The Attentiveness of Jesus in our Grief
27th October 2024
Labour Weekend
Guest Organist: Kathryn Mosley
Duty Convenor Ino Pasullean
Duty Elder & Greeting Linda Van Milligan
Bell Ringer Judi Ferguson
Greeting TBC
Aisle Duty/Offering Marie Cross, Malcolm Shaw, Gavin Sutherland
Host Marg Gilkison
Morning tea Daphne Chua & David Tay
Sound Desk Kevin Joeng
Bible Reader Roger Lane
Prayers for Others Iris Webster
Hebrews 7: 23-28
23 Furthermore, the former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office; 24but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues for ever. 25Consequently he is able for all time to save those who approach God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.
26 For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, blameless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. 27Unlike the other high priests, he has no need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for those of the people; this he did once for all when he offered himself. 28For the law appoints as high priests those who are subject to weakness, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect for ever.
There is theology in the architecture: Heritage Festival highlight the Communion Table - ‘once and for all’ sacrifice by the Priest.
Jesus died and was resurrected – what then? He ascended. What does THAT mean? Let’s not be tripped up by the Biblical cosmology (see below) – UP meant ‘into the presence of God the Father’.
Jesus is still doing ministry! Intercession by Christ may not just be for atonement, but intercession (representation).
Jesus the Royal Priest in the heavenly realm corresponding with his body on earth: the church, the Royal PriestHOOD.
We are part of the ongoing ministry of Jesus – as recipients of grace and distributors of grace.
Hebrew word for ‘work’ is also the word for ‘worship’ (remember a few weeks ago I talked about how Christian theological understanding of work is as worship? All work can be worship, our vocation/calling offered to God’s glory.)
“The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve” Last Sunday we were reminded that Jesus serves us on the cross. Jesus serves us still.
But Communion is not a continuing sacrifice. His sacrifice on the cross was “once and for all”.
Jesus' ascension, as described in the New Testament (notably in **Acts 1:9-11** and **Luke 24:50-53**), is the event where Jesus, after his resurrection, is taken up to heaven in the presence of his disciples. To understand this event in the context of **1st-century biblical cosmology**, it’s important to consider how people of that time viewed the structure of the universe.
### 1st-Century Biblical Cosmology
The worldview held by many in the 1st century was shaped by a **three-tiered cosmology**:
1. **The Heavens**: The sky or the heavens was where God, divine beings, and angels resided. It was seen as a dome or firmament above the earth (referred to in **Genesis 1:6-8**), separating the earthly realm from the waters above. This was the "highest" realm, symbolizing God's dwelling place.
2. **The Earth**: The middle realm where humans lived. This was the physical, visible world that was believed to be flat, with boundaries at the ends of the earth (described in passages like **Isaiah 40:22** where the earth is referred to as a "circle").
3. **The Underworld (Sheol)**: Beneath the earth was Sheol, the realm of the dead. It was not hell in the later Christian sense but a shadowy existence after death.
In this cosmology, **heaven** was conceived as a physical, distant place "above" the earth, and divine beings would "come down" to earth or humans might be taken "up" to the heavens.
### The Ascension in Light of This Cosmology
When **Acts 1:9** describes Jesus' ascension, stating, "He was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight," this is written in the framework of a **spatial understanding** of heaven. Jesus being "taken up" reflects the ancient belief that heaven was literally above the earth.
- **Cloud**: The cloud that "hid him" from the disciples is symbolic of God's presence. In the Old Testament, a cloud often symbolizes divine presence or a theophany (as seen in **Exodus 19:9** with God's presence at Sinai).
- **Upward Movement**: The upward movement of Jesus reflects the idea that he was returning to the divine realm, ascending to God's right hand, a position of power and authority (as mentioned in **Hebrews 1:3**).
### Understanding Through Their Worldview
For the disciples and early Christians, Jesus' ascension would have been understood in both spiritual and physical terms. He was returning to God in heaven, but this return was described using the cosmological ideas of the time, where God's realm was spatially above them. The ascension would have been interpreted as a **literal elevation** toward God's dwelling place, confirming Jesus' divine nature and authority.
However, **modern theology** and cosmology interpret this event more symbolically, understanding the "heavens" not as a literal location but as a spiritual realm beyond our material universe. But in the 1st century, this upward movement was taken as a physical confirmation of Jesus’ return to the divine realm.
In summary, Jesus' ascension, from the perspective of 1st-century biblical cosmology, involved a movement upward, physically demonstrating his return to God's dwelling place, understood to be above the earth in the heavens.
1. Jesus “holds his priesthood permanently”. Jesus endures; Jesus remains; Jesus abides.
2. Jesus “is able for all time to save those who approach God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.” Jesus is still at work – ‘for all time’ and ‘always’.
3. Jesus has already done what is needed for us to be right with God: “this he did once for all when he offered himself (sacrificially).
Hebrews 7:23-28 speaks about the high priesthood of Jesus, contrasting it with the Levitical priests. Unlike the priests under the old covenant who were many because death prevented them from continuing, Jesus holds His priesthood permanently because He lives forever. This permanence makes Jesus' priesthood superior, offering a deeper source of hope, particularly in times of grief.
