HEBREWS 10:5-10 – ADVENT 4 – December 18, 2005
Dear Fellow-Redeemed & Saints in the Lord:
Today as you listened to our text, you may have already noticed the underlying thought and theme of obedience. Jesus came to this world and obeyed perfectly his Father’s will. He did this because you and I, who are sinners, live a life of disobedience, a life that is imperfect. The book of Hebrews is, of course by its title, written to those Jewish people who were very familiar with the Old Testament. In Bible study we have been going through Leviticus and looking at all the requirements for their offerings. All these sacrifices are pretty hard to keep track of for us in our modern age. For the people of the Old Testament, they were to keep track, follow them and do them. Yet, all those offerings and sacrifices could not pay the price of sin. In Hebrews 10:4 it says: "It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins."
That is why each year we have this time of Advent to prepare for the birth of our Savior. Each year we are reminded that Jesus came to do his Father’s will. Jesus came to live with us. We heard it in our Gospel: Jesus is Immanuel, with and in us by faith. Jesus, before he left his disciples after his resurrection, told the disciples as he reminds us this morning: "Jesus replied, ’If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him’" (John 14:23). This morning the Lord Jesus comes to us once again through his word. He comes to make his home with us, and we are reminded as the writer to the Hebrews tells us:
JESUS CAME TO DO HIS FATHER’S WILL
I. We learn that Jesus’ obedience was faithful; and we pray that:
II. May our obedience be faith-full
I. JESUS’ OBEDIENCE WAS FAITHFUL
Our text begins: "Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: Sacrifice and offering you did not desire." You have to remember that this sounded pretty strange and different for the Jewish people. For generation after generation after generation, ever since the Lord took them out of Egypt, he gave them the command and the different requirements for the sacrifices and offerings. The Lord God wanted his people to carry out these sacrifices and offerings. But yet here the Lord says: He did not desire them. The Lord God almighty did not desire these sacrifices because he did not need them. The Lord did not need all of those sacrifices, but the Lord always wanted these people, as they wandered in the wilderness and got to the Promised Land to remember that the Messiah would come. This Messiah, the Christ, the anointed was the true sacrifice that was going to come to pay the price for sin.
Our text continues: "With burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased." First mentioned are the voluntary offerings, sacrifices that the Lord did not really need or desire. In the end even their required offerings ended up not being pleasing to the Lord. You may remember, as Jesus walked on this earth in the flesh, he came to the synagogue and drove out the moneychangers in the temple. God’s people had made Jesus’ Father’s house a business rather than a place of worship. They sat around the outer courtyard selling all of these things for sacrifices because they were required. Rather than being a pleasing thing, it had become displeasing.
So how was it going to all change? How were these people going to be saved? How are you and I saved? "Then I said, ’Here I am--it is written about me in the scroll--I have come to do your will, O God.’" Jesus was the fulfillment of the prophecies of the Old Testament. We are reminded of that fact, as our Scripture lessons continue in Advent. Today our first Scripture lesson talked about David who was going to be king. Someone would be king from his line forever. David and his son Solomon are gone, but the Savior Jesus Christ who is still our Lord and our King, came from the line and house of David. That was the promise that the Lord made. It was the promise the Lord kept when Jesus came to do his Father’s will.
The season of Christmas is a time that even the world around sees as a season of peace and joy and love. For us as believers, we realize there is more than just the outward appearance of joy and peace and love. We have the gift of God dwelling in us by faith. We realize that even though we do not deserve it God has saved us. Paul says in Romans: "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). We remember today as we get closer to the manger on Christmas Day that the cross of crucifixion overshadows the manger. That cross of Christ was always central in the life of Jesus, from the very time he was born until the very time he was sacrificed on the cross, because Jesus came to do his Father’s will. Jesus came to do his Father’s will, first of all; to defeat the devil, to conquer death, and pay the price for sins. But Jesus also came to do his Father’s will to save you and me and all of mankind from eternal destruction.
In Galatians: "The Lord Jesus Christ gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory forever and ever" (Galatians 1:4,5). Hopefully, you will note that the Lord in Scripture here describes life on this earth as the present evil age. God’s word reminds us that we live in this world, but we are not to be of this world. Yet, we find ourselves sometimes caught in the same sins, in the same desires of this world. In spite of all of our wickedness and rebellion the Lord has rescued us from this world. Jesus has prepared for us eternal life by faithfully obeying his Father’s will. To Jesus be glory forever and ever!
Our gracious God has given us a future that is certain and a life that is secure--heaven itself. It is not because we deserve it or not that we can earn it or buy it. Heaven is simply given to us by grace. Peter says: "For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit" (1 Peter 3:18). Imagine, we who were separated from God have now been brought near to God by the righteousness of Christ. Not only did Jesus die, but also Jesus was brought back to life so that we might die to sins and live for him.
Jesus came to do his Father’s will. Jesus’ obedience, which was perfect, was faithful. This reminds us that we have a lot to live for in this life. Eventually we are going to be with Jesus in eternity. We pray that our obedience be faith-full, filled with faithfulness.
II. MAY OUR OBEDIENCE BE FAITH-FULL
Again, we go back to the point that the writer of this letter was trying to stress. Jesus had come and fulfilled all the meaning and all the purpose and all the sacrifices that had been done before. "First he said, ’Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them.’" As you read through the Old Testament you can picture all the sacrifices that were made, the blood that was spilled all so that God’s people would continually look ahead. The Lord God did not desire or need the sacrifices. Worse, in the end God was not even pleased with the offerings the people brought. Why did they continue sacrificing? Our text says: "The law required them to be made." Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the Ten Commandments. Moses also brought with him all the laws that were made by God concerning the offerings. The law said certain sacrifices were to be offered for certain sins. Other offerings were considered as thank offerings. There were offerings of the first fruits. That is what the law required.
