Introduction
To my amazement, as I was reading a book written by a
respected Christian author of another faith, I heard him say that many Christians
today are telling only half of God’s story.
They assert that we have all sinned and that Jesus died on the cross for
us. Then he said it again, “Many Christians today are only telling half the
story. They are leaving off the
“bookends” of God’s story!” What could he possibly mean?
By bookends he meant that many do not include as part of the
salvation story, the Creation account nor do they tell of the restoration of
Creation at the end. Is that
possible? Is there more to the story
than sin and the cross? Ever since its
inception, Seventh-day Adventists have said there is more to the story. We
don’t deny sin and the forgiveness of sin nor do we discount the wonder of the
cross. But we do say there is more to the story!
The question before us today is this, “What part of the
story is missing and why is it important for the every-day-Christian as he or
she face temptations and challenges.”
This is our study for today.
There are three biblical themes that we need to consider:
1.
Jesus,
Our Self-Sacrificing Saviour
2.
Jesus,
Doesn’t Let Go
3.
Jesus,
Makes Our Eternity with Him Secure
“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb
of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (Jn 1:29, NIV)
The “Lamb of God” is a clear reference to the Passover lamb
found in Ex. 12:13,14. This is when the
angel of death passed over the Israelite homes where the blood of a lamb was
placed on the door posts of the home.
This led to the exodus – the freedom from bondage and slavery. This term becomes a metaphor in the book of
Revelation – you know, that book that talks about all those beasts! It is the
most frequently used symbol in the book of Revelation. You get the idea, then, that freedom from
every kind of bondage is an important theme of the last book of the Bible. The lamb is vulnerable to its predators and
Jesus chose to become vulnerable to the penalty of our sins – not His! Note Isa. 53:7
He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the
slaughter,
and as a sheep before its
shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
II. Jesus, Doesn’t Let Go
Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them
from continuing in office; but because Jesus lives forever, he has a
permanent priesthood. Therefore, he is able to save completely those who
come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. (Heb.
7:23-25)
As strange as it may seem, Jesus isn’t only portrayed as the
lamb that was slain, He is also seen as the “priest” who killed or sacrificed
the lamb! Now that is strange, and no
doubt is meant to raise our curiosity! What’s going on here?
The role of the priest in the sanctuary that went with the
Israelites in the desert, was to present the sacrifice that was slain on behalf
of the sinner. But the priest then acted as an intermediary. The verse we read
explains that Jesus, now in heaven, has a permanent priesthood. Not only is
this verse telling us that Jesus does not die, it is also telling us we have
direct access to God 24/7! He is our intercessor. No sacrifice stands between
us and God. Jesus is both the sacrifice
and the priest. It’s all about Jesus
never letting go—as long as we allow him to be our Priest-Intercessor. We do have a choice! But it is also about Jesus preparing the
kingdom of God. Forgiveness is
possible only through the sacrifice made by Jesus but it part the ultimate restoration of Creation that has been distorted by sin
throughout history.
III. Jesus, Makes Our Eternity with Him Secure
Judgement sometimes sounds like a negative word but if it is
in your favor, it is a cherished word! It brings with it a sense of
security. It can actually bring a sense
of relief. In the Sanctuary service, the
Day of Atonement was such a time. It was a solemn event as any time of judgment
is. It only makes sense that after a sacrifice has been made that a review is
made to see if the liberation provided has been accepted. This kind of
judgment, of course, takes place before Jesus comes. It would make no sense for
this judgement to take place after everyone has already been taken to
heaven. This is why we refer to this
judgment as the Pre-Advent Judgment or the judgement that is determined at the
time just before Jesus comes—Daniel refers to this as the “culmination of the
ages.”
“But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages
to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. Just as people are destined to
die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to
take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear
sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.”
(Heb. 8:26b-28)
Note Dan. 9:24 in this context:
“Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy city to
finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring
in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the
Most Holy Place.”
This judgment/Day of Atonement is critical. It is a solemn
and critical time for each person. It is
critical for the future of the universe.
The decisions made impact the whole universe of God.
Through a careful study Daniel 8 and Dan. 9, Seventh-day
Adventists believe that the Day of Atonement, this phase of Christ’s ministry,
began in 1844. It is one of the clearest signs that Jesus is about to come.
Using the sanctuary service motif, Daniel pointes to the assurance of what
Christ has done for us in the Holy Place or Part of the sanctuary. He is now serving as our priest to the Most
Holy Place of the Sanctuary. Indeed, the final phase of the restoration of the
Creation talked about earlier is now underway! The first angel’s message of
Revelation 14 is clearly a call to action:
“He said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has
come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of
water.” (Rev. 14:7)
In Summary
The news is good! The
same Jesus that sacrificed Himself for us, that intercedes for us is now making
provision, so nothing will ever break-up our relationship with Him again.
Security comes at a cost – for Jesus, He gave Himself as the “Lamb of
God.” For us, it means surrender of self
and aligning ourselves with the principles of God kingdom.
“I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from
God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a
loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the
people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself
will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes.
There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order
of things has passed away.”
He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!”
Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” (Rev.
21:2-5)
So, there we have it, the full story of God in brief,
bookends and all!
1.
Earth and people restored to the purpose of
Creation
2.
The sin problem judged and called for what it
is.
3.
The character of God is upheld in the sacrifice that
Jesus made.
4.
God’s people have willingly, against all odds,
surrendered themselves to be remade into His image.
And
the universe exclaims,
“The great controversy is ended. Sin and
sinners are no more. The entire universe is clean. One pulse of harmony and
gladness beats through the vast creation. From Him who created all, flow life
and light and gladness, throughout the realms of illimitable space. From the
minutest atom to the greatest world, all things, animate and inanimate, in
their unshadowed beauty and perfect joy, declare that God is love.” – EG White, The Great Controversy, pp. 299-300.