Message - Advent Miracles
Hebrews 4:14-16
The Miracle of the Mediator
Through our Advent series we have been considering the miracles which take place as a result of Jesus revealing Himself to the world in the flesh.
A word that keeps coming through out of this series is “identity”.
Who are we because of our connection to Jesus?
And this is an important question because it is very easy as Christians to lose our identity in this world.
This is Paul’s testimony on losing his identity.
Sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.
Romans 7:11, 15, 18
“Jesus I know that you have called me to a life of following you, and that you promise to give me your spirit to help me. But I still keep struggling to be the person that you enable me to be.”
That is not just Paul’s testimony, it is a testimony we can all relate to. Isn’t it.
Temptation can cause me to lose my identity.
Here is another testimony from Paul; again it is related to his identity.
In order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.
1 Corinthians 12:7-8
“When I am going through physical ailments and pain, Jesus, I find it hard to focus on your grace. I wonder why I am suffering. I keep wanting it to end. I pray and pray and pray but my situation doesn’t change. It is distressing.”
Again this is another testimony from the life of Paul which we can relate to.
Physical weaknesses can cause me to lose my identity.
One more testimony of someone who lost their identity. This one is from Peter.
Peter’s testimony is “blub, blub, blub.”
You don’t know that testimony?
Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
Matthew 14:28-31
“Jesus I have my eyes fixed on you and my faith is secure. But then the chaos of the world around me causes me to fear and doubt. I have taken my eyes of you and now I am sinking under the waves of life.”
That’s the testimony … which could be your testimony.
A lack of faith can cause us to lose our identity.
Temptation. Weakness. Lack of Faith.
They all can be the cause of us losing the identity that we have in Jesus.
It is here that we need a miracle … an advent miracle.
This miracle is described in Hebrews 4:14-16
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
The issue here is one of identity.
Specifically what identity do we have in this age when Jesus has already been ascended to heaven.
He seems so far … and distant … and unavailable.
But what seems to be - and what actually is - are two separate issues.
Because Jesus, the Son of God
… the one who came in the flesh born and was then placed in a manger
... revealed as Immanuel – God With Us.
… a child which would not have seemed any different to any other.
This Jesus is a great high priest.
To help us understand how the high-priesthood works.
The Lord said to Aaron, “You, your sons and your family are to bear the responsibility for offenses connected with the sanctuary, and you and your sons alone are to bear the responsibility for offenses connected with the priesthood. Bring your fellow Levites from your ancestral tribe to join you and assist you when you and your sons minister before the tent of the covenant law. They are to be responsible to you and are to perform all the duties of the tent, but they must not go near the furnishings of the sanctuary or the altar. Otherwise both they and you will die. They are to join you and be responsible for the care of the tent of meeting—all the work at the tent—and no one else may come near where you are.
Numbers 18:1-4
So, out of all the people who worked at the temple, only the high priest was allowed to go behind any curtains.
Remember there were two curtains.
One curtain lead into the holy place where the alter on incense, table of show bread and lampstand (known as a menorah) were. The high priest went into that area daily.
The second curtain was the one that separated the holy place from the most holy place. This is where the ark of the covenant was. The high priest only went into this area once a year on the day of atonement.
The task of the high priest is a very unique and is the highest spiritual position that one can be appointed to.
The high priest is an inter-mediatory between the people and God.
The high priest deals with all sin.
The high priest sets the spiritual temperature of the land.
Indeed the high priest had a very important task in conveying the will of God.
In Exodus, when God set the plans and designs for the tabernacle and all the fittings and accessories, God also designed the clothing of the high priest.
On that clothing was a breastplate. And in the breastplate was two items known as the Urim and the Thummim.
The Urim and Thummim were engraved dice-like stones.
They were in the breastplate
So they may be over Aaron’s heart whenever he enters the presence of the Lord. Thus Aaron will always bear the means of making decisions for the Israelites over his heart before the Lord.
