Participants: Stephen Bohr
Series Code: ASTPP
Program Code: ASTPP000010
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00:15 Once again, welcome to Anchor Bible school.
00:18 We're glad you're here. 00:20 This is one of our sessions that is going to 00:25 really, really be exciting, because we're going to 00:27 continue discussing how the Old Testament points to the 00:31 first coming of Jesus, and then we are going to speak about 00:35 how the Old Testament refers to the second coming of Christ. 00:40 And so we have some exciting things to study 00:43 in our class now. 00:44 And I invite you to find the material that is titled, 00:48 "The Sabbath and Redemption." "The Sabbath and Redemption." 00:52 This is a handout that is composed, I believe, 00:56 of about eight pages. 00:58 And we're going to work our way through the document, 01:00 as we have with all of the previous documents. 01:03 I've written it all down so that you're able to follow along, 01:07 and so that you're able to use it in the future. 01:09 Because if I just showed it on the screen, 01:12 you know, that would be nice, but to have it before you 01:15 means that you can use it in the future when you 01:18 share with other people. 01:20 We want to begin by reading a passage that is very well know 01:24 to Seventh-day Adventists. 01:26 Exodus chapter 20 and verses 8 through 11, 01:29 the fourth commandment of God's holy law. 01:33 And I want us to notice three things about this 01:38 passage that we're going to read. 01:39 So let's read it first. 01:41 "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 01:45 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 01:48 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. 01:53 In it you shall do no work, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, 01:59 nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, 02:03 nor your stranger who is within your gates." 02:06 And then comes the motivation for keeping the Sabbath, 02:09 the reason, in verse 11. 02:12 "For," that means, because, "in six days the Lord made 02:16 the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, 02:21 and rested the seventh day. 02:23 Therefore, the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it." 02:29 So the first question is, is the Sabbath a shadow 02:32 of things to come? 02:34 The Sabbath is not a shadow of things to come. 02:37 The Sabbath points us back to creation. 02:41 It reminds us of the Creator. 02:45 We also notice that when the Sabbath was created, 02:48 there was no sinner. 02:50 And therefore, when the Sabbath was established originally, 02:55 it had nothing to do with sin. 02:57 Because some people say, "Well, the Sabbath 02:59 simply pointed forward to Jesus Christ to be our rest." 03:04 But in its original function, the Sabbath is not related 03:08 to sin or the plan of salvation. 03:10 We're going to study that, afterwards, the Sabbath 03:13 acquired a secondary function. 03:16 But it's primary function has to do with creation, 03:20 not with redemption. 03:22 And the final point that I want us to notice about this passage 03:26 is that there were no Jews when the Sabbath was established. 03:31 The word, "Jew," comes from, "Judah." 03:33 And that was long after creation. 03:36 And so the Sabbath institution is an institution that goes back 03:41 all the way to creation before any Jew, before sin. 03:45 And therefore the Sabbath, in its original intention, 03:49 is God's plan in a perfect universe, in a perfect world. 03:56 But having said that, I need to emphasize and underline 04:00 that the Sabbath, after sin came in, has a second function. 04:05 A post fall function. 04:08 It's not the original function. 04:10 In fact, the fall function does not eliminate 04:13 the first function, but rather enhances it 04:16 and makes it even more meaningful. 04:19 Now what is the post fall function of the Sabbath? 04:22 Let's go to Deuteronomy chapter 5 04:25 and verses 12 through 15. 04:26 Deuteronomy chapter 5 verses 12 through 15. 04:30 In this passage, the fourth commandment is repeated again. 04:34 But there is a difference in the book of Deuteronomy 04:39 with the commandment that is found in Exodus chapter 20. 04:43 Notice Deuteronomy 5 and beginning with verse 12. 04:47 "Observe the Sabbath day to keep it holy, 04:50 as the Lord God commanded you. 04:53 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 04:56 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God." 05:00 Very similar to Exodus 20. 05:02 "In it you shall not do any work, you nor your son, 05:05 nor your daughter, nor your man servant, 05:07 nor your maid servant, nor your ox, nor your donkey, 05:10 nor any of your cattle, nor your stranger who is within 05:14 your gates; that your man servant and your maid servant 05:17 may rest as well as you." 05:20 So very similar to the commandment in Exodus 20. 05:22 But now comes the difference. 05:25 It continues saying, "And remember 05:27 that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, 05:30 and that the Lord your God brought you out from there 05:35 by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm. 05:38 Therefore, the Lord your God commanded you to keep 05:42 the Sabbath day." 05:45 So do you see that the Sabbath has a second function? 05:48 It has a function of reminding Israel 05:51 of their deliverance from bondage. 05:54 Now the question is, have we been delivered from bondage? 05:58 From bondage to sin? 05:59 Absolutely. 06:00 Is the Sabbath a sign of our deliverance 06:03 from the bondage of sin? 06:05 Absolutely. 06:06 You see, the second function of the Sabbath 06:09 does not eliminate the first. 06:11 It gives us an additional reason to keep the Sabbath. 06:14 Are you following me or not? 06:16 Now, we're going to study one particular verse 06:21 that we find in the Old Testament. 06:22 Of course, there will be other verses related to that one. 06:25 But there's one particular verse that we want to take a look at. 06:29 And that verse is Deuteronomy chapter 8 verse 3. 06:32 But before we notice that, I want to read John 5:39 06:37 and then verses 46 and 47. 