Psalm 110 (part 3)

I have a lovely wife! When I come home from a hard day at work; do you know what she does for me? She makes me a cup of tea. [P] I sit down in my beanbag, and enjoy a bucket of tea – I rest, relax, work is done. Fantastic! But I don’t sit down until the job is done. When it is completed then I get to sit down. There is something in sitting that puts the seal on the work. If you are standing, chasing around, it is because you are busy – there is work still to be done. Sitting meant that you had finished your work. When I sit down in my beanbag with a cup of tea, I have a rest [P] – I am worn out after a hard day’s work. But God is omnipotent! He doesn’t need to rest. [Isaiah 40:28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, יהוה, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired.] Yet the Bible says that He rested! [Genesis 1:31–2:3 God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. Thus, the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts. By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested (it says it again) from all His work which God had created and made.] The whole concept of the Sabbath was born there. You worked six days and rested on the seventh. Notice that you don’t work six billion years before you get to rest! But God was not worn out by His creating this universe – the very idea is ridiculous! That is not why He rested; rather it was because He had completed what He set out to do. He rested; sat back and enjoyed a work well done. Revelled in His handiwork. We have the record of what God created on the different days in chapter 1 of Genesis. Six times it says that God saw what He made and that it was good: [P] “He saw that it was good”: the light in (v.4), the separating of the dry land from the water in (v.10), the creation of plants in (v.12), the creation of the stars in (v.18), the creation of the fish and birds in (v.21), and the creation of the land animals in (v.25). But in (v.31) it says: [P] “God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good.” It was when it was all completed that He said that it was “very good”. All the parts separately were “good”; but they were components of the whole. Each, although individually good, held together in one cohesive whole; fitted together and integrated into one creative masterpiece. I had a bit of an insight into this the other day. Rhoda, Nathaniel and I went around to Robin and Pauline’s. Robin was in the workshop working on a guitar – there are guitars everywhere! Robin showed me some of what he has been doing. There was one he was making for Johnathon – I think Robin was pretty pleased with it – there was this inlaid work around the sound-hole and poker-work for the headstock; but the neck was not attached to the body. [P] The guitar was not finished yet. Now, I can see Robin examining his work and saying – that has come out well, he is pleased with what he has done – “he sees that it is good”. He examines it as he goes along; but there is still work to be done. What he has done is really good, he is pleased, satisfied, it couldn’t be better BUT you can’t play a tune on it! It isn’t finished yet! Robin He sees that this needs doing or that needs adjusting. He can’t rest yet because it isn’t completed. But when the guitar is put together, strung, tuned; Robin finally gets to play it! [P] To see how it sounds! Notice that he is sitting down to play. Satisfied with a finished work! Not only were the individual parts good; but now it is complete! It is very good! There is nothing more to be done! He can sit down in a beanbag and have a cup of tea! He rests; not because he is exhausted; but because of satisfaction in a job well done, the satisfaction of completion! [P] God was not worn out from creating the universe; it was the rest of taking delight in His handiwork – a job well done! יהוה and His Son, the personification of wisdom, working together, took delight I their handiwork: [Proverbs 8:27–31 when He established the heavens, there I was (that is wisdom speaking), when He drew a circle upon the face of the deep, when He made skies from above, when He founded fountains of the deep, when He assigned his limits to the sea, that waters shall not transgress His command, when He marked the foundations of the earth, I was beside him, a master workman, and I was delighting day by day, rejoicing before Him always, rejoicing in the world of His earth, and My delight was with the children of humankind.] You sit down when the job is done, completed, finished. This is the idea that was latched onto by some in the early church when they read Psalm 110. We have been having a wee look at the use of this Psalm in the New Testament. [P] Last time I spoke, we looked at Jesus’ use of this Psalm; from it He showed conclusively that the Messiah had to be more than merely the son of David [P]. I used the passage in Matthew 22; but the same incident is recorded in Mark 12 and Luke 20. Jesus based His interpretation on the first 6 words of this Psalm: [P] “The Lord said to my Lord” – not, perhaps a phrase that we would draw great spiritual truth from; but Jesus did! But if Jesus drew truth from just a few introductory words; the writer of the book of Hebrews used even fewer words – in fact, just one! The word: [P] “SIT”! The word Hebrew “sit” in Psalm 110:1 not only means “sit” but to “dwell” – Abraham and the patriarchs were nomads, living in tents, moving from place to place. The Israelites travelled through the wilderness – always on the move. When you got to “dwell” in a place, “sit” it was an end to being on the move; it implied: “rest”; rest from all your wanderings. Now the person who wrote Hebrews picked up on this concept of “rest” from this word “sit” in this verse. Psalm 110 was about the Messiah and in it יהוה tells Him to “sit”; to “rest”. [P] Hebrews makes basically the same point three times, using this verse – and that is not the only point the writer of Hebrews makes from this verse.

