Responses to the Finished Work of Jesus

Introduction

There are certain positive things in life that one does not forget. Not least of those are the times that people did something for you that was not only unexpected but completely unpredictable. I’ve had numerous experiences like that. I would like to believe that we all have. I go to a chiropractor. The first time I messed up my back I was 19. Lifted too much. Ever since I have gone to chiropractors. I have been going to my current chiropractor for about three years now. On my first visit, I asked him what to do if I had problems after work hours. He gave me his cell phone number. Said to call him. I promised that I would not abuse such a privilege.

Two years ago, it happened. A little disc slip. Trouble walking, standing, lying. It doesn’t matter. It was my chiropractor’s day off. I got in to see someone else. They did what they could. It got worse. So I called him seeking any kind of tips to get through. There was a pause and he said “Meet me at my office at 9 p.m.” This was around 6. I didn’t care about the time. It’s a Friday night. I was just amazed that he would agree to do the manipulation. What I found out later was that he and his wife were in Jackson, TN on a getaway weekend. They drove back from Jackson, he spent about an hour with me doing an adjustment and some massage and some stretches — charged me the same amount as he always did and then they drove back to Jackson to finish their weekend. What do you think is a proper response to that?

What is the proper response to what Jesus has done? Jesus has completed the work of forgiveness. His work has resulted in our holiness. We are in the process of being made holy by the blood of Jesus. Once and for all, it is finished. What do you think is a proper response to that? Let’s be encouraged today as the Hebrew writer explains how we are to respond to what Jesus did.

Therefore

There are four things that the Hebrew writer says is our response to what Jesus has done. Written to those who didn’t know if following Jesus was worth all that they had gone through, the writer reminds them that the alternative (going back to Jewish ways) was not only inferior it would ultimately cost them their relationship with God.

Vs. 22 — the first response to what Jesus has done is to draw near to God. This is written to those who have already experienced much suffering because of their faith. Notice verses 32-34. What had they experienced? Great suffering. Publicly insulted. Publicly persecuted. Stood with those who had been publicly shamed. Shared with those who were in prison for their faith. Had their possessions and property taken by others. Draw near to God with confidence. What they possess in this life pales in comparison to what they possess in the life to come. The writer doesn’t want them to get distracted by the suffering now. Draw near. Depend on him. They didn’t blame the evil done against them on God. They knew that Jesus was patiently waiting for all evil to become his footstool. God wasn’t to blame for the evil. Thus, draw near with confidence. Your salvation is assured.

ii. Second, vs. 23, hold on to your hope because God is faithful. The hope is not about this life. It is about the life to come. Hope is expectation. Hang on now and the promise of being with God forever would be there’s. Emotional thinking drives our current culture. For the writer, the real emphasis is not on this life but the one to come.

iii. Third, vs. 24, community. This life of walking with Jesus and being reminded about our hope is found in community. Mutual encouragement is needed in order to make it through this life. It is easy to withdraw once the suffering starts. But as those who respond to the cross, we find ways to do good in a world that hates us. Do not be surprised by the opposition. Such exists in this world for the world hated Jesus and did not understand him. As his disciples we will face the same things. Believers are marginalized in this world. All the more we need each other to encourage us to do good and to stay faithful.

iv. Fourth, vs. 25, meeting together. Our response to Jesus means that we are going to meet together. This mutual encouragement begins with regular meetings together that reminds us that we are sharing this life because of Jesus. Each day brings us one step closer to being with Jesus. We need that kind of encouragement. Meeting together face to face is what the author has in mind. Virtual meeting may be necessary at times but it cannot take the place of being in the same place together. When this pandemic is over, we need to be back together face to face.

Vss.26-31 reminds the reader that to reject Jesus results in eternal loss. Jesus is the answer for sin. To presume upon the cross and assume that God will deal with your sin without behavioral and heart change is to take Jesus for granted. It is to respond counter to the four ways that he has just given. So go to verse 36. Perseverance is needed. Perseverance will result in receiving what God has promised.

Perseverance

How would you describe perseverance? The word used here means to patiently endure even in the face of suffering. Fits doesn’t it? These readers had suffered various losses and now they are told to patiently endure; to persevere. Patient endurance like Jesus patiently waits for evil to be made his footstool. Even God waits. God waits for people to turn to him. God waits for the fullness of this world before Jesus returns. We wait. We wait for God to act. The writer says we wait for the promise. It will not be long.

So how do we patiently endure? How do we wait in faith? How do we persevere? The writer says there are two things we must do. First, (vs. 37) understand time is short. “For in a very little while.” We have a hard time recognizing the brevity of time. One has said “the days are long but the years are short.” Truth, but a year can seem like a lifetime when suffering is involved. I do not want to be too philosophical. I want to be practical. We cannot conceive of a world without time. Our language; our actions; our thoughts are all time bound. So the writer says the Lord will come quickly. That is a time statement. Can we go a little deeper? For God, Christ has already come. Listen. God is not bound by time. For God there is no now. He knows my life from beginning to end. My life on this earth is already over and I am with the Lord. I go from day to day waiting. Experiencing good. Enjoying life. Dealing with the invasion of suffering and challenges. All my doubts, fears, and anxieties plague me just as it does you. I am quickly approaching life’s end on this earth and it is already done in God’s mind. So when the writer says it will happen quickly remember this — the writer and all those initial readers are gone. It has been 2000 years. All we have is history and we say 2000 years isn’t quick. It was for that writer and those readers. They are gone. This is how we patiently wait or persevere. We must adjust our view of time. We must see that all the suffering; all the discomfort; all the pain physically, emotionally, mentally is temporary and then we are with God.

Second, (vs. 39) know who you are. We are those who believe and are saved. We do not walk by sight. We walk by faith. If that is true, then we do not allow what we see to determine who we are. To live by faith means that we identify with something beyond what this world has to offer. We reject the allures of this life. We do not trust in the promises of this life. We identify as forgiven. We identify as eternal. We identify as holy. This life offers power, prestige, possibilities of success, and promotion. By faith we know that as pleasing as those things are, there is something better — forgiveness, grace, mercy, love, eternity, holiness, being God’s child. Remember who you are.

Follow Jesus

If you’d like to respond to this message or learn more about following Jesus, please reach out.