06:39 We read these in a previous class, but let's read them again 06:41 to see who is the center of the writings of Moses. 06:45 It says there in verse 39, Jesus is speaking to the Jews, 06:49 "You search the Scriptures, for in them you think 06:52 you have eternal life. 06:54 And these are they which testify of Me." 06:57 So the Scriptures of the Old Testament testify to Jesus. 07:01 And then Jesus says, "But you are not willing to come to Me 07:04 that you may have life." 07:06 And then jumping down to verse 46, "Do not think 07:09 that I shall accuse you to the Father. 07:12 There is one who accuses you; Moses, in whom you trust. 07:16 For if you believe Moses, you would believe Me; 07:20 for he wrote about Me." 07:24 So who is at the center of the writings of Moses? 07:28 Jesus Christ is at the center of Moses. 07:31 In fact, Jesus says that Moses gives witness to Him. 07:37 Everything in the writings of Moses is centered 07:40 in Jesus Christ. 07:42 Now as I mentioned, you can read that other text 07:45 that we have here. 07:47 It's found in Luke 24:25-27, and then verses 44 and 45. 07:53 We referred to those in one of our previous classes. 07:56 But now I want us to notice what we find in 07:59 Deuteronomy chapter 8 and verse 3. 08:01 The primary verse of our study. 08:03 Of course, other verses will be connected with this one. 08:07 Deuteronomy 8 and verse 3 is speaking about 08:11 the manna that fell from heaven. 08:13 Now you remember that Israel was in the wilderness. 08:16 And of course, they did not stay in one place very long. 08:19 So they did not grow any crops. 08:21 So God had to feed them miraculously. 08:24 And the way that God fed them was by sending 08:27 manna from heaven that had all of the necessary nutrients 08:31 to sustain their physical life. 08:34 But did God give the manna primarily to 08:37 sustain them physically? 08:38 Well let's notice what Deuteronomy 8 08:41 and verse 3 has to say. 08:43 Here, Moses is reminiscing about the manna episode, 08:47 and he says, "So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, 08:53 and fed you with manna which you did not know 08:57 nor did your father's know..." 09:00 Now why did God give the manna? 09:03 Notice the explanation that is given in the last 09:06 half of the verse. 09:07 He gave the manna, "...that He might make you know 09:12 that man shall not live by bread alone, 09:16 but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." 09:22 What was the purpose of the manna? 09:23 Yes, to sustain them physically. 09:25 But it was more than physical food, because we read 09:28 that it was spiritual food. 09:29 Remember 1 Corinthians chapter 10? 09:31 He gave them spiritual food. 09:33 So the manna was real food, it met physical needs, 09:37 but it was spiritual food in the sense that the manna 09:40 represented what? 09:42 The word of God. 09:43 "Man shall not live by bread alone, 09:45 but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God." 09:49 The manna represents God's word. 09:52 So we need to ask the question, who is God's word? 09:57 Well let's go to John chapter 1 verses 1 to 3. 10:00 John chapter 1 verses 1 through 3. 10:03 Very well known passage. 10:05 We could probably recite it from memory. 10:08 It says there, "In the beginning was the Word, 10:11 and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 10:16 He was in the beginning with God. 10:19 All things were made through Him, and without Him 10:23 nothing was made that was made." 10:26 And of course, who is that Word? 10:28 If you go down to verse 14, it says, "The Word was made flesh, 10:33 and dwelt among us." 10:34 So the Word is Jesus Christ. 10:37 So what does the manna represent? 10:40 It represents the Word of God. 10:42 And the Word of God is symbolic of Jesus. 10:46 Now notice this interesting statement from Ellen White 10:49 that comes from the devotional book, That I May Know Him, 10:52 page 38. 10:53 I love this statement. 10:56 She says, "What speech is to thought..." 11:00 See, we think, and then we what? 11:03 I would hope so. 11:05 Sometimes we speak and then we think. 11:08 But really, we should think and then speak. 11:10 So it says, "What speech is to thought, 11:13 so is Christ to the invisible Father." 11:16 Do you realize what she's saying? 11:17 She's saying that the Father thinks, 11:19 and Jesus utters the thoughts of God. 11:23 That's an amazing thought. 11:25 That's why Jesus is the Word of God. 11:27 The Father thinks, and Jesus expresses it audibly 11:31 so that we can hear it and so that we can read it. 11:34 And then Ellen White continues saying, 11:36 "He is the manifestation of the Father, and is called..." What? 11:41 "...is called the Word of God." 11:44 Jesus is the Word of God. 11:47 So the manna represents Jesus. 11:51 Now let's go to 1 Corinthians chapter 10 verses 1 through 4 11:55 which underlines the same truth. 11:57 We're going to read several text. 11:59 How do you suppose I found all these text? 12:02 Ah, sola scriptura. 12:05 Reading other verses that speak about bread 12:08 and speak about the manna. 12:09 The same subject, the same theme. 12:12 I hope that becomes a principle second nature to us. 12:17 Notice what we find in 1 Corinthians 10 verse 1. 12:21 Paul is reminiscing about some of the experiences 12:24 in the pilgrimage of Israel. 12:25 And it says there, "Moreover, brethren, I do not 12:28 want you to be unaware that all our fathers were 12:32 under the cloud, all passed through the sea; 12:35 all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 12:40 all ate the same..." What? 12:43 "...spiritual food and all drank the same spiritual drink; 12:50 for they drank of that spiritual Rock; 12:54 and the Rock was Christ." 13:00 What does the manna represent? 13:02 Christ. 13:03 What does the rock represent? 13:05 Christ. 13:06 What does the water represent? 13:09 Ah, I threw you a curve. 13:12 A knuckle ball. 13:14 The water represents the Holy Spirit that Jesus sends. 13:19 So it is still Christ centered. 13:22 So the water is spiritual, the rock is spiritual, 13:25 and the manna is spiritual. 13:26 See, we're not only dealing with literal in the Old Testament. 