November 3–only Jesus

It’s the weekend and I’m late!! Last night, I spoke to a group of friends about my trip to Israel. In going back through my pictures, I remembered Cesárea by the Sea. A beautiful place where Herod built a “little Rome” complete with a great harbor. But it was in this place where the international Church was born. Up until this time, the Christian Jews still felt a very strong bond to the Law and the Prophets, the Old Testament as they knew it. They still believed that you needed to be a Jew first and then you could be a Christian. Here at Cesárea, the word came down that “No, you only need me—All people, not just Jews, can come straight to me!”  

Over generations they had become deeply convinced about God’s message to them. God had called Abraham, who, because he was faithful, was blessed abundantly. In the same way, the Jews or Hebrews as a people, were called to be faithful to the Law through Moses. They proved unfaithful and as a nation and were exiled 600–800 years after Moses. In exile, they learned repentance and developed a will never to forsake the Law again. 

Now God had revealed something new. He had spoken through His Son. God's promises through His prophets of a Messiah had been fulfilled. But it was not what the Hebrews expected. The message did not contradict God’s nature but it did change very deeply things the Jews held closely in the practice of their religion. How could they put aside these familiar and precious things? 

The letter of Hebrews sets the stage for this by telling them they could change when they have something better. 'You have the Son of God' and that is surely something better than whatever they had before. Scripture shows us that Jesus is the Son (v 5), above all else (vs 6,13), equal to God (v 8) and everlasting (vs 10-12). 

“And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe. The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven....For God never said to any angel what he said to Jesus: “You are my Son. Today I have become your Father. ” God also said, “I will be his Father, and he will be my Son.””

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭1:2-3, 5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Sometimes, we too get caught up with our rituals and ceremonies thinking we need all that to come to God, to worship Him. Corporate worship is vital, but worship of our God is the focus, not what or how we sing, but that we sing! That we think on Him and not on what comes next in the ceremony of it all. 

We can worship together right now.

Father in Heaven, we love you and adore you and we now before you this day in worship and praise. Your name is Holy and your grace is great. We sing hallelujah to the Lamb and we lay our lives in sacrifice before you. Worthy are you to receive honor and glory! You are Jehovah, the Alpha and the Omega and we are your people. Amen and amen. 

Love you dear friend,

Pam