Last week was the start of a new study – It Could Only Be Jesus by Hello Mornings. The study is designed to fill our hearts with deeper understanding, gratitude, and joy as we celebrate Jesus ”” the only one who could have met God’s requirements of perfection and sinlessness.

 

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We began with reading Leviticus 1:1-9 and Hebrews 10:5-10.

In the Leviticus passage the focus is on “burnt offerings”.

“It’s purpose was to satisfy God’s wrath against sin, ceremonially cleansing the worshiper and restoring him or her to fellowship with God.”

(taken from the NLT Study Bible )

In the Hebrews passage, we become privy to a conversation between God and His Son.

How precious is that? I am not sure I ever noticed that before.

In this conversation, we are told that Christ states, “Look, I have come to do your will” (verse 9, NLT).

In that one sentence, we see two things:

• The heart of Christ to willingly come as a sacrifice to fulfill God’s will.
• The heart of God to willingly give His Son to save man.

Both God and Christ have a heart of love toward us – the sinners.

“For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time.” (verse 10, NLT)

With Thanksgiving quickly approaching, let’s dwell on the precious gift of atonement and salvation we have been given.

“In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones he came to save
‘Til on that cross, as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin, on him, was laid.”

(lyrics from “In Christ Alone)

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Mid week had us reading about the peace offering in Leviticus 3:1-2 & 5 and Ephesians 2:11-22.

The peace offering was a shared meal that celebrated more than the absence of hostility. It implies “harmonious fellowship” (from the commentary in my New Living Bible).

I love that the Leviticus passage calls it a “special gift” as peace is surely just that -  a special gift. Who of us does not long for a peaceful dinner as we all gather around our Thanksgiving tables?

It was that one word, “harmonious” which grabbed my attention.

It is through Christ that we have obtained peace – peace with God. It is through Christ that we can live harmoniously with God. And with others.

The study asked: What does it mean to you personally that Jesus is your peace?

With Jesus as our peace, we can be at peace with those who will be gathered around our table on Thanksgiving. We can be at peace with them even if we do not hold to the same opinions.

Let’s begin to pray for our family gatherings – perhaps for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. Let’s pray for peace to reign in our hearts and be served up in abundance as we come together.

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We brought our first week of study to a close with reading Leviticus 5:14-19, Isaiah 53:10-12, and Hebrews 10:11-18.

The study led us to think about treating the sacred, or holy, with disrespect or disdain.

As I read, I even began to thinking about treating others, people, in this way. Do we not think about how we bear the image of God within ourselves? How are we to treat one another?

In the Reflect section we find this statement: “Reconciliation is important.”

Yes it is important that we be reconciled to God first and foremost, and then others, as much as it depends upon us.

This entire week we have focused on the offerings. We are able to come before God’s throne with our offerings because we are forgiven and reconciled to the Father.

“And their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin.” (Hebrews 10:17-18, NASB)

I pray as we close out this week that none of us would carry a load of guilt. May we give thanks for the forgiveness of our sins!

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In Christ alone
we obtain peace with God and others,
through the forgiveness of our sins.

 

Photo by Ryan Christodoulou on Unsplash
Today I am joining … Tell His Story and InstaEncouragements .