But when this priest (i.e. Jesus) had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool....
Hebrews 10:12-13
In the book of Hebrews, Psalm 110 (quoted again by the writer above) clearly is used as the theological framework about which this elegant revelation of the New Covenant in Christ is displayed. Just the simple term from the Psalm, "right hand", is quoted five times. All of chapter 7 is an exposition of the implications of the reference in Psalm 110 to the Messiah being ordained as a royal and permanent priest "after the order of Melchizedek" in contrast to the non-royal temporary priests of the Old Covenant being ordained after the order of Levi. Truly, much more could be said at this point!
However, I simply want to point out something that has seemed to escape the consciousness of many believers. The New Testament, in it's teaching about the kingdom of God and Christ, makes it very clear that:
1. Jesus is indeed, at the appointed time, going to return to this world to consummate God's Big God-Story for this age.
2. Jesus is waiting to return. "Since that time" (i.e. the time of his ascension and coronation in the highest heaven after his passion on earth was finished) Jesus is waiting to come back. The first Christians hoped that he would return in their generation. Many generations of believers have hoped the same. Believers today, now 2 millenniums later, hope for the return of Christ in this generation. ("Glory be, Mabel...it's enough to make one think that the longing for Christ's return in one's own lifetime might actually be a healthy part of a full spirituality grounded in NT realities!" ;-)
But...it should be obvious by now that Jesus has been, in fact, waiting to return. What is he, and what has he been, waiting for? For many, it seems, "for no good reason". Yet, this attitude surely does not do justice to the wisdom of God and/or the prophecies of both Old and New Testaments. The reality is, he "must remain in heaven until...." (Acts 3:21) Until what?
I posit that he has been waiting for the inevitable ramifications of his resurrection, ascension and coronation as the the Father's true King of both heaven and earth to "play out" in human lives and in human history via his ongoing earthly mission through the agency of his "body"--the Church. God is longing for many, many fully human (and unapologetically so!) junior partners...co-laborers...true friends...earthen vessels who are, nonetheless, temples of the Holy Spirit...who are individually in sync with the "head of the body" (Jesus) and, as a vibrant and healthy Spirit-empowered community of faith that is multiplying across the globe, faithfully living out (incarnating) his real presence and his good news in the eyes of the watching cultures of the earth.
Just maybe something like this is what he has been, and still is, waiting for.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Sunday, July 20, 2008
The Fellowship of the Mystery-Part 12
As we continue to follow the NT references that shed light on and help create a framework for properly understanding OT prophecies, we come to Acts 3. This second sermon of Peter's takes place on the heels of the healing of a well-known man, who was over 40 years old, who had been lame from birth. Many people were amazed and astonished by this miraculous sign of the real presence of kingdom of Christ performed at the word of Peter and John in Jesus' name. Peter capitalized on this opportunity to preach the gospel to the multitude of Jewish people gathered at the temple that day. The result was that about another 2,000 people were added to the new community consisting of those who believed in Jesus as the promised Messiah. Jerusalem was thrown into spiritual/social upheaval in those days.
17"Now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. 18But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Christ would suffer. 19Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, 20and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus. 21He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets. 22For Moses said, 'The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you. 23Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from among his people.' 24"Indeed, all the prophets from Samuel on, as many as have spoken, have foretold these days. 25And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, 'Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.' 26When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways."
Remember that Peter had just come off 40 days of talks with the resurrected Christ in which many OT prophecies were undoubtedly rehearsed (see Acts 1:3). There are some astounding points to Peter's little sermon.
1. He begins by referring to the fact that "all the prophets" referred to a "suffering Messiah" and that, ironically, God actually used their ignorance of this to fulfill the prophecies.
2. He refers to the second "sending" of Christ, but says that, for now, "he must remain in heaven" (i.e. at the Father's right hand a la Psalm 110) until a point in the future also foretold by the OT prophets when God will "restore everything"--or "until" the Father makes Christ's "enemies (think primarily of the spirit behind the unbelief in and rejection of Jesus as the Christ, rather than individual human beings!) his footstool".
3. That Samuel and all the prophets after him referred to the very days in which they were (and we are still) now living--that is, during the time of Christ's first coming and the era of earth's history that the surrounding events (his incarnation, mission, death, burial, resurrection, ascension, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the initiation of the new inter-racial community of those called out by God through their faith in Jesus as the Messiah.
4. That these events were now inaugurating and signaling the fulfillment and fullness of "the covenant" God made long ago with Abraham to export the good news of God and His appointed Christ to all the ethnic groups of the earth (see Gal 3:8) and...that these Jewish folks from Jerusalem were graciously being invited directly by God to repent of their sins, put their faith in Jesus as the Christ and, by this, lead the way to this wonderful international explosion of grace and truth.
Christ will return, but in the meantime, there is a Divine mission underway and we are all invited through the good news of Jesus to become players in the grand drama--God's Big God-Story.
But when this priest (i.e. Jesus) had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool....
Hebrews 10:12-13
17"Now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. 18But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Christ would suffer. 19Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, 20and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus. 21He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets. 22For Moses said, 'The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you. 23Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from among his people.' 24"Indeed, all the prophets from Samuel on, as many as have spoken, have foretold these days. 25And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, 'Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.' 26When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways."
Remember that Peter had just come off 40 days of talks with the resurrected Christ in which many OT prophecies were undoubtedly rehearsed (see Acts 1:3). There are some astounding points to Peter's little sermon.
1. He begins by referring to the fact that "all the prophets" referred to a "suffering Messiah" and that, ironically, God actually used their ignorance of this to fulfill the prophecies.
2. He refers to the second "sending" of Christ, but says that, for now, "he must remain in heaven" (i.e. at the Father's right hand a la Psalm 110) until a point in the future also foretold by the OT prophets when God will "restore everything"--or "until" the Father makes Christ's "enemies (think primarily of the spirit behind the unbelief in and rejection of Jesus as the Christ, rather than individual human beings!) his footstool".
3. That Samuel and all the prophets after him referred to the very days in which they were (and we are still) now living--that is, during the time of Christ's first coming and the era of earth's history that the surrounding events (his incarnation, mission, death, burial, resurrection, ascension, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the initiation of the new inter-racial community of those called out by God through their faith in Jesus as the Messiah.
4. That these events were now inaugurating and signaling the fulfillment and fullness of "the covenant" God made long ago with Abraham to export the good news of God and His appointed Christ to all the ethnic groups of the earth (see Gal 3:8) and...that these Jewish folks from Jerusalem were graciously being invited directly by God to repent of their sins, put their faith in Jesus as the Christ and, by this, lead the way to this wonderful international explosion of grace and truth.
Christ will return, but in the meantime, there is a Divine mission underway and we are all invited through the good news of Jesus to become players in the grand drama--God's Big God-Story.
But when this priest (i.e. Jesus) had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool....
Hebrews 10:12-13
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