Funnily enough, the book of Hebrew was written to Hebrews! You know, Jews. They had become Christians, believed in Jesus; but things had got tough, they had got a bit disillusioned; and they were thinking of going back to their old religion, Judaism. The writer is really concerned about this tendency and is at pains to point out how much better the Christian faith is to the Jewish religion, with all its ceremonies, priests and sacrifices. He compares the temple rituals with what Jesus did. Let’s pick it up in: [Hebrews 10:10–18 By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. (that is what Jesus did – one sacrifice, effective for all time never to be repeated. In contrast, in the Jewish religion:) Every priest stands (they were always busy, never finished) daily ministering (they had to repeat it every day) and offering time after time the same sacrifices, (it went on and on, the same old thing) which can never take away sins; (and it was totally ineffective) [P] but He, having offered one sacrifice (in contrast to the many) for sins for all time, (effective forever) sat down (finished, completed, so he sat down) at the right hand of God, waiting from that time onward until His enemies be made a footstool for His feet. (there is the quotation of Psalm 110:1) For by one offering (in contrast to the many) He has perfected for all time (effective forever, nothing more needed. The job is done completed.) those who are sanctified. And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us; for after saying, “This is the covenant that I will make with them After those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws upon their heart, And on their mind I will write them,” He then says, “And their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin. (nothing more is needed)] – see the emphasis on a completed work which needs nothing more done – the contrast between the standing priests, who always had more to do; and Jesus sitting who had completed what He came to do. He did it once and it is effective forever! A perfect effectual sacrifice! Hallelujah! Glory to His Name! Talking of “perfect”, may I digress onto vacuum cleaners? [P] We used to have vacuum cleaner like this. I am not saying that it was perfect, but in its day, the Tellus, was the last word in vacuum cleaners. You may be partial to your Dyson or Electrolux; but “Tellus” will remind you of a Greek word [P] “τελος” – it means “end” or “finish” it is the root of that word “perfected” in (Hebrews 10:14). When something is perfect, you don’t do anything more. Anything else you do will make it less than perfect. So, the verb from this root, not only means [P] to end or finish, but to succeed, accomplish your purpose, perfect. When something is perfect, accomplished, at an end, finished; then you can sit down. These Jewish Christians were in danger of going back to a religion that accomplished nothing, “could never take away sins”; was forever busy but never actually getting anything done. But Jesus had finished the work with one perfect sacrifice that was effective forever. I mean, which would you choose?! Something that didn’t work that placed continued demands; or a perfect, effective, accomplished work that was finished and needed nothing more done? It’s a no-brainer! The fact that Jesus is told by יהוה Himself to sit down is Scripture’s testimony that the job is DONE! We used to sing this little song at Good News Club: [P]

“Done, done D, O, N, E

Done, done, eternally

Jesus left heaven to die on the tree

So, it’s done, done, done”

