Christ Before Us (Page 2)

Entering into God’s Rest Summer is almost over and, with it, the end of R&R, rest and relaxation. Soon we’ll be back to work, whether in the classroom or office, real or virtual, or in some other space doing “real” work with our hands. What is rest? Is it a state of mind, or a place, or a particular day? Technically, it’s the complete lack of motion, but that doesn’t sound very attractive. In this week’s passage from Hebrews the phrase “enter into God’s rest” occurs eight times. What is this rest? Where, when, and how do we enter it? And what is this rest like when we are there?

Hebrews 3:7-19 God delivered his people from slavery to Pharaoh in Egypt. Their destination was Mt Sinai, to meet with the Lord, then the Promised Land, the land flowing with milk and honey. But at every step of the way the people were afraid: of Pharaoh and his army, of hunger, of thirst, of giants in the Land, even of the Lord. They kept thinking they were going to die. God brought them to the edge of the Land, but they refused to enter. They wanted to go back to Egypt, redefining it as the land flowing with milk and honey. They never got there because they died in the wilderness under God’s judgment. The Christian life is a journey, as allegorized in Pilgrim’s Progress. We are easily beset with fears which test our faith. We don’t make this journey alone; we travel together, encouraging one another.

Hebrews 3:1-6 (NIV) We return to the Book of Hebrews for seven weeks this summer. The author repeatedly presents Christ Before Us. He is to be the object of our attention: “take a good hard look at Jesus” (3:1 The Message). Where is he? He has gone before us into the very presence of God where he now ministers as our great High Priest on our behalf. Therefore we can boldly approach the eternal throne of grace to receive mercy and find grace.

The eternal Son, radiance of God’s glory, left the realms of glory to become human. After his death and resurrection he returned to God’s glory, where he is crowned with glory and honor. But God’s desire is to bring many sons and daughters to glory, following the path pioneered by the Son. Many family histories have skeletons in the closet, people who have brought shame rather than honor. Most of us have our own shame. But Jesus is not ashamed to call us his brothers and sisters, or to have us, his younger siblings, tag along behind him. But we do need to keep him in sight.

Hebrews 2:5-9 We have just celebrated Good Friday and Easter Sunday, remembering Jesus Christ, “crucified, dead and buried… On the third day he rose again from the dead,” as we confess in the Apostles’ Creed. But there is more: “he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty.” We tend to forget Ascension Day, but it is a vital part of the story of Jesus. We return to the Book of Hebrews to consider Jesus, who was made low to be human like us, and subsequently exalted as the one true human into God’s presence.

Heb 2:1-4 It’s Labor Day weekend, the traditional end of summer and start of a new school year. But many students have been back in class for two weeks already. We hope that they are learning again how to pay attention in class. Perhaps their teachers have given a pep talk: “You must pay the most careful attention to what you hear else…” An exhortation to listen and a warning of the consequences for not doing so: “…else you’ll fail the test, your GPA will suffer, and you won’t get into your choice of school.” The preacher to the Hebrews does a similar thing. After presenting the excellence of the Son in whom God has spoken, he exhorts and warns: “We must pay most careful attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.” Throughout his sermon he urges us to pay attention to Jesus.

Heb 1:5-14 God spoke in the past to Israel through the prophets, and God has spoken in these last days to us in the Son. On the Emmaus Road Jesus brought these two together, explaining “what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.” After his magnificent opening sentence, the author of Hebrews also brings them together, showing how seven OT texts point to Jesus. They reinforce his claim that Jesus has become far superior to the angels. Indeed, Jesus is worthy of worship by angels and by us.

Heb 1:2b-4 “What’s in a name?” said Juliet to Romeo. “That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” But names do matter. We all bear names, and have preferences about how we want to be called. God puts his name on people. OT Israel bore God’s name. God gave the risen and ascended Jesus a name above all names. The people of the New Jerusalem will bear the name of God and the Lamb. What does it mean to bear God’s name?

Heb 1:1-2 We launch a new sermon series, on the Book of Hebrews, entitled Christ Before Us. In the past God spoke to Israel through the prophets, in words preserved as Israel’s Scriptures, what we know as the Old Testament. God has spoken again in his Son, who both fulfills and is better than those Scriptures. He became like us in our humanity, to offer his own self for our atonement, so that we might become like him. The book repeatedly places Jesus before us, urging us to look to Jesus, to see him, to consider him. It also shows how Jesus has gone before us, faithful to the end. He is our faithful forerunner, whom we are called to faithfully follow.