Walk for Life 2012

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Walk for Life 2012

“Why Are You Waiting Out There? The Door Is Open!”

Reading: Exodus 19   

Have you ever wondered, “What's so new about the New Covenant?” There are certainly a broad range of perspectives in Christendom as to how much continuity or discontinuity there is between the Old Covenant (specifically, the Sinai or Mosaic covenant), and the New Covenant. One pastor was asked why he has preached through the whole New Testament in his church, but never preached through an Old Testament book. He responded by saying that he didn't preach through Old Testament books because they didn't have anything to do with us as Christians. This was right after another pastor had just finished preaching a message about how to preach the Old Testament as Christian scripture (after all, the apostles did).

Exodus 19 is where we find the origins of the Sinai or Mosaic covenant. This is often referred to as the Law. Here we can discover some real distinctions between that covenant and the New Covenant which is made through Christ's blood.

And the LORD said to Moses, "Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes ¹¹and be ready by the third day, because on that day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. ¹²Put limits for the people around the mountain and tell them, 'Be careful that you do not approach the mountain or touch the foot of it. Whoever touches the mountain is to be put to death." (Exodus 19:10-12)

Three days later, when the Lord did come down on the mountain, we read,

“Go down and warn the people so they do not force their way through to see the LORD and many of them perish.” (Exodus 19:21)

A constant theme of the covenant made on Mount Sinai is a warning to not draw near, or come close to God. Before anyone could come close, and that only once a year by a priest, blood had to be shed for him. The presence of God was a fearsome place. The idea of being invited to draw near with confidence was foreign to the covenant made through Moses at Sinai.

However, when we arrive at the New Covenant, all this has changed. Instead of a warning to stay away, we have invitations to draw near.

In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. (Ephesians 3:12)

Therefore let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us at the proper time. (Hebrews 4:16 HCSB) 

¹⁹Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, ²¹and since we have a great priest over the house of God, ²²let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. (Hebrews 10:19-22)

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. ¹⁵And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. (1 John 5:14 NIV)

Is there any doubt that this invitation, this open door from God to come right into His presence, is, practically speaking, the biggest difference between the two covenants? And it is here, in this place of sensing God's invitation to come right to him through Christ, without any fear of condemnation, without any guilt for anything we have or haven't done, that most Christians struggle. When we don't approach the throne of grace, when we stay away from God because of guilt or condemnation, we are wasting the precious blood of Christ through which the way has been made. Let us ever remember,

¹⁸You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; ¹⁹to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, ²⁰because they could not bear what was commanded: "If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death." ²¹The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, "I am trembling with fear." ²²But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, ²³to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, ²⁴to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. ²⁵See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. (Hebrews 12:18-25)

Under the Mosaic law, we were warned to stay away. We had to stay away because the way to God had not been opened. However, in Jesus Christ, God has drawn near to us. He broke the barrier and has made a way whereby we can waltz into His presence without fear. Not only will we not die, but rather, we are coming to life itself, for in Him is life. Let's see to it that we do not refuse the invitation that says, “Why are you waiting out there? The door Is open, come on in!” [For more on this subject see, What is the difference between Law and Gospel? (Part 1).] Let us go through Jesus, knowing He hears and knowing He answers our prayer.

Love the Gospel, Live the Gospel, Advance the Gospel,

Jerry

Do You Know What You are Eating?

Reading: Mark 14

Mark 14 begins with the chief priests and teachers of the law scheming as to how they might kill Jesus. They determined not to do it during the Passover or Festival of Unleavened Bread lest the people riot (Mark 14:1-2). However, as the story unfolds, we discover, they are not in charge. Jesus will die during Passover, for that is how His Father planned it.

We are quickly transported to a scene in Simon the Leper's¹ house. There a woman comes in and anoints his head with a jar of perfume worth over $20,000 in today's wages. All present are offended that such an extravagant “waste” is poured out on Jesus. However, Jesus said it was to prepare his body for burial (Mark 14:3-8). No one appraised the situation correctly except Jesus and possibly this woman who gladly pours out what may be her most valuable possession on the Savior. Judas leaves to betray Jesus; Jesus sends his disciples to prepare for the passover meal.