In fact this idea is there right at the beginning of the letter when the writer starts with the great statement of just how fantastic Jesus is!: [P] [Hebrews 1:1–4 God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. (that perfect creation I talked about) [P] And He is the radiance of His glory (it is what we saw last time: He is God!) and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. (Doesn’t that just blow you away? The absolute greatness and glory of Jesus!) When He had made purification of sins, (how did Jesus do that? By that one perfect sacrifice of Himself that we read about in chapter 10. He made purification of sin – mission accomplished!) He sat down at the right hand (there is the allusion to Psalm 110:1) of the Majesty on high, having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they.] Why did Jesus “sit down at the right hand of the Majesty on high”? Because “He had made purification of sins” – that is the reason He came, that is mission accomplished. Jesus had finished what He came to do. Speaking of the cross Jesus said: [John 12:27 “Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour.] That is the reason Jesus came – to die as a sacrifice for sins; once, perfect, effective forever. The purpose Jesus came is stated in: [1 John 3:8 The Son of God appeared for this purpose: to destroy the works of the devil.] How did He destroy the works of the devil? Through His death on the cross. It was mission accomplished. Jesus finished the job He came to do; so, He sat down at God’s right hand. The Book of Hebrews starts with stating Jesus’ finished work; and He ends with it also. Having given a whole catalogue of those who were saved by faith in chapter 11; he says in: [P] [Hebrews 12:1–3 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, [P] fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, (there is that vacuum cleaner word again! The Author starts and conceives it, the Perfecter brings it to completion, finishes it) who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (there is Psalm 110 again) For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.] Why did Jesus sit down at the right hand of God? Because He endured the cross, finished the work He was sent to do – He authored it and Perfected, finished it! So, He sat down; basking in a work well-done. A perfect work! Nothing can be added to it! So, where have we got to? In Psalm 110:1 יהוה tells the Messiah to sit down. [P] Why did He sit down? In Hebrews 1:3 it says it was because [P] “He had made purification for sins”; in Hebrews 10:12 it says it was because [P] He “had offered one sacrifice for sins for all time” and in Hebrews 12:2 says it was because [P] He “endured the cross”. They are all talking about exactly the same thing! How did Jesus make purification for sins? By bearing them in His body to the cross! [P] Where did Jesus offer one perfect sacrifice for sins? At the cross! He endured the cross! That is the work that Jesus came to do. [1 John 3:8 The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.] That’s what Jesus did at the cross! Praise and glory to His Name! He finished it! Did it perfectly, accomplished it; so, He was told by His Father to sit down. Jesus’ work is complete! Hallelujah! Completed at the Cross! Praise His Name! In the Gospel of John, when he is relating what took place at the crucifixion said: [P] [John 19:30 Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.] That means, He died – no one took His life from Him (it says that in John 10:18); He gave it up Himself, laid it down of His own accord. But just the moment before He did, what did Jesus say?: “IT IS FINISHED!” Now excuse me for getting out that vacuum cleaner again – but it is that word again! – finished, perfected, accomplished. In fact, the word Jesus spoke was found at the bottom of accounts from that time: it meant “Paid in full!” But not only does the word mean “perfected”, it is also in what is call the “perfect tense”. What’s the big deal? Now you don’t want to be bugged by a grammar lesson, we had enough of that at school! But the perfect tense carries a particular force. Hannah doesn’t like me mentioning her, and I am going to make no mention of the state of her bedroom; but if she tells me “I will tidy my room” – that is in the future, it hasn’t happened yet. If she says, “I tidied my room” – that is in the past – it could have been months ago and is no guaranteed of its present state. If she says, “I am tidying my room” – that is the present – she is on the job, which is good, but it ain’t done yet. It is not completed! However, if she says “I have tidied my room” – that is the perfect tense – it means that she tidied her room, it is completed and remains finished, in a tidy state right up to the present. Jesus didn’t say “It is finished”; He actually said; “It has been finished” Not only did Jesus complete the work but it remains completed. It doesn’t need to be done again – ever! Hallelujah! A perfect work, done perfectly, in a perfect abiding state! [P] Mission accomplished! Now you “accomplish” the cleaning of the house with a vacuum cleaner – words from that root “τελος” you will find translated “accomplish”: so in [P] [John 4:34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish (the vacuum cleaner word) His work.] That is what sustained Jesus: the goal of accomplishing, finishing what He was sent to do. His Father sent Him, had given Him a job to do: [P] [John 5:36 “But the testimony which I have is greater than the testimony of John; for the works which the Father has given Me to accomplish (the vacuum cleaner word)—the very works that I do—testify about Me, that the Father has sent Me.] Jesus did, accomplished, finished the works that His Father gave Him to do. He was a man sent on a mission – a Divine mission! What He did showed that He was sent on a mission. A mission whose purpose was to bring glory to God [P] [John 17:4 “I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished (the vacuum cleaner word) the work which You have given Me to do.] God was glorified by the job being completed. Nobody would think Robin was much of a luthier if he didn’t finish the guitars he made. His reputation, the glory, comes by producing a finished product. The only one who got any glory for an unfinished job was Schubert! What Jesus was