WHERE GOD LIVES

 

WHERE GOD LIVES

Introduction: Where would kings, prime ministers, presidents, religious leaders, diplomats, dignitaries, including tourists from various nations when they come to the USA go?  Is it the White House? Why? Every President, since John Adams, has occupied the White House, and the history of this building extends far beyond the construction of its walls.

            The White House is the home of the President of the United States and his family and a museum of American history. Though Thomas Jefferson, who saw the White House as the "people's house," getting onto the White House grounds is not easy, even when you have an appointment to be there. It is likely to get even more difficult as the U.S. Secret Service weighs options to keep tourists and others farther away from The White House due to security reasons.[1]

            When you visit the white house, most of us are satisfied by getting a photo in front of it from a relative distance. Access to see the President is strictly limited, regulated, and probably denied. Suppose if that is how it is with an earthly president and his dwelling place; I wonder where the God of the universe would reside? What kind of a home is it where he chooses to live? Who gets to go directly into His presence?  Is access to God open to all or only a few?

            We have been journeying through the book of Hebrews. Last week we learned about the New Covenant and how we are to live as people under grace. We realized what that practically meant is to love God with all our hearts, soul, mind, and love our neighbor as ourselves.

            As New Covenant Christians, let us love and be gracious, by our love for one another; the world will know we are His disciples. From this morning's reading, we will see how the writer of the Hebrews is taking his audience on a virtual tour, to where God once lived in ancient times and then introduces them to Where God Lives today. Hebrews 9:1-15.

I. THE FIRST EARTHLY RESIDENCE OF GOD: THE TABERNACLE. (1-5)

            That first covenant between God and Israel had regulations for worship and a place of worship here on earth. 2 There were two rooms in that Tabernacle. In the first room were a lampstand, a table, and sacred loaves of bread on the table. This room was called the Holy Place. 3 Then there was a curtain, and behind the curtain was the second room called the Most Holy Place. 4 In that room were a gold incense altar and a wooden chest called the Ark of the Covenant, which was covered with gold on all sides. Inside the Ark were a gold jar containing Manna, Aaron's staff that sprouted leaves, and the stone tablets of the covenant. 5 Above the Ark were the cherubim of divine glory, whose wings stretched out over the Ark's cover, the place of Atonement. But we cannot explain these things in detail now."

            From the creation of the world onwards, God's abiding presence has always been with His people. In the Garden of Eden, He would walk in the cool of the evening. (Gen 3:8). When He led the children of Israelites out of Egypt, He accompanied them with a pillar of cloud during the day and a pillar of fire at night to help the Israelites travel day and night. (Exodus 13:21-22).

            God's presence accompanied them until they camped at Mt. Sinai, where God appeared to Moses in a thick cloud and gave him the ten commandments and other laws. (Ex 19:9). It was a powerful manifestation of God's presence, after that; God gives a clear command with specific instructions to Moses to build a dwelling place for him, which is called the Tabernacle.

            In Exodus 35, we read about the formal establishment of the Sabbath and how the whole community should appear at the Tabernacle that contained the Ark of the covenant. When finally, the Tabernacle was completed, the glory of the Lord filled it in the form of a cloud. The presence of God was so strong that even Moses could not enter the tent. The thick cloud was a reminder to God's people that His presence was with them.

            When the cloud lifted, they moved, but when it remained on the tent, they stayed put; that was how the Lord directed them. In the O.T., some 50 chapters were dedicated to signify the importance of the Tabernacle. A simple way to describe the Tabernacle was the portable sanctuary that the Israelites carried with them. It was a place of worship here on earth.  In Heb 9:1-10, the author briefly describes its architecture and different items placed in it.

            The Tabernacle's design physically represented a gradual increase in holiness, from the outer courtyard to the Most Holy Place. There were two rooms in it. The first room was called the Holy place. It contained a lampstand (menorah) and a table containing showbread or the bread of presence. The priests ate this bread weekly. At one point, even David ate this bread.

            The second room was the Most Holy Place. It contained a gold incense altar, a wooden chest covered with gold called the Ark of the Covenant. Inside the Ark were a gold jar containing Manna, Aaron's staff that sprouted leaves, and the stone tablets of the covenant. Above the Ark were the cherubim of divine glory, whose wings stretched out over the Ark's cover, the place of Atonement. Borrowing the author's phrase, "I cannot explain them in detail now."