²²While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take it; this is my body."   ²³Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it. ²⁴"This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many," he said to them. ²⁵"Truly I tell you, I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God."   ²⁶When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. (Mark 14:22-26)

What did this meal represent? What were they eating? Did they understand? Clearly this meal represented his flesh and blood being broken and poured out. It not only represents the person of Christ; it represents the sufferings of Christ. Did they understand that, in eating, they were partaking of the sufferings of Christ? In what follows, it is safe to say they did not. But Jesus quickly informs them, and us, what it means for us to partake of Him, and to partake of Him in His sufferings.

²⁷"You will all fall away," Jesus told them, "for it is written: "'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.' ²⁸But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee." (Mark 14:27-28)

The sufferings of the Shepherd will effect the sheep. Why will they be scattered? Because, as we will see, they don't want to be involved in the sufferings. But, it is too late. They have already partaken of Him in His sufferings at the table. So soon they must learn suffering. But thank God for mercy. They will fail, and miserably on the first go at it, yet the promise stands, “After I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” Peter immediately wants to distinguish himself from the rest. However, the rest quickly join in with their protests and self-appraisals of how they would never fall away—even if they have to die (Mark 14:29-31).

If we are going to successfully follow Jesus in His sufferings, we must first join His sufferings in prayer. In fact, it is a failure to join Him in prayer that leads the disciples to failure in joining Him in His sufferings. (For more on the importance of joining Him in prayer from Mark 14, see Do You Curse in Your Sleep? Peter Did.) The disciples clearly did not understand the urgency of the hour, so that while Jesus was deeply distressed and horrified (Mark 14:33 HCSB), the disciples were quite comfortable as evidenced by their sleeping and resting (Mark 14:37, 40-41).

Without following Jesus in prayer, we will never be able to follow Him in His sufferings. The disciples demonstrate what happens when we attempt to follow Jesus prayerlessly. When the crowd shows up to arrest Jesus, with swords and clubs, “they all deserted Him and ran away.” (Mark 14:50) However, there were a couple of exceptions. One young man followed.

⁵¹A young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment, was following Jesus. When they seized him, ⁵²he fled naked, leaving his garment behind. (Mark 14:51-52)

If the others were watching as they fled, they get a clear picture of the cost of following Jesus in His sufferings. We may end up loosing everything. Following this, we get another picture of one who is following Jesus. But this time, it is an attempt that might more often resemble our own efforts at following Jesus while attempting to remain at a comfortable distance from the sufferings.

⁵³They took Jesus to the high priest, and all the chief priests, the elders and the teachers of the law came together. ⁵⁴Peter followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. There he sat with the guards and warmed himself at the fire. (Mark 14:53-54)

Peter was following Jesus. But he did so at a distance. Peter was closer to those who arrested Jesus than he was to Jesus Himself. While the Savior was suffering, Peter was warming himself. How often would I prefer to follow Jesus at a distance? I'm just like I suppose you are: I want to follow Jesus, but I don't want to suffer. Therefore I follow at a distance. But as the rest of the story informs us clearly, that just doesn't work. Peter ends up denying the Savior vehemently (Mark 14:66-72).

But thank God for His mercy. Peter had already partaken of the Savior in His sufferings earlier that evening. That meal meant two things for Peter: 1) The blood of the covenant for Peter was Christ's blood. And therefore, the promise that Jesus would go ahead of him... meeting him again in Galilee... is sure. Peter's restoration is sure. Your restoration when you attempt to follow at a distance is sure. 2) However, this meal also meant that Peter would partake of the sufferings of the Savior. And all who follow Him will. Peter learned to join Christ in prayer (see the book of Acts), and he learned to suffer with Him, even to the point of death. However, when that happened, Peter would fully understand, as would all disciples, that Jesus was worth more than that bottle of perfume; indeed He is worth more than our entire lives.

Love the Gospel, Live the Gospel, Advance the Gospel,

Jerry

1So many people were named Simon that culturally it was always important to distinguish which one was being referenced. This Simon was evidently once a leper, possibly healed by Christ.