13:30 What is literal in the Old Testament in the period 13:33 of the church becomes spiritual. 13:36 Tomorrow we're going to study that principle. 13:38 We're going to illustrate it. 13:40 It's vitally important. 13:42 Now let's go to John chapter 6 and verses 48 through 50 13:46 where this becomes explicit that the manna 13:49 represents Christ. 13:51 John chapter 6 and verses 48 through 50. 13:56 There's no doubt whatsoever now about what 13:58 the manna represents. 14:00 Jesus is speaking and He says, "I am the bread of life. 14:06 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, 14:09 and are dead. 14:10 This is the bread which comes down from heaven 14:13 that one may eat of it and not die." 14:17 So what is the manna, according to Jesus? 14:20 He is the living manna that came down from heaven 14:23 to speak the words of God. 14:25 He is the Word of God. 14:28 But there's something else. 14:30 I want you to notice that the manna represents 14:33 something specific about Jesus. 14:35 Not only does the manna represent Jesus 14:38 in general terms, there's something specific about 14:41 Jesus that is represented by the manna. 14:43 Now what is represented specifically about Jesus? 14:47 Notice John chapter 6 and verse 51. 14:52 John 6 verse 51. 14:55 Here Jesus says, "I am the living bread 14:58 which came down from heaven. 15:00 If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. 15:04 And the bread that I shall give is..." What? 15:08 "...is My flesh which I shall give for the life of the world." 15:13 What does the manna represent specifically about Jesus? 15:17 It represents His flesh, which is a very important detail. 15:22 It represents His flesh. 15:26 Now why is that significant? 15:27 Why is that important? 15:29 Well, in order to understand the reason why this is important, 15:33 we need to go back to the chapter that speaks 15:35 about the manna. 15:36 Wouldn't that be a good idea? 15:38 Well let's go back to Exodus chapter 16. 15:41 Exodus chapter 16 and we'll read verses 19 and 20. 15:46 Exodus 16:19-20 15:49 What happened when Israel went out and picked up manna, 15:54 say, Wednesday for Thursday? 15:58 It spoiled. 16:00 Two things happened to it. 16:02 It bred worms and it stank. 16:05 Let's read about it. 16:06 Exodus 16 verse 19. 16:09 "And Moses said, 'Let no one leave any of it until morning.' 16:15 Notwithstanding, they did not heed Moses, 16:18 but some of them left part of it until morning. 16:21 And it bred worms and stank. 16:25 And Moses was angry with them." 16:29 Two things happened to this bread if it was saved 16:32 from one day to the next. 16:34 And that is, it bred worms and it stank. 16:37 Now was this common ordinary bread? 16:40 Let's suppose that you go to the supermarket 16:42 and you buy a loaf of bread. 16:44 And you don't eat it today, you eat it tomorrow. 16:46 When you open the package, it has worms and it stinks, right? 16:49 Of course not. 16:51 Well let's suppose that you leave the bread a week 16:53 and you don't use it. 16:54 And you open up the package, and it's bred worms and it stinks. 16:58 No. How about a month later? 17:01 It might be moldy. 17:04 But it doesn't breed worms and stink. 17:06 What is it that breeds worms and stinks? 17:10 A decomposing body, decomposing flesh. 17:14 And what does the manna represent? 17:16 The flesh of Jesus Christ. 17:18 You see, what happens many times is we take passages 17:23 and we repeat the same lesson over and over again. 17:26 You know, I was always taught, and I believe it's correct, 17:29 that the purpose why God gave the manna 17:31 was to teach us that we're suppose to keep the Sabbath. 17:34 There was no manna on the Sabbath; 17:36 they were suppose to keep the Sabbath. 17:37 But there's a deeper reason than just keeping the Sabbath. 17:42 There has to be a Christ centered reason 17:45 for keeping the Sabbath. 17:46 In the manna episode, there has to be something about 17:49 Christ in this passage. 17:50 There has to be a Christ centered motivation 17:53 for keeping the Sabbath. 17:54 Are you following me or not? 17:56 Now, let's see what Exodus 16:19-20 says. 18:01 So it says, "And Moses said, 18:03 'Let no one leave any of it until the morning.' 18:05 Notwithstanding, they did not heed Moses, 18:07 but some of them left part of it until morning. 18:10 And it bred worms and stank. 18:12 And Moses was angry with them." 18:15 Now what happened when they picked up manna on Friday 18:17 and they saved it for Sabbath?" 18:19 It was just as fresh on Sabbath as it had been on Friday. 18:25 Now let's read that in Exodus chapter 16 18:28 and verses 23 and 24. 18:30 Exodus 16:23-24 18:34 Here Moses is speaking to the people. 18:36 "Then he said to them, 'This is what the Lord has said, 18:41 "Tomorrow is a Sabbath rest, 18:43 a holy Sabbath unto the Jews."'" 18:48 Are you awake out there? 18:50 Oh okay, I'm just trying to make a point. 18:53 "...a holy Sabbath unto the Lord. 18:57 Bake what you will bake today, and boil what you will boil, 19:00 and lay up for yourselves all that remains 19:03 to be kept until the morning." 19:05 So, to be kept until the Sabbath. 19:07 "So they laid it up till morning as Moses commanded, 19:11 and it did not stink nor were there any worms in it." 19:20 Interesting. 19:23 Why did it breed worms and stink any day except the Sabbath, 19:28 whereas the Sabbath it did not breed worms and stink? 19:32 The answer is, we have to go to the gospels to find out why. 19:37 Because that's where this manna episode 19:40 is fulfilled in Jesus Christ. 19:42 So let's examine the last three declarations 19:47 of Jesus on the cross. 19:48 You know He spoke seven words from the cross. 19:51 We're going to take a look at the last three 19:53 of the declarations of Jesus on the cross 19:56 to try and understand why it is important 19:59 that the manna did not breed worms and stink 20:01 when it was kept for the Sabbath. 20:03 The first declaration... 20:05 Actually, this is not the first of His declarations, 20:08 but the first that we're going to take a look at. 20:10 Matthew 27 and verse 46. 20:14 This is declaration number five that Jesus made from the cross. 