Law And Gospel: Sinai And Zion - [Hebrews 12:18-24]

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Well, this morning, I'd like to ask you a question. What's the difference between comparing and contrasting?
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A lot of times it just rolls off my tongue, oh, that's a comparison or that's a contrast. Contrast. What's the difference between compare and contrast?
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Well, according to the Internet, here's the difference. Compare means to look at both similarities and differences between two things.
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So these are the things that are alike. These are the things that are different. That's a comparison. But contrast means to identify the things that are only different.
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So similarities is a comparison. Identifying differences is a contrast. And when you contrast things, it makes you pay attention to detail.
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It makes you look at the minute areas so that you would know the differences. Some say it helps you understand things better.
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It helps you retain what you've learned. And one of the things
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I've noticed in Scripture, there are regular contrasts in Scripture. Two ways that both
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Jews, Hellenists, and Greeks used. Some examples.
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I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse.
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So choose life. Jeremiah 21. You shall say to all the people,
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Thus says the Lord, Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death. Contrasting those two.
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Psalm 1 -6. I'm sure you know this. For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.
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Elijah said on Mount Carmel, How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the Lord is
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God, follow him. On the other hand, contrastingly, if Baal is God, follow him.
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And of course, our Lord Jesus boldly proclaimed, Enter by the narrow gate, for the gate is wide, and the way is easy, that leads to destruction.
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And those who enter it are many. For the gate is narrow, and the way is hard, that leads to life.
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And there are few who find it. But the contrast of all contrasts,
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I believe, is found in Hebrews chapter 12. So why don't you take your Bibles, and if you have one, turn to Hebrews chapter 12.
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The contrast of all contrasts. And essentially, this is a theological construct for Christianity.
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If you understand this passage, you'll understand I have two options. That option to get to heaven and to be in God's presence is through my obedience, obeying the law, as we just heard read from the pulpit.
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Or trusting in the one who obeyed for me. Both approaches are very common today.
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The default for every religion in the world is works, our works. People might say, well, true or false, you have to have works to get to heaven.
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Yes, perfect works, Jesus' works. But typically people approach God and they say, I want to do things civilly, morally, religiously.
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I do good things for people, kind of like the golden rule. But the other hand, on the other hand, there's this other way, the only way, and that is the
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Christian way, through the works of the Lord Jesus Christ. Here we have a paradigm for understanding, really, not just the
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Old Testament, but of all the Bible, Hebrews 12, verses 18 through 24.
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And it has two mountains contrasted. The only comparison is there's a mountain, but everything else is different.
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So I'm going to read Hebrews 12, 18 through 24, and the first paragraph is really one sentence in the original.
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The second paragraph is one sentence. And see if you can see the differences. They are stark.
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They are obvious. And the writer wants you to know that. And really, this was first preached. And you could hear a preacher preach this so that you would say to yourself,
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I don't want that old covenant. I don't want that old gloom and doom. I don't want to get to heaven by trying to work my way there because I could never do it.
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That's a bad option. Therefore, I'd like the positive option. And that is crafted so well so that it might beckon you to believe and to keep trusting in Jesus.
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If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned. Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said,
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I tremble with fear. But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living
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God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
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Dear friends watching over the Internet and those in this building, the new covenant is better because Jesus is better.
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The mediator, Jesus, is better. Do you want Moses as your go -between or do you want the
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Lord Jesus? I could put it this way. Do you want law or do you want gospel as approaching
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God and one day having to stand before His presence? Do you want to go in by your own merits? That's a bad option because none of us can perfectly obey the law.
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Or do you want to go in by the merits of another where there's joy? One's fear, one's joy.
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Two destinies, two mountains, two theological approaches to God.
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Now, as you look at this passage, it would not surprise you to see the first word in verse 18, for, which means it's going to be connected to the earlier section.
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And the earlier section was about apostasy. Remember that person that was like exactly opposite of Jesus? As Jesus ran the race to the end, as Jesus ran with joy, as Jesus then lives this life of self -denial and obedience to God the
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Father, you see the anti -Jesus Esau. And what does Esau do? I'm not going to run.
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I am going to be bitter and affect other people. And I will give in to sexual immorality and I will give in to profane living.
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I will not act like there's an eternity, there's no transcendence, there's no tomorrow. Here's who
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Jesus is. Here's how he ran. Here's Esau. And he, the writer, is trying to say, by the way, chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, for those who are trusting in this great high priest, keep trusting.
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But those who are kind of tippy -toeing around, I don't know, maybe I should go back to Judaism. The temple's over there.
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It sure looks nice. There's no persecution. The grass is better from where I came from.
