Gospel Reflections...

Dear Beloved,

Hebrews 5:1–6 (ESV)

"For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness. Because of this he is obligated to offer sacrifice for his own sins just as he does for those of the people. And no one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was. So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”; as he says also in another place, “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.”

The priesthood of Aaron foreshadowed the coming High Priesthood of Jesus, our Priest Forever! Yearly, as Aaron brought the sacrificial blood of another into the holy place, this pointed ahead to the day Jesus would pass through the heavens, bringing His own blood for sin once and for all! His journey for the people changed everything.

Sam Cooke captured the pains of oppression in this fallen world and the longing for change in the civil rights anthem, A Change Gonna Come...

It's been a long
A long time coming,

but I know
A change gon' come
Oh yes, it will.

Hebrews was written to an urban church living in the face of coming change, the change from the shadows of Judaism to the substance of Christ, our Forever order!

We all know the fears of change.

As Dostoevsky wrote,
“Taking a new step, uttering a new word, is what people fear most.”

The Hebrews were people descended from Abraham, a people rooted in the life of faith. Abraham answered the call of the Lord, yet he did not know where he was going (Hebrews 11:8). Abraham became the father of all who believe (Romans 4:16) and who rejoice in Jesus' coming!
The office of priest was one of sympathy, foreshadowing the heart of Jesus for the wayward in offering Himself for our sins.

Let us obey Him, following Him in the change He has brought, His new step and new word for us! A change in the priesthood has come, Jesus is our priest forever!

Dear Beloved,

1 Kings 18:30–32 (ESV)

Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” And all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that had been thrown down. Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord came, saying, “Israel shall be your name,” and with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord....

On Mount Carmel, the LORD sent His prophet Elijah to summon Israel back to their Father, a return only through an atoning sacrifice, the only way to healing limping, wounded hearts!

May our dislocated hearts, wearied by the seduction of worldliness see the altar "healed" and hear again our forgotten name. May we see the fire on Mount Carmel which signifies our Father is Just and Justifier of all sinners who trust in Jesus (Romans 3:26)!

His justice is satisfied with the sin offering and He is merciful to reconcile all who, like the tax collector in Luke 18, look to the evening sacrifice and say, "God, be merciful to me, a sinner."

May all God's limping children find healing today and run home to their Father in Heaven through Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit.