Participants: Stephen Bohr
Series Code: HWIS
Program Code: HWIS000005
|
00:30 Our beloved heavenly Father, once again we come before
00:35 Your presence to request that You will be with us 00:40 in our study today. 00:42 We're going to study something that is of extreme importance. 00:47 In fact, it's at the very core and center of the truth 00:53 that we find in holy Scripture. 00:55 And so we ask that You will open our minds and open hearts, 00:59 that Your Word will not return unto You void. 01:03 But that it will accomplish the purpose for which You sent it. 01:08 And we thank You for hearing our prayer. 01:10 For we ask it in Jesus' name, amen. 01:16 I'd just like to review briefly as we begin what we studied 01:21 in our last lecture together. 01:23 If you remember, we studied the reasons why Jesus 01:29 had to come to live with us in the camp 01:33 as a real genuine man. 01:37 In other words, Jesus adopted real humanity. 01:42 Real mortal humanity, in fact. 01:46 Now let me review the seven reasons 01:48 why Jesus became incarnate. 01:51 Number one, He became incarnate so that He could reveal to us 01:57 what God is really like. 01:59 Because Jesus is in the bosom of the Father. 02:02 No one better to reveal what God really is like. 02:08 Secondly, we noticed that Jesus came to the camp to live with us 02:13 so that He could die for our sins. 02:15 See, God cannot die. 02:17 God is immortal. 02:19 And so Jesus had to assume humanity in order for it to be 02:23 possible for Him to die. 02:25 In the third place, we notice that Jesus had to become a man 02:29 so that He could be tempted. 02:30 Because the Bible tells us that God cannot be tempted. 02:34 God cannot be deceived by the devil. 02:37 Because God is omniscient; God knows all. 02:40 He's omnipotent. 02:42 The devil cannot lead God into sin. 02:44 And so Jesus had to assume humanity so that He could be 02:49 tempted in a real way. 02:52 In the fourth place, we noticed that Jesus 02:54 had to become a man so that we could have the assurance 02:57 that He sympathizes and empathizes with us. 03:00 That Jesus truly understands us when He 03:04 represents us before God. 03:07 Then we noticed that Jesus had to become a man 03:11 so that He could serve as our Judge. 03:16 In other words, He had to be a man so that He could present us 03:21 before God as our Advocate and judge us in a fair way. 03:25 And so then in the judgment, there is no excuse for sin. 03:31 And then we noticed that Jesus came to this earth 03:34 to live a perfect life as a man so the He could 03:38 impute His righteousness to us. 03:40 That means, credit His righteousness to us. 03:43 And secondly, to impart His righteousness to us. 03:46 Which mean that He actually sheds into our hearts 03:50 His righteousness so that we live the life that Jesus lived. 03:55 And finally, we noticed that Jesus took human nature 03:59 so that He could prepare a place for us in heaven 04:03 so that He could eventually come back to receive us unto Himself. 04:09 And so we noticed seven reasons at least for the incarnation of 04:14 Jesus Christ, for Him coming to this earth to live with us 04:19 in the Sanctuary encampment. 04:22 We haven't even entered the court of the Sanctuary yet. 04:25 We have just spoken about Jesus living in the camp 04:30 where Israel lived. 04:31 And tonight, we are going to talk about Jesus entering 04:36 the Court of the Sanctuary. 04:40 I'd just like to say that the Court had two main 04:45 pieces of furniture. 04:47 And you see them illustrated here on the platform. 04:50 First of all, you have on the far end the altar of sacrifice. 04:55 That was as you entered the Court of the Sanctuary. 04:59 And then a little bit farther in, right before you go 05:03 into the Holy Place of the Sanctuary, 05:05 you have what is called the laver. 05:09 Which had water in it where the priest washed himself 05:13 before he went to minister in the Holy Place 05:16 of the Sanctuary. 05:18 Now we're going to notice that these two pieces of furniture 05:21 actually refer to two functions of Jesus Christ, 05:26 or two events of the life of Jesus Christ. 05:29 We noticed that the camp represents the life of Jesus 05:33 where He came to live in our midst. 05:35 Now the altar of sacrifice represents the 05:38 death of Jesus Christ. 05:40 And the laver, we're going to notice, represents 05:44 the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 05:47 And then of course, Jesus, after that, goes into the 05:50 Holy Place of the Sanctuary. 05:52 And the Holy Place is in heaven. 05:55 Allow me to say that there is no Sanctuary Court in heaven. 05:59 And the reason for that is that the work of the Court 06:02 was done by Jesus on the earth. 06:04 You see, He lived with us in the camp on earth. 06:08 He died on earth. 06:10 And He resurrected on earth. 06:13 So in heaven, all we have is a Holy and Most Holy Place. 