Dear TVCC Students,
It has been so great to worship with you all lately. With all of the craziness of us adding little Pax to our family, it's so encouraging to come see you guys on Wednesday engaging the Lord and enjoying fellowship with one another. We have moved from Deuteronomy back into the book of Hebrews. Last night, Sonny taught us through Hebrews 9. Here is a recap...
Hebrews 9
~9:1-10: The sacrificial system revealed the huge separation between man and the Lord. God had set up commandments for His children to obey and had set up the sacrificial system as a means of temporary atonement for them if they did not obey. There were so many rules and regulations in that system and it was ultimately incomplete. This is why Christ came!
a) If we look back at Hebrews 1:1-3, we see that Jesus was (and is) the exact representation of the Father and as such was the only person whose death could completely atone for the sins of mankind as He was the only who fully obeyed the law.
b) All of the aspects of the Sacrificial System point us to Jesus. Here are just a few examples...
1) the Lampstand was placed inside the Tabernacle... John 9 shows us that Jesus is the light!
2) the Sacred bread was also inside the Tabernacle... John 6 shows us that Jesus is the bread of life!
Q: Take a minute to think about how Jesus is the BREAD of life and how He is the LIGHT of the world. Why do you think the Lord uses these words to describe Himself? How should these truths about who Jesus is affect our daily lives as believers? Do you think there are any changes the Lord wants you to make in your life as you have meditated on these aspects of who Jesus is?
~9:11-12: Jesus came to offer complete and eternal redemption for mankind. The sacrificial system could only cleanse a person temporarily and they would have to come back regularly to offer even more sacrifices for ongoing sins. There was even a day set up (Yom Kippur) for all unintentional and unknown sins! Jesus came ONCE and FOR ALL! He set aside His glory in heaven (Acts 17), came down as a humble servant to die in our place, and went back to glory after He was resurrected from the dead- completing our redemption!
Q: What does it look like for you to make time in your life to daily meditate on the redemption that Christ purchased for us?
~9:11-12 (and verse 8): When we look back at Matthew 27:45, we see that after Jesus died, the veil to the temple was torn from TOP to BOTTOM! The Lord was showing that the separation between Him and man had been mended ONCE and FOR ALL. Those who trust in Jesus' death and resurrection on their behalf do not have to try and atone for their own sins (which cannot even be done). Christ completed our atonement! By trusting in Christ, a believer has the promise of eternal redemption. Nothing can then separate the believer from the Lord! Believers were purchased by Christ and are sealed forever by His blood!
~9:13-14: The blood of Jesus didn't just rescue us from the failings of the sacrificial system, it went into the depths of each believer to cleanse their consciences. Sin causes people to have their consciences seared, thus preventing them from enjoying an intimate relationship with the Lord. We saw that in Adam and Eve after they had first sinned and went to hide from the Lord. The blood of Jesus cleanses that guilt that prevents man from enjoying the Lord.
Q: 1 John calls us to confess our sins to the Lord in order to have a cleansed conscience (our salvation is a free gift but unconfessed sin still weighs us down and prevents us from enjoying intimacy with the Lord just as the unconfessed sin of a child to his parent doesn't change their status as a child but prevents them from enjoying an unhindered relationship with their parents). Take a minute and think if there is any unconfessed sin in your life that is keeping you from walking in peace and joy in the Lord. Confess that sin and thank the Lord Jesus for being crucified so that you could be freed.
~9:13-14: The restoration that Jesus brings has a purpose. Not only does it grant us eternal life and cleanse our consciences but it gives us the freedom to serve the Lord without fear. The main job of God's people has always been to represent Him to the world. While under the burden of sin, this was impossible. Jesus redeems us, restores our relationship with the Lord, and then calls us to represent Him to the world. We have been saved and He has prepared work for us to do to showcase His incredible glory! We see this all over the Scripture. 1 Corinthians 6:12 reminds us that we are the temple if the Holy Spirit and we are called to glorify the Lord in our body.
Q: Please read 1 Corinthians 6:18-20. What implications to these verses have for the everyday life of the believer? What changes do you feel the Lord calling in order for your life to live out these verses well?
Dear students,
We cannot tell you how thankful we are for each one of you. We pray often for you- that you would be walking in the freedom and joy of the Lord and that you would each be witnessing Him moving in your lives. We pray this week that you will meditate on how Christ came to fulfill the sacrificial system that couldn't offer freedom for God's people. We pray that you will walk in thankfulness to Christ and live this week to display His glory to this world. We love you!
With hope,
~Sonny and Casi
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