            Let me share a few observations. The Tabernacle was called a Tent of Meeting, where God and humans interacted with each other. Some items were made of bronze and wood, symbolizing humanity, and others were made in gold, representing divinity. A curtain separated people and priests alike from a Holy God, lest the power of His holiness consume them.

            Access into the Most Holy place was limited, regulated, and for many, even denied. Only the High priest was allowed to enter once a year on the Day of Atonement or Yom Kippur. The Holy Spirit revealed these to us to indicate that as long as the Tabernacle was in place, access to the Most Holy place where God dwells is not open to all people all of the time. Eventually, the Tabernacle was replaced by the Temple in Jerusalem, built-in 957 BC by King Solomon.

II. THE SECOND EARTHLY RESIDENCE OF GOD: THE TEMPLE

            During the dedication of the First Temple in Jerusalem, when the Ark of the Covenant was placed in the Most Holy Place, we read, "When the priests came out of the Holy Place, a thick cloud filled the Temple of the Lord. The priests could not continue their service because of the cloud, for the glorious presence of the Lord filled the Temple of the Lord." I Kg 8:10-11.

            What do we see here? The transfer of the manifest presence of God from an inferior tabernacle to a glorious temple. That magnificent presence of God in Jerusalem drew people from all over the world to worship the great God Jehovah. As sin increased in the holy city and the sacred Temple, at one point, the glorious presence departed from the Temple. Ezekiel saw this horrifying vision of God's glory leaving the Temple, recorded in Ezekiel 10^th chapter.

            After God's presence left from the Temple, both the city of Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed by Babylonians on August 17, 586 B.C. The Israelites were sent into exile for seventy years. After their exile, the remnant of Israel returned to Jerusalem and rebuilt the Temple again. Did the departed glory of God ever return to the Second Temple in Jerusalem?  

            During my study of the O.T. Survey, I learned that there was no direct evidence of God's glory returning to the Second Temple. There was no Ark of the Covenant either. (Ezra 6:13-18). It is particularly noteworthy, given that God's glorious presence is central to God's plan of restoration. It is mind-boggling; why didn't God's presence return to the Temple as promised?

            Could it be that God was teaching His people a lesson as He spoke through his prophet, Isaiah, "This is what the Lord says: "Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Could you build me a temple as good as that? Could you build me such a resting place? Isaiah 66:1-2          Imagine if God occupies both the heavenly and earthly realm who could build a home for Him and where? If God doesn't live in the Tabernacle and the Temple, where does He live then?

III WHERE GOD LIVES (His present and future resting place)

            In Verses 11-16, the author points out that the human-made Tabernacle was only a poor imitation of a perfect Tabernacle in Heaven, of which Jesus entered not through animal sacrifices but through His blood. In our previous sessions, we learned that unlike the high priest who entered the Most Holy Place once a year on the Day of Atonement, Jesus, our Great High priest entered this heavenly Tabernacle once and for all.

            Another important lesson that the author wants us to learn today is that under the old system, if the blood of the animals could cleanse people's bodies from ceremonial impurity. Just think how much more the blood of perfect and sinless Christ will purify our conscience from sinful deeds? so, that we can bypass the earthly priests and enter into the Most Holy Place directly and worship the Living God. You may be wondering how could that be possible?

            Recall the events that took place at the very moment Christ died on the cross as a perfect sacrifice for the sins of humanity. The curtain was torn in two from top to bottom, forever granting access to God for all people who would enter through the way of Jesus Christ, the cross.

            Our question remains, If God doesn't live in Tabernacle and the Temple, where does He live? Consider these scriptures: John 1: 14, "The Word became human and made his home among us." During His ministry, Jesus promised that He and the Father would live in the hearts of those who will love Him and obey His commands. John 14:23.

            Before He ascended to Heaven, He assured His disciples that one day He will come back and take them with Him so that they will be with Him always. John 14:3. In the meanwhile, He sent His Holy Spirit to be with us and to live in us. Later on, the Apostle Paul reminds the Corinthian believers that together they are the Temple of God, and the Spirit of God lives in them? Let us leave today with this truth that God is living in us By His Holy Spirit, Amen!