06:17 The Court is the earth where Jesus carried forward His work 06:22 as one living with us, as one dying, and as one 06:26 resurrecting from the dead. 06:29 Now we need to ask the question, why did Jesus have to come 06:34 to live a perfect life and to die? 06:39 Well, let's take a closer look at this and understand 06:42 why Jesus had to come and live a perfect life 06:46 and why Jesus had to come to die. 06:49 The first thing that I want us to notice is that the law of God 06:53 demands absolute perfection. 06:56 The law of God says, "Obey Me and live." 07:01 But it also says, "Disobey Me and that is sin. 07:05 And the wages of sin..." Is What? 07:08 "The wages of sin is death." 07:11 So basically the sequence is, the law demands 07:14 absolute perfection. 07:16 If I cannot offer the law the perfection that it demands, 07:20 that is sin. 07:21 And the wages of sin, or the result of sin, is death. 07:26 Of course the question is, how many of us have sinned? 07:30 The Bible says, "All have sinned and come short 07:34 of the glory of God." 07:35 "There is none righteous, no not one." 07:38 So we are all on death row. 07:41 None of us can offer the law the perfect life 07:45 that the law demands. 07:47 And so the law says, "Because you can't offer me the perfect 07:50 life that I require so that you can live, 07:53 you must die." 07:57 And so Jesus came to this earth for several 08:00 reasons we mentioned. 08:01 But I want to emphasize and underline two, particularly. 08:05 Number one, Jesus came to this earth to live the life 08:11 that all of us should live. 08:15 Jesus came to live a life in perfect harmony with the law. 08:20 And He lived that life for everyone. 08:24 But Jesus not only came to live the life in my place, 08:27 in your place, so that I in Him can stand 08:31 before the law not guilty. 08:33 Not because I am righteous, but because He is righteous. 08:37 But Jesus also had to come to pay for our sins. 08:41 He had to come to pay for the sins that we have 08:44 already committed. 08:45 And so Jesus came to this earth first of all 08:49 to live the life that we should live. 08:51 And He came to die the death that we should die. 08:56 And He lived and He died for every single person 09:00 who has ever drawn breath on planet earth. 09:04 In other words, Jesus came to live and to die 09:09 in place of everyone. 09:11 So that if I receive Jesus Christ, He takes His life 09:15 and places it to my account. 09:17 And He takes His death and He places it to my account. 09:21 And God looks upon me as if I have never sinned. 09:24 Not because I haven't sinned, But because Jesus never sinned. 09:29 Is this point very clear? 09:31 It's the center and core of the gospel of Jesus Christ. 09:36 Now we want to talk this evening about the work of Jesus 09:41 in the Court. 09:43 We've already discussed His perfect life. 09:45 Now we want to talk about His death at the altar 09:49 and His resurrection at the laver, 09:51 or the washing of the water. 09:54 Now there are several prophecies of the Old Testament 09:58 that pointed to the death of Jesus Christ in the Court. 10:03 And I would like us to analyze or take a look at some of those 10:07 prophecies that we find in the Old Testament. 10:10 The first of these prophecies is found in Genesis chapter 22. 10:15 And so I invite you to go with me to Genesis chapter 22 10:19 and verse 2. 10:21 This is the story of the sacrifice, or we might say 10:26 the almost sacrifice, of Isaac. 10:29 And I want you to notice in Genesis chapter 22 and verse 2, 10:33 in this story Abraham plays the role of God the Father. 10:39 And Isaac plays the role of Jesus Christ. 10:42 This is a symbolic story. 10:44 It's an illustrative story of the relationship between 10:48 God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. 10:51 Now notice Genesis 22 and verse 2 a couple of 10:54 very interesting details. 10:56 It says here, "Then He said," this is God speaking, 11:00 "take now your son, your..." What? 11:04 "...your only son..." 11:07 By the way, that word "only" should be translated, 11:11 "your unique son." 11:14 Or, "your one of a kind son." 11:17 "Your special son." 11:20 You say, "How do we know that?" 11:21 Because Isaac was not Abraham's only son. 11:26 You see, the Hebrew word "yahed" means, unique. 11:30 It means, one of a kind. 11:33 It means, special. 11:35 Abraham also had Ishmael at this point. 11:38 And yet Isaac is called Abraham's unique 11:42 one of a kind son because he was the son of the promise. 11:47 But now notice that he's not only called the unique son 11:50 or the only son, but it says, "whom you..." What? 11:58 "...whom you love..." 12:02 Does this sound familiar? 12:03 "This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." 12:09 And so it continues saying, "Take him to the land of Moriah 12:14 and offer him there as a..." What? 12:18 See, there's the altar of sacrifice. 12:20 "...offer him there as a burnt offering..." 12:25 Notice that he wasn't only to kill him, 12:27 but he was to also what? 12:30 Burn him. 12:31 That's what happened at the altar in the sanctuary. 12:34 And it says, "...on one of the mountains of which 12:38 I shall tell you." 12:40 Now what's interesting in this story is the agony of Abraham 12:44 and his son, primarily of Abraham, lasts three days. 12:50 I want you to notice Genesis chapter 22 and verse 4. 