March 30th
Jesus the Priest
Jesus is Different, part 1
Someone once wrote, “It used to be that Christianity was a revolutionary faith that turned the world upside down. But today Christians sit in Sunday morning church services looking at their watches, wondering what time dinner will be served, or thinking about the kickoff. And we hope that church won’t interfere with the things we would really rather be doing.” Does that describe you sometimes? It’s like when we lived in Columbia, TN. People were always in a hurry to get everywhere. They rarely used brakes or turn signals. They occasionally noticed stop signs while passing by at twenty or thirty miles per hour. Speed signs were mere suggestions for the weak of heart. Everyone, from the gentle mother of five to the kindly old man, turned into Mr. X in the car, honking, racing, passing. But once they reached their destination, they would just sit around and talk for a half hour. They were always in a hurry to get somewhere and do very little. It’s sort of like that with our faith sometimes. Let’s just get this service over so we can reenter reality and hang up the tie until next Sunday. Let’s quick get through this devotion or skip it altogether so that we can get some shut-eye. Let’s pray mindlessly or not at all so that we can get to the grub or the meeting. Let’s zoom through this bit about Jesus so that we can talk important stuff like the game.
One word describes us: distracted. Distracted by life, jobs, friends, sports, hobbies, internet and nothing in particular. Distracted from our loving Jesus. Could it be that we’ve lost the wonder, the awe, the passion for our Savior?
A few weeks ago we talked about the Jewish Christians in the early Christian church. Many of them were tempted to abandon their faith because of persecution. The author to the Hebrews encouraged them hold on to Jesus.
His letter also has something to say to those who have lost the wonder, awe and passion for their Savior. He says, “Wake up. Jesus is different. He is worth following because he offers something no one else can. Don’t go back to your old, selfish ways because Jesus is different.
Hebrews 7:26-28 26 Such a high priest meets our need-- one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. 27 Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. 28 For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever. (NIV)
I. He’s honest about our sins
Old movie; the volcano acting up; the gods must be angry. Terrified Tribesmen hoist a helpless girl up the side, intending to throw her in as a sacrifice to appease the gods.
The true God never demanded human sacrifices for sin, but he did demand animal sacrifices in the Jerusalem temple thousands of years ago, especially on the Day of Atonement, or Yom Kippur. Every year, God’s High Priest had to offer two special sacrifices on the Day of Atonement. First, he killed a bull for his sins and then a goat for the sins of God’s people. He took bowls of that blood into a special room called the Holy of Holies and sprinkled it around the furnishings. Then, the bull and goat were burned up and the day was done.
You would think after countless years of slaying goats and sprinkling blood that God would have been satisfied. You would think that after a few years of smoke in his eyes, he would have said, “Okay, that’s enough sacrifice; you’re forgiven.” But that was not the case.
Let me illustrate: when we lived in the Collins Marsh over by Manitowoc, someone had a bug zapper. Now, if you ever been through a marsh on a July evening, the idea of a bug zapper must be pretty funny to you. Sure, you’ll get a few big pops, a monster might sizzle for thirty seconds, but mostly it’s just a constant reminder how hopelessly outnumbered you are. Hundreds of bug zappers would never be enough to fry out the mosquitoes. In the same way, sinful priests offering countless bulls, buckets of blood and billowing smoke were only a constant reminder that no earthly sacrifice would ever be enough to pay for our sins. There are too many sins. The cost is too great. The Holy Creator hates sin too much.
You will find that every religion in the world, besides Christianity, teaches that you can achieve forgiveness and peace with God through your sacrifices. Do good; god is happy. But Jesus is different. He’s honest about our sins. He tells us that no human sacrifice will ever be enough to appease God. There are too many sins. The cost is too great. The Holy Creator hates sin too much. We cannot make enough sacrifices to win God’s favor. We cannot give up enough for Lent. We cannot deny ourselves enough chocolate. We cannot compare ourselves to other generations or other people enough. We cannot put enough in the offering plate. No human sacrifice is ever enough.