sent to do, He was determined to carry through: [Luke 9:53 But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem.] He was intent on the one mission. That Passover night before He was crucified, Jesus celebrated the feast with His disciples: [P] [John 13:1 Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.] – the “end” is also, you guessed it, the vacuum cleaner word. What was the end? The cross. Some render it “to the utmost” or “fullest extent”, “completely”, the Amplified says to the “highest degree”. What was the full extent? [John 15:13 “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.] Jesus came to accomplish a work, to finish the job that He was sent to do. And what was that task? To lay His life down on the cross. There is Jesus on the cross: [P] [John 19:28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, (the vacuum cleaner word) to fulfil (fulfil is also the vacuum cleaner word) the Scripture, said, “I am thirsty.”] Every detail had to be fulfilled, perfectly carried out, not the slightest detail left undone – down to the detail of having a drink. All had to be accomplished perfectly. Only then could Jesus give up His spirit: [P] [John 19:30 Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” (the vacuum cleaner word) And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.] Perfectly perfected for all time! Mission accomplished. There was nothing more to be done. You notice that it is John that has a lot to say about vacuum cleaners. His big point is that Jesus has finished His work. A work that brings glory to God. A work that defeated satan. A work that was the cross. It has been finished. It remains accomplished! This is a one-point sermon: Jesus “sat” down because He completed the work He came to do. IT IS FINISHED! Hallelujah! That is the message of these three passages in Hebrews: [P] the fact that Jesus completed His work (cf. Heb 1:3 Heb 10:12-13 Heb 12:2) - “Sit at My right hand ....” - יהוה is telling the Messiah, Jesus, to “sit” because His task is finished [P] (cf. John 19:30). The sacrifice has been made, He no longer needs to stand (like the Levitical priests), because the sacrifice is finished, there is no further sacrifice required. It is not a complicated message – I could have delivered it in a few seconds! Instead of rabbiting on for half an hour. We have got it already! Why make such a big deal? Because, tragically, there are many who have forgotten, disregarded or never knew that IT IS FINISHED! Many Christians are still trying to do it themselves or add something to what Jesus has done. You add to a perfect work; then it is no longer perfect. Tell me, what do you think that you can do that can add to or enhance the righteousness of Jesus?! You rob Him of glory by even trying! It is tragic but I have seen many Christians living in bondage. They feel that they have to do something – stop doing this, or start doing that: getting up early, praying, attending meetings, reading their Bible, giving up certain foods, drink, smoking, they must be evangelizing – countless things that they feel that they have to do in order to be a good Christian. Let me tell you that not one of those things, or anything else that you may be able to think up, will ever earn you any favour with God. None of it will be more effective than Jesus’ death on the cross! The favour with God has already been won! By Jesus! He did it all! The work is finished! You do not have to finish the job for Him! To try and do so is to cast a slur on His perfect finished work. You are righteous because of Jesus’ righteousness. Look Isaiah says: [Isaiah 64:6 For all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment;] The text literally says that my righteousness is like a menstrual cloth! It is not my sins that are unclean, but my righteousness! It is like having brand new windscreen fitted to your car, then trying to clean it with a rag soaked in engine oil! The filthy rag of your righteousness will sully Jesus’ perfect righteousness. Yet, still there are those trying to keep the law, placing themselves in bondage to meet a standard that they think they need to attain in order to be accepted as a good Christian. Paul said: [Romans 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law (the vacuum cleaner word again) for righteousness to everyone who believes.] He perfectly accomplished and fulfilled the law. Jesus did it! There is no more to be done. He brought to an end the law as a means of attaining righteousness. It never worked any way – well it only worked once. Jesus was the only one righteous by means of the law; every other human has failed to meet it’s standard. [Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,] We fall short. It is futile trying. [P] [Ephesians 2:8–9 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. [P] Titus 3:5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,] Do you feel guilty, condemned; have the impression that you are not making the grade, are not a good enough Christian? You need to know that Jesus has sat down! It has been accomplished already! Hallelujah! He has done great things! Praise His Name! What Jesus has done surpasses all else. Paul said: [Philippians 3:7–11 But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, [P] and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. ] If you are under bondage; the way of liberation is through death. Stop trying to live it yourself. Instead of doing; may you KNOW HIM whom to know is life eternal. His resurrection life living in you. His Life! His righteousness! His favour with the Father! Yet, there are multitudes of people still trying to obtain God’s favour, be righteous, by means of keeping a set of rules (usually of their own selection). Look, if you are under pressure to perform, meet a certain standard, feel that you have to do certain things, feel that you are not making the grade – then you need to know that Jesus has sat down. The work is finished! Done perfectly! Accomplished! Nothing can be added to it without destroying its perfection. Cease from your own efforts and receive what Jesus has done for you. This is the truth: Jesus – and He is utterly liberating! Hallelujah! He has sat down! All glory be to His Name! To God be the glory; great things has He done!

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