Synopsis: Old Testament tabernacle worship provides us with a picture of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The author here provides his readers with the medicine of the gospel through the Old Testament practices relating to the Day of Atonement.
Do you ever read the end of a story first? It seems that all the great stories we remember, no matter how dark things get in the middle, turn out well in the end. In Revelation 7, God gives us a living picture of the end of the Story – his great Story of the…
Synopsis: Hebrews 8 continues to explain the significance of Jesus as our great high priest, speaking of the place of his work in the heavenly tabernacle and the promises he gives.
Synopsis: The theme of this chapter is presented in the final verse of the previous chapter. Jesus has “become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” An understanding and acceptance of this truth is what the readers needed in order to go on to maturity, and it is what we need as well.
Synopsis: Today’s passage emphasizes something that appears in our church’s vision statement. We are trusting God to make of us “a community of the coming kingdom, bringing hope to a broken world.” Our broken world is in desperate need of hope. Without such hope, life is dominated by fear and despair. Our author wants his…
Summary: Is the encounter between Jesus and Zacchaeus merely an amusing story about a short man climbing a tree, or is it something more? Jesus believes it is something far more; in fact, he uses this encounter to show us his reason for coming to earth. By watching the story of Zacchaeus unfold this morning,…
Synopsis: God has chosen in this passage to warn his people of the danger of apostasy. Let us receive his warning, feel the danger of which he speaks, and flee to him as our only refuge in the face of such danger.
Synopsis: No matter the opposition we face, God’s people always have the option of deciding not to be victims. We have a high priest seated on a throne, and through him we always have access to the God of the universe. Two commands are given here to change us from victims to victors.
Synopsis: Ecclesiastes gives the competing visions of a life well-lived. A life “under the sun” is one of never ending accomplishments leading ultimately to frustration because a life focused only on earthly things can only bring vanity. A life lived “above the sun” with a God-centered view is life fulfilled and complete.
Synopsis: Today’s passage is an extended meditation on the topic rest, based on Psalm 95. It is a continuation of a warning about the danger of missing this rest, but also describes something of the nature of our rest and the weapon of God’s word that helps us learn to rest.