II. He’s done it all for us!
But, this is also where Jesus is different than anything else in the world. Verse 27 says, “Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself.” Since our high priest Jesus was holy, blameless, pure and set apart from sinners, he didn’t have to make an offering for himself. Instead, this Son of God became the Lamb of God—the sacrifice--himself; the cross became his altar. The nails were the knife that sliced him open and spilled his priceless blood upon the stony earth. His body was consumed by the sacrificial fire of God’s fury as he cried out, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” And his blood was sprinkled upon us to cover our sins in baptism.
Unlike the temple priests, Jesus didn’t make a yearly sacrifice or even a daily one. He didn’t endure that horrific agony again and again; He offered himself once for all on the cross. He did everything that needed to be done on that Good Friday. He paid for every sin. That is why he triumphantly cried out, “It is Finished.” Jesus did everything for us.
Chuck Colson, of Prison Fellowship, tells about a prison in Sao Do Campos, Brazil, which is run according to Christian principles. The prison only has two people on its staff. The inmates do everything else. Each prisoner has another to whom he is accountable. Every prisoner goes to chapel or takes a course in character formation. Each prisoner is assigned to a volunteer family outside the prison that makes him a part of their family. The rate of return for crimes after release is 4% compared to 75% in other Brazilian prisons.
When Colson visited the prison to discover the secret of their success, a prisoner took him to what at one time was an isolation cell. When the door opened, Colson saw a beautifully carved wooden figure of Jesus hanging on the cross. The prisoner pointed to the figure of Jesus and whispered, "He’s doing time for all of us." Jesus made the sacrifice for you. He went alone to the solitary confinement of our cross and did our time—all of it. That means you are completely forgiven!
That’s what makes Jesus different from everything else in the world! Only one religion gives us a Savior who has done it all for us. Only one religion offers complete forgiveness.
We’ve been hearing a lot about Islam lately. I recently read a quote that was attributed to John Ashcroft but someone said it before him: “Islam is a religion in which god requires you to send your son to die for him. Christianity is a faith in which God sent his Son to die for you.” Besides that, the Koran, Islam’s Holy Book, says, “"[In the day of judgment] they whose balances shall be heavy with good works, shall be happy, but those whose balances shall be light, are those who shall lose their souls, and shall remain in hell. (Surah 23:104, 105)” In other words, if you make enough sacrifices before the hourglass runs out, you can get into heaven; if not, go to hell. Yes, we must respect the religious freedoms of others (lest we lose our own), but that does not mean we accept all religions as equal. Jesus is different than Islam and every other world religion. Go look; you will not find his full and free forgiveness in a Mosque, a Mormon temple or a Kingdom Hall. You will not find his sure peace in a Ba Hai’ Temple or a Buddhist monastery. Jesus has done it all. You are completely forgiven because Jesus is different.
III. He’s worth our awe.
A few years ago, Chris and I stopped at the Waffle House, because we had this craving for waffles (she may have been pregnant at the time). The interesting thing about the Waffle House is that they don’t serve waffles. I mean, they have one plate which features waffles. But it’s mostly just burgers and fries. If you’re looking for a tasty Belgian waffle or a waffle smothered in fresh strawberries or even a waffle cone, you better go somewhere else. Apparently the Waffle house has forgotten what they are all about. Have we forgotten what we’re all about? Have we forgotten how different our Savior is?
It is that difference which dispels our distraction and gets us focused back on our different Savior. It is that difference which restores the wonder, awe and passion which God deserves. It is that difference which keeps our worship from becoming rushed and irrelevant. Reflect on the song or the solo even if you’re not crazy about the style. You might be inspired. Contemplate the lessons and the sermon. Commune with his Son and fall into his overflowing forgiveness.
And then, give yourself to him for daily worship. Let your words and actions reflect wonder, awe and passion for the Savior. And don’t rush your quiet time with God! Let him speak to you in devotion and Scripture. Pour out your heart to him in prayer. Soak in the stars and the sunsets of his creation. Contemplate his presence and peace. Worship him with your live because Jesus is different. There’s nothing like him anywhere else!
