Today we continue our journey through the letter to the Hebrews. We specifically pick up at chapter 4 where we here of the REST we have in Christ expressed. We hear of the power of God's mighty word and then how Jesus is our GREAT HIGH PRIEST who expresses to us these truths.
First we see the words of Hebrews 4:1-10:
A Sabbath-Rest for the People of God
4 Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. 2 For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith.[a] 3 Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said,
“So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’”[b]
And yet his work has been finished since the creation of the world. 4 For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: “And on the seventh day God rested from all his work.”[c] 5 And again in the passage above he says, “They shall never enter my rest.”
6 It
still remains that some will enter that rest, and those who formerly
had the gospel preached to them did not go in, because of their
disobedience. 7 Therefore God again set a certain day, calling it Today, when a long time later he spoke through David, as was said before:
“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.”[d]
In these verses we hear the writer of Hebrews define the word rest (katapausis) in three different ways: 1) as the sabbath rest of the peace of God 2) as the promised rest of Israel in the Promised Land 3) of the Rest that God had on the seventh day of Creation in Genesis 1 & 2.
We know that the promise of the Peace of God still stands in verse 1, but we are warned not to miss it or fall short of it. Here is where we are encourage to add that pistouw of "faith" as "trust" and we will, as it says in Philippians 4, "have the peace that passes all human understanding."
The second rest of the promised land the author deals with in acknowledging that it did not happen in the time of Joshua otherwise King David would not be saying this in Psalm 95 about "Today". The third rest is the one that is really important understanding the context of the Hebrew Rabbinical teaching on the seventh day. They understood that in each day of creation there was morning and evening with the exception of the sabbath. The rabbis maintained that this rest was forever. So the invitation to the Christian is to enter into this "REST" which is forever and available through faith in Christ Jesus and HIS Promises.
In verses 11-13: 11 Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience. 12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
we hear the author of Hebrews share how we are to strive to enter this rest by hearing the Word and by faith receiving this rest. This understanding of the power of God's Word should cause us terror in the sense of the LAW because it is effective as living and active. It is sharp penetrating the soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and judging the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. This is the whole being! The word of God does what the Hebrew people understood in Isaiah 55:11 "so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." They understood that we will be naked or laid bare before the God of the universe and we will have to bend the knee and give an account.
It is SO AMAZINGLY appropriate that the author now brings the GOOD NEWS into this terror or fear of missing the sabbath rest of God, and the fear of having all of our sins, body, spirit, heart laid bare before our God. He immediately, as we do with absolution to sincere repentance introduce the redeemer as the GREAT HIGH PRIEST:
In verses 14-16:
Jesus the Great High Priest
14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens,[e] Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. 16 Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.the writer reminds us of the relationship we have with the High Priest! Again remembering that this is to the Hebrews. They understood the role of the High Priest in the act of atonement. They understood the role of him entering the HOLY OF HOLIES again sprinkling the blood of the pure lamb on the mercy seat. We see this in an article which you can check out at: http://www.moriel.org/articles/sermons/jesus_our_high_priest.htm It is extremely important to understand that as we face the challenge of finding this rest and having our sins laid bare by the powerful living and active Word of God we can have tremendous peace and rest in knowing that all that is necessary for us to be forgiven, set free and given everlasting life has been done by the great HIGH PRIEST Messiah Jesus! We can therefore approach the throne of grace with confidence and receive mercy and find grace!!! What an amazing Gospel proclamation.
We can also take great solace in the fact that our HIGH PRIEST is able to sympathize with our weakness and has been tempted in every way-yet without sin. There is nothing we can ask of HIM that HE will not understand because our HIGH PRIEST has gone through everything we have gone through. Father Ed at Christ the King gave a great homily for our great friend and sort of adopted son Peter's funeral on Monday by reminding us that in John 11:
32 When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34 “Where have you laid him?” he asked.
“Come and see, Lord,” they replied.
35 Jesus wept.
36 Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”
Jesus knew he was going to raise Lazarus from the tomb, he said so in
John 11:11 After he had said this, he went on to tell them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.” So why did he weep? He wept out of compassion for Mary and Martha! He is the Great HIGH PRIEST who sympathizes with our situations!! We can trust HIM in every circumstance no matter what!
May we rejoice each day in this wonderful truth! Today we celebrate the Great HIGH PRIEST who is the once and for all sacrifice for our sin and our loving Savior who invites us to partake of the forgiveness we have in HIS Blood which we hear but also to partake of HIS Body and HIS Blood in the Lord's Supper to know we are forgiven, set free and given the power to live as HIS KINGDOM CHILDREN AS WE PREPARE FOR ETERNAL LIFE!!
Love in Christ our Great HIGH PRIEST,
Pastor Bryan
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