### Sermon Title: **"A Permanent Hope in Times of Loss"**
**Introduction**
When we lose a loved one, we experience a profound sense of grief and finality. Death, as we know it, feels like an end. But the passage from Hebrews reminds us that in the midst of death, there is good news: Jesus Christ, our eternal High Priest, offers us hope that transcends the grave.
Jesus lives forever, He intercedes for us continually, and has overcome death itself.
**1. The Limitation of Human Priests (vv. 23-24)**
The priests under the old covenant were many, and their ministry was limited by their mortality. They could not serve forever because they, too, faced death. In our experience with death, we are reminded of this same human limitation—our loved ones pass away, and so will we. This can bring us a sense of helplessness, knowing that no human power can prevent the inevitable.
But Jesus is different. Verse 24 declares that "because Jesus lives forever, He has a permanent priesthood." His ministry does not end, and neither does His care for us. Even in the face of death, we are not abandoned. While human relationships are severed by death, Christ remains faithful, alive, and actively interceding for us.
**2. Jesus' Eternal Intercession (v. 25)**
"Therefore He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them." This verse offers incredible comfort, especially when someone dies. Jesus' intercession is not a one-time event but an ongoing reality. He is continually advocating for us before the Father, [we are remembered, known, represented]
When we mourn, we can take solace in the fact that Jesus is interceding on our behalf. He knows our grief, He feels our pain, and He brings our burdens to the Father. Our loved ones who have died in Christ are safe because He saves "completely." This is a powerful reminder that even when death comes, it is not a dead end—it is a passage into eternal life secured by Christ's enduring intercession.
The text describes Jesus as a high priest who is "holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens."
He is everything we need in a time of loss. When our hearts are broken, we need a healer. When we feel abandoned by death, we need someone who remains by our side. Jesus is this high priest, perfect and able to meet us in our deepest sorrow.
**3. A High Priest Who Meets Our Every Need (v. 26)**
Jesus’ enduring work ensures that death is not the final word over our lives or the lives of those we have lost.
Because He is exalted and blameless, He offers not just temporary comfort, but eternal security. His love and care are untainted by sin or failure, and His exaltation ensures that He has the power to sustain us through the darkest times. The death of a loved one does not diminish His ability to care for us—in fact, it highlights our need for the One who is greater than death itself.
**4. The Ultimate Sacrifice Once for All (vv. 27-28)**
Unlike the Levitical priests who had to offer sacrifices repeatedly, Jesus offered Himself as the ultimate sacrifice "once for all." This means that His work on the cross was sufficient for every sin, every sorrow, and even death itself. Because of His sacrifice, we can be confident that death does not have the final say. Jesus defeated death
when He rose from the grave, and He offers us the promise of resurrection.
When someone dies, we mourn the loss of their presence, but we do not grieve without hope. Jesus' sacrifice ensures that death is not the end of the story. He has made a way for us to be reconciled to God, and that reconciliation includes the promise of eternal life. Those who trust in Him will experience the fullness of life in His presence, even beyond the grave.
**Conclusion**
In the midst of death, Hebrews 7:23-28 gives us the good news of Jesus' eternal priesthood. He is alive, interceding for us, and His sacrifice has conquered death. When we grieve, we can turn to Him as the One who remains faithful and present, offering us hope that transcends even the most painful loss. Jesus' priesthood assures us that death does not have the final word—He does. And His word is life, eternal and everlasting.
As we face the reality of loss, let us be reminded that we have a Savior who has walked the road of death and emerged victorious. Because He lives, so shall we. This is the good news we cling to in times of mourning: death has been defeated, and life in Christ is everlasting.
MUSIC
‘Meekness and Majesty’ by Graham Kendrick CH4 356
‘Lord, I Lift Your Name on High’ CH4 558
‘Son of God, Eternal Saviour’ CH4 468 (TUNE: BLAENWERN)
I Know That My Redeemer Lives WOV 299 (TUNE: DUKE STREET)
Rolling slides on screen
Pray with musicians
Please stand as our Bibles are brought in to begin our worship
Call to Worship (based on Psalm 34)
Please join in the words in bold.
As we come before God, can we urge each other to count our blessings?
Whatever state we come in
God knows and cares.
We remember that even on the darkest day
some light has shone through the cloud.
O magnify the Lord with me
let us exalt his name together!
Sing: ‘Meekness and Majesty’ by Graham Kendrick
Meekness and majesty, manhood and deity,
in perfect harmony - the man who is God:
Lord of eternity, dwells in humanity,
kneels in humility and washes our feet.
O what a mystery - meekness and majesty:
bow down and worship, for this is your God,
this is your God!
Father’s pure radiance, perfect in innocence,
yet learns obedience to death on a cross:
suffering to give us life, conquering through sacrifice -
and, as they crucify, prays, ‘Father forgive’
Wisdom unsearchable, God the invisible,
love indestructible in frailty appears:
Lord of infinity, stooping so tenderly,
lifts our humanity to the heights of his throne.