FULL MEASURE 2021 ADVENT CELEBRATION DAY 24

©© by Pastor Jennifer Rousseau Cumberbatch (proprietary)

MODERATOR: Pastor jen Cumberbatch  

Welcome Friends to The Full Measure’s Celebration of Advent 2021

ADVENT CELEBRATION Day 25, Wednesday, December 22, 2021

SCRIPTURE: Hebrews 10:5-10

READER: Flora Fearon

THEME: LOVE

LIGHTING OF THE CANDLES: Light 2 purple and one pink candles, and the last purple candle for each reading this Week 4 of Advent. The HOPE Candle from  Week 1 and The PEACE candle for Week 2 and the JOY Candle for Week 3, and now the LOVE Candle for Week 4, the final week of Advent, 

Scripture

HEBREWS 10:5-10 NIV

Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said:

“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,

but a body you prepared for me;

with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased.

Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll—

I have come to do your will, my God.’”[a]

First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them”—though they were offered in accordance with the law. Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Reading

Christ is the Lamb  of God, who takes away the sins of the world.  Christ did not come into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved.

 Under the old covenant between God and the people of God, beginning with the transgression of the first earthlings, a sacrifice to atone for sin was necessary.  

Daily the priest offered the body of an animal as a substitutionary life for the life of the people who were separated from God by their  wrongdoings, their rebellion against the will of God, their sins.   

God told the first earthlings, Eve and Adam, that the day they ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they would die.  The tree of life in the midst of the Garden of Eden was never prohibited, but once the earthlings had disobeyed and eaten of the tree of knowledge, God in God’s infinite mercy, not willing that humanity should have to live in their sinful state forever, blocked their access to the Tree of Life and drove them out of the garden. 

But, before they were banished, God performed the first sacrifice.  To cover them in their naked, raw, sinfulness, God killed animals and used their skin to cover Adam and Eve in their sinful state. .  

In this first sacrifice God reiterated that there is no remission, no forgiveness of sin without the shedding of blood.  So, the blood of slain animals would appease the wrath of God against the sins of the people and they would once again be at peace with God under the protection and care of God, with whom they had a covenant relationship.

Earlier in our advent reading we heard about how covenant relationships, usually between a ruler and a vassal had terms, sanctions for violation and that there was usually a sign of the covenant.  The ruler always had the option to renew the covenant after violation, make a new covenant or cut off the violator. In the case of The terms of the covenant for the Israelites were written in the law. There were blessings for following the law, and curses were the sanctions levied for violation of the law.  And, for the Israelites, the sign or reminder of the covenant was in the organ of procreation, namely circumcision for males. Violation of the law required a specific sacrifice for atonement for sins. 

Earlier we also explored in our reading the willingness of Christ to give up his deity and equality with God and allow God to prepare a human body for him to inhabit in the earth, to be the Incarnate one, God in flesh.  

Jesus, was the once and for all sacrifice. He gave his life once and for all to cover the sins of God’s people, remit sin, and make peace with God.  

Beloved God is no longer angry with you because of your sin, because the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all unrighteousness.  After Christ was crucified, Christ ascended into heaven, entered the holy of holies, where God dwells between the cherubim, and presented his blood sprinkled over the mercy seat. And, God now has mercy on us. 

Jesus died so that we could have everlasting life.  His life was a substitute for ours. And, we no longer have to continue to bring the carcasses of dead animals and their blood to obtain God’s mercy.   

Now, if we sin, we have an advocate, a lawyer, in Christ Jesus, his body and blood were the propitiation, the offering, the gift that appeased the wrath of God against our rebellion. 

I know in some circles sin is an old fashion concept.  We call it preference, solidifying that there are many truths and each person must find their own. For many there is no exacting standard for right or wrong.

But, if we agree with the scriptures, we realize that all have sinned, rebelled against God’s will and come short of God’s excellence.  There is no one who is good, except God. It is in our human nature to go our own way, and leave the path of God. 

So, the Holy Spirit  begs you, receive the gift of God, who is Jesus, the Christ.   He has made peace between you and God in his own body.  

Christ is both the sacrifice and the high priest who has offered the sacrifice for you.  You are adopted into the beloved relationship that God has with God’s Christ, accepting by faith that your sins are forgiven through the obedient sacrifice of Jesus.  

And, Christ’s sacrificial death has cancelled out the ordinances, the dos and don’ts that we were obligated to honor in order to remain in covenant with God.  Yes, Christ has instituted a new covenant in his own body and blood.  

The Love of God is demonstrated in that while we were yet sinners,, operating in the realm of our desires, and lust, the principles of darkness, powerless to save ourselves from the crushing, killing consequence of our addictions and twisted propensities, Christ died for us and liberated us from the curse of sin. Christ became a curse for us and set us free.  

God is Love.  And God’s, Agape, Love freed us.  We are Freeones who present our lives, as love-slaves to God, not out of obligation or compulsion, but, in gratitude, and adoration to the will of God, as we follow Christ’s example of obedience and sacrifice.

Prayer

Oh, God. Thank you for Jesus,

Jesus, thank you for your body, that provides our healing and your blood that provides us forgiveness of sins.

We are eternally grateful.

Jesus, your obedience to the will of God is our example.  We present ourselves to you as martyrs, living sacrifices your body in the earth

Repeating your words to God, 

“We come to do you will oh, God.  We come to do your will.

May God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven, through your church, in this age and those to come

Amen!