Christ Alone (Heb 7:25; LD 11)

Christ Alone (Heb 7:25; LD 11)

Introduction Wouldn't it be something if Christ kept an earthly office. It would be great if we could knock on the door, make an appointment, and bring him our questions face to face. We instinctively want something tangible. And yet the Christian faith calls us to do something that seems unwise: put all our eggs in one basket and trust in a savior that we cannot see. We are called to trust in Christ alone. No backup plan, no supplemental mediator, but only Christ. So how do we know that this basket is safe and wise? Christ Has the Power to Save His name tells us everything. He is called Jesus. His name literally means “Yahweh saves” His name tells us that that we need to be rescued, and that God himself provides it. Hebrews 7 builds on this by contrasting Christ's priesthood with the old covenant priests. Those priests died. Their ministries expired. Their successors were not always faithful. Christ, however, holds his priesthood permanently. Christ is in the order of Melchizedek. He has no recorded beginning or end of days. We read about him once in Genesis. There is no genealogy to communicate his beginning. There is no record of his death. The implication is that he lives forever. Levi, in Abraham’s loins, paid the oath to Melchizedek when Abraham paid the tithe. This means Melchizedek is superior to the other priests in every way because the priests in Levi’s line honored the superior priest by paying the tithe on the spoils. The point of this is that Christ's priestly ministry is in the line of Melchizedek. This means that Christ saves us because he lives up to his name, Yahweh Saves. He has the power to save because he is in a priestly line that has no beginning and no end. He is truly an eternal priest. Christ Saves Us Completely Hebrews uses the language of "To the uttermost." This means that nothing can hinder Christ from finishing what he has begun. Satan, who once stood before God to challenge Job, could not undo God's purposes then, and cannot undo Christ's saving work now. We take comfort in that Christ represents us in the most holy place. He resides there by his own merits, he has offered himself without first cleansing himself, and he represents us in the most holy place. Christ is not fragile like the priests of old. We must remember that Christ is our perfect priest without any human frailty. Yes, he is God and man joined together in person. He took on the flesh to offer himself. He completed his work. The result is that Christ saves to the uttermost. His work never expires, and he never needs a successor. He alone is sufficient to represent us. Christ Intercedes for Us Personally Not only does Christ save completely, but he prays for us continuously. He does not simply give us a boost of grace and step back. He does not merely secure us and then retreat into heaven. But He lives to intercede for his people by name, in the Most Holy Place. Christ’s mission is to see to it personally that each one arrives at the fullness of glory. Christ is the priest who cleanses. We do not get our lives together before we draw near to him. The invitation of Hebrews is to come as we are with our failures and imperfections. We lay our sins, burdens, and struggles before our priest. He has cleansed us, and represents us in the most holy place. This is not a model, like the temple, but the full glory of heaven. As he reigns in glory, He continues to prod us and purify us sanctifying us to be the people He desires. We know that He sympathizes with our weakness, intercedes on our behalf, and upholds us to the end. Conclusion Christ alone is not a gamble. He is the only basket that truly holds. He offered himself once, without needing a cleansing ritual or an animal substitute. He was raised, he ascended, and he now resides in the glory of heaven. He is not passive not passively, but actively interceding, saving, and sustaining. When we gather for worship, we are not merely going through a human routine. We are being called into the presence of the living God, joining with the heavenly assembly, drawing near to the priest who never quits and never fails. Rest in him. Bring him your burdens. He is able to save you. He saves you completely, personally, and to the uttermost.

Tasting the Day of the Lord (Acts 2:1-13)