12:55 Abraham actually offers Isaac on the third day of his journey. 13:02 It says in Genesis 22 and verse 4, 13:05 "Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes 13:10 and saw the place..." What? "...afar off. " 13:13 Let me ask you, how long did the agony of the Father 13:17 and His Son last when Jesus was on this earth? 13:21 It lasted also what? 13:23 It lasted also three days. 13:26 Another interesting detail is that in this story 13:30 Abraham places the wood on the shoulders of Isaac. 13:35 But Abraham has the knife and the fire. 13:40 Now that's very significant. Let's read. 13:43 Notice what we find there in Genesis chapter 22. 13:46 It says, "So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering 13:51 and laid it on Isaac his son." 13:53 And now Isaac his son carries the wood. 13:56 Let me ask you, who was it that carried the wood 13:59 upon which it was placed? 14:00 Jesus Christ. 14:02 But Jesus was smitten by whom? 14:05 Isaiah 53 says by His Father. 14:07 And that's why Abraham has the knife and he has the fire. 14:10 So it continues saying, "So Abraham took the wood 14:13 of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son; 14:17 and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, 14:20 and the two of them went together." 14:24 And now we reach the climax of the story. 14:27 When Isaac is about to be sacrificed, 14:30 something spectacular happens. 14:32 Go with me to Genesis chapter 22 and let's read 14:36 verses 12 through 14. 14:39 This is an extremely significant passage. 14:41 It says, "And Abraham said, 'My son...'" 14:46 Because Isaac has asked the question, 14:48 "You know, we have the wood and we have the fire 14:50 and we have the knife. 14:52 But where is the sacrifice?" 14:56 It says... 15:06 Who was going to provide the lamb? 15:08 God was going to provide the lamb for Himself. 15:12 And it says... 15:32 Was this a substitutionary sacrifice? 15:35 Was it a substitute for Isaac? 15:37 Absolutely. 15:38 It says... 15:49 "And Abraham called the name of the place, 15:52 The Lord Will Provide; as it is said to this day, 15:56 'In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided.'" 16:02 Now do you know that according to the Bible, 16:05 Abraham, at least in figure or in a metaphorical sense, 16:10 received Isaac from the dead on the third day. 16:14 You say, "Where does the Bible say that?" 16:16 Go with me to the book of Hebrews chapter 11 16:20 and verses 17 through 19. 16:23 Let me ask you, was Isaac as good as dead for Abraham? 16:28 He most certainly was. 16:29 But what happened on the third day? 16:32 On the third day Abraham received his son back how? 16:37 Alive. 16:38 Now notice Hebrews 11 verse 17. 16:41 "By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, 16:47 and he who had received the promises offered up his..." 16:53 What? 16:55 See, that word is not correctly translated "only begotten son." 16:59 It really means, his unique or special or one of a kind son. 17:03 The word monogenés in the Greek language 17:07 doesn't mean, only begotten. 17:10 It means, the unique or special or one of a kind son. 17:14 Just like it does in Genesis 22. 17:16 And so it says, "By faith Abraham, when he was tested, 17:18 offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises 17:22 offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, 17:27 'In Isaac your seed shall be called...'" 17:30 And now notice. 17:32 "...concluding," that is, Abraham concluded, 17:34 "...that God was able to..." What? 17:37 "...to raise him up, even from the dead, 17:41 from which he also received him in a..." What? 17:45 "...in a figurative sense." 17:48 Did Abraham receive his son back alive on the third day? 17:52 He most certainly did. 17:54 And so we have this beautiful picture of a father and a son, 17:59 the unique son, whom the father loved. 18:04 And they suffered together. 18:06 And the ordeal lasts three days. 18:09 But on the third day the son is given back to the father alive. 18:15 This is a beautiful image of the relationship between 18:18 God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ, 18:21 and the suffering that they went through 18:23 as Jesus gave His life for the sin of the world. 18:27 And so in Genesis chapter 22 we have this beautiful picture 18:30 that illustrates what Jesus was going to do 18:34 when He came to this earth to die for our sins. 18:38 But there are other prophecies in the Old Testament. 18:41 Exodus chapter 12 has another prophecy. 18:44 This is the prophecy about the Passover lamb, 18:50 the sacrifice of the Passover lamb. 18:52 The Bible tells us that every male in Israel 18:56 had to go to Jerusalem for the Passover. 18:58 Every male 12 years and older had to go to celebrate 19:02 the Passover and Unleavened Bread in the city of Jerusalem 19:07 every year. 19:08 Now it's interesting to notice that the Passover gives the day, 19:15 it gives the month, and it gives the hour 19:18 when the Passover lamb was suppose to be sacrificed. 19:22 Let's notice Exodus chapter 12 and verses 5 through 7. 