20:19 It says, "And about the ninth hour..." 20:21 Was it the ninth hour yet? 20:24 No. What hour is the ninth hour? 20:28 Three o'clock in the afternoon. 20:30 So it says, "And about the ninth hour, 20:33 Jesus cried out with a loud voice saying, 20:36 'Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?' 20:38 That is, 'My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?'" 20:41 Those words were spoken slightly before the ninth hour, 20:46 slightly before three o'clock in the afternoon. 20:49 Now let's take a look at the sixth declaration, 20:51 the next to last declaration of Jesus from the cross. 20:54 It's found in John chapter 19 and verse 30 20:58 where Jesus is speaking, and it says, 21:01 "So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, 21:04 'It is finished.' 21:07 And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit." 21:10 Now each gospel writer has a particular emphasis. 21:13 There was actually a last saying that Jesus made from the cross, 21:17 and it's not mentioned in John. 21:20 And so we have to go to the last saying 21:22 as it is found in the gospel of Luke chapter 23 and verse 46. 21:30 This is the last declaration of Jesus from the cross. 21:34 And you'll notice there that Jesus says 21:37 something very significant. 21:39 "And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, 21:42 He said, 'Father, into Your hands I commend My spirit.' 21:48 And having said this, He..." What? 21:51 "...He breathed His last." 21:54 And Jesus died. 21:56 So when Jesus says from the cross, "My God, My God, 22:00 why have You forsaken Me," it's about the ninth hour. 22:03 It's almost three o'clock in the afternoon. 22:06 When Jesus says, "It is finished," 22:09 it's still close to three o'clock in the afternoon. 22:13 But a lot closer. 22:14 And when Jesus says, "Father, into Your hands 22:17 I commend My spirit," He said this 22:19 at three o'clock in the afternoon. 22:21 And you say, "How do you know that?" 22:23 Well, we have to go back to the Passover celebration 22:27 in the Old Testament. 22:28 And so go with me to Exodus chapter 12 and verse 6 22:32 where we find exactly at what time the Passover 22:36 lamb was sacrificed. 22:38 Is Jesus the Passover Lamb, symbolically speaking? 22:41 Yes, the apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 5:7-8 22:45 that Christ, our Passover, has been sacrificed for us. 22:48 So the Passover celebration is fulfilled in Jesus. 22:52 So if the Passover lamb was sacrificed at a certain hour, 22:56 we would expect that Jesus died at that same hour. 22:59 Correct? 23:00 Now notice Exodus 12 and verse 6. 23:04 I'm reading from the New King James. 23:06 And it says, "Now you shall keep it," that is the lamb, 23:09 "until the fourteenth day of the same month." 23:12 That's the month of Nisan. 23:14 "Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel 23:17 shall kill it at twilight." 23:21 Now that sounds kind of scary, doesn't it. 23:25 At twilight. 23:27 Actually, the Hebrew doesn't say, "twilight." 23:30 Literally the Hebrew says that the Passover lamb 23:34 should be sacrificed between the two evenings. 23:39 That's what the Hebrew says. 23:41 That the lamb was sacrificed between the two evenings. 23:45 And you say, "Now wait a minute. 23:46 What does that mean, between the two evenings?" 23:49 As Adventists, we know one of those evenings 23:51 is when the sun sets, right? 23:52 "From even to even shall you keep your Sabbath." 23:56 But what is the other evening? 23:58 Well, the fact is that according to the Jews, 24:01 when the sun began to descend from its meridian, 24:05 in other words, from being directly overhead, 24:08 it was the first evening. 24:10 And then when the sun set on the horizon, 24:13 it was the second evening. 24:16 In other words, noon, afternoon would be the first evening, 24:21 and when the sun sets is the second evening. 24:25 I want to read you a quotation that we find 24:28 from Adam Clark's commentary where he explains this. 24:33 He says, "The Jews divided the day into morning and evening 24:37 till the sun passed the meridian. 24:40 All was morning or afternoon. 24:42 After that, all was afternoon or evening. 24:45 Their first evening began just after twelve o'clock 24:48 and continued till sunset. 24:50 The second evening began at sunset and continued till night 24:55 during the whole time of twilight. 24:57 Between twelve o'clock, therefore, and the 24:58 termination of twilight, the Passover was to be offered. 25:02 The day, among the Jews, had twelve hours. 25:05 The first hour was about six o'clock in the morning with us. 25:08 The sixth hour was our noon. 25:10 The ninth hour answered to our three o'clock in the afternoon. 25:13 By this we may understand that the time in which 25:16 Christ was crucified began at the third hour, 25:19 that is at nine o'clock in the morning, 25:21 the ordinary time for the daily morning sacrifice, 25:25 and ended at the ninth hour, that is the three o'clock 25:28 in the afternoon, the time of the evening sacrifice. 25:32 Wherefore, their ninth hour was their hour of prayer 25:36 when they used to go into the temple at the 25:38 daily evening sacrifice. 25:41 And this was the ordinary time for the Passover. 25:44 It is worthy of remark that God sets no particular hour 25:48 for the killing of the Passover. 25:50 Any time between the two evenings, between twelve o'clock 25:53 in the day and termination of twilight, was lawful." 25:56 Except that the Bible clearly says that He died 25:59 at the ninth hour. 26:02 So the Bible is more specific on this point. 26:04 It wasn't any time between noon and six o'clock. 26:07 Jesus died right square in the middle, at the ninth hour. 26:12 Now, so what is this saying to us? 26:18 What it's saying is that Jesus died on a Friday afternoon. 26:22 At what time? 26:24 He died on a Friday afternoon at three o'clock in the afternoon. 26:30 At the time when the Passover lamb was sacrificed. 26:32 And you know, there's something interesting, 26:34 maybe as a side light, that I'll share with you. 26:37 You know, we take the prophecy of the 70 weeks, 26:41 where it says that in the middle of the week 26:43 He would make the sacrifice and the oblation to cease. 