Introduction Christ promised his disciples power from on high. This power? The Holy Spirit would come upon them and empower them to carry the gospel from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth. But how do we know this promise is real? How do we know that Christ is truly with us until the end of the age? How do we know that Christ is my Christ? The answer begins at Pentecost, where heaven broke open upon a small, crowded city, and history was radically changed. What are these tongues? The city is packed. People from all over the world fill the streets. Then, all of a sudden, wind and fire descend on the gathered disciples. One might think this is just a storm. However, one quickly realizes that this is God's visible presence. This is what we call a theophany: a visible manifestation of God himself. The rushing wind echoes Ezekiel's breath of God giving life. The fire recalls every terrifying moment in Scripture when people either encounter God or are consumed by him. We think of Mount Sinai and the burning bush. We think of fire falling on Sodom and Gomorrah, or the judgment that came upon those who offered false worship. This kind of fire has a way of reducing things, and people, to ash. Which makes the next detail stunning: the disciples were not consumed. The fullness of God's glory fell upon them, and they were not reduced to a pile of ashes. The tongues of fire did not destroy them, but equipped them to bring the gospel to the nations. This is the great declaration of Pentecost: the people of Christ have passed through the first phase of the day of the Lord. The fire of judgment fell, and they are still standing. Those who bow the knee to Christ pass through fiery judgment, and emerge as heralds. Why the International People? Pentecost is the Feast of Weeks, one of the great pilgrim feasts of Israel. Jerusalem would have been packed with Jewish pilgrims from across the known world making this an international gathering. When the Spirit fell, these Galilean fishermen began proclaiming the gospel in the native languages of their listeners, Galilean accent and all. The crowd was dumbstruck. This was no language course. This was God reversing Babel. Remember the scene at Babel? The earthlings tried to capture God, to harness his power for their own glory. God responded by scattering humanity and confusing their language. Now, at Pentecost, he calls the nations back together. God does this by his own gracious condescension. The gospel is not the property of one nation or one nationality. It goes to all nations, in every tongue, because the God of Israel is the God of the whole earth. Why the double reaction? The crowd split. Some were amazed and perplexed. They could not explain what they saw, but they knew it was the Lord's doing. Others were dismissive, accusing those speaking in tongues of having had too much to drink. We are invited to ask ourselves: what is your reaction? Is this the Lord's divine blessing at work? Or does it seem like a strange, drunken spectacle? There are two reactions to one event. This pattern runs through the whole book of Acts and through all of Christian history. The seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent will always be at war until the final day of the Lord. But even now, we already taste the spiritual blessings of Pentecost, as Paul says the first fruits of the final victory harvest, and we wait for the full physical blessings when Christ returns to fulfill Zechariah 14. Conclusion Pentecost is the bridge between heaven and earth. It is the moment God accomplished in Christ what humanity attempted at Babel and failed. Man will not capture God, but God captures man. The glory of God does not stay locked away in the highest heaven. By the Spirit, God's glory dwells within his people. Our God is sanctifying us, uniting us to our Savior, and sending his people out with a gospel that reaches to the ends of the earth. Let us see the beauty of that. Let us draw near to the Christ who has drawn near to us.

Is Providence a Problem? (2) (Job 1:1-2:10)

Introduction We like to think we have life figured out. Follow the right steps, make the right moves, and God will bless you. I am doing well, so I am dialed. I have life figured out. Struggle and suffer, and you must have done something wrong. The problem is that the book of Job refuses to let us off that easily. Job is blameless, upright, and God-fearing. Clearly, he is dialed, but everything is taken from him. His story forces us to ask: What does it actually mean to trust in the providence of God when life gets complicated? God Definitively Rules The catechism reminds us that God upholds heaven and earth. This means that God upholds the tallest tree to the smallest blade of grass. God is in charge during times of rain and seasons of drought. There is not one thing that falls outside his hand. This means that even Satan operates within God’s confines. God does not set out to destroy Job. Satan requests to sift Job, and God sets the boundaries. Job thinks that God does not see his good deeds as the book unfolds. But in reality, God is not distant or indifferent because he sees that Job is blameless and upright. God governs every detail of his creation. God allows Satan to sift Job because the Lord knows his servant. God Rules Over Poverty and Prosperity Satan is doing more than just trying to destroy Job. Satan claims that God blessed Job, so Job serves God. This battle is not just about providence, but a cosmic war. Satan does not believe that God can uphold his saints. Job loses everything: his children, his livestock, and even his health, from Satan’s challenge. Satan's gamble is that Job's faith was only ever a convenient transaction. Satan believes Job will curse God, exposing God as a fraud. Job is pushed by his wife to curse God. His response destroys Satan’s accusation. Job says to his wife, "You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" (Job 2: [https://www.esv.org/Job+2/]10) Job shows that the new Adam will not heed the voice of Eve. Job knows that in all things God is sovereign. We are called to the same posture of dependence. God Calls us to Wait on Him Job began the story blameless and upright. Job shows that he will wait upon the Lord. Satan claimed that Job only loved God because God made his life easy. Satan knows he cannot defeat God. However, Satan is confident he can rip a saint from God’s hand. Satan’s wager never pays off. Job never curses God, even as Job ends with his own wrestling match with God. Here is the remarkable thing the book of Job shows us: God did not merely restrain Satan's attack, but he used it to sanctify Job. Job submits to the Lord’s will when he says, “I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you" (Job 42:5 [https://www.esv.org/Job+42/]). The very trial Satan intended to use to destroy Job's faith became the means by which Job came to know God more deeply. Job does not concede answers, but he truly met God. We learn that the Lord does not seek to destroy us, but to nurture us. He can do this through trials and blessings. Conclusion Providence is not a problem to be solved. It is a reality to be trusted because we have a faithful Father who rules over all things. Life is genuinely complex. We see that the righteous suffer. We see that the wicked sometimes prosper. We have to come to grips with the fact that our neat formulas break down. God is not the problem. But the God who rules over leaf and blade, over rain and drought, over poverty and prosperity, is the same God who knows you better than you know yourself. He is not holding you at arm's length while the storms come. He is sanctifying and upholding you in the midst of them. So let us wait upon the Lord. This is not because we understand all his ways, but because we know He is our Faithful Father.

