Reflections on Scripture with Dr. Leins
| Time Stamp | Transcript |
| 0:00 | [Music] |
| 0:17 | hello today |
| 0:20 | let’s talk about mercy and sacrifice |
| 0:24 | first let’s talk about sacrifice |
| 0:28 | did you know that when the Lord God gave |
| 0:30 | Moses his Commandments about religious |
| 0:33 | festivals in Leviticus chapter 23 |
| 0:37 | that God commanded that at the time of |
| 0:39 | the Harvest the Israelites were to |
| 0:41 | present a new grain offering to the Lord |
| 0:44 | they were to bring two loaves of bread |
| 0:46 | made of two-tenths of an effer a fine |
| 0:49 | flower baked with leaven |
| 0:52 | it was to be a wave offering to the Lord |
| 0:55 | Now isn’t that lovely the people of God |
| 0:58 | were literally to wave the loaves of |
| 1:01 | bread to God as if to say Thank You Lord |
| 1:03 | thank you for the grade thank you for |
| 1:06 | the bread that you have given to us |
| 1:09 | however |
| 1:10 | the people were not to do that only |
| 1:13 | in order to present themselves before |
| 1:15 | the Lord even to say thank you |
| 1:18 | they also had to offer seven male Lambs |
| 1:21 | one year old without defect and a bull |
| 1:25 | and two Rams with their grain offering |
| 1:29 | and libations |
| 1:30 | plus they had to offer one male goat for |
| 1:33 | a sin offering and two male Lambs one |
| 1:37 | year old for a sacrifice of peace |
| 1:40 | offering |
| 1:41 | wow |
| 1:42 | that was a lot of blood |
| 1:45 | seven Lambs one bull two Rams one goat |
| 1:49 | and two more Lambs just to say thank you |
| 1:52 | what was that all about |
| 1:56 | God established the sacrificial system |
| 1:59 | in order to teach his people that he is |
| 2:03 | Holy and that they are sinful |
| 2:06 | God took their sin seriously sin |
| 2:09 | separated them from God |
| 2:12 | they could not approach the Lord God |
| 2:13 | they could not come into His presence or |
| 2:16 | even come before the holy place to say |
| 2:18 | thank you without a sacrifice of blood |
| 2:22 | remember there can be no forgiveness of |
| 2:25 | sin without the shedding of blood |
| 2:27 | they had to make a blood offering with |
| 2:30 | their thank offering and then an |
| 2:33 | additional blood offering for their sin |
| 2:35 | and finally their petition for peace was |
| 2:39 | an offering with blood sacrifice as well |
| 2:43 | the sacrificial system was designed to |
| 2:47 | glorify the holy God and to teach God’s |
| 2:50 | people humility awareness of their own |
| 2:54 | sins and thankfulness for God’s gracious |
| 2:58 | Mercy |
| 2:59 | through the shedding of blood God |
| 3:02 | received them forgave them and accepted |
| 3:05 | them as his own chosen people |
| 3:09 | by the time of Jesus |
| 3:12 | there had been 1300 years of Mosaic |
| 3:16 | sacrifices some biblical Scholars |
| 3:18 | suggest that there may have been as many |
| 3:21 | as |
| 3:22 | 1.2 million animals sacrificed in a |
| 3:26 | single Jewish Festival at the time of |
| 3:28 | Christ |
| 3:29 | is conjectured that Temple priests were |
| 3:32 | literally knee-deep in blood |
| 3:35 | by that time the people of God had in |
| 3:37 | large measure lost sight of the purpose |
| 3:40 | of God’s sacrificial laws no longer were |
| 3:43 | the laws functioning to teach people to |
| 3:46 | glorify a holy God and to remain humble |
| 3:49 | aware of their own sins and thankful for |
| 3:52 | God’s mercy |
| 3:53 | by the time of Jesus for many |
| 3:56 | they were just laws regulations without |
| 3:59 | much purpose |
| 4:02 | think for example of our own traffic |
| 4:04 | laws |
| 4:05 | the law says that in the city you have |
| 4:07 | to drive 25 miles an hour but do you I |
| 4:10 | mean 25 is really slow what about very |
| 4:14 | early on a Sunday morning when nobody is |
| 4:15 | up and the traffic is like non-existent |
| 4:17 | do you still drive 25 miles an hour |
| 4:21 | on the highway the speed limit is 55 but |
| 4:23 | on the interstate the speed limit is 70. |
| 4:26 | but a trooper friend says if you’re over |
| 4:29 | the limit it’s okay over by seven it’s |
| 4:33 | still Heaven over by eight man you’re |
| 4:36 | great but over by nine then you’re mine |
| 4:40 | so if we get a ticket does that serve |
| 4:43 | the purpose of humbling us and causing |
| 4:45 | us to have a change of heart |
| 4:48 | no probably not we just pay the fine and |
| 4:51 | get on with our lives |
| 4:53 | in the day of Jesus we’re priests and |
| 4:57 | people humbled by their sin broken and |
| 5:00 | contrite of heart |
| 5:01 | who can say |
| 5:03 | but I suspect that some just offered |
| 5:05 | their sacrifice and got on with their |
| 5:07 | lives |
| 5:08 | unfortunately a broken and contrite |
| 5:11 | heart may not necessarily have been part |
| 5:14 | of the sacrificial transaction |
| 5:17 | that was the spiritual mentality that |
| 5:20 | Jesus faced when the Son of God came to |
| 5:23 | seek and to save the Lost he was the |
| 5:26 | savior |
| 5:27 | he was to become the blood sacrifice |
| 5:29 | himself |
| 5:30 | the perfect all-sufficient sacrifice for |
| 5:33 | sin but many of the religious leaders |
| 5:36 | may have long since lost sight of the |
| 5:40 | true meaning of the law and the |
| 5:42 | sacrifice did they still recognize their |
| 5:45 | own sin |
| 5:47 | one must Wonder |
| 5:50 | let me be clear the sacrifice was |
| 5:53 | designed by God for a purpose |
| 5:55 | but when or if the purpose was lost that |
| 5:58 | is if they worshiped without faith or |
| 6:01 | without contrition |
| 6:03 | those who sacrificed offered meaningless |
| 6:07 | motion with disconnected hearts |
| 6:11 | obviously God wanted both a sacrifice |
| 6:14 | because of his Holiness and Contrition |
| 6:17 | of heart because of their sin |
| 6:19 | but did God receive both |
| 6:23 | now let’s talk about God’s mercy as |
| 6:26 | lutherans we understand that the law |
| 6:28 | accomplishes God’s Opus alienum that is |
| 6:31 | God’s alien work it condemns us for our |
| 6:35 | sin |
| 6:36 | but the mercy of God the Cross of Christ |
| 6:38 | and the Forgiveness of sins they are |
| 6:40 | God’s Opus proprium God’s proper work in |
| 6:44 | other words the Cross of Christ God’s |
| 6:46 | Opus proprium displays the heart of God |
| 6:51 | in Matthew chapter 9 verses 9 through 13 |
| 6:54 | Jesus calls Matthew the tax collector to |
| 6:57 | follow him Jesus goes to Matthew’s house |
| 6:59 | for dinner and the Lord reclines a table |
| 7:02 | and suddenly he is surrounded by many |
| 7:05 | many others the Pharisees call them tax |
| 7:08 | collectors and sinners the Greek |
| 7:10 | construction offers no distinction |
| 7:12 | they’re all lumped together in one |
| 7:15 | sin-sick category |
| 7:18 | when the Pharisees see Jesus eating with |
| 7:20 | the Sinners they rail at the Lord’s |
| 7:22 | disciples why is your teacher eating |
| 7:25 | with tax collectors and sinners because |
| 7:27 | you see they do not realize that they |
| 7:31 | themselves |
| 7:32 | fall into the sin sick category too |
| 7:36 | they too need to bring glory to God by |
| 7:40 | having a humble heart awareness of their |
| 7:42 | own sins and thankfulness for God’s |
| 7:45 | mercy |
| 7:46 | so initially Jesus spoke a kindly word |
| 7:49 | to them |
| 7:51 | it is not those who are healthy who need |
| 7:53 | a position but those who are sick |
| 7:57 | if they recognize that these people were |
| 7:59 | in need of a spiritual position perhaps |
| 8:02 | they could see their own need for a |
| 8:04 | spiritual physician |
| 8:06 | could they not also see their own sin |
| 8:09 | sickness |
| 8:11 | but no |
| 8:12 | they did not see it |
| 8:15 | so when Jesus recognized that the |
| 8:17 | Pharisees did not receive his kindly |
| 8:20 | teaching he became more direct |
| 8:22 | go and learn what this means |
| 8:25 | and the Lord quoted the prophet Hosea |
| 8:28 | chapter 6 verse 6. God said |
| 8:32 | I desire mercy and not sacrifice |
| 8:37 | Jesus said for I did not come |
| 8:40 | to call the righteous but sinners |
| 8:42 | what is the message that Jesus Christ is |
| 8:45 | teaching the message that the Pharisees |
| 8:47 | were not receiving |
| 8:49 | first |
| 8:50 | it is that God himself is the one who |
| 8:53 | justifies whether he does that with the |
| 8:55 | blood of lambs and goats under the Old |
| 8:57 | Testament or with the Precious Blood of |
| 9:00 | the Lamb of God Jesus Christ under the |
| 9:02 | New Testament |
| 9:04 | God’s law shows us our sin |
| 9:08 | our sin shows us that we are enemies of |
| 9:10 | a holy God see Romans 5 verse 10. our |
| 9:15 | sin must be recognized as that which |
| 9:17 | kills us kills our relationship with God |
| 9:20 | and our relationship with ourselves and |
| 9:22 | with others |
| 9:24 | but God is the one who reconciles and |
| 9:27 | restores relationships our relationship |
| 9:30 | with him with ourselves and with each |
| 9:32 | other |
| 9:33 | how does he do that |