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What should I do? He says, listen, do not be an apostate like Esau.
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It ends poorly. It ends at the mountain of Sinai where you're going to have to obey perfectly to get in.
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So when you see people failing and sinning, they're not always apostate, of course.
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I talked to somebody this week, and they were struggling with their own sin, a dear Christian man. I said, do you want to run the race?
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Yes. Are you bitter and you're trying to infect the congregation with bitterness and trouble and defile the congregation?
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Oh, no, he said. I said, is your life given over to sexual immorality, either literal or online or figurative, where you're going to just prostitute yourself to another god?
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He's like, of course not. And you know what I said to him? Well, then you're not an apostate. Are you still trusting in who
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Jesus is? Yes. So here's what the writer is doing with that word for.
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If you do want to turn your back on Jesus and say, you know what, I know he's prophet, priest, and king. I know he's gracious.
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I know I can approach the Father through his merits, but I don't want him. Here is your destiny.
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The terrors of Sinai. Some have called this the rhetorical climax of the entire epistle.
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And I think if you get this, you get everything in the book of Hebrews. So let's look at this first section, verses 18 through verse 21.
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Now, by the way, if you study this on your own, you're going to see seven descriptions of this old covenant, and you're going to see seven descriptions of the new covenant.
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And I might have them listed out in sequence, or I might just talk about each of them.
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But there's a nice balance here and a good way for you to contrast things. Two mountains, two covenants, two destinies, two ways to approach
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God. One is of fear and doom, and the other is of joy inexpressible and full of glory.
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This should be so obvious so that you don't go to Sinai.
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Well, here's this first mountain. Do you see it in verse 18? For you have not come to a mountain that may be touched.
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By the way, verse 22, but you have come to Mount Zion. There's our linking words right there.
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You have not come, but you have come. So this first mountain is Sinai. It's a mountain with all kinds of language here that should make you think,
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I think I should probably stay away. I think it was Erwin Lutzer who said, we think trapezing into the presence of God is a good thing.
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We hear people singing songs about, God, may your fire come down, and I want to be in your presence, and I want you to touch me, and all these kind of things.
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Well, without a mediator, that would be an awful thing. This old covenant is simple.
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Obey the law, do this, and you will be blessed. But of course, we know we have fallen short of the glory of God and Adam, as was prayed earlier, as our federal head has plunged us into sin.
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I could put this section here in verses 18, 19, 20, 21, summarized by Galatians, which quotes
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Deuteronomy. For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, for it is written,
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Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law.
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And then he says with interesting grammar, And to do them. Here's the mountain that you come to to say, you know what,
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I'm going to approach God. I'm going to trapeze into His presence through Moses' law.
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That's not a good thing. You will be in His presence one day, but that's going to be called eternal hell.
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And by the way, when you look at this passage, I don't really see descriptions of God. Of course,
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He's a spirit, so we can't know what His face might be like. And we might look at anthropomorphic kind of descriptions in the
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Old Testament. But here, the focus isn't on the appearance. The focus is on the place.
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And that's scary enough. How much more would the appearance of God be? It would be like Isaiah on his face trying to describe
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God. He starts with a pavement first because he just can't look. Every one of these recipients of this book would understand that blazing fire and darkness and gloom that was at Sinai.
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Just imagine the scene. I wonder what it sounded like. And the trumpets and the shofars. It was supposed to be awesome.
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It was supposed to be fearful. Lots of times, you know, we say the word awesome. I remember when I was first a Christian, it's almost like you had to correct everybody if they ever said awesome.
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You know, that was an awesome jump shot. That was an awesome sunset. No, no, you're only supposed to use awesome for God. It's funny.
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I see the Makarowskis in the back. They look real. Except John doesn't smile when
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I preach usually. He smiles afterwards and says thanks for the message. The holiness of God is described, but almost like the after effects.
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It's almost like, you know, here, let's just put people in the cleft of the rock and just see what goes by. And it's not inviting.
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The approach isn't good. It's ominous. It's threatening. It's sinister. It's foreboding.
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And by the way, when you see fire, darkness, tempest, and trumpet, and you've thought like a
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Jew, what would you be thinking? Here's what you would think. And this opens everything up. Fire, darkness, tempest, and trumpet in the
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Old Testament are regularly identified with the presence of God. The presence of God.
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Here's what's happening. Yes, God is everywhere. We know that.
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God is omnipresent. But there's special times we see the manifestation of God, in particular places.
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And here on Sinai, he was there. Fire. Darkness.
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Tempest. Trumpet. Let me give you a few examples. 1 Kings 18, Then the fire of the
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Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water in the trench.