26:47 And basically, what we've said is that it means that 26:51 even though they continued the sacrifices after that, 26:54 they didn't have any meaning. 26:56 But do you know that was literally fulfilled that day? 27:00 The sacrifice and the oblation ceased. 27:02 And you say, "How's that?" 27:03 You read, Desire Of Ages, Ellen White clearly states 27:07 that the priest had the knife in his hand, 27:10 and he was about to slay the lamb. 27:13 And then the earth shook. 27:15 And the veil of the temple was ripped from top to bottom. 27:18 And the lamb escaped. 27:20 Because the true Lamb of God, who takes away the sin 27:23 of the world, had died at that very moment. 27:26 Isn't that amazing? 27:27 So the sacrifice and oblation did cease 27:30 in the middle of the week. 27:32 Of course, the Jews afterwards started sacrificing again. 27:35 But the symbolism clearly pointed to the fact 27:38 if the lamb escaped, "Hey folks, the Lamb has died. 27:41 No more sacrifices of lambs." 27:45 Now, when was salvation finished then? 27:48 Salvation was finished when Jesus said on the cross, 27:52 "It is finished. 27:53 Into Your hands I commend My spirit." 27:55 And you say, "How could you say that salvation was finished?" 27:58 Listen, provision for salvation was finished 28:01 when Jesus died on the cross. 28:02 The provision was made. 28:04 There was now a perfect life that could cover 28:08 our imperfect life. 28:10 And there is now a death for sin that can count as our death. 28:14 The provision for salvation was complete. 28:16 The thing that was still lacking was who was going to benefit 28:21 from what Jesus did. 28:22 That's the work that He continues 28:24 performing in the sanctuary. 28:25 He's applying the benefits of His atonement. 28:28 Are you with me or not? 28:29 It's very important to distinguish these two. 28:31 But the provision for salvation was finished 28:34 when Jesus said, "It is finished." 28:37 The provision for salvation was complete. 28:40 Jesus had lived a perfect life, and He had died for sin. 28:43 That was the good news. 28:45 Salvation had been purchased. 28:48 Salvation had been obtained. 28:51 Now listen carefully. 28:54 Even though the lamb was sacrificed at three in the 28:56 afternoon, the people did not eat the Passover lamb 29:01 until the sun set. 29:04 Interesting. 29:06 Now how is that symbolic? 29:08 Well, you know, to prepare the lamb took an effort. 29:12 They would have to slay the lamb, then they'd have to 29:14 clean the lamb, and then they would have to roast the lamb. 29:16 And then they partook of the lamb. 29:18 Let me ask you, after Jesus died at three o'clock 29:21 in the afternoon, did several things have to be done 29:24 with Him before He was laid in the tomb? 29:27 Absolutely. 29:29 His body had to be prepared for burial. 29:32 They had to go and ask for the body of Jesus, to Pilate. 29:37 They had to take Him down from the cross. 29:40 They had to clean His body. 29:42 They had to wrap Him in linen. 29:44 They had to transport Him to the place of burial. 29:48 They had to bury Him. 29:49 And they had to roll the stone in front of the grave. 29:53 That would have taken more than five minutes. 29:56 It took the better part of Friday afternoon 30:00 to prepare Jesus for burial. 30:03 But when the sun set, Jesus was resting in the tomb... 30:11 ...before the Sabbath began. 30:13 Shortly before the Sabbath began, the body of Jesus, 30:17 the flesh of Jesus was resting in the grave. 30:21 It was resting in the tomb. 30:23 Now let's take a look at the sequence of dates 30:26 of the passion of Christ. 30:28 Luke 23 verses 54 to 56. 30:31 Luke 23:54-56 30:35 This is a passage we usually use when we preach in evangelism 30:39 about the Sabbath. 30:41 It says, "That day was the preparation..." 30:43 That's the day of the crucifixion. 30:44 "...and the Sabbath drew near. 30:47 And the women who had come with Him from Galilee 30:50 followed after, and they observed the tomb 30:52 and how His body was laid. 30:54 Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils. 30:58 And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment." 31:02 Which is the commandment that says you're suppose to 31:04 keep the Sabbath? 31:06 The fourth commandment. 31:07 Are they keeping the fourth commandment? 31:08 Are they resting according to the commandment? 31:10 Yes. 31:11 What was Jesus doing inside the tomb? 31:14 Resting. 31:15 What were they doing outside the tomb? 31:16 Resting. 31:17 Jesus was resting and His people were resting. 31:21 Now here's the question, what was the rest of the women like? 31:26 Oh, it was a joyful rest. 31:27 They were all happy that Sabbath day. 31:30 Are you kidding? 31:31 It was a day of sadness. 31:34 It was a day when they were remembering that their beloved 31:37 Savior was dead. 31:40 It was a day of anguish, a day of sorrow, 31:42 a day of restlessness. 31:44 But let me ask you, if they had truly understood 31:48 what Jesus meant when He said on the cross, "It is finished," 31:52 and if they had clearly accepted what Jesus said, 31:55 that He was going to resurrect on the first day, 31:57 what would that Sabbath have been like? 32:00 Oh, they would have said, "The Master has saved us from sin. 32:05 He has lived a perfect life and He has paid for our sins. 32:09 Hallelujah. 32:10 Now He's resting in the grave. 32:11 And tomorrow He will rise from the dead." 32:15 Oh, but what would that Sabbath have been 32:17 if they had understood Bible prophecy? 32:18 It would have been a joyous celebration, 32:21 because the Messiah was resting from His works of redemption. 32:26 Now some people are saying that Jesus was 32:30 crucified on Wednesday and He resurrected on Sabbath. 32:34 Others are saying that the three days and three nights 32:37 begin on Tuesday night when Judas decided to betray Jesus, 32:41 and Jesus resurrected shortly after sundown on Friday. 32:46 This prophecy of Exodus 16 makes that absolutely impossible. 32:51 I want to read this statement from Ellen White 32:53 which is explicit. 32:55 It's a statement about the days in which Jesus dies, 32:58 and Jesus rests in the tomb, and when Jesus resurrected. 