08 A Risen Redeemer Series

What does it take to feel whole again?

Maybe that’s not how we usually phrase it—but we’ve all felt the gap. The ache that comes from broken things. A fractured relationship. A shame we can’t shake. A hope we once held that didn’t pan out. Even though we smile through it, something deep inside whispers, “Things aren’t the way they’re supposed to be.”

So we try to patch it up. We get busy. We pour ourselves into routines or rituals. We turn to substances or distractions to numb the ache. But the question still lingers—what can actually make us whole again?

For the past several weeks, we’ve been walking through the major themes of the book of Leviticus—a book that, at first glance, might seem like the last place you’d expect to find hope.

But what we’ve seen is that behind the sacrifices and rituals lies the heart of a holy God—a God who desires to dwell with His people. A God who makes a way for the unholy to be made clean … for the broken to be made whole again.

We’ve called this series Holy God | Holy People, and at the center of it has been one pressing question: How can unholy people live in the presence of a holy God?

Leviticus gave us the patterns—sacrifices, offerings, priests, purity laws. But those patterns were never sufficient in and of themselves. They were shadows of the good things to come. Signposts–always pointing forward to something greater

And today—on this Resurrection Sunday—we see the One to whom they were pointing.

The One who doesn’t just cover sin but takes it away.

The One who doesn’t just enter a tent or a temple—but enters our brokenness and brings wholeness.

His name is Jesus.

And what happened on Easter morning changes everything.

Here’s the core truth I want us to take home this Easter morning: Only the Risen Christ can make us holy, satisfying God’s justice and securing our hope.

Before we go any further, let’s open God’s Word and let it set the foundation for our message today. I want to read a few verses from the book of Leviticus, and then a few from the book of Hebrews—to help us see both the call and the fulfillment.

First, look with me at Leviticus 11:44. God says, “I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy …”

And then over in Leviticus 20:7–8, God says it again: “You shall consecrate yourselves therefore and be holy, for I am the Lord your God. You shall keep My statutes and practice them; I am the Lord who sanctifies you.”

Now let’s turn to the New Testament—Hebrews 1:1–3: “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high ...”

And then one more—Hebrews 10:11–14: “Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time onward until His enemies be made a footstool for His feet. For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.”

So, let’s consider the first life-giving truth we see this Easter morning:

I. God’s Holiness – Revealed in Christ (Leviticus 11:44; Hebrews 1:1-3)

We’ve all felt that longing; that ache for something more. That deep sense that we were made for something beyond this brokenness. And deep down, we know why, because we were made for God. Made to be in His presence.

But God’s holiness isn’t something we can casually approach. In Leviticus, God makes this clear: “You shall be holy, for I the Lord am holy.” (Leviticus 11:44)

That command echoes throughout the book of Leviticus. It runs like a refrain throughout, calling God’s people to reflect His character. But His holiness is not a low bar. It’s not a spiritual suggestion. It’s a standard–one that no one can reach on their own. We can’t just waltz into God’s presence as if it’s no big deal. His holiness is perfect purity. Unapproachable radiance. It demands absolute reverence.

And that brings us to that pressing question: How can we—unholy people—ever stand before such a holy God?

Here’s the good news: in Christ, we don’t have to stay outside His presence.