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And when the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, The Lord, he is God. The Lord, he is God. The Lord, he is
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God. Fire often, in the Old Testament, will denote God's presence.
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Darkness as well. Solomon said in 1 Kings 8, The Lord has said that he would dwell in thick darkness.
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What about a tempest? Nahum 1. Verse 3, His way, God's way, is in the world wind, and the storm, and the clouds, or the dust of his feet.
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Fire, darkness, tempest, and trumpets. You can even think in the future with the last trumpet, and the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.
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The Lord will send out his angels, Matthew 24, with a loud trumpet call. Here's the point. If you want to saunter into God's presence with Moses the mediator, to use the vernacular, you have another thing coming.
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Don't do that. A return to the old covenant is terrifying.
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It means you think you can perfectly obey the law. As Pastor Steve was praying, even with the rich young ruler, to try to come to Jesus, God incarnate, and say, you know what?
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I perfectly kept the law. I've never sinned. No man can be justified in God's sight by keeping the law.
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The law is supposed to show us that we can't. The law is good and holy because it reflects God's goodness and his holiness, but it's to help us to say, you know what?
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There's got to be another way. There didn't have to be another way. When angels sinned, they didn't have an option. But the
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Lord God has given us another way. Not Sinai, but Zion. And when it really gets scary here is when there's words, and they beg that no further word, verse 19, should be spoken to them.
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There's a blast of the trumpet. There's a sound of words with such, they beg that no further word should be spoken to them.
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It's one thing with the darkness and the gloom and the tempest and the trumpets and the blasting of all this, but no, when the
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Word is taught, when the Word is said, they were fearing God. They thought they were dead. Judge, severity, perfect obedience required.
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How can you get away from God? This reminds me of the garden. You know, if you look at the Bible with the one divine author, with this organic unity, and you see hell in Revelation 14, where it's in the presence of God and in the presence of the
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Lamb. God is in hell. But there's no mediator for those people, and so it's awful to be in God's presence.
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I see flickers of that, don't you, back in Genesis chapter 3, where Adam and Eve sinned and they tried to cover themselves because they didn't want to be in the presence of God.
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And when I think the Lord Jesus, the pre -incarnate Son, walks on the earth in the spirit of the day, that judgment day, the text translates it in the cool of the day, they knew they were undone.
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They didn't want to be in His presence. There are many audible elements here to this passage, but it's the worst when
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God is speaking. They were begging. Here's what A .W.
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Pink said. The scope and design of the whole passage should now be obvious to the reader. The purpose was to show how inferior
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Judaism was to Christianity. We can't go this way.
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That's a bad mountain. I'm reading Pilgrim's Progress with some men at church, and I love the names of people in Pilgrim's Progress, pliable, obstinate.
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Maybe my all -time favorite one is ignorant. There's a man named Worldly Wiseman, and Christian is saying, you know what,
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I feel a burden. He's not a Christian yet. I feel a burden on my back. I've got sin. My wife thinks I'm crazy.
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My kids think I'm crazy. The town thinks I'm crazy, but I need some help, and by the way, this is a burden on my back.
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I've got to go someplace. I've got to get out of this. And he took
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Worldly Wiseman's advice, Bunyan writes, so Christian turned out of his way.
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Instead of going to the cross, he turned out of his way to go to Mr. Legality's house for help. But behold, when he was got now hard by the hill,
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Sinai, it seemed so high, and also that side of it was next to the wayside, did hang over so much that Christian was afraid to venture farther.
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That's good thinking. Lest the hill should fall on his head. Wherefore, there he stood still and wanted not what to do, and his burden seemed even heavier to him than while he was in his way.
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There also came flashes of fire out of the hill that made Christian afraid that he should be burnt.
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Here, therefore, he sweat and did quake for fear, and now he began to be sorry that he had taken
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Mr. Worldly Wiseman's counsel. If you think I'm going to approach God in any other way besides Jesus, the mediator, the high priest, the risen
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Savior, then it's back to law. It's back to Sinai. Verse 20,
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For they could not bear the command, even if a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned. Wow.
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Even if an animal, an innocent animal, it goes over there.
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By the way, don't go over there and cut its throat because now you'll be on the mountain. No, from afar, kill it.
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How holy is God? How different is God? How transcendent is God? How separate is
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God from sinners? What you should be thinking is as you look at this mountain of, if I want to get to heaven by keeping the law, by being circumcised, by being baptized, by being good, by doing more good than bad,
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God is inaccessible. I can't make it that way.
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At the sight was so terrible, verse 21,
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Moses said, I am full of fear and trembling.