33:02 This statement is found in, Manuscript 25, 1898. 33:07 And this is how it reads. 33:09 "The Father and the Son rested after their work of creation. 33:16 'Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, 33:18 and all the host of them. 33:20 And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had made. 33:23 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it; 33:26 because that in it He had rested.' 33:28 The death of Christ was designed to be at the very time 33:32 in which it took place. 33:34 It was in God's plan that the work which Christ 33:38 had engaged to do should be completed on a Friday, 33:44 and that on the Sabbath He should rest in the tomb, 33:49 even as the Father and Son had rested 33:52 after completing Their creative work." 33:55 So Jesus is repeating in redemption 33:57 what happened at creation. 34:00 But in redemption, He works, and then He rests 34:04 in His work for redemption. 34:06 At the beginning, He created, and then He rested 34:09 from His works of creation. 34:11 She continues saying, "The hour of Christ's apparent defeat 34:15 was the hour of His victory. 34:17 The great plan, devised before the foundations of the earth 34:21 were laid, was successfully carried out." 34:25 And then when did Jesus resurrect? 34:27 According to Luke 24 and verse 1, 34:30 Jesus resurrected on the first day of the week. 34:35 Is that clear? 34:37 Now, some say that Jesus purposely chose Sunday 34:42 as the day of His resurrection because He wanted His church 34:45 to know that Sunday was holy, and that it should be observed 34:49 in honor of His resurrection from that day on. 34:53 For example, John Paul II... 34:55 Probably the most popular Pope in history. 34:58 ...in his pastoral letter, Dies Domini, 35:01 makes a long list of all the significant events 35:05 that took place on Sunday. 35:07 He says, Jesus resurrected Sunday, 35:09 He walked with two of His followers to Emmaus on Sunday, 35:12 He appeared to His disciples on Sunday evening 35:15 and then appeared to them again the following Sunday. 35:18 According to John Paul's calculations, the Holy Spirit 35:21 was poured out on a Sunday. 35:23 And the first proclamation of the gospel was on Sunday. 35:26 And the first baptisms were on Sunday. 35:28 Quite an impressive list, right? 35:33 But the manna episode makes it absolutely clear 35:36 that the important day was not Sunday, but the Sabbath. 35:40 If Jesus rested in the tomb on the Sabbath 35:43 and His body saw no corruption, then He would have had 35:47 to rest in the tomb on the Sabbath. 35:49 Are you following me? 35:50 In other words, the significant day is not Sunday. 35:54 The significant day is the day before Sunday. 35:57 Because if Jesus, according to Exodus 16, 36:00 had to rest in the tomb all day Sabbath, 36:03 what day would He resurrect then? 36:05 He would resurrect the next day. 36:07 But He's not resurrecting the next day to make the 36:09 next day holy, but because He had to rest the 36:11 previous day in the tomb to fulfill Exodus 16. 36:15 Are you following me? 36:16 So the significant day is the Sabbath 36:19 when Jesus rested in the tomb, not Sunday. 36:23 You know, it's amazing to me that during holy week 36:29 Christians speak about Palm Sunday, 36:33 Ash Wednesday, Holy Thursday, 36:37 Good Friday, Resurrection Sunday. 36:40 And what do they say about the Sabbath? 36:42 Nothing. 36:46 Interesting. 36:48 The Sabbath disappears. 36:51 Every event of the passion of Christ is celebrated. 36:54 But when it comes to the Sabbath, 36:57 it's practically disappearing. 37:01 Now some people use questionable arguments 37:03 to defend Sunday as the day of rest. 37:06 For example, they say that all day Sabbath the disciples 37:09 were sad because Jesus was dead, but on Sunday 37:12 they were happy because Jesus had resurrected. 37:16 Somebody once said, "I call it the psychological argument." 37:20 And the person who used that argument, I said, 37:23 "You know, the problem is there are two things that deny 37:27 the argument that you are using." 37:30 First of all, it was not God's intention that they be sad 37:34 on the Sabbath. 37:36 Jesus had told them repeatedly that He was going to go 37:39 to Jerusalem, He was going to suffer, and He was going to die, 37:42 and He was going to resurrect the third day. 37:45 Now if they had believed that, would that have been a sad day? 37:48 No, that would have been a happy day. 37:49 It's not God's fault that it was a sad day. 37:53 It was not the intention of God that it be a sad day. 37:55 It was the intention of God that it be a happy day. 38:00 And secondly, and even more devastating, 38:03 is the fact that on Sunday night the disciples did not even 38:06 believe that Jesus had resurrected, 38:09 if you read the gospel stories. 38:11 So how could they be happy all day Sunday 38:13 if they didn't believe that Jesus had resurrected 38:15 until Sunday night? 38:17 You see, people use all sorts of arguments that they repeat, 38:20 but they don't examine Scripture for themselves. 38:23 Now let's get back to the manna. 38:27 The body or the flesh of Jesus rested in the tomb on Sabbath. 38:33 And Jesus is the manna. 38:37 What happened to the manna when it was saved 38:40 from Friday to Sabbath? 38:43 It was as fresh on Sabbath as it had been on Friday. 38:47 It did not breed worms, nor did it stink. 38:53 What would have happened with a normal body 38:56 if somebody had died on Friday, what would have begun? 39:00 The process of decomposition. 39:03 Which would eventually lead to breed worms and stink. 39:08 The flesh. 39:09 But Jesus, in the tomb, was the manna. 39:14 And therefore, His body did not decompose. 39:19 His body did not see corruption, because He was what the 39:22 manna represented. 39:24 Are you understanding me? 39:26 Now let's prove this from Scripture. 39:29 Go with me once again to John 6 and verse 51. 39:32 John chapter 6 and verse 51. 39:36 Jesus says, "I am the living bread which came 39:38 down from heaven. 39:39 If anyone eats this bread, he will live forever; 39:42 and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, 39:45 which I shall give for the life of the world." 