The Cross Changes Everything

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Our first lesson comes from the Gospel According to Mark:
Mark 15:22–39 ESV
And they brought him to the place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull). And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. And they crucified him and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take. And it was the third hour when they crucified him. And the inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.” And with him they crucified two robbers, one on his right and one on his left. And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself, and come down from the cross!” So also the chief priests with the scribes mocked him to one another, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also reviled him. And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And some of the bystanders hearing it said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.” And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.” And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”
Our second lesson from the Letter to the Hebrews:
Hebrews 10:10–25 ESV
And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying, “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,” then he adds, “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.” Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin. Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
May God add His blessing to this, the reading of His holy and infallible Word.
When Christ cried out, “It is finished”, He was indicating that all that was necessary to save His people had been completed. As we just heard from the book of Hebrews, Jesus sacrifice of Himself was so complete that it had the power to “perfect for all time those who are being sanctified.” This one single sacrifice changes everything! In light of this power, the author of Hebrews has three imperatives, each beginning with the words, “Let us”.
Let Us Draw Near
Let Us Hold Fast
Let Us Consider
Therefore, let us look at each in turn:

Let Us Draw Near

The first imperative is found in Heb 10:22:
Hebrews 10:22 ESV
let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
What are we to draw near to?
The answer is found in the first verse of our reading:
Hebrews 10:19 ESV
Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus,
The holy places! Not just any holy places, but God’s heavenly temple! In the previous chapter, the author of Hebrews makes it clear that the temple Jesus entered was not the earthly one, but the true heavenly temple (Hebrews 9:11-12).
Imagine that! We who were once far from God because of our sins have the privilege to draw near!
Why should we draw near? Again our text tell us. We draw near in order that “our hearts would be sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.”
Until we are freed from this mortal body, we will be daily polluted with sin; either our own or someone else’s sin. This reality was what the Old Covenant cleanliness laws were designed by God to teach us. Although we are no longer bound by these laws, the reality they point to is still with us. Under the Old Covenant people were made clean by sprinkling them with blood and washing them in water, now because of the cross, we can go to Jesus our High Priest and be cleansed by His blood!
Bothers and sisters, are you taking advantage of this privilege, are you drawing near to God by the blood of Jesus?
If not, you will find your conscience burdened by sin more and more and as a consequence you will be drawn away from God.
Why is there so much cold, inauthentic religion in the church today. Some say the answer is the need for emotional worship. Others say the answer is social action. Our text says it is a guilty conscience! This is why Paul preached Christ and Him crucified!
Let us draw near!
Let us also hold fast.

Let Us Hold Fast

The second imperative is found in Heb 10:23:
Hebrews 10:23 ESV
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.
Not only is the polluting effect of sin still a reality in this fallen world, but so also the wages of sin, which are death, destruction and displacement. We no longer live in the Garden, but east of Eden, where the weeds grow, marriages are dysfunctional and children are birthed in pain.
In all this we waver. Sometimes the troubles of this life become so great we almost lose our faith, but the cross changes everything, for after the cross comes the empty tomb.
The hope the author of Hebrews speaks of is the hope that after suffering comes glory. This hope is enough to get us through any trial, even death on a cross! Later in his letter, the author of Hebrews writes:
Hebrews 12:1–2 ESV
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Brothers and sisters, the cross changes everything. Hold fast to it and do not let go!
One final imperative:

Let Us Consider

The third imperative is found in Heb 10:24-25:
Hebrews 10:24–25 ESV
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
The Day of our glorification is drawing nearer each and every day!
Once again, the reality of what Jesus accomplished on the cross changes everything. The reality of our future glorification is so assured by the blood of Jesus that it makes little sense for us to continue to live as children of Hell.
Sin is not fun. Sin is not pleasurable. Sin is not rewarding. Sin is Death!
I realize sin promises all these things, but the reality revealed by the cross is that all these promises of happiness, pleasure and reward are lies!
Listen to how Paul describes the new reality ushered in by the cross.
Romans 6:1–4 ESV
What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
This is why we need to consider (that is think deeply) how we can motivate one another to live up to this new reality and the place that this mainly occurs is public worship.
It is time for God’s people to be together again! You not only impoverish your own life, but you impoverish the lives of others when you neglect public worship.
So let us Draw Near, let us Hold On, and let us Consider how we may spur one another on!
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