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This is John who falls down at the feet of Jesus, though dead, type of thing.
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The writer is saying, Jews, don't go back to Judaism. And if you're struggling with Christianity now and you're thinking, you know what,
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I know the promises of God, but I think I need to go back to my old ways, whatever those works ways are, don't.
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Jesus is greater than Moses. We've already learned that in Hebrews chapter 3. Sinai can't deal with sin.
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It just exposes sin. Exodus 19, behold,
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I shall come to you in a thick cloud, the Lord said to Moses, in order that the people may hear when I speak with you and may also believe in you forever.
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Then Moses told the words of the people to the Lord. Set bounds for the people all around.
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Beware that you do not go up on the mountain or touch the border of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death.
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No hand shall touch him, but he shall surely be stoned or shot through. Whether beast or man, he shall not live.
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When the ram's horn sounds a long blast, then they shall come up to the mountain. And it came about on the third day when it was morning, that there were thunder and lightning flashes and a thick cloud upon the mountain, a very loud trumpet sound, so that all the people in the camp trembled.
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That's Sinai. Christian, you keep believing because there's no way back.
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Those who are on the border of apostasy are turning their back. Why go back to any law -based religion where you have to perfectly obey?
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God is not approachable through your good works. The bridge can't be gapped with any works.
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But now, everything turns. We have the but there in verse 22.
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As gloom and doom filled with tempest and trumpets and begging and inapproachability and inaccessibility were true of the old covenant, the new covenant exactly is the opposite.
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The contrast is so clear, it is the contrast of contrast. This is new covenant promises for a different mountain, not
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Sinai, but Zion. The new covenant is way better.
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And this section makes me want to smile and think about heavenly worship.
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P .S., we tend to think that, you know what, this is where we're going to go. This is what heaven will be like.
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But what's the text say? But you have come to Mount Zion. There's this attitude of, you know what, already not yet, theologians say.
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We've already come to Zion, and we've experienced this from the Lord. We've tasted grace, as it were, and forgiveness, and new covenant benefits, and He remembers our sins no more, and He's written
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His laws in our hearts. But there's a future, too. There's a future.
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By the way, when I read this section, I think corporate worship now, when we are participating in what the people in heaven are doing and the angels are doing,
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I think this should motivate corporate worship to be more enthusiastic and from the heart. It's a mountain called
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Zion. So I might give you these seven New Testament, new covenant rather markers, descriptions just described right from the text.
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They won't be in alliteration or anything like that, but just these seven new covenant descriptions that show how much better this is.
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So keep believing, or if you don't believe, believe. The first one is Mount Zion. The new covenant is better because it has a better high priest, and it's described as Mount Zion.
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And it's kind of all together described. Mount Zion, city of the living God, heavenly Jerusalem.
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It's all describing the same thing. It's amazing. Mount Zion is not
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Mount Sinai. And so come to this mountain. You've come to this mountain. Mount Zion was a location where David was captured.
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The Jebusites had a stronghold there. They'd keep the ark of God there. And it was denoted in the
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Old Testament as God's presence, where God earthly dwelling was found.
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And here you're thinking about spiritual counterparts, not earthly things, but spiritual.
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And so we have Zion, a city of the living God. These designations,
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Zion, city, and Jerusalem, are all regarded as a single unit, the scholars would say, and I believe that.
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And it says you've come to a different mountain, the city where God dwells. And you can come to this mountain.
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And by the way, not a dead God, but a living God. By the way, Jerusalem is great. But how about the heavenly
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Jerusalem? It's so much greater. You can just imagine some of the Jewish people who are tempted to go back to Judaism.
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They're like, I just need to go back to the old ways. I just need to go back to Jerusalem where the temple is.
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No, no. This mountain, while the other mountain was foreboding and don't touch it, this mountain is, please come.
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You're welcome. You're safe. What were cities? Safe places, protected places, enjoyable places.
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Please come. This is inviting. This is the city, Hebrews 11 .10, which has foundations whose architect and builder is
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God. God built this city. He built this city. Please come. Everything good about a living
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God in a living place, it's wonderful. I saw a new heaven and a new earth for the first heaven and the first earth passed away,
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Revelation 21 says. There's no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new
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Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.
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And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and he will dwell among them, and they shall be his people, and God himself will be among them.
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And he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no longer any death. There'll be no longer any mourning or crying or pain.
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The first things have come to pass. What city do you want to go to? Which mountain do you want to go to?
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Sinai? Or Zion? God is your
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God. He himself will be with them, and they will worship. It's amazing to me.
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True or false? Our citizenship is in heaven. Well, the answer is true. That's Philippians chapter 3.