             

           

 

 

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[1] https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2014/09/23/people-used-to-be-able-to-walk-into-the-white-house-legally/

The New Covenant

 

THE NEW COVENANT

Introduction: On Tuesday, September 15, with great interest, I watched the signing of the Middle East peace agreement between Israel and the Arab nations of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain.  Here are the excerpts of the speech of the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, “Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. President, this day is a pivot of history.

            It heralds new dawn of peace. For thousands of years, the Jewish people have prayed for peace. For decades, the Jewish state has prayed for peace. I am grateful to you, President Trump, for your decisive leadership. You have unequivocally stood by Israel’s side. I’m thankful to King Hamad of Bahrain and to you, foreign minister Abdullatif al-Zayani for joining us.

            Joining us in bringing hope to all the children of Abraham. King David expressed this basic truth thousands of years ago in our eternal capital Jerusalem. His prayer, immortalized in the book of Psalms in the Bible, echos from our glorious past and guides us towards a bright future. May God give strength to his people. May God bless his people with peace.”

            Interestingly this is called “Abraham Accords Signing Ceremony.” Though it is yet to be seen how far the Middle East Peace agreement will spread. As I watched, I was reminded of some of the promises that God made to His people and their partial fulfillment in real-time.

            Mike Evans notes, “In my book, A Great Awakening Is Coming, I investigated America’s past awakenings and the events before each one. The conclusion? Our nation is ripe for a Third Great Awakening. It’s coming! The Abrahamic Accord was not even in existence when my book was published, yet it fits nicely with the direction of world events and global spiritual awakening.”[1] It is about time for us to shift our focus from the “Pandemic and Politics” and see what God is doing worldwide to fulfill His purposes.  Lord Jesus, Come Back Soon!

            This morning I would like to bring your attention to several agreements between God and His people. We will see how many such contracts recorded in the scriptures, their content, how they were made, whether they were kept or broken, and their impact on us. In the Bible, these agreements or contracts are called “The Covenants.” What do we know about the Covenants?

 

I. WHAT IS A COVENANT? A covenant is a promise between two or more parties to perform specific actions. The concept of Covenant is significant in the Scriptures.

            The word testament is another word for Covenant. The Bible is comprised of the Old and the New Covenants (The OT & NT). Covenant was a well-known concept in ancient times, and covenants could be made between two equal parties or between a king and a subject. The king would promise certain protections, and the subject would promise loyalty to the king. A covenant might be conditional or unconditional. How were Covenants made in the Old Testament?

            The Hebrew word berith is derived from a root which means “to cut.” Hence, a covenant is a “cutting,” Animals would be cut into two pieces. Pile them on either side, and the contracting parties will pass between them in making a covenant, affirming that the same should happen to them if they broke the Covenant.  We see this process played out in the Abrahamic Covenant.

            In Genesis 12:1-3, we read about God’s promise to Abraham, “² I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. ³ I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.” Abraham left his home country and headed in the direction that God was showing him.

            After some time, he wanted to make sure how this promise was going to be fulfilled? Let’s observe this fascinating process of God making a covenant with Abraham. Genesis 15:9-18. God told Abraham to bring a goat, a ram, and two birds.

            He asks him to cut the animals into half and place them side by side. When the Sun was going down, Abraham fell into a deep sleep. While he was asleep, God explains what happens to Abraham’s descendants and how he will deliver them.

            When Abraham woke up from his sleep, he sees a smoking firepot and a flaming torch pass between the halves of the carcasses indicating the presence of God. What does this signify? God put Abraham to sleep because the Covenant did not involve any promise on Abraham’s part. He did not walk through the pieces as a pledge. Therefore, fulfilling this Covenant does not rest on Abraham but God.         Has this been fulfilled? Yes, some of it has been fulfilled in the past and a bit more of it we have witnessed in the past week, but the finality of it will be fulfilled when Christ establishes His Kingdom when he returns to the earth for the second time.