(Exodus 28:30)
It was the task of the high priest to reveal the will of God.
To make sure everyone understood the message God wanted to convey.
That is the responsibility of the high priest.
The one who is the highest spiritual authority in the nation.
With one fatal flaw …
Every high priest is selected from among the people and is appointed to represent the people in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness. This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people.
Hebrews 5:1-3
The high priest identifies with the people because of this weaknesses.
But the high priest also has the fatal weakness of being a sinner.
So earthly high priests can be empathetic, and encouraging, and gentle, and interceded, and offer sacrifice, and help show God’s will.
But they can also be completely useless.
Eli ministered as high priest just before the birth of Samuel.
As she kept on praying to the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk and said to her, “How long are you going to stay drunk? Put away your wine.”
1 Samuel 1:12-14
The high priest had lost his connection with God and so discerning the truth was no longer possible. And Eli was not dealing gently with Hannah.
A little later in chapter 3 we specifically read that
The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions.
1 Samuel 3:1
God’s voice was not being heard even by the highest spiritual leader in the land.
It happened also in the days of Jesus. Where the discernment of the high priest is gone.
Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, and they schemed to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him.
Matthew 26:3-4
The high priest is missing the very Messiah they have been praying for centuries would be revealed.
The high priest … spiritually significant … but with one fatal flaw.
Now let’s go back to the verses from Hebrews 4:14-16
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Jesus is the great high priest.
And because of his humanity he can fully identify with us.
Tempted in every way … just like us.
When Joseph and Mary were all upset that Jesus has stayed at the temple as a boy instead of coming home … he may have been tempted to give them 12-year-old-know-it-all-attitude.
But he didn’t sin.
When he was spending all that times with the prostitutes, who deliberately dressed very provocatively … he may have been tempted to lustfulness.
But he didn’t sin.
When the disciples were arguing about who would be given the greatest honour in heaven Jesus may have been tempted to tell them they were all useless … clowns.
But he didn’t sin.
When they were arresting him in the dark of night he may have been tempted to use the 12 legions of angels who were just waiting for a fight.
But he didn’t sin.
He didn’t sin and show off his power when Satan tempted him to turn stones into bread.
He didn’t sin when he asked if there was another way for the price to be paid without having to drink the cup.
He was tempted. But he didn’t sin.
Now the child in the manger
… the one who fully understands our temptation and weakness and lack of faith.
Now this child is fully grow and he writes to us in his Scripture and says
If you claim to be without sin, you deceive yourselves and the truth is not in you. If you confess your sins, I will be faithful and just and will forgive you your sins and purify you from all unrighteousness. If you claim you have not sinned, you make me out to be a liar and my word is not in you.
(1 John 1:9-10 adapted)
Jesus who was in the manger, but also on the cross and in the grave knows the power of the Father which
(The power the Father) exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.
(Colossians 1:20-21)
So that when we lose our identity because of temptation or weakness or lack of faith we do not have to fear lose the all is lost. Because
Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.
(Romans 8:34)
Jesus is saying.
I’m here in the seat of the greatest spiritual power with the greatest spiritual responsibilities.
I’m sitting at the right hand of the throne of God so that
You can throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. You can run with perseverance the race marked out for you by fixing your eyes on me, Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.
(Hebrews 12:1-2 adapted)
It’s good to stop and look at the manger.
To be reminded the Jesus is just like us.
But we can’t get fixated on the manger because that is only part of the miracle of advent … we fix our eyes on Jesus the mediator.
Who … right now … is revealing God’s will.
What is God’s will?
God loves you.
God sent Jesus to die for you.
Jesus is right now interceding for you – you in your temptation and weakness and lack of faith.
So that whatever you are going through.
And whatever this world throws at you.
And no matter the thoughts and fears and doubts that swirl around.
I … you … we … can look up … to Jesus who is interceding for me … and have confidence.
The race … your race … my race … has already been won.
Prayer
