Read Hebrews 9
We don’t
know who the author of Hebrews is. We speculate based on our experience and
education but we just don’t know. What we do know is that whoever wrote it had
taken a public speaking class. How can I say that?
Those
trained in public speaking know this little trinket.
Talk a lot about a little.
Had I
written the book of Hebrews, it would have two, maybe three chapter breaks. The
subject matter does not change much, only the extension of analogies or other
comparisons.
The author
has a lot to say about a little, but these few words are important, especially
to the believer who grew up with Moses and the Law.
We talked
about the
Old Covenant
and the New
Covenant,
but what exactly
is a covenant?
You should
remember that there are a range of meanings. They range from general cordiality
to true community and even to being shackled together.
When the
covenant comes from God it’s more of a fetter—a shackle. It’s a done deal and it’s binding until God
says it’s not. We sometimes refer to it as an unbreakable agreement.
A covenant
that is from God is big stuff. It’s more than that nudge that you felt inside
to take some food to that family down the street or just to check on your
neighbor that you haven’t seen for a while.
Those are
important but a covenant from God binds so many generations together.
Everything
up to the point of Christ’s priesthood has been an imperfect copy of what is
above. Yes, the temple was made with great care to the instructions that God
gave Moses, but it was still constructed by human hands.
We know
there is an outer holy area and the innermost holy place. Only the high priest
may enter the latter.
That was
before. Now our Great High Priest is already in the most holy place—the original
one—and there is no curtain of the temple between us and him.
Through Christ,
we come to what is better. Our Priest, our Covenant, and even ourselves are new
and better.
What was
before worked on the outside. The law mitigated the evil in our hearts. Christ gives
us a wholesale exchange. We trade in our hearts of stone for something more malleable,
not from external forces but from within by God himself.
What is
better, what brings eternal forgiveness, what consummates this new covenant is
blood. Even the Old Covenant was
established by blood. Moses sprinkled the scrolls containing God’s commands and
laws with blood.
Our covenant
is established by the blood of Jesus. He died for our sins and rose from the
dead. He has entered the highest place in heaven. It’s not a copy. It’s the
original.
But with
Christ, things are different. The priests who came from the tribe of Levi had
to return and make sacrifices again and again.
Christ died once for all. He does not return for recurring sacrifices.
The sacrifice has been made.
You are made
right with God. You are not in a probationary status. You are made right!
Most of you
have repented of a life of sin and have
taken the yoke of our Master. We want to learn from him. We want to put
his words into practice.
We trust
that he has good
plans for us.
We know what
is ahead of us is so much greater than where we have been or what we have
accumulated or who thinks we are the best or worst person in the world. We are moving forward and we get this part.
We who have
been saved in the blood of Christ Jesus can look back with clarity upon what
the author has described. It’s good to know as much of the story as we do.
We may look
back because of where we entered the story. We gain perspective but life lies in
looking forward and moving forward—drawing nearer to God.
This was a
hard sell for the Hebrew people. So many were trapped in the trappings of this
world which included the laws and sacrifices established by God.
These
directives fulfilled their purpose. Some of them still point us to Christ when
we fall short but those provisions for our atonement have been retired. There is one atonement for our sins and it
was made one time by Jesus and it is good for eternity.
When Christ
returns—and he will return—it is not to forgive sins once more. It is not to
make another sacrifice. Everything required by law and prophecy was fulfilled
in his first advent.
When he
comes again, it will be for you to realize the fullness of your salvation. He
will come again to claim you for all eternity.
You are his.
He won’t let you go. He is coming back for you.
He came as
the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
He will return
to harvest the fruit of that sacrifice. He is coming for us.
There is no
other way for us to reach God the Father.
There is no
other sacrifice required to take away our sin.
The Old
Covenant has served its purpose. The New Covenant is here and in it alone is
our salvation.
We are to
move forward, build upon the foundation that we have in Christ Jesus, and start
chewing on some meat.
This salvation
that we know in Christ Jesus is big stuff. Professing Jesus is Lord is not the
end of the race. It is not the finish line.
We have been
in the starting blocks for too long. It’s time to run our race, looking always
forward to Christ and forgetting what is behind us.
Our accomplishments
and accolades that gave us status in this world, don’t count for diddly
in the kingdom of God. Some things might translate into eternity. I’m thinking
that OSU graduates will still have head-of-the-line privileges over OU and
Texas.
And our
sins, no matter how disgusting they may be, have been covered by the blood of
Jesus. He took away our sins.
We belong to
him and that’s that.
There’s no
turning back. Don’t even look back. Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus. There is
only going
forward for the one who has professed Jesus is Lord and has taken his yoke.
I began this
study of Hebrews asking you to read it through the lens of Jesus. I also reminded
you though we don’t know the author, his words are in accord with the rest of
the biblical witness.
Let’s put
that to the test with my words—moving forward.
If we
confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse
us from all unrighteousness.
We can leave
our past in the past.
I press
on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
God calls us
forward.
Therefore,
if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold,
the new has come.
The old is
gone. The new is here. We are a new creation.
Remember
not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new
thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the
wilderness and rivers in the desert
We must have
eyes to see so that we are not blind to what God is doing.
Here’s an
oldie for the don’t look back collection.
But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became
a pillar of salt.
The author
of Hebrews knew that his audience knew this one, so he simply wrote:
Remember Lot’s wife.
A trained
speaker is taught to say a lot about a little. Here we see the author extending
the discussion of old and new for another chapter.
Again we see
that his counsel is in accord with the full biblical witness.
Again we see
a call to look forward and to move forward.
Keep your eyes
fixed upon Jesus.
Don’t look
back.
Don’t turn
back.
The best is yet
to come.
Eyes fixed
on Jesus. Move forward.
Focused on
living God’s way. Move forward.
Knowing
fully that whatever sins I committed, they are washed away in the blood of the
Lamb. Move forward.
Eyes fixed
on Jesus. Move forward.
Amen.
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