Sunday, we will return to our study of the Gospel of John. When we paused our study, we were concluding Jesus’ teaching during the Feast of Tabernacles. The author, John, moves from that celebration to the Feast of Dedication of the temple, about three months later. 

During the period between the Old and the New Testament, a ruler, Antiochus Epiphanies had sacrificed an unclean animal to a foreign god on the altar in God’s temple, desecrating the holy place. When God delivered Israel from that oppression, they cleansed and rededicated the temple. The eight day feast celebrated God’s merciful redemption and restoration. 

John moves right into a conversation between Jesus and the Jewish leaders. Jesus asserts the leaders' inability to believe, which isn’t received well. But what really irks them is Jesus’ claimed connection with God the Father. They pick up stones, about to enact Levitical judgment, and Jesus challenges their understanding of Scripture, which is also not well received. 

It’s amazing that as they celebrate God’s restoration of the temple, that his own people reject the One he has been sent to reconcile them to himself. Not even the signs (miracles with meaning) move them to believe. Why do some reject Jesus and others believe? Why is Jesus so controversial? Come Sunday and consider the lesson of faith.

The apostle Peter used Psalm 34 to prepare believers for suffering (1 Peter 2:3 & 3:10-12). This psalm is a call to celebrate King David's deliverance from affliction but also to prepare us for our own afflictions, present or future. Being God's people, "the righteous" doesn't mean we will have an easy life. Actually, life comes with many afflictions of the righteous (Psalm 34:19), but the LORD delivers us out of them all. This is the context for "tasting that the Lord is good". To trust him, rest in him during afflictions and see that He is good! Come and magnify the Lord with me this Sunday; let's exalt his name together for He is good.

This Sunday we celebrate the resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ. For several weeks we’ve considered the pathway to God’s presence laid out in the book of Leviticus, centering on the Day of Atonement. For Israel to be reconciled to God, their sins had to be atoned. God is holy, and the only way to be reconciled to him is for judgment to be placed upon another.

Hebrews tells us that Christ, our High Priest, makes atonement for us with his own blood, creating a path for every believer to live in relationship with God enjoying his holy presence. “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.” (Hebrews 10:19-22)

Catch the language of the author: enter, new and living way, draw near, hearts sprinkled clean, bodies washed. Do you see the end result of Christ’s atonement and resurrection? A new and living way. Christ, who died and rose again, leads us into the presence of God. Jesus is our pathway to God’s presence because he has reconciled us to God.

Join us Sunday as we celebrate our “new and living way” to God!

Sunday we will continue our study by looking at the Day of Atonement. We were introduced to the ritual of this day in the first couplet that addresses sin offerings (chpt. 4) and the holy convocation (chpt. 23). This is a critical day for the nation as the high priest enters not just the Tent of Meeting, but the Holy of Holies, behind the veil of separation, to sprinkle the atoning blood on the mercy seat before the Lord. This annual ceremony cleanses the holy place and propitiates God’s justness. Life is given for life, so that man could be reconciled to God and remain in his presence.

The text brings us back to chapter 10, where Nadab and Abihu approach the Lord with unlawful incense and God slays them, saying, “The LORD spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they drew near before the Lord and died” (Lev. 16:1). This instruction concerning entering the holy place may indicate that Aaron’s sons breached that area with their offering. God lays out detailed instructions for Aaron to follow at the appointed annual convocation to avoid a similar death and accomplish the reconciliation ceremony.

It isn’t just a day for the priest, everyone must examine themselves. The people are to “afflict themselves,” which refers to fasting and prayer, while avoiding work (Sabbath). Everyone, including foreigners, must hit pause in order to recognize that their sins need to be atoned, so that they can be forgiven and reconciled to God. In addition, as chapter 17 indicates, God built into their daily lives their need for atonement. Whenever an animal was slain for dinner, the blood had to be poured out and dealt with. The reason is that blood of the animal is symbolic of the atoning substitute, therefore it is to be removed before the animal is eaten. 