19:27 Exodus chapter 12 and verses 5 through 7. 19:31 Speaking about the Passover lamb, it says... 19:55 If you look at the context, it's the month of Nisan, 19:58 the first month of the Hebrew religious year. 20:01 So he's suppose to sacrifice it the 14th day of the same month. 20:05 That is the month of Nisan. 20:07 But it not only gives us the day and the month. 20:10 It also gives us the hour. 20:12 Because it continues saying, "Then the whole assembly 20:15 of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight." 20:21 I'll come back to that in a minute. 20:32 It was suppose to be sacrificed at what hour? 20:35 At twilight. 20:36 You say, "What's that twilight thing?" 20:39 Literally in Hebrew, it says, "between the two evenings." 20:45 That's what it literally says, "between the two evenings." 20:47 You say, "What two evenings is this talking about? 20:50 Is there such a thing as two evenings?" 20:53 Absolutely. 20:54 You see, among the Jews, the first evening is when the sun 20:58 reaches its zenith or its climax and it begins its descent. 21:03 That's the first. 21:05 It starts the afternoon hours. 21:06 Or the evening hours, if you please. 21:09 The second evening is when the sun sets. 21:14 And so what would between the two evenings be? 21:18 It would be exactly in the middle between when the sun 21:21 begins its descent at noon and when the sun actually sets. 21:25 What time would that be? 21:29 Three o'clock in the afternoon. 21:30 Do you know what time Jesus died? 21:33 The Bible says that at the ninth hour Jesus cried out, 21:39 "'It is finished. 21:42 Into Your hands I commend My spirit.' 21:46 And He breathed His last." 21:48 Now you say, "Ninth hour? Is that three o'clock?" 21:51 Yes, because among the Hebrews the first hour was six am, 21:54 the third hour was nine am, the sixth hour was noon, 21:58 the ninth hour was three o'clock, 22:00 and the twelfth hour was when the sun set. 22:02 That why Jesus said, "Doesn't the day have twelve hours?" 22:05 Are you with me? 22:07 So the ninth hour is three o'clock. 22:09 Jesus not only died on the fourteenth day of Nisan, 22:13 but He died exactly at three o'clock in the afternoon 22:17 just like the Passover prophecy indicated. 22:21 By the way, the New Testament makes it very, very clear 22:25 that Jesus fulfilled the Passover Himself. 22:28 Notice 1 Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 7. 22:32 1 Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 7 tells us that 22:35 the Passover was fulfilled in Jesus Christ. 22:38 It says there, the apostle Paul writing... 22:58 Who is our Passover? 23:00 Jesus Christ. 23:01 Did Jesus die the very day of the Passover? 23:03 Yes. 23:05 Did He die the very month of the Passover? 23:07 Yes. 23:08 Did He die at the precise hour in which the 23:11 Passover lamb was sacrificed? 23:13 Absolutely. 23:14 You know, some people are amazed at the 23:16 prophecies of Nostradamus. 23:18 But really, if you look at the History Channel, 23:20 it's a bunch of speculation. 23:22 A bunch of words where you have to add interpretation 23:24 and you have to use your imagination. 23:26 Here you don't have to use your imagination. 23:29 It gives you exactly the day, the hour, and the month 23:34 when Jesus Christ was going to die. 23:36 And He died exactly at that time. 23:38 And this was written 1500 years before Jesus was born. 23:42 An amazing prophecy. 23:44 Now there's another prophecy that gives us the year 23:48 of the death of Jesus Christ. 23:49 You see, the Passover gave us the hour, 23:52 the day, and the month. 23:53 But there's another prophecy that gives us the year 23:56 when Jesus was going to die. 23:57 It's called the prophecy of the 70 weeks. 24:00 And we're going to have two whole lectures 24:02 on the prophecy of the seventy weeks. 24:04 One lecture isn't enough to cover this prophecy, 24:07 there's just so much material. 24:08 So we're going to dedicate two whole sessions 24:10 to speak about the prophecy of the seventy weeks. 24:13 However, I want to dedicate just a few moments 24:17 to read from Daniel chapter 9 and verses 26 and 27 24:24 where this prophecy gives us the exact year 24:29 in which Jesus was going to be sacrificed as the lamb. 24:33 It says in verse 26... 24:39 When it says "after the sixty-two weeks," 24:41 it's seven and sixty-two. 24:43 That is, after sixty-nine weeks. 24:53 Why was Messiah going to be cut off? 24:55 Was He going to be cut off for Himself? 24:56 No, He was going to be cut off for others? 24:59 And then notice verse 27. 25:01 "Then He shall confirm a covenant with 25:03 many for one week." 25:05 This is week number 70 of the 70 weeks. 25:08 It says... 25:21 And when we study this prophecy, we're going to 25:24 notice something amazing. 25:26 Jesus began His ministry in the year 27 AD. 25:31 That's when He was baptized. 25:33 Three and a half years later, in the middle of the last week, 25:37 Jesus Christ died on the cross. 25:39 And then three and a half years later, 25:42 probation closed for the Hebrew theocracy. 