Abandoned or Empowered? (Acts 1:9-26)

Introduction It would be so nice to open a door to a throne room and say there is Christ, our king, sitting on a throne. We might think that Christ’s ascension appears as a disappointing event. It seems that Christ has left his church. Why does Christ leave us in this world? We need to see that the Ascension is not a withdrawal of Christ's presence but rather a transformative moment that establishes the spiritual kingdom. Christ’s Ascension The Ascension of Christ is the inauguration of a new phase in God's redemptive plan. The prophets made a promise. The promise needs to come to fruition. We might want all of what the prophet’s word comes to pass, but that is not the Lord’s intention. The scene of angels appearing to the disciples on the Mount of Olives illustrates how the heavenly realm engages with earthly realities. The angels give the assurance that Christ’s return, as predicted in Zechariah 14:4, is guaranteed. However, now is not the time for the full physical blessings of the kingdom. Christ is not retreating, but publishing the Gospel call through his heralds that holy war is certainly coming. He will bring his final judgment when he returns. Judas’ Recollection The Apostles begin to process Christ’s ascension and his ruling from heaven as Peter realizes that Judas needs to be replaced. We begin to see how Christ rules the church from heaven by His Spirit. The disciples argued in the presence of Christ about their own significance, but now they see the bigger picture. Peter applies Psalms 69 and 109 to their current situation. Peter shows that Judas's betrayal was expected, but they missed it. Psalm 69:25 and 109:8 recount how David was betrayed, and he prayed that the betrayer would lose his station. The betrayer would also be replaced. Peter is showing that the apostles will take the scriptures and understand them in light of Christ. Matthias Chosen Peter makes the case that Judas needs to be replaced. The disciples nominate two men. They cast lots to see which of these two men the Lord desires to replace Judas. The lot falls on Matthias. He is the 12th Apostle to take Judas’ place. Should we continue to cast lots? We now discern the Lord’s will in the Spirit rather than casting lots. We do see Israel casting lots in the Old Testament, and practiced in this transitional period before Pentecost, as we see with Matthias’s ordination. However, we notice that after Pentecost the church moves toward deliberative, Scripture-based decision-making guided by the Spirit. We see this in Acts 15 with the Jerusalem Council. The church deliberates. It uses the Scriptures, and it judges/discerns in the Spirit. This is Christ ruling his church from heaven by His Word and Spirit. He is not ruling His church through the casting of lots. Conclusion The Ascension of Christ is not a disappointing departure. Rather, Christ’s ascension is a pivotal event that establishes the church's identity and mission in the world. We need to be assured that Christ’s departure is not a disappointment, but the assurance that Christ spiritually reigns. He did not abandon the promise of judgment, but delays it. It is now the call for the gospel to go out from Jerusalem, to Judea, to Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Now is the time to bow the knee to Christ when we hear the Gospel. It is not wise to delay. His second coming will bring the full physical shalom kingdom, but he will also put down all the rebellion. Let us be a people who bow the knee to Christ. Let us do so today as we walk in His Spirit being renewed after the image of our God.