            Before we go further, let’s look at the number of covenants God made with His people. 1.Edenic Covenant, Gen 1:26-28 2. Adamic Covenant Gen 3:14-19, 3. Noahic Covenant Gen 8:20-9-6, 4. Mosaic Covenant Ex 20:1-31:18 5. Palestinian Covenant, Deut 30:1-10 6. Davidic Covenant, 2 Sam 7:4-17, 7. New Covenant, Jeremiah 31:31-34 and Hebrews 8:6-13. Please read about them at home.

            In chapter eight, verse six, the author talks about a better covenant with God, based on better promises and then introduces a New Covenant. This New Covenant supersedes the Old Covenant.  Before we look into it and understand how it impacts us know what do we know about the Old Covenant?

 

II THE OLD COVENANT

            The Old Covenant was a conditional or bilateral agreement that God made with the Israelites on Mount Sinai. In Exodus twenty, we read about God giving ten commandments for the Covenant community of Israel. It was the introduction of the Law, of which the entire Israelite community was expected to obey. They were blessed when they followed and punished when they disobeyed the Law.     Moses reminds the Israelites at a later time about the Covenant that God made with them. Deut 4:13, “He proclaimed his covenant—the Ten Commandments which he commanded you to keep, and which he wrote on two stone tablets.” Those stone tablets were kept in the Ark of the Covenant.

            The Old Covenant required repeated sacrifices of animals for the cleansing of people’s sin. (Heb, 10:4). Under the Old Covenant, only the high priest could enter the Most Holy Place where God’s presence dwelt and that too only once a year.

            The Old Covenant pointed people to Christ. The Apostle uses the metaphor of a guardian to explain its ultimate purpose “The Law was our guardian until Christ came; it protected us until we could be made right with God through faith. And now that the way of faith has come, we no longer need the Law as our guardian.” Gal 3:24-25.

            One truth that we must not forget is that we are not under the Old Covenant but the New Covenant. Many false teachers today urge people to legalistically keep the Law, or at least part of it, to please God.  We must realize that we don’t live by the Law but by the Spirit. The Law brings death, and the Spirit gives life. Therefore, we must reject any such legalism.

 

III. THE NEW COVENANT (Hebrews 8:6-13)

            Vs. 6-8 “But now Jesus, our High Priest, has been given a ministry that is far superior to the old priesthood, for he is the one who mediates for us a far better covenant with God, based on better promises. If the first Covenant had been faultless, there would have been no need for a second covenant to replace it.” But when God found fault with the people, he said: “The day is coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah.”

            The author here was taking their audience back to what God prophesied through the prophet Jeremiah in 586 BC. We read about it in Jeremiah 31:31-34. This prophecy, in its entirety, is quoted in Hebrews 8:8-12. Jeremiah has pointed Israelites to an appointed time.

           

            It will be the era of Jesus Christ, God’s son, who will be coming into the world to fulfill the New Covenant. Let’s look at what is involved in this New Covenant and how and when it will be fulfilled. Vs., 10, “But this is the new Covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their minds, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, ‘You should know the Lord.”

            For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already. And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.” In contrast to the Mosaic Covenant under which Israel failed, God promised a New Covenant.

            This Covenant is not only meant for Israel but Gentiles as well. This is fulfilled with the coming of Christ and empowering of the Holy Spirit. Remember, at the last supper with his disciples; this is what Jesus announced. Luke 22:20, “After supper, he took another cup of wine and said, “This cup is the new Covenant between God and his people an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you.”  

            Whenever we partake in communion, we are reminded of this New Covenant made by the blood of Christ until Jesus returns. I Cor 11:25. Under the New Covenant, we are given the opportunity to receive salvation as a free gift. Ephesians 2:8–9, “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.”

            Jesus promised to come into all those who would open up their hearts to Him and live in them. The Holy Spirit that lives in us transforms us each day by leading us into all the truth. In the Old Covenant, people obeyed God out of fear. In the New Covenant, Jesus expects us to follow Him out of love, not out of compulsion or obligation. 

            Jesus said, “If you love me, obey my commandments.” Mark 12:30-31, “you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. ‘The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.” As I said earlier, we belong to the New Covenant. Therefore, our responsibility is to obey these two commandments out of love for Christ. Let’s ask ourselves a question, how well do I love God, and how well do I love my neighbor?  Let’s pray that God will give us the grace to love others as Christ loved us. Amen!