39:47 The manna represents the flesh of Jesus. 39:49 The manna did not breed worms or stink on the Sabbath. 39:52 And that represented the flesh of Jesus Christ. 39:56 Now notice the prophecy from Psalm 16 and verses 8 to 10. 40:01 The prophecy from Psalm 16 and verses 8 through 10. 40:05 This is a prophecy of David. 40:06 This never happened with David, this is a direct prophecy 40:09 about the Messiah. 40:11 And I am going to read as it appears in the NIV 40:15 because it's less confusing than it is in the King James Version. 40:19 It says, "I have set the Lord always before me. 40:23 Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved." 40:26 Here, Jesus is speaking to His Father. 40:29 "Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices..." 40:35 Now notice this. 40:36 "...my flesh also will..." What's the next word? 40:42 Hmmm, interesting. 40:44 What did the flesh of Jesus do? 40:47 It rested. Where? 40:49 In the tomb. 40:51 "...my flesh also will rest in hope." 40:53 Now why does the flesh of Jesus rest in hope? 40:56 Here comes the reason. 40:57 "For," that means, because, "You will not leave me in the grave, 41:03 nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption." 41:10 So while the body of Jesus rested in the grave, 41:13 did His body decompose? 41:15 No, because He was what the manna represented. 41:18 He died on Friday. 41:20 While His body was resting, His flesh was resting, 41:22 it did not decompose because He was what the manna represented. 41:27 Now you say, "How do you know that this 41:29 Psalm applies to Jesus?" 41:31 Well, the apostle Peter quoted it in Acts chapter 2 41:35 in his Pentecostal sermon. 41:37 Acts 2 verses 25 to 27, and then we'll read verses 31 and 32. 41:44 Here it says in Acts 2:25, "For David says concerning Him..." 41:48 Now he's going to quote Psalm 16 saying this applies to Jesus. 41:52 "For David says concerning Him, 'I foresaw the Lord always 41:56 before my face, for He is at my right hand, 42:00 that I may not be shaken. 42:02 Therefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad; 42:04 moreover my flesh also will..." What? 42:08 "...will rest in hope." This is from acts. 42:10 It's no longer from Psalms. 42:12 "Moreover my flesh also will rest in hope. 42:15 For You will not leave," as the NIV says, 42:17 "you will not leave me in the grave," or in Hades, 42:21 "nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption." 42:25 Now notice what that means in verses 31 and 32. 42:29 It says about David, "Seeing what was ahead, 42:32 he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, 42:36 that He was not abandoned to the grave, 42:38 nor did His body see..." What? 42:42 "...nor did His body see decay." 42:46 So let me ask you, what is the reason, 42:47 what is the second reason for keeping the Sabbath? 42:50 The first reason is because, we rest because 42:53 the creator rested on the Sabbath. 42:56 What is the second reason? 42:58 We rest on Sabbath because it's in commemoration 43:01 of the rest of the Redeemer. 43:04 So we have two reasons to keep the Sabbath. 43:07 First of all, we rest in the Creator's rest. 43:10 And by the way, the Creator is Jesus. 43:13 "All things were made through Him." 43:16 So we rest on Sabbath to commemorate the creation 43:19 that Jesus brought forth. 43:20 And we also rest because we follow His example 43:23 in resting in the tomb on the Sabbath. 43:26 So is there a Christ centered reason for keeping the Sabbath? 43:30 See, Exodus 16 not only tells you, "keep the Sabbath," 43:33 but it tells you why you should keep the Sabbath. 43:35 It's because Jesus rested in the tomb on the Sabbath, 43:38 and we should rest with Him. 43:40 The women did not understand it, but the Bible says that they 43:43 rested the Sabbath day according to the commandment. 43:46 Let me ask you, once they understood, 43:48 do you think they rested in a different way? 43:50 Oh, I can imagine they said, "Oh wow, did we ever 43:53 miss the point. 43:55 Now from now on, we're going to rest in what Jesus did, 43:59 because He's such a wonderful Savior. 44:00 He lived a perfect life and He paid for our sins." 44:04 Wow. 44:06 So we need to be careful about interpreting Exodus 16 44:09 without Jesus. 44:11 Because the reason for the manna is Christ centered. 44:15 It's not just manna itself. 44:17 But now I want you to notice that the Sabbath 44:19 has a third dimension. 44:22 There's a third reason for keeping the Sabbath. 44:24 And it is a prophetic reason. 44:27 A future reason, as we look forward in history. 44:31 You see, God invited... This is the last page. 44:34 God invited Adam and Eve to enter His rest at creation. 44:38 Now He invites us to enter His rest in redemption. 44:42 But the Sabbath also has a prophetic dimension. 44:46 Jesus will invite us to enter His rest when He makes 44:49 a new heavens and a new earth. 44:52 The Sabbath thus points back to creation; 44:55 it points to the present, to redemption; 44:58 and it points to the future, the everlasting kingdom. 45:02 Will we keep the Sabbath in the earth made new? 45:04 Yes. 45:06 Go with me to Isaiah 66 verses 22 and 23. 45:09 Isaiah 66:22-23 45:12 This is a passage we all know well. 45:14 We use it in evangelism, and very appropriately so. 45:18 And notice what it says. 45:19 "For as the new heavens and the new earth 45:21 which I will make shall remain before Me..." 45:25 Is this the same expression that appears in Revelation 21 and 22, 45:28 new heavens and new earth? 45:30 Absolutely, it's referring to the same thing. 45:32 So it says, "'For as the new heavens and the new earth 45:34 which I will make shall remain before Me,' says the Lord, 45:37 'so shall your descendants and your name remain. 45:40 And it shall come to pass that from one 45:43 New Moon to another...'" 45:44 And some people get all confused about the New Moon. 45:46 The New Moon is simply the beginning of the month. 45:50 It can be translated, "month." 45:52 In fact, the Spanish version says, "de mes en mes." 45:56 Instead of, "from New Moon to New Moon," it says, 45:58 "from month to month." 