March 6, 2005
Scripture:
Ministry:
Genesis 22: 7, 8— where is the lamb? John 1:29— Behold the Lamb! Revelation 5:6— In the midst, a lamb… The Lamb once slain will never be forgotten.
Can we turn back to Genesis 22? This is an amazing chapter: God asked Abraham to do something He never asked anyone else to do: He asked him to offer his son, God says the son “whom thou lovest”, as a sacrifice to Himself. So Abraham got up early, it seems to chop the wood for the sacrifice, etc. So they went, and on the third day, Abraham saw the place afar off. I wanted to connect that to what we read in I Peter 1:20. It seems as if God was looking afar off at how his Son was marked, set down through the ages; then God came to a place called Calvary. O think, the coming in of sin didn’t create a crisis on God’s part; he was ready. His only loved Son was marked to be the sacrifice. Isaac asked, “Where is the lamb?” and we can read Abraham’s answer. God’s Son didn’t ask, He knew: “I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me) to do Thy will, O God.” God’s perfect work was done to save sinners, and all through the ages, God could see the place where His Son would die to redeem a chosen people. Think of this, we were chosen before the foundation of the earth. We are waiting for when, like in Revelation 5, we will sing his praise.
EG Hymn 258 - “Many Sons to Glory bringing” Prayer
In the Old Testament, Aaron was the high priest. I Peter 2:5, 9 In the New Testament, we are holy priests and royal priests. We don’t have a minister, but all born again believers can function like a priest to God. But, just as you can have a paralyzed body part that doesn’t function properly, some Christians are paralyzed and don’t function for God; then they are of no use. Priesthood is a privilege, but it is also a responsibility. Romans 12:5-7
Hebrews 2:6-12 • We live in a world where man is still the one who is running things. • The Lord has not only redeemed you and me, but also the earth. • There is a difference between sin and sins. Sin is the root, your sin nature, like a tree. Sins are the fruit of the tree. When I do wrong, these are sins, the fruit of my old nature. My sins are washed away, but the Lord also died to deal with my sin nature. • We have not gotten to the time where all things are under the Lord; but when that happens, and the world is a better place, we won’t be here. • V. 9 - Through the eyes of faith we can see Jesus. John 13:31 • Even though the Lord suffered, He was still glorified and He glorified God, because there we see God’s love for man. God has set Him at His right hand because He glorified God even in the question of sin. • Heb. 1 shows the glory of the Son of God. Heb. 2 shows the glory of Son of Man. • Man gave the Lord a crown of thorns (a result of sin); God gave Him a crown of glory. • We were dead in trespasses and sins, but Jesus has tasted our death so that we might have life. • The work of the Lord on the cross not only saves me, but it extends to all of creation, reversing what Adam did. EG Hymn 9 – “Redeemed by blood, the work of love” Prayer