| 9:35 | second |
| 9:37 | our transgressions require a sacrificial |
| 9:40 | offering in order to be reconciled with |
| 9:43 | the holy God and in order to teach us |
| 9:45 | the true penalty of sin and the reality |
| 9:48 | of God’s abhorrence of our sin the |
| 9:51 | sacrifice |
| 9:53 | should cause our hearts to ache because |
| 9:56 | a living creature has died in our place |
| 9:59 | our sin has caused the shedding of that |
| 10:02 | one’s blood our sacrifice without a |
| 10:06 | contrite heart is not what God desires |
| 10:10 | but |
| 10:11 | God heaps his Mercy on the person whose |
| 10:14 | heart is broken and contrite who has |
| 10:16 | genuine sorrow for sin and honest desire |
| 10:20 | for amendment of life |
| 10:23 | God pours out his mercy upon that one |
| 10:26 | now third |
| 10:28 | of how much more value than lambs and |
| 10:31 | goats |
| 10:32 | is the Priceless sacrifice of the Lamb |
| 10:35 | of God Jesus Christ Our Lord |
| 10:38 | his humiliation suffering and |
| 10:41 | life-giving death were the sacrifice for |
| 10:44 | the sin of the world |
| 10:47 | Jesus gives complete forgiveness and |
| 10:50 | enables entrance into the very presence |
| 10:52 | of God by grace through faith in his |
| 10:56 | sacrifice of blood |
| 10:58 | the Holy Spirit and the word of God |
| 11:01 | create faith in the heart of those who |
| 11:03 | believe and God places his own Spirit |
| 11:05 | within them now the mercy of God is at |
| 11:09 | work in their lives God’s sacrifice is |
| 11:12 | pouring Mercy into their hearts |
| 11:15 | when Jesus quotes Hosea |
| 11:18 | he’s reminding the Pharisees |
| 11:20 | what they had long forgotten |
| 11:23 | the meaning of God’s required sacrifice |
| 11:25 | and the value and power of God’s mercy |
| 11:29 | sacrifice with no understanding of one’s |
| 11:33 | sin is worthless |
| 11:35 | but God’s mercy |
| 11:37 | makes a home in the heart of the one who |
| 11:39 | is truly broken and contrite |
| 11:45 | Jesus teaches the Pharisees that God |
| 11:48 | desires mercy and not sacrifice that is |
| 11:51 | to say sacrifice with no heart of |
| 11:54 | confession has no value |
| 11:58 | God wants the sacrifice of a broken and |
| 12:00 | contrite heart and the mercy that is |
| 12:03 | born |
| 12:04 | in a heart that becomes God’s House of |
| 12:07 | Mercy |
| 12:09 | when we see ourselves as Sinners as we |
| 12:11 | are |
| 12:12 | God grants us his Mercy also he gives us |
| 12:16 | Mercy for others so that we have |
| 12:18 | compassion upon them in their sin even |
| 12:21 | when their sin is directed against us |
| 12:24 | God’s spirit as it is at work in us |
| 12:26 | because of Christ and his sacrifice |
| 12:29 | bringing God’s mercy to us and offering |
| 12:33 | God’s mercy through us |
| 12:35 | Pharisees had lost sight of the power of |
| 12:39 | the law and of their personal need for a |
| 12:41 | sacrifice for sin |
| 12:43 | no matter how many lambs or goats or |
| 12:46 | bulls were sacrificed even if one was |
| 12:48 | the Lamb of God it did not necessarily |
| 12:51 | mean that they would see their own sin |
| 12:54 | nor |
| 12:55 | that they would recognize their need for |
| 12:58 | a blood offering for the cleansing of |
| 13:01 | themselves before God |
| 13:03 | it may not teach them that they needed a |
| 13:05 | change of heart nor |
| 13:07 | that they needed to be given a heart of |
| 13:09 | Mercy for others as God had a heart of |
| 13:12 | Mercy for them |
| 13:15 | unlike the Pharisees we must not lose |
| 13:18 | sight of God’s holiness nor of our own |
| 13:21 | sinfulness we remember the reason for |
| 13:24 | the sacrifice of the Lamb of God and we |
| 13:27 | do not take the sacrifice of Jesus the |
| 13:29 | Savior for granted |
| 13:31 | instead we receive his sacrifice with |
| 13:35 | true repentance for a broken and |
| 13:37 | contrite heart God will not despise |
| 13:41 | the holy spirit of God is at work in the |
| 13:44 | heart of every Christian who confesses |
| 13:47 | sin |
| 13:48 | that heart knows that it needs God’s |
| 13:52 | mercy and is willing to give God’s mercy |
| 13:54 | to others |
| 13:55 | beloved |
| 13:57 | Jesus has made his sacrifice for you |
| 14:01 | so that with a broken and contrite heart |
| 14:05 | you may receive his Mercy |
| 14:07 | and so that you may give his Mercy |
| 14:12 | to all those in your life |
| 14:15 | amen |
| 14:25 | [Music] |
| 14:36 | [Applause] |
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