Fixed with Steadfast Faith
Hebrews 4:14-16

† In Jesus Name †

I pray that you desire these words of the Apostle Paul to be your own: ¹⁰  I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, ¹¹  so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead! Philippians 3:10-11 (NLT2)

• It’s been six hours…where are your thoughts

As we gather this evening, I want you to put yourself in the place of the apostles.

Not as they look at Jesus on the cross – rather 6 hours later, as the sun sets, and they are in shock. Imagine them sitting together, stunned, in tears, all of their hopes and dreams destroyed.

They won’t understand for a while, and even when they do, they will still struggle with it until Pentecost.

Jesus, the one they thought would be the Christ, no, they knew He was the Christ, for who else could feed thousands, walk on water, heal those without help, and even raise the dead.

But they saw the nails, they saw the spear, They witnessed a body that was beaten beyond recognition die.

They had forgotten how many times he told them this was coming, that He would be put to death.

They hadn’t witnessed the power that would raise Him from the dead yet, and so we have an incredible advantage over them…

An advantage that we cannot overlook, an advantage that we must hold firmly to, because of the access that faith gains

• It’s been a few hours…where is Jesus?

One question I am asked every so often is where Jesus from the time is from when He dies until He rises from the dead on Sunday. The creed and two passages discuss His descent into hell, and if you want to know more about that – Tom will discuss that on the 16^th in the adult Bible Study!

I wish I had two hours to explain this, but this reference in Hebrews referring to Jesus being the high priest calls to mind the work of the one high priest who brought the offering into the tabernacle, pouring the blood out on the Ark of the Covenant. There the blood was sprinkled, putting off the sins of the people for a season

Jesus doesn’t enter the Father’s presence in the temple – His sacrifice will bring us into the Father’s presence in heaven, where His blood was accepted by the Father to atone for all sin.

Where was He that night? I don’t know – and neither did the disciples. But we know where He is now… and that is what matters!

• It’s been a while – where are we?

Because of where Jesus is now – we know where we are!

In the presence of God the Father!

That is why Hebrews can tell us that can come boldly to the throne of our gracious God, and receive mercy and grace when we need it most.

That’s the nature of this night, the darkest night, yet one laden with the hope of the world. Christ’s sacrifice has been made. This is the tie to the gospel account of the curtain separating the Holy Place of the Temple from the Holy of Holies.

It was shredded as Jesus dies, giving people the ability to enter the place where the presence of God was known to dwell for them.

Not just enter it anytime, but to permanently enter this place.

Because Jesus died on the cross…

So this is where we put all our trust, for it is the same place we find our only hope, and the love which God has for us.

It is in the death of Christ Jesus that we find the hope of the resurrection to our eternal life.

Which brings us back to the beginning,

I pray that you desire these words of the Apostle Paul to be your own: ¹⁰  I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, ¹¹  so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead! Philippians 3:10-11 (NLT2)

And because He died, and rose.. you shall!