The Day of Atonement is a sacred day when sins are confessed and atoned for by the High Priest, so that Israel can remain in God’s presence. As you prepare for Sunday, consider reading Hebrews 9, which explains Christ’s atonement for us.

Sunday we’re going to jump into one of the most controversial texts in our culture today, Levitical purity laws. Non-Christians often accuse the church of picking and choosing what Levitical laws they are going to obey. In these chapters (11-15, 18-20), God lists practices that make his people unclean, like eating rabbit, and practices that are an abomination, like sex with a relative. The world’s argument goes like this, “You aren’t bound by the Levitical food laws, so you shouldn’t be bound by the Levitical sexual laws.” This is a foolish argument, easily countered with even a cursory examination, but many believers don’t know how to respond. After our study Sunday, you will be able to respond.

These chapters lay out two distinct series of laws required by those who live in God’s presence. If the nation wants to remain in his presence, they must establish a culture of holiness. Some laws are distinctions that God makes between what is clean and unclean, differentiating his people from their neighboring nations. For cleanliness laws, like touching a dead body, there is always a remedy (baptism ceremonies and sacrifices). The other set of laws govern morality and willful idolatry. For these “abominations”, like practicing sorcery or homosexuality, there is no remedy. These are capital offences that result in the death penalty.

For God’s people today, the ceremonial distinctions are removed in Christ, who is our holiness. While the requirements for a moral life (sexual expression and idolatry) remain fully intact in the New Testament, there is forgiveness and transformation available in Jesus. So come Sunday, ready to consider God’s call to holiness.

Sunday, we continue our study in Leviticus. The book lays out the requirements for God to dwell with his people inside the camp, and for the priests and people to move inside the tent of meeting (Tabernacle). We’ve considered the rituals: both the sacrifices and celebrations tell a story about God and his gracious provision of a pathway to his presence.

This week we’re going to look at the two sections that speak concerning the priests: their ordination and unique rules placed on them as mediators for the people. God explains their role, saying, “You are to distinguish between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean, and you are to teach the people of Israel all the statutes that the LORD has spoken to them by Moses,” Lev. 10:10-11.  

When God sent Moses to speak to Pharaoh, he appointed Aaron, his older brother, to be his mouthpiece. When they came out of Egypt, God appointed Aaron and his four sons, and their descendants to be priests for the nation. Their role was to protect the holiness of God, teach the people God’s laws, and assist them in atoning for their sins. The ultimate work occurred on the Day of Atonement when the high priest would enter the Holy of Holies and apply the sacrificial blood to the mercy seat of the ark of God to atone for Israel’s sin. 

The priests mediated Israel’s relationship with God, providing a pathway for them to dwell in God’s presence. But that’s not the end of the story, for we have a better priest -- a high priest -- who has atoned for our sin and intercedes for us today. If you want to prepare for worship, consider reading Hebrews 7.

Sunday, we begin a month long series through the book of Leviticus as we move toward our celebration of Christ’s resurrection on Easter Sunday. Watch this video to get a quick picture of the purpose and outline of the book.

The whole book orients the nation of Israel to God’s holiness and the pathway required to be reconciled to him so they can live in his presence. Hence the series title: Pathway to Presence. Each week, we will consider one of the major sections of the book (rituals, priests, purity laws, and Day of Atonement), examining the primary significance of each section and linking those requirements to the work of Christ on our behalf. The series will conclude on Easter Sunday, as we celebrate Christ’s resurrection, and the completion of his work to reconcile us to God and lead us into his presence.

This Sunday we will consider the two sections that define the rituals (cleansing and celebration) and their significance to us as believers. As we read chapters 1-7, with all the offerings that are made for cleansing or thanksgiving, consider the words of Leviticus 6:13, “Fire shall be kept burning on the altar continually; it shall not go out.” The perpetual fire on the altar not only accommodates the continuous offerings being made, but emphasizes our continual need for forgiveness.

