Title: Peace offering
Contents
Bible Text: 1 John 2:1-6
peace offerings
Dear saints, I pray that the grace, peace and blessings of the Holy Trinity abound. Today, ahead of Holy Week, I would like to think deeply about Jesus Christ, who became our propitiation sacrifice.
These days, the world is moving so quickly, I feel like I'm old-fashioned even if I don't listen to the news for just one day. It is an era in which the whole world is quick to pursue practical matters, and if even the enemies of the past are of benefit today, we should put an end to ideology. The biggest topic for modern people today is the issue of reconciliation or reconciliation. Reconciliation between East and West and North and South can be achieved through political negotiation, and individual reconciliation can be achieved through concession and forgiveness.
However, in reality, the most pressing problem in our time is the reconciliation between God and man, that is, the issue of reconciliation. If there is no real reconciliation between God and man, it is no different than staying at the starting point with no solution. However, today the Apostle John is debating the issue of the essence of man, and powerfully proclaiming that Jesus Christ is the advocate between God and man and the propitiation sacrifice.
First, Jesus Christ is our Advocate
That's right. It is human nature to be inclined to evil, even though we say we should not do that because we are weak. Man is neither perfect nor should he be a perfectionist. The Apostle John was well aware of these issues, so today's verse speaks of the possibility of human sin.
“My children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. If anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”
It is not our strength, but the blood of Jesus Christ. It speaks of the agony and pain of human beings who stand before a God of love and a God of justice. It tells us that we cannot come to God in our own image.
Jesus Christ is our “advocate.” Here, ‘advocate’ literally means ‘one who speaks on behalf of’. However, in the New Testament the meaning of this text is used more broadly. The meaning of this word is ‘comforter’ or ‘comforter’. In addition, the classical Greek word for this word has the meaning of ‘lawyer’. This means that Jesus Christ is the One who knows our weaknesses, our shortcomings, and our sins, and is our advocate before God.
We are helpless sinners. Therefore, today's Bible teaches that not everyone can be a prophet, but only the righteous Christ, the sinless Son of God.
That's right. Jesus is our Advocate, our Advocate, and our Comforter before God for us. These facts are the only hope, joy, and emotion for us living today.
Second, Jesus Christ is our Comforter.
Dear saints, Who is Jesus Christ to you? As the hymn (chapter 96) confesses, Jesus Christ, whom we trust and serve, is the comforter of those who weep. He is the strength of the weak. He is the healer of the sick.
Neither wife nor husband nor children can comfort us in the matter of our sins. Only Jesus can comfort the sick souls of our lives. We can neither go forth nor speak as our own before God. But Jesus knows all our circumstances, and becomes our ‘advocate’ and ‘comforter’.
Today, we are at a loss for what to say before God. But Jesus restores our lost language. Jesus enlightens our ignorance and shows us the triumph of the grace of God who loves us even though we are sinners. Only Jesus Christ can wipe away our tears. That's right. To the modern people who are beating their breasts and weeping, and who are always in agony and anxious in the consciousness of original sin, Jesus Christ is our ‘Comforter’, ‘Advocate’, ‘Counselor’, and ‘Empowering One’.
Dear saints, What comforts us now? For some people, alcohol may be comforting. Some might think that drugs, some money, some fame, comfort themselves. However, this is like a painkiller, only to temporarily forget human consciousness of original sin and anxiety. That is, there is no fundamental treatment.
The first question of the Heidelberg Catechism asks what is the only consolation of man between life and death. In answer to this, I confess that the only consolation for human life is Jesus Christ of Nazareth, who shed all his water and blood for us on the cross.
Man tries to comfort himself, but to no avail. Today we are completely exhausted. Everyone is anxious, anxious, and has no place to put their minds at home, at work, at school, in the military, or in the community. To these wandering modern people, Jesus declares that He is our “Comforter” and “Prophet.”
Third, Jesus Christ is our propitiation
The Apostle John introduces us to Jesus Christ, the propitiation sacrifice. Then, why do we need a peace offering between God and us? Because human beings are enemies with God. In other words, it is because they forsook God's grace and kicked the love of God.
That's right. Man has committed the sin of rebellion against God. But why was it so frustrating that God Himself made the peace offering?
Herein lies the question of the heart and essence of Christianity. God is a just God. However, if we follow God's righteous judgment, our lives will inevitably suffer eternal destruction. But God loves us.
But this love of God must satisfy God's justice. The way to forgive human sins is through the sacrifice of the sinless Son of God, Jesus Christ, who took up the cross as a propitiation offering between God and us. This is God's love for us.
God saved us by pouring out the fire of wrath that should be poured out on us sinners on Jesus Christ. This is God's own sacrifice, the victory of God's own grace. In this regard, the Bible testifies:
“God demonstrates his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us… For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life” (Romans 5:8, 10).
Today's Bible explains why Jesus Christ became our propitiation sacrifice. That is, he became the propitiation for our own sins and for the sins of the whole world.
“He is the propitiation for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2).
That's right. The culmination of God's love is to make Christ the propitiation sacrifice. Reconciliation between individuals is important to us as well as reconciliation between families. Reconciliation between East and West is important as well as between North and South. But rather than that, reconciliation with God must come first.
However, this reconciliation was achieved because Jesus Christ became the propitiation sacrifice. Now, the only response we can give is to live a life believing in Jesus Christ, who became the propitiation sacrifice, as our Savior. Because to those who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.
Jesus knows our weaknesses and knows our shortcomings. And you know how wretched we are in our sins. Believe in and love Jesus, who became the propitiation sacrifice between God and us. That is why I hope that the barriers between us will also be broken down, as well as the walls between all classes. Please change this society by believing and loving Jesus.
As the Lord of reconciliation, I pray in the name of the Lord that you will overcome the world and become saints who live passionately.