25:46 In other words, Jesus died exactly in the year 31 25:50 at Spring time during the Passover. 25:53 This prophecy pointed to the exact year 25:56 in which Jesus was going to die on the cross. 26:01 An amazing prophecy for sure. 26:03 And by the way, did you notice that it says here that 26:05 He would cause the sacrifice and the offering to cease? 26:10 Now I want to read you a very interesting statement 26:12 from that classic biography of Christ, The Desire Of Ages. 26:16 Do you know that this was literally fulfilled? 26:18 That Jesus made the sacrifice and the oblation 26:21 or the offering to cease? 26:23 Let me just read you a short description that is 26:25 given in Desire Of Ages about the moment when Jesus died. 26:31 Here Ellen White states... 26:38 Because there's been this gigantic earthquake 26:41 and the veil of the temple has been ripped from top to bottom. 26:44 She continues saying... 26:59 Did He cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease? 27:02 Yes He did. 27:03 There was no sacrifice that day. 27:06 So she says... 27:13 And then she sees the relationship between 27:17 type and antitype, between what we find prophesied 27:21 and the fulfillment of the prophecy when she says... 27:33 So Jesus literally, in the year 31 AD, 27:39 three o'clock in the afternoon, on the fourteenth day of Nisan, 27:44 fulfilled the prophecy concerning the Passover lamb, 27:48 which is represented once again by the altar of sacrifice. 27:53 But there were other prophecies. 27:56 We have for example the morning and evening sacrifice. 27:59 In the sanctuary,a morning and evening sacrifice 28:02 was offered and placed upon the altar of sacrifice. 28:06 Let me just read that to you. 28:08 Exodus 29 and verses 38 and 39. 28:13 It says here... 28:33 That is between the two evenings; 28:36 three o'clock in the afternoon. 28:37 In other words, the sacrifice of the lamb, morning and evening, 28:44 pointed forward to the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. 28:48 But there were other prophecies. 28:50 Notice Isaiah chapter 53 and verses 4 through 6. 28:55 Isaiah 53 and verses 4 through 6. 28:58 It's speaking here about the Messiah over 700 years 29:02 before Jesus is born. 29:03 And it says... 29:15 Listen carefully, remember that the prophecy said 29:18 that it would not be for Himself? 29:19 The prophecy of the 70 weeks? 29:21 He would be cut off but not for Himself. 29:23 Notice what it says here. 29:50 Now is this prophecy referring to Jesus Christ? 29:53 It most certainly is. 29:54 The New Testament applies it to Jesus Christ. 29:57 Go with me to Acts chapter 8 and we'll read verses 32 through 36. 30:02 This is the story of the Ethiopian eunuch 30:05 that was met by Philip. 30:07 And the eunuch is studying Isaiah 53 and he can't 30:10 make any sense out of it. 30:11 He says, "Who is this prophecy talking about?" 30:14 Let's pick up this story in verse 32. 30:41 Is he quoting Isaiah chapter 53? 30:43 Absolutely. Now notice. 31:07 Who is the center of the prophecy of Isaiah 53? 31:10 Jesus Christ. 31:11 Notice 1 Peter chapter 2 and verses 23 and 24 where 31:15 Isaiah 53 is referred to again and applied to Jesus Christ. 31:20 1 Peter chapter 2 verses 23 and 24. 31:23 Speaking about Jesus, it says... 31:49 And then comes a quotation from Isaiah 53. 31:57 Did Peter understand that the prophecy of Isaiah 53 32:00 of this Messiah being taken as a lamb to the slaughter, 32:04 did he understand that this applied to Jesus Christ? 32:06 He most certainly did. 32:08 Once again, all of this points to the altar of sacrifice. 32:12 All of these prophecies are showing that Jesus was 32:15 going to come and Jesus was going to die for our sins. 32:19 Notice another interesting prophecy that we find in 32:22 the Old Testament that was fulfilled in Jesus. 32:24 Numbers chapter 15 and verses 2 and 3. 32:28 Numbers 15 and verses 2 and 3. 32:32 Here it says... 32:51 Remember those words, a burnt offering or a sacrifice. 33:10 So in other words, the sacrifices were 33:12 what before God? 33:13 A sweet aroma. 33:16 Now let's go to Ephesians chapter 5 and verse 2 33:19 to find out who this applies to. 33:21 Ephesians chapter 5 and verse 2. 33:24 Here, the apostle Paul is going to apply this idea 33:27 that the sacrifices and offerings were a sweet aroma, 33:30 he's going to apply it to Jesus Christ. 33:32 It says there in Ephesians chapter 5 verse 2... 33:43 Remember the words? 33:54 To whom does this prophecy in numbers point to? 33:58 It points to Jesus Christ. 34:00 Let me mention just two other prophecies. 34:03 Leviticus chapter 22 and verses 20 to 22. 34:08 It's speaking about choosing a lamb for the sacrifice. 34:12 The Bible tells us that the lamb had to be unblemished. 34:15 In other words, the lamb was examined very carefully 34:18 to make sure that the lamb physically did not 34:20 have any defect. 34:22 Now you need to understand that a lamb is an animal. 34:24 All they could do was examine it physically to 34:26 see that it didn't have a defect. 34:27 But that represented the fact that Jesus had no moral defect. 34:31 You see, the type is always more imperfect than the antitype. 