Sermon 11th November 2018- Third Sunday before Advent
Based on: Mark 1. 14-20; Psalm 62. 5-12; Hebrews 9. 24-28
Prayer:
We are three Sundays away from starting a new church year, and when we arrive near the end of the old church year, we usually spend about three Sundays talking about things that have to do with the end of time: the final judgement, heaven and hell, and Christ’s eternal rule over all things. Today is the day we think about the final judgement, and the end of our Second Lesson gets our thoughts headed in that direction. “And just as it is appointed for mortals to die once, and after that the judgement, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him..”
This Sunday, we also remember the terrible cost of warfare, and honour those who have borne it. First World War I think was not a glorious victory for any country or anybody but a terrible/horrible tragedy in which millions of young men and women from all across Europe and beyond were killed or left wounded and scarred for life. Unfortunately, there will never be “a war to end all wars” until Jesus comes. Like the ritual sacrifices discussed in our epistle this morning the sacrifices of warfare are made “year after year”.
The message of Hebrews is that Jesus is better than everything and everyone. It was written to a discouraged group of Jewish Christians who had undergone a period of persecution and were now wondering if suffering for Jesus was worth it. They were wondering if they could just go back into the comfortable world of Judaism that they grew up in, they wanted to blend in, no longer sticking out, and were tempted to go back to how things were.
Even today there are Christians around the world persecuted for their faith. Recently we heard -Asia Bibi’s case in Pakistan.
The author of Hebrews wrote to his readers and consistently has one point to make: Jesus is better! Don’t go back because you will never find anything greater than Him.
Jesus is shown to be greater than angels,greater than Joshua, greater than Moses, greater than any high priest, He offers a greater sacrifice, He inaugurates a greater covenant, He serves in a greater Holy Place, on and on it goes. Chapter 9 is all about the contrast between the work that the Old Testament priests (specifically the high priest) would do in the tabernacle and the work that Jesus did in the heavenly realm for us. In fact, we are told that the tabernacle (and all of OT sacrificial worship) is a foreshadowing of the work that Jesus has done on the cross.
The author spends the first ten and a half chapters of this thirteen chapter book (1:1 – 10:18) emphasizing the superiority of Christ and the new covenant to Moses and the old covenant.
In 9:11-14, he contrasted the limited effects of the Jewish high priest’s ministry with the unlimited effects of Christ’s high priestly ministry.
He appeared in heaven. V24-25 This is the thrust of the passage. The main reason why this section is written is to compare the work that the high priest did when he entered into the holy of holies with the work that Jesus did when He entered into heaven. (Lev 16, day of atonement imagery)
They also have similarities: Both of them were appointed by God. Both of them represented their people to God.
They have differences:
High priest’s sacrifice covered sin, Jesus’ sacrifice took away sin.
High priest’s sacrifice was for the sins of the nation of Israel, Jesus’ sacrifice was for the sin of the world.
High priest came once a year and had to repeat the same sacrifice again and again. Jesus came to the cross once and it will never need to be repeated.
High priest supervised the slaughter of an ignorant or unwilling sacrificial animal and presented its blood before the altar. Jesus knowingly and willingly went to the cross and presented His own blood before the throne of God.
V-24 Says ‘Christ did not enter a sanctuary made by human hands, a mere copy of the true one’, The Greek word antitypos means something that resembles something else––a model or a copy. The author characterizes the tabernacle as a place constructed with human hands. It was an antitypos of the heavenly place where Jesus reigns and dispenses grace.
Then it says
‘but he entered into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.’ Christ hasn’t entered a Holy of Holies constructed by human hands, but has instead gone into heaven––into the presence of the Father “for us”––serving as an advocate in our behalf (1 John 2:1).
This morning we read a beautiful Psalm. Psalm 62 is a poem of “instruction about trust.” The psalm is an instructional meditation that offers to teach something about the life of faith (the life of trust). This Psalm is for the asylum seeker, those who seek refuge from adversaries, those who long for security and stability.
Dare I say that this Psalm is for us all especially now when we hear news about killing, about violence in Europe and rest of the world -it is frightening.
The Psalmist’s experience of crisis prompts the big question of whether or not he or (anyone?) can trust and take refuge in God in the face of enemies? The Psalmist’s undeniable answer is, “Yes!” Especially at such a time, the only thing that offers true refuge is God, the steadfast one.
Scripture interprets-scripture
While Jesus’ words in Mark are not to be read into this Psalm, Jesus himself is like the Psalmist when he proclaims, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news” (Mark 1:15). Calling others to repent is strengthen by God’s steadfastness. It is that steadfast love that is both good news and sign of the kingdom coming near. How powerful it is that Mark’s account of the gospel begins at this point of trust in God’s steadfastness.
Alongside the call to repent is the call to “believe the good news.” Know and trust that God’s kingdom brings us the good news that is embodied in Jesus Christ. Know and trust that Jesus Christ was our perfect substitute every day of his life until his death. Know and trust that Jesus Christ paid your penalty for sin on the cross and won our victory over death by his resurrection.
Jesus, our great high priest, has gone into the true holy place and has come out, and he comes out to finally and completely save His people. who has opened a way for us into heaven, all that would have kept us from God’s presence has been dealt with by Jesus Christ. eagerly waiting for His return.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen