/And when the goodness and the love of the salvation of our God
appeared, not out of works in righteousness which we ourselves have
done, but according to His mercy, He saved us through a bath of
regeneration and a renewing of the Holy Spirit, Whom He poured out upon
us abundantly, through Jesus Christ, the Savior of us, in order that,
being justified in that grace, that we may come to be heirs according to
hope of eternal life. /
It's all about the Tabernacle. You recall that huge, portable worship
tent the Israelites used throughout their wanderings from Sinai into the
promised land. The Lord instructed Moses to build it so that there would
be a place for God's special saving, loving, and forgiving presence to
be clearly found among His people. God Himself, in all His divine glory,
came down to be in the holy of holies within that tabernacle, but a veil
had to be placed to separate sinful man from God's holy presence.
In the days of the Tabernacle, no one was allowed to enter into that
most holy place of the tabernacle, except one man on one day of the
year. On Yom Kippur the "Day of Atonement" only the High Priest could
enter God's glorious presence, bearing with him he blood of a spotless
lamb. He would pour some of it's blood on the mercy seat on top of the
ark of the covenant, and then take the rest and pour it out upon the
sons of Israel, sprinkling it upon them 7 times to atone for their sins.
In this way the Tabernacle brought a much needed link between sinful
people and their holy God, through the connecting blood of the
sacrificial lamb. The lamb died for the people's sins, so that they
wouldn't have to pay the price of the wages of sin, which is death. Just
like at Passover, God accepted the spotless Lamb as their substitute in
death. The lamb's blood reconciled sinful people to their holy and
righteous God. The lamb atoned for their sins, and brought them God's
forgiveness.
So why don't we have tabernacles and sacrificial lambs nowadays? It's
because God found a better way to tabernacle with His people. Your Lord
brought down His saving, loving, and forgiving presence to mankind in
the best way possible--in the person of His only-begotten Son, Christ
Jesus! Jesus was God Who became flesh and literally "tabernacled" among
us. Jesus was born of a virgin, and He brought down from heaven God's
love incarnate, to reconnect sinful people with their holy God.
Jesus did this the very same way that it was accomplished in Old
Testament times. A spotless Lamb had to be sacrificed, so Jesus became
that spotless "Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" as John
the Baptizer addressed Him. Jesus willingly sacrificed Himself in your
place at the cross, taking the death you deserve to die as His Own, so
that you are now reconciled to God the Father. Your sin is atoned for in
Christ! God's forgiveness is now yours in your incarnate Savior!
Well, you've heard how God tabernacled 3500 years ago, and 2000 years
ago. Now hear how God tabernacles with you today! As you learned from
Luther's Small Catechism, according to God's mercy He saved us, by a
washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit. This is your
baptism, which cleansed you from all of your sins. God chose to come and
be with you, in your newly-created heart that day, and the Holy Spirit
of Jesus still dwells there, to keep your faith focused on Jesus!
But that's not the only way God comes to tabernacle with you today. Your
Savior Jesus also comes to be in you. His very body which was given up
to death on the + is fed to you this day in the bread of Holy Communion.
His very blood which He willingly shed to reconcile you to God your
Father is given to you to drink in the cup of your salvation in the
Lord's Supper. Think about it...you eat and drink Jesus, your Savior
today! God comes to dwell in you, to make your body His Own dwelling!
Your heavenly Father also comes to tabernacle with you as well. He sent
His Own holy Word to become flesh. Jesus is His Father's Spokesman,
preaching and teaching only what was given Him to proclaim. That Word of
the Father bespeaks you righteous with Christ's Own holiness! That word
is truth, and it dwells in you richly. The Father's message of love to
you in His Son Christ Jesus is in you whenever it proclaims to you that
you are forgiven, saved, and loved by Jesus' dying & rising.
So this Christmas morn, of all the gifts you give and receive, cherish
one the very most--the gift of God's willingness to tabernacle upon,
among, and within you with His special, loving, saving, and forgiving
presence. "God and man are reconciled!" Praise be to Jesus, our
incarnate Savior! Amen
John C. Drosendahl, Pastor
[email protected]