34:37 In other words, the shadow is never as clear as the reality 34:41 to which the shadow points. 34:43 So in the Old Testament you could only determine that 34:46 the lamb had no physical blemish or defect. 34:48 But that represented the fact that Jesus had no moral defect 34:51 in His character. 34:53 Notice what we find here in Leviticus 22 verse 20. 35:33 In other words, the lambs had to be without blemish 35:36 and without defect. 35:39 Now what about the priests? 35:40 Did the priests also have to be without defect? 35:43 Absolutely. 35:45 Go with me to Leviticus 21 and verses 17 to 21. 35:49 Leviticus 21:17-21 35:51 Once again, the priests in the Old Testament, 35:54 they could only determine that they had no physical blemish. 35:57 But that represented the fact that Jesus Christ had no 36:01 physical or moral blemish. 36:04 In other words, the shadow is not as perfect as the reality 36:07 to which the shadow points. 36:09 Now let's read Leviticus 21 verse 17. 37:00 Let me ask you, what did the lamb represent? 37:03 The lamb represented, the unblemished lamb 37:06 that was sacrificed and placed on the altar, 37:08 represented Jesus Christ. 37:10 What did the priest represent? 37:13 The priest also represented whom? 37:16 The priest also represented Jesus Christ. 37:18 You say, "Well how could the priest and the lamb 37:20 both represent Jesus Christ?" 37:22 It's very simple. 37:23 You see, the Bible says that Jesus offered Himself. 37:27 In the Old Testament system, you needed a priest 37:29 to offer the lamb. 37:31 But Jesus is the priest and the lamb, 37:32 because Jesus offers Himself. 37:35 And He's undefiled. 37:37 Notice Hebrews chapter 7 verses 26 and 27 on this point. 37:42 Hebrews chapter 7 verses 26 and 27. 37:46 It says here... 38:19 What kind of priest was Jesus Christ? 38:22 He was an unblemished what? Priest. 38:25 And He officiated His own sacrifice. 38:30 Was He also a perfect lamb? 38:32 Yes He was. 38:34 Go with me to 1 Peter chapter 1 verses 18 through 20. 38:37 Listen, these prophecies are much more precise than 38:39 Nostradamus could have ever given. 38:42 You know, I've been reading a book which is very interesting 38:45 on the quatrains of Nostradamus. 38:48 And you have to use a wild imagination to figure out 38:51 what he's trying to say. 38:52 But with the Bible, you don't have to do that. 38:54 The Bible is exact and precise. 38:57 It tells you when, where, and how, and who. 39:00 Notice 1 Peter chapter 1 and verses 18 through 20. 39:04 Jesus is also the perfect lamb. 39:34 Was Jesus the unblemished priest? 39:36 Yes. 39:37 Was Jesus the unblemished lamb? 39:39 Yes. 39:40 Jesus officiated His own sacrifice. 39:43 And you know what's interesting? 39:44 Not only was Jesus the perfect priest that offered Himself, 39:49 the perfect sacrifice, but when He resurrected 39:52 He took His own blood as the priest into the 39:54 Holy Place of the Sanctuary. 39:57 That's interesting. 39:58 All of this pointed to whom? 40:00 To Jesus. 40:02 Notice Hebrews chapter 4 and verse 15 on the 40:05 perfect nature of Jesus Christ, the fact that He had 40:09 no moral defect. 40:11 It says... 40:23 Notice 2 Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 21. 40:26 The Bible is clear on this point. 40:27 2 Corinthians 5:21, it says... 40:30 "He" is God the Father. 40:35 "Him" is Jesus. 40:46 He who knew no sin was made sin so that we could be found what? 40:50 So that we could be found righteous. 40:52 One more text. 40:53 Notice Galatians chapter 3 and verse 13. 40:57 It says here... 41:12 These are only some of the prophecies of the Old Testament 41:15 that pointed to the work of Jesus in the Court. 41:18 Jesus coming to die for our sins after living in the camp 41:23 as the perfect Lamb. 41:24 You see, Jesus lives in the camp as the perfect lamb, 41:27 and then He goes to the altar and He dies as the perfect lamb. 41:31 And He officiates His own sacrifice. 41:34 Now I need to make one point very, very clear. 41:38 And that is that what Jesus did in the camp and in the Court 41:44 He did for every single person who has ever lived 41:47 on planet earth. 41:49 Not only for the saved. 41:52 His live and His death were for every single person 41:56 who has ever drawn breath on planet earth. 42:00 In other words, the work of Jesus in the camp 42:03 and in the Court is a corporate work that includes 42:06 the whole human race. 42:08 Let's read some verses about that. 42:10 Hebrews chapter 2 and verse 9. 42:12 And I know what you're thinking. 42:13 "So that means everybody is going to be saved. 42:15 Right, Pastor?" 42:16 No. 42:17 You see, that's why we need to understand our next 42:19 couple of lectures; the work of Jesus in the Holy Place 42:22 of the Sanctuary. 42:24 Now notice Hebrews chapter 2 and verse 9. 42:26 "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, 42:31 for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor, 42:35 that He, by the grace of God, might taste death..." 42:41 for the saved. 42:44 No, it says, "might taste death" for what? 42:48 "for everyone." 