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And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus. Again, already not yet.
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We're citizens, but we're waiting for the ultimate. Well, what's more? And maybe this is the part that I've been waiting to preach all week.
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Not just Mount Zion as a descriptor. The second descriptor that should make you keep believing and not go back to any old covenant system or works or law, innumerable angels in festal gathering.
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I first read that. I thought, What is that? Innumerable angels in festal gathering.
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Now, one of the first things I remembered was angels do a lot of rejoicing.
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We're talking about the good angels, the holy angels. Remember Jesus said in Luke 15, I tell you there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.
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The angels are excited to see God's triune work in the heart of a person, saving them.
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I remember the shepherds and the angels in Luke 2. And there was the angel.
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And with that angel, a multitude of heavenly hosts praising God, saying, Glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace among those with whom he is pleased.
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The angels, think about it. In the old covenant, what did they do?
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Acts 7, Hebrews 2, and Galatians said they helped deliver the law.
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What did they do here? The law has been fulfilled by Jesus. Now they're in heaven.
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And instead of saying, You know what? Keep the law or you can't get in. There's a festival.
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There's a holiday celebration. Innumerable, not just one, but myriads of angels, innumerable angels.
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And it's like this. They're in heaven celebrating the goodness of God. And they're saying, Please come.
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Join us. Instead of stay away and make sure no cow touches the bottom of the mountain. Now it's welcoming.
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We used to deliver the law to keep you away from God. Now the priest has come, the high priest, the Lord Jesus, and he has perfectly fulfilled it.
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And so now approach God. You have no shame, nothing to pay for because it's already been paid.
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Approach God. There's a festival. I love the language of the Old Testament when it comes to these angels.
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Ten thousands of his holy ones, Deuteronomy 33. Psalm 68. The chariots of God are twice ten thousand, thousands upon thousands.
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Daniel 7. A thousand thousand served him and ten thousands times ten thousands stood before him.
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There are so many angels swirling around the throne of God. And what do they say? Don't trespass.
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You're not welcome. Obey perfectly. They're not saying that. It's a festival. It's a feast.
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It means they're excited to worship. There's well -being in heaven.
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I had to look this up. I don't know if you've ever looked up the word festive. I typed in etymology festive.
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1650 is pertaining to a feast. From Latin, festivus. Festive, joyous, gay.
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From festum, festival, holiday. Neuter use of noun, festus, joyful, merry, feast.
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The word unattested in English from 1651 to 1735. It does appear in a poem by William Somerville with the sense of fond of feasting, jovial, mirthful, joyous.
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These angels that used to deliver the law and the old covenant, now they're mirthful. Do you ever say mirthful?
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We say mirthful often. And another word that's related to festival is festoons.
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I don't know if you looked up what festoons were, but these garlands for a festival. In secular literature, this word that's used here for this festal gathering means you won the
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Olympics. And afterwards, there's the party. It's the after show.
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It's the after party. Eternal festal gathering in heaven.
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Thousands upon thousands of angels worshiping in joyful assembly. Which one do you want?
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Law or gospel? Do this and live or it's been done for you.
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Enjoy. A number that cannot be counted, swirling around heaven.
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As the law was communicated in the Old Testament through these angelic messengers. Remember Hebrews 2,
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For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, And every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution.
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That kind of language with the old covenant and angels was foreboding. And here, it's welcoming. Don't go back.
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By the way, as I think of those in heaven now, doing that very thing. I'm thinking, what must be going through their minds?
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Not just there with the angels, but the angels' attention, of course, in the center of heaven. That is on the
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Lord Jesus Christ. This is how they worship. Festival worship. By the way, what does this kind of idea say about our ho -hum worship?
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All too often. It should energize us. This is the language of Isaiah 66, verse 10.
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Be joyful with Jerusalem and rejoice for her. All you who love her.
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Have a celebration. Have a festival. What does
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Revelation chapter 7 say? If I read Revelation chapter 7, it says,
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Therefore, they are before the throne of God. Serve him day and night in the temple. And he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.
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They shall hunger no more, neither thirst no more. The sun shall not strike them, nor scorching heat.
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For the Lamb is in the midst of the throne and will be their shepherd. And he will guide them to springs of living water.
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And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. I would have said this if the
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McLaughlins were here or not. But I was thinking about this passage in the last several weeks. And when I heard that Larry died,
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I just thought, Festal gathering and the angels and the swarming herds of it, as it were, where he's joining in that worship.
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And the Lamb. Lots of times I would talk to Larry. And I don't know if he was very impressed by what
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I said. But I think Larry's impressed today. Not just by the angels, but at the centerpiece.