Our text repeats: "Then he said, ’Here I am, I have come to do your will.’" How does Jesus fulfill the Law? "He sets aside the first to establish the second." What does that mean? Very simply, Jesus sets aside all of those offerings that were given. Jesus sets aside all the blood of the beasts and animals that could not pay for any sins. Jesus pays for sins with his own blood, his holy, precious, innocent blood. Jesus establishes the second. Our Savior, Jesus Christ, has come once and for all as the perfect and complete sacrifice, as the great High Priest. Take time to read through Hebrews, and you will find how Jesus is described--the High Priest. Different than any other high priests, Jesus did not have to come first and offer a sacrifice for his sins and then for the sins of the people. Jesus lived a perfect life. Christ offered a sacrifice once and for all for the sins of mankind. By his blood Jesus puts aside all the blood of the first--the Law--and brings his grace to mankind.
Then it says: "And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." Jesus is going to return again on Judgment Day, but not to offer himself as a sacrifice. Our Messiah, Jesus, has already done all that is needed for the sacrifice or payment for our sins. This sin-payment, eternal ransom begins here at the manger of Bethlehem and continues throughout his life because Jesus came to do his Father’s will. Knowing all of this we are moved to also follow in Jesus’ footsteps with faith-full obedience.
Here is why Jesus came. We know Jesus showed his power over death. Jesus forgave sins first of all, but also then that we would have a reason for living in this world. Sometimes we think the reason for our life in this world is to provide for our family or ourselves. We may feel our reason for living is to do the duties and obligations that the world establishes for us. At times we even grudgingly sometimes come to hear God’s Word or present our offerings. Our loving Lord Jesus said that he really wants to have us come with open hearts, willing lives, because he willingly came. Jesus willingly left his throne in heaven to come and live here. Jesus lived and dwelled among mankind, beginning with a very humble birth. No one would even take Jesus family in for the night. Jesus, Creator of the heavens and earth, gave up everything so that we would have and be able to enjoy everything. Titus says: "Our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good" (Titus 2:14). We are not eager to do what is good. Our sinful nature always wants to get even, wants to get revenge, and wants to make sure we only watch out for ourselves. That is just the opposite what the Lord says here--eager to do what is good. Now our lives are changed because of Jesus Christ who came and lived and died and rose again to save us. It would have been just as easy for God to keep his Son in heaven and never pay for the sins of Adam and Eve or our sins. We would be lost forever in eternal condemnation. But God does not do that.
This time of year we marvel at the miracle of Jesus’ birth. Our God gives us direction. How do we follow in the footsteps of Jesus? How do we live lives that are filled with Christian love, concern and obedience? It is nothing new, the people knew it, and the Old Testament people knew it. This living is already recorded during the Prophet Micah. The people had hardened their hearts, because they brought their sacrifices only as their obligation. That was their duty. They said, "God requires it." Micah reminded them and reminds us today: "He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to have mercy and to walk humbly with your God" (Micah 6:8). Micah was saying to forget all the sacrifices, forget everything else; but look at your hearts. He says, "Come before the Lord to walk in humility." If we don’t know what it means to walk humbly before God, we can look at the example of Jesus. Never once did Jesus think about himself, but always Jesus’ thoughts were about others. Never once did Jesus think only about his friends or family. Jesus even was concerned about his enemies who needed payment for their sins. As he was nailed to the cross, Jesus said, "Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing." The Creator of the heavens and the earth, the Lord God Almighty, gave it all up and became God made man in flesh. The Lord Jesus Christ did all of this not for himself, but for us. That is humility.
Paul writes to the Ephesians: "Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God" (Ephesians 5:1,2). We read all those passages where the Lord directs us as believers, to walk in His footsteps; to love one another; to walk humbly before God. God does not just tell us to do all of those things. Paul reminds us in Ephesians that we are God’s beloved children. As believers we also remember Christ offered him as the perfect sacrifice for all of our sins. Then God says, "And now we want them to live a life of life." That is our motivation, our motivation for our whole life in this wide world of ours is the fact that Christ was born in Bethlehem. It is a fact that Christ died at Calvary. It is a fact that on the third day Jesus rose again, so that we will live forever. There is no greater love than that! Jesus died for us even before we were born. Christ paid our price even though we are disobedient.
Jesus came to do His Father’s will, and his obedience was a perfect obedience of faithfulness. We realize, as we continue in our Christian lives which we can always improve and get better, we want to follow in his footsteps. We look to live lives also filled with faith-full obedience, not out of compulsion; but looking at the facts that our gracious God has done everything for us that we might live with him forever. Now before we get to heaven, we can live with Jesus on this side of heaven. We can live for Jesus every day; because God is Immanuel. God is with us through faith in Jesus Christ. God is with us by grace.
In the letter of John: "Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us" (1 John 3:24). God’s Spirit has given us a gift of faith to know God is our Savior from sin. Christ is the Messiah, the Anointed One, who obeyed perfectly to pay for our disobedience. We are encouraged to live joyful lives of faithful obedience for the one who faithfully obeyed his Father’s will. Amen. Pastor Timm O. Meyer
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ADVENT 4 Readings: 2 SAMUEL 7:8-11, 16; ROMANS 16:25-27; LUKE 1:26-38
