On page 18 of "Learning to Worship With All Your Heart," Robert Webber compared the old and new covenant. In doing so he wrote, "Now we approach God in the name of Jesus Christ--our elder brother who has kept covenant with the Father for us. Our calling is to keep the agreement we have made with God: to love God with our whole heart; to be obedient to all God expects of us; to love all people and to gather again and again to remember our agreement (and the story of our relationship to God); and to continually live by that agreement." This week we will be exploring this better covenant, and the better promises, the Father instituted through His Son and how that better covenant and those better promises call and equip us to attend to God in worship.
Jesus is our High Priest. That means that it is His responsibility to serve as mediator between us and the Father. We can approach the throne boldly, for Jesus serves as our go-between, robing us in His righteousness and advocating on our behalf before the Father. That relationship is based on our covenant with God and the promises made to us through His Son. Those better promises are found in the verses that follow Hebrews 8:1-7, in which the author of Hebrews quotes Jeremiah 31:31-34, where God promised to put His laws in the minds of His people and write them on their hearts, to be their God, to claim them as His people, to be merciful to their iniquities, and to remember their sins no more. Those are the promises God has made to us, His people, which make it possible for us to keep this better covenant and thus receive these better promises.
Here's a start to a list of "Better Promises" -- a challenge: please add to it.
Promises of God: A new covenant – law written on our hearts and minds Salvation, redemption, reconciliation, peace with God Process of sanctification Holy Spirit within us Hope of Eternal Life, Glorification
"If he were on earth, he would not be a priest, for there are already priests who offer the gifts prescribed by the law." (Hebrews 8:4) Jesus was not a Levite, and thus would not have been eligible to serve as a priest. Furthermore, there would be no need for yet another priest who would offer animal sacrifices on behalf of the people. But Jesus is not a priest of the order of Levi. He is a priest of the order of Melchizedek, who is not a priest according to blood but through divine appointment. Jesus doesn't offer animal sacrifices over and over again for the remission of sin; He was himself sacrificed on the cross for our sins, once and for all. He transcends the old order, and ushers in a better order, with a better covenant and better promises. In this way the author of Hebrews reminds us of Jesus' superiority and invites us to allow Jesus to be our High Priest, mediating for us before the Father. Is Jesus your High Priest?
"We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven." Where Jesus sits is as much a position as it is a place. To sit at the right hand "is to be identified as being in the special place of honor...Thus the full participation of the risen Christ in God's honor and glory is emphasized by his being at God's right hand." (Dictionary of Biblical Imagery, IVP, article on "Right, Right Hand," page 728). When the author of Hebrews tells us that Jesus is seated at the right hand of God, he tells us that Jesus is worthy of and receives the same honor and glory the Father does. Thus He is worthy of and is to receive our worship and praise. Worship and praise Jesus today, who is seated at the right hand of God and worthy of honor and glory!
Note that Stephen, as he was being stoned to death, saw Jesus STANDING, perhaps with arms outstretched to welcome him ?? Might we believe that He does so with each martyr?
A better ministry, a better covenant and better promises are all granted to us through our High Priest, Jesus Christ. No wonder we worship Him! There is no one else worthy of our worship, and we attend to Him in worship because of that. He is merciful to our iniquities and remembers our sins no more. Even though we fail Him, He stands for us, defending us from the Adversary who would attack us when we fall. Even now as you bring your sin before God in confession, Jesus mediates on your behalf, testifying that you belong to Him and are covered by His righteousness. As you and I seek to walk in a manner worthy of our calling, remember that you are covered, even if you stumble, even if you fall. The Lord is there to help.
Psalm 121
I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; From where shall my help come? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel Will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; The Lord is your shade on your right hand. The sun will not smite you by day, Nor the moon by night. The Lord will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul. The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in From this time forth and forever.