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Well, there's another marker here, another description. Assembly of firstborn who are enrolled in heaven. Now, this pastor, this preacher is trying to make sure you just keep believing and you know these wonderful truths about the new covenant with Jesus as your priest.
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Don't go back to Moses as the priest. And he says to the general assembly, to the general church, ekklesia, the church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven.
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What is this? Well, scholars like to debate on everything here. But it's essentially saying whether you're old covenant, new covenant,
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Old Testament saint, New Testament saint, all the believers are there. It's a general assembly. Assembly could be used in the
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Old Testament for Israel. It could be used in the New Testament. I don't think we're trying to parse any kind of detail here, except this is the vision of the ultimate, completed, perfect company of God, the ones that the
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Father has given the Son in eternity past to go redeem. Everyone eventually will be there, and they're all worshiping.
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No second -class citizens. They're just there worshiping.
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They've been enrolled in the book of life. They've been enrolled in heaven. And we come to the church of the firstborn.
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Jesus, of course, is the ultimate firstborn. But we, as his sons, as his being our older brother, can participate with the
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Lord Jesus. It's not just angels, in other words. You say, what's the point? It's not just angels who are enrolled, but it's human beings.
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I like John Newton when he said, Fading is the world's best pleasure, all its boasted pomp and show, solid joys and lasting treasure, none but Zion's children know.
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And whether it's Abraham, whether it's Sarah, whether it's anybody in chapter 11, whether it's before the cross or after the cross, all trusting in the
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Messiah and his promises, they are there. While Esau, he said no to his birthright, he was the firstborn and he didn't care at all.
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Jesus is the one who sanctifies, and those who are sanctified all have one source, Hebrews 2. That is why he's not ashamed to call them brothers.
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As Spurgeon said, the firstborn among many brothers, Jesus is called. The firstborn over all creation, Colossians 1 he's called.
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The firstborn from the dead that he might have preeminence in everything, Colossians chapter 1. But there was another firstborn, and that was
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Israel. She, Israel, born under the old Mosaic covenant.
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But now, we're firstborn, we're sons, we're daughters. The assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven.
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Number four, God, the judge of all. Okay, I thought you said, Mike, that this isn't going to be scary.
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Now in the center of all this is God the judge. I don't want to be judged. I thought that's
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Moses law, that's Sinai law, this is a different mountain. How can this be encouraging, how can this be comforting?
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I'm scared, God's the judge. Especially when the Greek language puts judge in front of God where it's emphatic.
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True or false? You'll get to heaven, Christian, and God will judge your sins. Will he judge your sins?
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Well, I can put it a different way. Has God already judged your sins? Did Jesus say, it is finished?
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You know, every one of your sins has been paid for completely. You don't have to worry about standing before God as judge anymore because he's your father.
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So what must this be? Friends, this is a vindication. Think about the Hebrew people, they're getting persecuted.
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And now they're up in heaven, what would give them great joy? What would give people on earth great joy knowing something will happen in heaven?
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And that is the vindication of God's people as he judges the unbelievers for what they've done. Psalm 9 tells us that.
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The Lord reigns forever, he has established his throne for judgment. He will judge the world in righteousness.
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He will govern the peoples with justice. The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.
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Those who know your name will trust in you. Lord, you have not forsaken those who seek you.
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Sing praises to the Lord enthroned in Zion. Proclaim among the nations what he has done.
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For he avenges the blood and he does not ignore the cry of the afflicted.
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God's not going to judge you. He might judge your deeds with the great white throne judgment.
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No, with the Bema seat judgment. But great white throne judgment is over because Jesus died for you. But God will pass judgment on those people who persecute his people.
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That's the point. The judge of the earth, he'll do right. This is not condemnation for God's people.
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Philip Hughes writes, This judge is also the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, whose sacrifice is perfect, the first ground of our acceptance and justification.
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To him, the Christian believer comes gladly and with confidence, knowing that what is for others a throne of judgment is for him a throne of grace.
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That's Hebrews chapter 4. We boldly come to the throne of grace. So what is God judging? Whom is
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God judging? He's judging people that have persecuted the church.
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We stand before God with full assurance and full confidence. But God is going to judge others.
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He's already judged us. Well, what else is happening here? Time is almost up. The spirits of righteous made perfect.
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You see that? The spirits of righteous men made perfect. I was thinking about this the other day with bumper sticker theology.
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I don't know if any of you have bumper stickers, but I've seen all kinds of Christian bumper stickers in my life. I think maybe when
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I first got saved, somebody had enough sense to tell me, Mike, don't put a Christian bumper sticker on your car, your car or like one of those fish deals, those things.
