Hebrews – God’s Action in Jesus
Traditions and ways of thinking about life are sometimes shattered when tragedy comes to change our normal routine. A new normal forms as we live our lives differently to accommodate the new circumstance. Some people change and transform with strength and determination. Others have trouble seeing and believing that all will be well, just different.
Can you imagine what the Jews were thinking when Jesus came with the New Covenant that would change their traditional way of thinking and behaving? God’s action in Jesus rocked the Hebrew world and replaced it with an “unshakable kingdom” called eternity. What was Moses experience with God is not YOUR experience the writer exclaims. You’ve come to God through Jesus, “who represents us with a new covenant, a fresh charter from God. He is the Mediator of this covenant.”
“The murder of Jesus, unlike Abel’s–a homicide that cried out for vengeance–became a proclamation of grace.” Jesus, a proclamation of grace! Meditate on that statement today. This is what unshakable kingdom believing and living is based upon. Jesus, our rock that cannot be moved, is the King of the Unshakable Kingdom of God! God is on fire, consumed with cleaning house, torching all that needs to burn and He won’t quit until it’s all cleansed. Wow.
Hebrews 12, The Message
Part Two
An Unshakable Kingdom
18-21 Unlike your ancestors, you didn’t come to Mount Sinai—all that volcanic blaze and earthshaking rumble—to hear God speak. The earsplitting words and soul-shaking message terrified them and they begged him to stop. When they heard the words—“If an animal touches the Mountain, it’s as good as dead”—they were afraid to move. Even Moses was terrified.
22-24 No, that’s not your experience at all. You’ve come to Mount Zion, the city where the living God resides. The invisible Jerusalem is populated by throngs of festive angels and Christian citizens. It is the city where God is Judge, with judgments that make us just. You’ve come to Jesus, who presents us with a new covenant, a fresh charter from God. He is the Mediator of this covenant. The murder of Jesus, unlike Abel’s—a homicide that cried out for vengeance—became a proclamation of grace.
25-27 So don’t turn a deaf ear to these gracious words. If those who ignored earthly warnings didn’t get away with it, what will happen to us if we turn our backs on heavenly warnings? His voice that time shook the earth to its foundations; this time—he’s told us this quite plainly—he’ll also rock the heavens: “One last shaking, from top to bottom, stem to stern.” The phrase “one last shaking” means a thorough housecleaning, getting rid of all the historical and religious junk so that the unshakable essentials stand clear and uncluttered.
28-29 Do you see what we’ve got? An unshakable kingdom! And do you see how thankful we must be? Not only thankful, but brimming with worship, deeply reverent before God. For God is not an indifferent bystander. He’s actively cleaning house, torching all that needs to burn, and he won’t quit until it’s all cleansed. God himself is Fire!
SO MUCH TO CONSIDER, SO MUCH GRACE, BE GRATEFUL! Think about it…
–What we believe about Jesus saving us, being with us, our advocate to God, and our intimate relationship with Him is unshakable. He will never leave us.
–“Do you see what we’ve got?” Seriously, think about it. Do we behave like we say we believe?
–Be grateful, live gratefully…so others will get a glimpse of this unshakable kingdom.
–Be ready for a cleansing. We all need it. Repent. Be unshakable with God as we live our lives in obedience and gratitude.
Dear Heavenly Father,
I will be spending much time in thought about what you have given to us meditate on today. We are grateful for your daily manna that you feed us each morning. We will chew on this while gaining strength to grow and mature in You. We are grateful for You, all you have done, are doing and will do in our lives of refinement through continual transformation. My “normal” is Your action in Jesus, a proclamation of Your grace to us. Thank you.
In Jesus Name, Amen. I believe.
