Title: At-one-ment For All
Author: Christopher Harbin
Text: Hebrews 2:10-18
There are many caricatures of God around us. I recall several from cartoons of my childhood. I picked up others from church settings. I encountered others in song, evangelistic tracts, radio, sermons, and informal conversations. God was the old, bearded, white man up in the clouds having Peter check to who was or wasn't allowed through the pearly gates. God was the harsh deity seeking any excuse to condemn people to eternal punishment. God was far above and over all the universe. God fought tooth and nail against Satan, such that no one could really be sure who was winning and who would win in the end. God was a loving father. God was an evil brute. God tortured his Son to excise his anger at us. God loved us to the point of coming to earth in the Son, identifying with us and reconciling us.
Is it any wonder people are confused about what Christianity is, what message it presents about God, or what the church does or should stand for? What are we even talking about when we use the word salvation? Who or what are we being saved from? It is being rescued from God, from some wicked third party, or maybe even from ourselves? What is the point of all of this? What is the point of grace? What does atonement even mean?
We don't know who wrote the Epistle to the Hebrews we are reading today. We know the author was steeped in Judaism, Temple rites, and Jewish concepts surrounding sacrifice. We know Jesus is here portrayed as the ultimate High Priest, one who not only completely fulfills the role, but abolishes any further need of any intermediary as priest or sacrifice before God. In fact, today's passage portrays Jesus in this priestly office as participating in our own struggles, calling us siblings and identifying with us to the point of becoming like us in all things, including our sufferings, but not limited even to that.
You remembe ...
Author: Christopher Harbin
Text: Hebrews 2:10-18
There are many caricatures of God around us. I recall several from cartoons of my childhood. I picked up others from church settings. I encountered others in song, evangelistic tracts, radio, sermons, and informal conversations. God was the old, bearded, white man up in the clouds having Peter check to who was or wasn't allowed through the pearly gates. God was the harsh deity seeking any excuse to condemn people to eternal punishment. God was far above and over all the universe. God fought tooth and nail against Satan, such that no one could really be sure who was winning and who would win in the end. God was a loving father. God was an evil brute. God tortured his Son to excise his anger at us. God loved us to the point of coming to earth in the Son, identifying with us and reconciling us.
Is it any wonder people are confused about what Christianity is, what message it presents about God, or what the church does or should stand for? What are we even talking about when we use the word salvation? Who or what are we being saved from? It is being rescued from God, from some wicked third party, or maybe even from ourselves? What is the point of all of this? What is the point of grace? What does atonement even mean?
We don't know who wrote the Epistle to the Hebrews we are reading today. We know the author was steeped in Judaism, Temple rites, and Jewish concepts surrounding sacrifice. We know Jesus is here portrayed as the ultimate High Priest, one who not only completely fulfills the role, but abolishes any further need of any intermediary as priest or sacrifice before God. In fact, today's passage portrays Jesus in this priestly office as participating in our own struggles, calling us siblings and identifying with us to the point of becoming like us in all things, including our sufferings, but not limited even to that.
You remembe ...
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