversation with God. A conversation is not just one entity talking. We need to also be willing to listen to what God may be trying to say to us. We have to give God time to speak to us so that we can learn how best to serve him.

We are able to be connected to God because of what the perfect one did for us. He died and then from up from the grave he arose. Thanks be to God.

It is truethat we do not have to ask for forgiveness but it is also good for us to be reminded that we have a God that forgives. There is no separation between us and our God. Let us take a moment and ask for his forgiveness again or for the first time.