Is Providence a Problem? (Job 38-42; LD 9)

Introduction There is a danger of throwing around "the providence of God" carelessly. Job reminds us that the providence of God and suffering can be complicated. Job captures what many of us feel in seasons of suffering. We feel confusion, frustration, and even the impulse to argue with God. Our problem is that we forget that when we suffer, God is giving us what we want. We have to remember that God does want his people to be blessed and living in Shalom. The book of Job resists an easy answer to the question of whether God’s providence is a problem. Job is not laying out a health and wealth Gospel. Job is not laying out a poverty gospel either. So, what is Job teaching about God’s providence? God Upholds and Rules (Creator and Sovereign) The Heidelberg Catechism grounds us: God is creator and sustainer of heaven and earth. Crucially, he is not just sovereign. God is not just a king, but He is our Father. A good father doesn't shield children from every hardship; he pushes them toward growth and tenacity. In hard seasons, we learn to wrestle with the deeper questions of who God is. Job has to learn this lesson. When you read his speeches up to this point, Job has a very black and white view of the world. You do what is right, and you necessarily receive a blessing. You do what is wrong, and you suffer. The Lord is showing that His ways and providence are more complex than a simple health and wealth gospel. God Provides (His Care Extends Further Than We Imagine) The Lord's speech from the whirlwind (Job 38–39) catalogs his care for creation. The cares for the details that many of us probably don’t think about a whole lot throughout our day. The Lord cares for the mountain goats, wild donkeys, the ostrich, the war horse, hawk, and eagle. The Ostrich is always the one that stands out to me. The animals are not smart enough for a basic survival instinct. They should be extinct, but the Lord continues to preserve them. God takes care of all the tiny details. The Lord is not trying to overwhelm Job. Rather God is demonstrating that Job needs to have a bigger picture of God, redemption, and the complexity of living in a fallen world. The Lord knows Job, but Job does not really know or see God. If he tends the ostrich, who should not be alive, then how much more does he care for his redeemed people? Job responds with a half-hearted repentance. His desire for the court is not adjourned. He needs to get ready for round 2. God Is Consistent With His Own Nature (Good, Holy, Righteous) Job is simultaneously right and wrong. Job is correct that he hasn't sinned to directly deserve this suffering. Job is wrong in accusing God of injustice. The Lord wants Job to see the bigger picture, and how the Lord continues to care for this creation. The Behemoth and Leviathan aren't just shows of power. No, these are majestic creatures that will destroy man. However, to the Lord they are merely little puppies who are eager to play. The Lord is in control, there is no creature that will overpower him, and the Lord is able to protect His people. Job's response shifts from passive-aggressive silence (ch. 40) to genuine repentance (ch. 42): "I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you." He moves from knowing about God to truly knowing God. That's the turn. Job will concede the Lord’s will even as Job does not understand the deeper struggle. The deeper struggle is Satan’s, accuser/adversary, challenge that God cannot raise up a people. In other words it is possible that God might be stronger than Satan. However, God is not stronger than his people. His people will never love God just because God is God. Job’s concession is more than just an acknowledgement that living in a fallen world is complicated. Job’s concession and repentance mean that Job truly seeks God. Conclusion Providence is not a witty bumper sticker. Not every season is joyful, not every trial comes with an explanation, and God doesn't owe us one. But the God who cares for the ostrich cares infinitely more for those he has redeemed. We might not understand, but Job teaches us that there is a bigger reason. In fact, there is a cosmic battle that wages behind the scenes. We bring our frustrations to him. God commands us to do this in our prayers. We bring these prayers respectfully, not accusatorially. We trust that in the complexity of a fallen world, this Father is working out something good, even when we cannot see it. Let that be our hope. Let us proceed in the confidence that our Lord will shepherd us to the other side of the trial. We know that He can because not only does he care for this creation, but he has redeemed His people. Let us walk in His power, and let us be confident of His shepherding hand leading us through the valley of the shadow of death to green pastures.