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Because then if you pull in front of somebody or cut somebody off, which we're inevitably prone to do, then they'll think, you know, it's the
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Christian kind of sign of love or something. So I don't think I ever did the Christian bumper sticker. Once I think
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I put a Sig Sauer bumper sticker on my car and they said, don't do that because you're going to get in trouble.
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And my other my favorite all time bumper sticker deal was, remember when our lesbian neighbors loaned me their car kindly because my car was broken down and I brought it to church here and parked.
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And I wish it would have been like a pastor's parking stall, because when I pulled in there on the back was the equal sign.
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Love makes a family. The rainbow flag. So I'm fond of bumper stickers.
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I'm fond to make fun of them is what I am, not to put them on my car. We're not perfect.
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We're just forgiven bumper sticker. Is that true? Well, in one sense, yes, we practically don't act perfectly, but we're forgiven.
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The forgiven part's right. What's the text say here, though? And to the spirits of righteous men made perfect.
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And when you think of that word perfect, here's how I want you to think about it forever and always when it comes to this type of context.
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Christian, is there anything missing in your Christian life from what God has done? Has He withheld anything from you?
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Do you lack something, some kind of resource? Do you need something?
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And you say, well, I need all kinds of things. I'm talking about your position before God. Nothing is lacking.
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It's perfect. It's complete. How does that happen? Well, Hebrews 10, 14, if you just go back there just for a quick second, just probably turn one page in your
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Bible. Hebrews 10, 14, for by a single offering He has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
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We're made perfect by the sacrifice of Jesus. That is to say, positionally, we stand before God as perfect.
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And who are these people that we're talking about here in Hebrews chapter 12, the spirits of the righteous men made perfect?
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I think you can go backwards and see those Old Testament heroes, really
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Old Testament men and women in Hebrews 11 trusting in the hero, the Lord Jesus. This is anybody who walks by faith and not by sight.
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This is anybody who the righteous will live by faith. Old Testament believers, New Testament believers, translated to glory, they are perfect positionally and one day will be perfect practically.
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Well, there's two more to go. Sick number six, Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant. Dear friends, you want to go back to law or do you want to go to gospel?
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You want to approach God by being good or trusting in the one who is good and did good. Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, verse 24.
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Now, Jesus has been told by this author that he's the firstborn often.
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And if you probably just remember the center of the book, now this is the point in what we are saying. Hebrews 8, we have such a high priest, the one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the majesty in heaven.
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It talks about Jesus who does this great mediating work throughout all this Bible through all this book rather.
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He's the mediator. Remember Job? I just need someone to put his hand on me to represent me and put his hand on God.
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Figuratively speaking, I need a middleman. I need a mediator. I need an advocate. I need a lawyer.
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That's who the Lord Jesus is. We have that. And at the center of heaven, it's the Lord Jesus. Why would you go back to Moses?
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Moses sinned. Moses needed a mediator. But Jesus never sins. He doesn't need a mediator.
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As Pastor Steve was praying and talking, we truly God so he can be on this hand, and truly man so he can be on this hand to be our mediator.
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There's been a ripped curtain. Jesus has paid for our sin. Jesus has earned our righteousness. Why go back to law when you can go to the mediator?
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There's one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus. You have him. And by the way, when he uses the word
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Jesus and not Christ, you should be focusing on his life and his suffering, his death, his burial, his resurrection, his ascension.
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He is the mediator. And then lastly, verse 24 ends with number seven, the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
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Better than the blood of Abel. Of course, Abel was killed by his brother Cain. And remember the blood of Abel.
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What does the text say in the Old Covenant? That it's crying out. It's speaking something. What's it cry out for?
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Judge him. Judge him. That was wrong. Christ's blood? What does that cry out?
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You're not guilty. Judge? Forgiven.
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Pay him back? Jesus paid it all. Abel needs to be vindicated.
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Jesus vindicates. It's amazing. It's wonderful. A curse or a blessing?
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Old Covenant or new? Why go back to Sinai? Right after the mention of Jesus as mediator, we think about his death, his sprinkled blood.
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You think of Exodus 24, and they have to sprinkle the blood on all the different instruments in the tabernacle.
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You've come to this Jesus. Why go back? You mean you're going to go back to Exodus 24?
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Moses took half the blood and put it in basins, and half the blood he threw it against the altar. Then he took the Book of the
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Covenant and read it in hearing of the people. And here's what they said. All that the Lord has spoken, we will do, and we will be obedient.
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And they weren't. And I think of Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant, removing our curse.