As we read chapters 23-25, with the celebrations, days of rest, and required gatherings, we see the need to continuously rehearse the biblical story of redemption, so that we don’t forget who we are in relation to God. We easily develop what Paul Tripp calls, “identity amnesia.” The annual pattern of national gatherings keeps the story of Israel’s redemption before them lest they develop “identity amnesia.”  

Our confession says concerning these ceremonial laws, “containing several typical ordinances, partly of worship, prefiguring Christ, his graces, actions, sufferings, and benefits, and partly, holding forth divers instructions of moral duties. All which ceremonial laws are now abrogated, under the new testament.” (Westminster Confession, 19:3) While the Church is not obliged to these rituals, they point us to Jesus’ work on our behalf.

So watch the video, and let’s begin considering the “pathway” to God through Jesus Christ.

Sunday we’ll listen to Jesus explain his shepherding of God’s people. Because they didn’t understand the parable, Jesus draws their attention to elements that explain his significance to God’s plan for his sheep.

First, he is the gate that opens the way to life with God, now and forever. This highlights the purpose behind his coming, to give the sheep something he has with his Father. He is different from those who see people as a means to personal advantage. In this, Jesus is better because he provides for our rescue from sin and its destructive power.

Second, he calls himself the “good shepherd.” His goodness is presented in two ways: he lays down his life for the sheep and he gathers them together as one flock. In this he is different from the hired hands, the under-shepherds, who run from threats and scatter the sheep with their self-protection. In this, Jesus is better because his sacrifice unites us to God and each other.

John wants his readers to consider whether Jesus is better than their shepherds. He wants us to move toward the One who moves toward us. As you prepare for worship, consider the shepherds of your world (pastor, mentor, professor, podcasts, etc). Who are they serving? What do they offer you? What do they actually deliver?

Our text Sunday is John 10, Jesus’ great discussion concerning himself as the “Good Shepherd.” Before we immediately think “pastor” or “religious leader” for the term shepherd, we need to remember that the Old Testament also uses the term for civil leaders. Elders, who sit in the gate of a city, ruling on disputes and witnessing contracts, were considered shepherds. Kings and other political leaders are considered shepherds. Even the prophets and priests who represented God were called shepherds.

Shepherding in the region, the actual practice of animal husbandry, was used as an analogy of the leader’s role in Israel. Leaders with bad policies, personal corruption, and abusive power, oppressed the very people they were called to care for, scattering them. Justice in the courts evaporated, the poor were ignored, the foreigner was fleeced, and crime was ignored. Unrighteous leaders fostered an unrighteous society.

For generations, God had promised to send his choice Servant to shepherd his people. Now that Shepherd has come, instead of welcoming him, he is rejected and lays down his life to liberate his people.

The phrase that stands out in the text, “the sheep know” their Shepherd. They know his voice and they follow him. As you prepare for Sunday read John 10 and consider your relationship with the “Good Shepherd.”

This week we’ll go back to the beginning of John 9 and work our way through the events of the healing of the man born blind. The story displays the spiritual healing of a man born physically blind in contrast with those born seeing but spiritually blind. The healing is more than a miracle, it’s a sign for us to learn from.

As Jesus walks through the temple, during the Feast of Tabernacles, he sees a man “born blind.” Being born blind isn’t just his physical status, but part of his identity within his community. The text says, “The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar were saying, ‘Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?’” He responds to their query, “I am the man.” While this man’s identity has changed from the “man born blind” to the “the man born blind Jesus healed,” his community is resistant to the idea. After all, blind men should stay blind and beg in the streets.

These events point to the transformational nature of Jesus’ ministry. Those who think that they “see” actually retain their guilt and their identity. Those who know they are blind but turn in faith to Jesus, are granted spiritual sight, internal freedom, and gracious forgiveness. Faith in Christ brings us the revelation of God and the communion with him that frees us from ourselves and our community identity.

Join us Sunday as we consider this amazing miracle.