 

 

 

           

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[1] https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/israel/2020/september/the-abrahamic-accord-and-a-great-awakening

Jesus Paid The Price For Our Sins

 

JESUS PAID THE PRICE FOR OUR SINS

Introduction: In January 2001, Seiko Sakamoto, a Japanese plasterer in a Tokyo subway station, fell into the path of an oncoming train. Lee Su Hyun, a Korean student in Japan, leaped down on the tracks to save Sakamoto. Both Hyun and Sakamoto were killed.

            This selfless act by the Korean student on behalf of the Japanese laborer has caused many people in Japan to reconsider their long-held prejudices against Koreans. Strong feelings of distrust between the two countries go back to World War II atrocities that the Japanese inflicted on Koreans. Many Japanese people, including the prime minister of Japan, have openly expressed sorrow over their stereotypes of Koreans and have begun to talk about reconciliation.

            Nobuaki Fujioka, sixty-two, of Japan, says, "I felt a kind of a shame. A young foreigner sacrificed his life for a Japanese. This is not an easy thing to do." On Lee's website in Korean, we find this statement of Lee, "I came to Japan to make a bridge between Korea and Japan," he wrote. "I'm going to enjoy my life as much as possible. Difficulties are also part of my life, and I'm ready to accept anything."[1] This supreme act has indeed laid a bridge of reconciliation.

            For the past several weeks, we have been studying about better things in the book of Hebrews. Today we will learn about someone who made the supreme sacrifice that is far greater than what this Korean student did in trying to save the life a stranger.

            Let's begin our study by asking ourselves these priceless questions. What is the worth of a human soul? How much does it cost to obtain salvation? Who has paid the ultimate price for our sins? Chapter seven begins with an Old Testament mysteriously nameless character Melchizedek. What do we know about Melchizedek? The name was a combination of two words, Melech means King, Zedak means righteousness.

            So, he can be called "King of righteousness." He was a King of Salem which means King of Peace. Was he a real person or a fictional character? We are much in the dark about him. In total, he appears 18 times out of which 13 times in the book of Hebrews. Here are the three best considerations in regards to Melchizedek. 1. The Rabbis and most of the Jewish writers think he was Shem, the son of Noah. 2. Many Christian writers have thought him to be Jesus Christ himself. 3. Most people believe he was a Canaanite king, who reigned in Salem at that time.

            In the Dead Sea Scrolls, Melchizedek has become the subject of much speculative interpretation. He is depicted as a heavenly redeemer figure, a leader of the forces of light, who brings release to the captives and reigns during the Messianic age. He is the heavenly high priest.      The writer of the Hebrews compares Melchizedek to Jesus Christ in verses one to eight. Vs. 1 Melchizedek was a king, so is the Lord Jesus. Vs. 2 He was king of righteousness: his name means the righteous king. Jesus Christ is rightfully a righteous king.

            Vs. 3 He was king of Salem, which means king of peace. So is our Lord Jesus. He was a priest of God most High. So is the Lord Jesus.  In Genesis 14: 18, He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and gave him bread and wine as a king and blessed him as a priest.

            Our Lord Jesus meets his people, refreshes them, renews their strength, and blesses them.  In Vs. 2, we read, Then Abraham took a tenth of all he had captured in battle and gave it to Melchizedek." Similarly, we are obligated to make all possible returns of love and gratitude to the Lord Jesus for all the favors we receive from him. Let me say a few words about tithing here.

            Whenever we read a particular passage in the Bible, we need to pay close attention to the repeated words to capture the essence of the message. We see the word tithes appearing eight times in the first eight verses in Chapter 7. Is there something we need to learn about tithing?

            Some Christians say tithing came after the law; therefore, we don't have to pay tithes, but is it? According to Genesis 14:20, tithing was in practice way before God ever established it. For Abraham giving ten percent from all the goods, he recovered to Melchizedek (who represents God) was to say that I honor God with my tithes for giving me victory over my enemies. Later on, God instituted it as a sustaining provision for his priests and their families.

            Numbers 18:26, "Give these instructions to the Levites: When you receive from the people of Israel the tithes I have assigned as your allotment, give a tenth of the tithes you receive a tithe of the tithe to the Lord as a sacred offering." When Jesus came, he did not abolish tithing; instead, he encouraged the practice to continue, but in addition to religiously giving tithes, be also involved in social justice matters of concern. (Matt 23:23).