On page 18 of "Learning to Worship With All Your Heart," Robert Webber compared the old and new covenant. In doing so he wrote, "Now we approach God in the name of Jesus Christ--our elder brother who has kept covenant with the Father for us. Our calling is to keep the agreement we have made with God: to love God with our whole heart; to be obedient to all God expects of us; to love all people and to gather again and again to remember our agreement (and the story of our relationship to God); and to continually live by that agreement." This week we will be exploring this better covenant, and the better promises, the Father instituted through His Son and how that better covenant and those better promises call and equip us to attend to God in worship.
ReplyDeleteJesus is our High Priest. That means that it is His responsibility to serve as mediator between us and the Father. We can approach the throne boldly, for Jesus serves as our go-between, robing us in His righteousness and advocating on our behalf before the Father. That relationship is based on our covenant with God and the promises made to us through His Son. Those better promises are found in the verses that follow Hebrews 8:1-7, in which the author of Hebrews quotes Jeremiah 31:31-34, where God promised to put His laws in the minds of His people and write them on their hearts, to be their God, to claim them as His people, to be merciful to their iniquities, and to remember their sins no more. Those are the promises God has made to us, His people, which make it possible for us to keep this better covenant and thus receive these better promises.
ReplyDeleteHere's a start to a list of "Better Promises" -- a challenge: please add to it.
ReplyDeletePromises of God:
A new covenant – law written on our hearts and minds
Salvation, redemption, reconciliation, peace with God
Process of sanctification
Holy Spirit within us
Hope of Eternal Life, Glorification
No longer a slave to sin.
DeleteForgiveness if we do sin.
Inclusion in and usefulness to the Body of Christ.
Access to the Father.
(there are more...)
"If he were on earth, he would not be a priest, for there are already priests who offer the gifts prescribed by the law." (Hebrews 8:4) Jesus was not a Levite, and thus would not have been eligible to serve as a priest. Furthermore, there would be no need for yet another priest who would offer animal sacrifices on behalf of the people. But Jesus is not a priest of the order of Levi. He is a priest of the order of Melchizedek, who is not a priest according to blood but through divine appointment. Jesus doesn't offer animal sacrifices over and over again for the remission of sin; He was himself sacrificed on the cross for our sins, once and for all. He transcends the old order, and ushers in a better order, with a better covenant and better promises. In this way the author of Hebrews reminds us of Jesus' superiority and invites us to allow Jesus to be our High Priest, mediating for us before the Father. Is Jesus your High Priest?
ReplyDelete"We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven." Where Jesus sits is as much a position as it is a place. To sit at the right hand "is to be identified as being in the special place of honor...Thus the full participation of the risen Christ in God's honor and glory is emphasized by his being at God's right hand." (Dictionary of Biblical Imagery, IVP, article on "Right, Right Hand," page 728). When the author of Hebrews tells us that Jesus is seated at the right hand of God, he tells us that Jesus is worthy of and receives the same honor and glory the Father does. Thus He is worthy of and is to receive our worship and praise. Worship and praise Jesus today, who is seated at the right hand of God and worthy of honor and glory!
ReplyDeleteNote that Stephen, as he was being stoned to death, saw Jesus STANDING, perhaps with arms outstretched to welcome him ?? Might we believe that He does so with each martyr?
DeleteA better ministry, a better covenant and better promises are all granted to us through our High Priest, Jesus Christ. No wonder we worship Him! There is no one else worthy of our worship, and we attend to Him in worship because of that. He is merciful to our iniquities and remembers our sins no more. Even though we fail Him, He stands for us, defending us from the Adversary who would attack us when we fall. Even now as you bring your sin before God in confession, Jesus mediates on your behalf, testifying that you belong to Him and are covered by His righteousness. As you and I seek to walk in a manner worthy of our calling, remember that you are covered, even if you stumble, even if you fall. The Lord is there to help.
ReplyDeletePsalm 121
I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; From where shall my help come?
My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.
He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, He who keeps Israel Will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord is your keeper; The Lord is your shade on your right hand.
The sun will not smite you by day, Nor the moon by night.
The Lord will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul.
The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in From this time forth and forever.
Amen!