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And on the way to that curse bearing, he says, I always please the Father. I always do what's pleasing to the
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Father. Why go back? Why go back to law? You think you can obey the law and get to heaven?
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I remember what one little poem said, To run and work the law commands, yet gives me neither feet nor hands.
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But better news the gospel brings, it bids me fly and gives me wings.
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So the writer is trying to say, don't go back to the old covenant. Keep believing.
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Make sure you're standing before God as the work of the Lord Jesus, not your own work. This is the kind of welcome,
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Matt, this is the kind of welcome into heaven that's for all those who trust in the Lord. Boldly come into his presence.
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I told you many, many times that when I first got here, I started to have to lock my door at the study in the office because some people would just come walking right in.
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And whenever they walked in and they weren't Kim, Haley, or what are my kids' names?
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Mattie, Grace, or Luke. I'm thinking they just walk in. You just can't walk in.
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I mean, knock. What do you need to walk into the presence of God?
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I mean, we're sinful and it should be gloom and darkness and everything else, but because of what the
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Lord Jesus did, surely because He loved the Father, simply because He loved sinners like you, we would walk right in.
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Boldly. Why? Because I don't have any sin to pay for anymore. It's all been taken care of, past, present, future.
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I have access. Think about no trespassing signs everywhere. No hunting allowed. And here it's just, please come.
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Come unto me, Jesus said, all who are weary and heavy laden. As austere and horrifying and fearful was the old covenant, because of the new high priest, the ultimate high priest, better than Aaron, better than the prophets, better than Moses, in the light of Melchizedek, come.
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Welcome. Why would you ever go back? John Owen said of this section, it is a summary declaration of the two states of the law and gospel with their difference and incomparable preeminence of one above the other.
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People say, you know, you're always talking law and gospel. I know. That's your access to God.
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Law and gospel. And then after God saves you through the gospel, then you obey His law as a son or a daughter, but not to stay in the kingdom or get into the kingdom.
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I am quite convinced that we think our earthly fathers, nine times out of ten, are more kind than God.
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Your earthly father, I know some of you maybe have awful earthly fathers, but most earthly fathers would not say, you know what, you are not welcome in my presence because you've sinned, and I'm going to take away your last name and you are out.
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Our dads don't even do that. They were sinful. What about God the Father? How much greater is
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He? You say, well, you know what, we need to do things in light of this and respond to God, because we are holy, we are
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Christians, and we want to run that race. That's exactly right. That's Hebrews chapter 13. But until you know you are good with God, until you know
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He is good with you, until you know there is no condemnation, I am justified in God's sight,
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He can't love me less, He can't love me more, until you know that, I don't think you can live a holy life, or you can't live it very well.
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Walter Marshall said, you cannot truly live a holy life unless you are totally assured of your justification and reconciliation with God.
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Totally apart from the works of the law. This is the only way you can truly obey the law. The gospel says that when you are firmly assured of God's love for you, you will respond by living a holy life.
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If you do not understand God's love for you, you will fall into a sinful life. And I believe that.
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So, Christian, we realize we have come from Sinai, and now we are at Zion. Enjoy it.
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Enjoy the presence of God. At my right hand, the Lord says, Our pleasures forevermore. And be thankful.
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And if you are not a Christian, this passage should tell you that God will not accept your measly offerings and your half -hearted attempts of sincere worship when
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He has given you the Son. And you can either act like that lady who said, here is 300 denarii's worth of ointment, and I will put it on the
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Savior's feet and trust Him, or I will be like Judas, and for 10 times less than that, 30 pieces of silver, he betrays
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Jesus. And so, the good news is way better than the bad news. Jesus Christ is the
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Mediator. And therefore, Sinai is gone. It's in the rearview mirror, and Zion is here, and it's coming.
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Let's pray. Thank you, Father, for your word. We're thankful that you have made the way so plain through contrasting the two mountains that Jesus, the gentle and lowly one, is not like Sinai.
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So, Father, I pray for our dear congregation that you'd help us to keep trusting in this
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Jesus. And, Father, for those that are here, or listening, rather, or watching, tempted to go back, questioning
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Christianity, wondering what this is all about, I pray that you would use your law to convict them, and then point them to the
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Savior. Thank you so much for the promises that you have, Father, are yes in Jesus.
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Yes, we're forgiven. Yes, we're reconciled. Yes, there's been a propitiation. Yes, there's the
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Zion. Yes, with the angels. Yes, with worship. Without the Lord Jesus, all the promises would have been no.
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Gloom, darkness, fear, and trembling. So, we rejoice, Father, for what you've done.