            We honor God when we tithe. In the later part of chapter seven, the author introduces a different high priest who is like Melchizedek and a better and more permanent way of obtaining salvation for our sins. Before we talk about this high priest and his way of salvation, let's look at what was in practice under the Aaronic priesthood and how the shift has taken place.  

I. THE OLD CUSTOM OF PURGING SINS.

            As we follow the journey of Israelites from their bondage in Egypt to the Promised Land, we see one constant theme, that was; God wanted to be worshipped and served by all people. To that extent, He established covenants and commandments, appointed leaders, judges, and priests to help people in following the ways of God. He also introduced various offerings of sacrifices and festivals of celebrations. One such offering was called "The Sin Offering." (Leviticus: 4-16)

            The procedures of purging of sins began with the unintentional sins to intentional sins. They started with the high priests, leaders, community, and individuals. Various sins required animal sacrifices, with the same intention that people must pay the penalty for their sins.

            Once a year on the day of atonement, the High priest would offer his bull as a sin offering to purify himself and his family, making them right with the Lord. (Lev 16:6). Then two goats were brought, after selecting them by lots, one is offered to the Lord as a sacrifice, and the other was set apart as a scapegoat to be sent away into the wilderness carrying the sins of the Israelites.

            Listen to what God said, Vs.34, "This is a permanent law for you to purify the people of Israel from their sins, making them right with the Lord once each year." This custom of purging of sins was not effective in purging the sins of the Israelites and it was temporary a cleansing.

            Though God ordained it, human beings were carrying it. Priests and people alike have failed to keep up with the commandments of God, hence this process of purging of sins was carried out every year. What could wash our sins permanently and give us an eternal Hope?

II. JESUS IS LIKE MELCHIZEDEK (Vs 15-17)

            "This change has been made very clear since a different priest, who is like Melchizedek, has appeared. Jesus became a priest, not by meeting the physical requirement of belonging to the tribe of Levi, but by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed. And the psalmist pointed this out when he prophesied, "You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek."

            Here the author is equating Jesus to an eternal high priest in the order of Melchizedek. Jesus was unlike any earthly high priests of all time. The high priests, however powerful they might have been in their given position they were mere humans. They had their own weaknesses. They lived on the earth only for a while and died after completing their responsibilities.

            Whereas Jesus though he was born to human parents, his origin and appointment were from God. He was holy, blameless, and unstained by sin. He has been set apart from sinners and has been given the highest place of honor in heaven. With that confidence, we draw near to Him to find mercy and grace. Let's see what costed Jesus to redeem us from our sins.

III. JESUS PAID FOR OUR SINS.

            Vs. 27, "Unlike those other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices every day. They did this for their own sins first and then for the sins of the people. But Jesus did this once for all when he offered himself as the sacrifice for the people's sins."

            This verse shows the contrast of the old system of purging of sins and the change that God brought about in Jesus. In the old system, all people, including priests and the high priests, had to pay to have their sins purged. That purging could only last for one year. At the end of the year, their guilt would return and they were to repeat that ritual all over again and again.

            To go back to the high priestly practice of purging sins, Jesus became the sacrificial goat that was offered for the sins of people. He became the scapegoat, which carried the sins of people into the wilderness. In other words, Jesus paid for the sins of humanity by His blood. He did that once for all. You may wonder why did Jesus have to die on the cross?

            The law required without the shedding of the blood, there was no forgiveness of sins. Under the old system, we saw it was the blood of goats and bulls.  But unfortunately, the blood of the animals does not give a person enduring forgiveness of sins. God, in His mercy, sent His only Son Jesus into this world to save us. Jesus, in His abundant love for us, died on the cross paying for our sins through his blood. What does all this mean for us today?

            We all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. The wages of sin is death but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. Are you weighed down by the guilt and shame of sin in your life?  Mark 8:36, reads, “What do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?  By giving his one and only Son, God took the initiative in healing our broken relationship with him. Jesus, paid the ultimate price by dying on the cross for our sins. If you repent of your sins you will be forgiven, healed and have eternal life. Amen!

 

 

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[1] https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-jan-30-mn-18922-story.html