42:50 For how many people did Jesus die? 42:51 For everyone. 42:54 Notice 1 Timothy chapter 2 and verses 5 and 6. 42:57 1 Timothy chapter 2 and verses 5 and 6. 43:01 The same idea comes through. 43:25 Notice 1 John chapter 2 and verse 2. 43:27 What Jesus did, He did for the whole world. 43:30 He lived for the whole world and He died for the whole world. 43:34 1 John chapter 2 and verse 2. 43:38 Here, he's writing to the followers of Jesus, 43:40 the disciples of Jesus. 44:08 Well you know the verse. 44:09 For God so loved Fresno... 44:13 Fresno too. 44:14 For God so loved what? 44:16 ...the world that He gave His only begotten Son. 44:19 Allow me to read you a spectacular statement 44:21 by Ellen White. 44:23 Desire Of Ages, page 753. 44:25 She caught this nuance. 44:27 There she says... 44:54 How much guilt? 44:56 The guilt of every descendant of Adam. 44:58 You know, some people commit suicide because 45:01 they feel guilty and depressed over their guilt. 45:03 Imagine bearing the guilt of all of humanity from all ages. 45:09 We have not suffered at all compared to Jesus. 45:12 Our sufferings are nil compared to His. 45:15 She continues saying, "The guilt of every descendant 45:18 of Adam was pressing upon His heart. 45:20 The wrath of God against sin..." 46:09 Powerful statement. 46:11 For how many did Jesus bear the guilt? 46:13 Every descendent of Adam. 46:16 Jesus lived for every person who has ever lived on planet earth 46:19 and He died for every person on planet earth. 46:22 His life and death are available for everyone. 46:25 And so some people say, "Well, that means everybody 46:27 is going to be saved, right?" 46:31 What is the most famous verse in the Bible? 46:35 John 3:16 46:38 John 3:16 includes all, but then it excludes some. 46:44 That very verse. 46:47 It says, "For God so loved the world that He gave 46:51 His only begotten Son..." 46:53 And then what does it say? 46:54 "...that whosoever believeth in Him..." 46:59 That means to have faith in Him. 47:01 "...should not perish but have everlasting life." 47:05 Did God give Jesus for the whole world? 47:08 Who will benefit from what Jesus did? 47:11 Those who believe in Him. 47:14 By the way, this text, John 3:16, if you 47:16 read the context, it's talking about the serpent that was 47:20 raised up in the wilderness. 47:22 Let's read about that in John chapter 3 and verse 14. 47:25 I want you to notice something very important. 47:27 You remember when Israel was being bitten by the snakes 47:31 and they were dying because they were poised? 47:34 Was it enough to raise up the serpent in the wilderness? 47:37 No. What did people have to do? 47:40 They had to look individually and personally. 47:44 They had to look at the serpent raised in the wilderness. 47:48 Is it enough that Jesus died? 47:51 No. We have to what? 47:53 We have to behold Him by faith. 47:56 It says there... 48:11 And then it says in verse 16... 48:23 Now listen carefully. 48:25 In our next lecture, we're going to see how Jesus 48:28 pours out the benefits of what He did while He was on earth. 48:33 We're going to talk about how you can claim what Jesus did. 48:36 How His life and His death becomes yours. 48:40 It's not automatic for everyone. 48:43 You have to claim it. 48:44 There are conditions that must be met in order for you 48:48 to benefit from His life and from His death. 48:51 Believing in Him is one of them. 48:55 Now, do you understand what the altar of sacrifice represents? 48:58 Now let's talk about the laver. 49:01 The laver represents the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 49:04 Reviewing... 49:06 Jesus lived a perfect life in the camp. 49:09 Jesus died as a substitute on the altar in the Court. 49:13 Jesus resurrects at the laver. 49:16 And as we'll notice tomorrow night, He enters 49:19 into the Holy Place to intercede before His Father for those 49:24 who come in faith to Him. 49:27 By the way, do you know something very interesting? 49:30 A person who touched a dead carcass was considered unclean. 49:36 Because death was unclean. 49:39 When Jesus died, He would have been considered what? 49:43 Unclean. 49:44 So what needed to happen with Jesus? 49:46 He needed to be what? 49:49 Cleansed. 49:50 And at His resurrection, He's cleansed at the laver. 49:54 Now let me read you a very interesting 49:55 verse from Scripture. 49:57 Go with me to Titus chapter 3 and verse 5. 50:01 Titus chapter 3 and verse 5. 50:04 A very important verse. 50:05 It says here... 50:23 What do you wash with? 50:26 Water, yes. 50:27 And what was in the laver? 50:30 Water. 50:31 It says, "washing of..." What? 50:37 Regeneration is an important word. 50:45 Now let me tell you what that Greek word is there. 50:47 The Greek word that is translated "regeneration" 50:52 is a compound word that is composed of two words, 50:55 two Greek words. 50:56 One is the word "palin," which means "again." 51:01 And the word "genesis," which mean what? 51:07 What does "genesis" mean? 51:08 To begin. 51:10 In other words, you put "palin" and "genesis" together 51:12 and it means, to begin what? 51:14 To begin again. 