Christ’s Sacrifice – Once for All
One of my favorite times of the year is right now. As I sit and think about the activities of the week of Passion, I am overwhelmed by feelings of awe, wonder, thankfulness, and unworthiness. It all begins with Palm Sunday. The crowds gathered to welcome Jesus to Jerusalem by waving palm branches and shouting “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord (John 12:13)!” The celebration quickly turns to sorrow when the disciples are told by Jesus that soon He will die. “You are going to have the light just a little while longer (John 12:35).” The week seems to fly by as you read the scriptures in John. Ministry highs like the washing of the disciples’ feet are coupled with the lows of betrayal. The praises of the people are soon exchanged with the curling screams to “Crucify Him!” Then our Lord was hung on a wooden cross and brutally killed. Our perfect Christ paid the cost for my sin and your sin. I was the reason He was crucified. You were the reason He was crucified. Was this sacrifice enough? The people of God had been offering sacrifices for ages. What makes this sacrifice greater than those? Why do we no longer need to offer sacrifices like they did all through the Bible?
The author of Hebrews addresses these questions in chapter 10. In the Old Testament, the sacrifices that were made were “annual reminders of sins, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins (vs.3-4).” An animal cannot possibly be a completely adequate substitute for a human being. We are made in the image of God; animals are not. “Therefore, Christ came into the world (v. 5a).” By Jesus coming and laying down His life for us, the first established set of offerings was put aside. All these offerings were in place to point us to the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus. By this, “we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all (v. 10).” Notice it does not say “once for some” but “once for ALL.” Jesus’ sacrifice was enough.
“And all of You is more than enough for
All of me, for every thirst and every need.
You satisfy me with your love,
And all I have in You is more than enough.”
On another note, today is the 2 year anniversary of Edie Burgess as our Worship Ministry Assistant. Please take the time to email (edieburgess@fbccanton.org) or call (770.479.5538 ext.1324) and let her know how much you appreciate all the hard work she does.
I can hardly wait for Easter Sunday Morning!
Aaron Hodges
P.S. I am still in awe of what you all allowed God to do through you last Sunday night!
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
A Common Destiny for All…Yet a Very Different Eternity
A Common Destiny for All…Yet a Very Different Eternity
How precious is life to you? Do you take your life for granted? Do you thank God for every single breath you have? These questions have become real to me once again over the last few weeks. I have been reminded how fragile life really is. From news of children fighting for life, some children even losing their lives, to adults losing a quality of life because of illness, I once again have taken a look at what I feel about life and death. We all have been told that life is precious and fragile; but, do we really take that seriously? What does God’s word have to say about life and death?
The author of Ecclesiastes takes a unique look at this question. The theme of Ecclesiastes is that life is meaningless apart from God. According to Ecclesiastes chapter 9, whether we are good or bad, we all share a common destiny. “As it is with good man, so with the sinner; as it is with those who take oaths, so with those who are afraid to take them (v. 2b).” If this is so, then why are we surprised when bad things happen to good people? According to this passage, we should not expect anything different for ourselves. Life is full of highs and lows for those who know Christ and those who do not know Christ. As George often says, “One out of one dies.” Sounds encouraging, right? Well, if you just look at the surface of all these statements, no it doesn’t. But if we look at it through the lens of Christ, we can find encouragement and hope where there seems to be none. It is always amazing to me to be able to take a different look at my circumstances and find the silver lining in the dark clouds. In verse 4 of chapter 9, we are reminded that “anyone who is among the living has hope.” “For the living know that they will die but the dead know nothing (vs. 5).” We, as believers in Christ, are among the living, and those who do not know Christ are among the dead who “have no further reward.” We may all have a common destiny, but we have the choice to have a very different eternity. Eternal life gives us the hope that this life, though very precious, is only what we must go through to receive our eternal reward. Therefore, live it well and share this hope you have with everyone so that they too, may have a future in Heaven for sure!
Attempting to make my life pleasing to the Father,
Aaron Hodges
How precious is life to you? Do you take your life for granted? Do you thank God for every single breath you have? These questions have become real to me once again over the last few weeks. I have been reminded how fragile life really is. From news of children fighting for life, some children even losing their lives, to adults losing a quality of life because of illness, I once again have taken a look at what I feel about life and death. We all have been told that life is precious and fragile; but, do we really take that seriously? What does God’s word have to say about life and death?
The author of Ecclesiastes takes a unique look at this question. The theme of Ecclesiastes is that life is meaningless apart from God. According to Ecclesiastes chapter 9, whether we are good or bad, we all share a common destiny. “As it is with good man, so with the sinner; as it is with those who take oaths, so with those who are afraid to take them (v. 2b).” If this is so, then why are we surprised when bad things happen to good people? According to this passage, we should not expect anything different for ourselves. Life is full of highs and lows for those who know Christ and those who do not know Christ. As George often says, “One out of one dies.” Sounds encouraging, right? Well, if you just look at the surface of all these statements, no it doesn’t. But if we look at it through the lens of Christ, we can find encouragement and hope where there seems to be none. It is always amazing to me to be able to take a different look at my circumstances and find the silver lining in the dark clouds. In verse 4 of chapter 9, we are reminded that “anyone who is among the living has hope.” “For the living know that they will die but the dead know nothing (vs. 5).” We, as believers in Christ, are among the living, and those who do not know Christ are among the dead who “have no further reward.” We may all have a common destiny, but we have the choice to have a very different eternity. Eternal life gives us the hope that this life, though very precious, is only what we must go through to receive our eternal reward. Therefore, live it well and share this hope you have with everyone so that they too, may have a future in Heaven for sure!
Attempting to make my life pleasing to the Father,
Aaron Hodges
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