51:16 Most lexicons or dictionaries that I checked out 51:20 of the experts in the biblical languages say that this means 51:23 to regenerate, or it means rebirth. 51:29 Now let me ask you, where was Jesus regenerated? 51:35 What does regenerate mean? 51:38 It means to give what? 51:40 It means to give life what? 51:42 What does "re" mean? 51:45 Generate is to give life, but regenerate is to what? 51:50 To give it again. 51:51 Let me ask you, when was Jesus regenerated? 51:55 When is it that He began again after His death? 51:59 It was when Jesus was resurrected from the dead. 52:03 Now not only do you have here in this verse 52:06 the washing, which refers to the laver, water, 52:10 of regeneration... 52:11 The word regeneration means, beginning again or rebirth 52:17 from the grave. 52:18 But also you have renewing of the Holy Spirit. 52:21 Allow me to tell you something about that word "renewing." 52:24 That word, "renewing," is the Greek word, "kainotes." 52:30 And let's read another verse in the New Testament that 52:32 uses that word "renewing" to see what it refers to. 52:37 It's actually used in only two other verses 52:39 in the New Testament. 52:40 It's used in Romans 6 and verse 4, 52:42 and Romans 7 and verse 6. 52:44 We're only going to read Romans chapter 6 and verse 4. 52:48 Notice what this word, "renewing," refers to. 52:52 It says, "Therefore, we were... 52:57 ...buried with Him through baptism into..." What? 53:03 "...death, that just as Christ was raised..." 53:08 So what is the theme here? 53:10 It's death and what? Resurrection. 53:13 "Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, 53:17 that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the 53:22 glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in..." What? 53:28 "...in newness of life." 53:30 What happens in baptism? 53:33 Do we die with Christ in baptism? 53:35 Are we buried with Christ in baptism? 53:38 Do we resurrect to newness of life in baptism? 53:42 Absolutely. 53:43 So what does this word here mean, "newness," 53:47 in Titus chapter 3 verse 5, "the renewing of the Holy Spirit?" 53:52 It's referring to what? 53:54 It's referring to the resurrection. 53:58 Are you understanding what I'm saying? 53:59 So after Jesus dies, because His body is a corpse 54:04 it has to be what? 54:06 It has to be cleansed. 54:08 And so it's cleansed where? 54:10 When Jesus resurrects with a glorified body. 54:14 He resurrects at the laver as the renewing of His life. 54:18 It's the regeneration of His life. 54:21 In other words, the laver represents the 54:23 resurrection of Jesus Christ. 54:26 So Jesus basically lived in the camp with us. 54:30 He lived His perfect life there as a perfect priest 54:34 and a perfect lamb. 54:36 Then He came to the altar of sacrifice 54:40 and He offered Himself. 54:42 He is the officiating priest in His own sacrifice. 54:47 At the laver, He's regenerated. 54:49 Or His life is renewed, as we read in 54:52 Romans chapter 6 and verse 4. 54:54 In other words, He resurrects from the dead with His glorified 54:58 immortal and incorruptible body. 55:01 Now here's the very important question that will set the stage 55:05 for our next study together. 55:08 Where would you expect Jesus to go next? 55:19 Do you know what most Christians believe? 55:21 They say Jesus jumped from the Court to the Most Holy Place. 55:29 My question is, is there a Holy Place between the 55:32 Court and the Most Holy? 55:35 Of course. 55:37 Do you think Jesus jumped over the Holy Place 55:39 into the Most Holy Place directly? 55:41 Absolutely not. 55:42 Did Jesus have a function to fulfill in the 55:45 Holy Place of the Sanctuary? 55:47 He most certainly did. 55:48 He had a role to fulfill where the seven branch candlestick is. 55:53 He had a role to fulfill where the table of showbread is. 55:56 He had a role to fulfill where the altar of incense is. 56:01 All three of those pieces of furniture represent 56:04 something very important concerning the relationship 56:06 between Christ and His people. 56:09 So the next step that we find Jesus taking 56:13 in His Sanctuary walk is going into where? 56:18 Going into the Holy Place of the Sanctuary. 56:21 And the question is, what did He go into the Holy Place for? 56:29 You know, you ask a Christian today, "What has Jesus 56:32 been doing the last 2000 years?" 56:36 They say, "Hmmm, good question." 56:42 For most Christians, everything was finished when 56:44 Jesus died on the cross. 56:46 That's it. 56:49 That's not it. 56:51 Because Jesus lived in the camp, He died in the Court, 56:56 He resurrected at the laver, He goes into the Holy Place, 57:01 and then He goes into the Most Holy Place. 57:03 Let me ask you, is there a function of Jesus 57:05 after His work in the Court on planet earth? 57:08 Most certainly. 57:10 And we're going to study about His work in the Holy Place 57:13 tomorrow and also on Friday night. 57:15 We're going to see that in the Holy Place is where we can 57:18 claim the benefits of what Jesus did while He was on earth. 57:25 So don't miss tomorrow night. |
Revised 2014-12-17