46:00 Why are we going to go to worship before the Lord 46:02 every month? 46:04 Because there's a certain tree that produces 46:06 its fruit every month. 46:08 And we have to go eat from the tree of life every month. 46:11 Do you realize that Adam and Eve had to continue 46:13 eating from the tree of life in the Garden of Eden? 46:16 It wasn't sufficient to eat only once 46:18 and they would be immortal. 46:19 They had to continuously eat from the tree of life. 46:22 The tree of life was a battery charger. 46:27 In other words, they didn't have inherit life within themselves. 46:31 They needed to go every month, because we're going to have to 46:33 go every month, they needed to go every month 46:36 to eat from the tree of life to recharge their battery. 46:41 Do you know why individuals lived to be almost 46:42 a 1000 years before the flood? 46:44 Because they had a more charged battery than we do. 46:48 The battery has become depleted, because we have 46:52 been deprived from the tree of life. 46:54 But we will be able to partake of the 46:55 tree of life in the kingdom. 46:57 We will go from month to month, from new moon to new moon, 47:01 to eat from the tree of life. 47:03 But we're going to go for another reason. 47:05 So it says, "...from New Moon to New Moon," 47:08 or from month to month, "And from one Sabbath to another, 47:13 all the Jews..." 47:16 Thank you very much. 47:17 I'm glad you're still awake out there. 47:20 "...all flesh..." 47:21 So if you're made of flesh, you're going to be there. 47:23 "'...all flesh shall come to worship before Me,' 47:27 says the Lord." 47:30 Now some people say, "Wait a minute. 47:33 There's not going to be any sun nor moon up there, 47:35 so how are you going to have months and how are 47:37 you going to have days?" 47:38 Well we solved that problem yesterday, didn't we, 47:40 in our class. 47:41 But let's read the verse again. 47:43 Just in case anybody was sleeping. 47:46 Revelation 21 verse 23. 47:48 Is there going to be a sun and moon in the new earth? 47:51 Of course they are. 47:52 Do you know what's going to happen at the 47:53 second coming of Jesus? 47:54 You can read it in, Early Writings, page 41. 47:57 Ellen White says that when God utters His voice 47:59 to deliver His people, His voice will be so powerful 48:02 that the sun, moon, and stars will be moved 48:04 out of their places. 48:06 And that's the reason why this earth will be dark 48:09 during the millennium. 48:10 Because the sun will be moved out of its place. 48:13 So after the millennium, when God makes a new heavens 48:17 and a new earth, He will rearrange our planetary system. 48:20 And He will place the sun, the moon, and the stars 48:23 where they will benefit our earth. 48:25 And He will make a new heavens and a new earth. 48:29 So notice, Revelation 21 and verse 23. 48:34 "The city..." Where? 48:35 The new earth, the whole new earth? 48:37 No, no, no. "The city had no need..." 48:43 Does it say the city, the sun and moon don't 48:46 shine in the city? No. 48:47 It says that there's no need in the city 48:50 for sun or moon to shine it in. 48:52 "...for the glory of God illuminated it, 48:55 and the Lamb is its..." What? 48:58 "...the Lamb is its light." 49:00 Is there going to be a sun and a moon? 49:02 Yes they are. 49:04 Are the sun and the moon going to be as glorious 49:06 as the glory of God in the city? 49:07 Absolutely not. 49:09 It will be like I said yesterday; 49:10 shining a flashlight on the ground at noon in Fresno. 49:17 The beam is shining, you can't see it, 49:20 because the glory of the sun is so bright 49:23 that the flashlight in comparison is nothing. 49:26 And this is what is meant by Isaiah 24 and verse 23 49:30 that we noticed yesterday, where it says, 49:32 "The moon will be disgraced and the sun ashamed..." 49:37 In other words, they're going to step aside. 49:40 "...for the Lord of hosts will reign on Mount Zion 49:43 and in Jerusalem, and before His elders, gloriously." 49:49 Now, how long do you think Jesus is going to take 49:54 to create a new heavens and a new earth? 50:00 You know, I use to think that He was going to make 50:02 everything new just like that. 50:05 "Let everything be new." 50:08 And it's all there. 50:10 I don't believe that. 50:12 You say, "Why don't you believe it?" 50:13 I'll explain the reason why. 50:16 We are going to keep the Sabbath in commemoration 50:19 of the creation of new heavens and new earth. 50:22 And you cannot have a seventh day unless 50:24 you have the first six. 50:28 Are you following me or not? 50:30 If the Sabbath, the seventh day, is going to commemorate 50:33 the new creation, you have to have the first six 50:36 in order to have the seventh. 50:39 And so Jesus, when He creates this earth, 50:43 He is going to perform the work that He performed 50:48 originally at creation. 50:50 And do you know what the exciting thing is? 50:53 You see, at the beginning, Adam and Eve did not see 50:58 God create anything. 51:01 Where they there when the light was created? 51:03 No. 51:04 Where they there when the firmament was created? 51:06 No. 51:07 Where they there when the dry land and the plants 51:09 and the trees and the flowers were created? 51:11 No. 51:12 Were they there when the sun, moon, and stars 51:14 were put in order? 51:16 Absolutely not. 51:17 Were they there when the birds and the fish were created? 51:19 Absolutely not. 51:20 Were they there when the animals were created, 51:23 the land animals were created? 51:24 No. 51:27 So did Adam see God create anything? 51:30 Obviously Adam didn't see God create him. 51:33 He just suddenly wakes up and says... 51:36 He looks all around him, "Wow, where did I come from?" 51:40 And the amazing thing is, that Adam did not even see 51:43 Eve created because God put him to sleep. 51:47 What is the only way in which Adam and Eve 51:52 could be sure that Jesus was the Creator? 51:55 By faith in the story that Jesus told them. 52:00 They lived by faith, not by sight. 52:03 But you know what the amazing thing is? 52:05 That when God makes a new heavens and the new earth, 52:07 we shall be spectators. 52:12 I love this. 52:13 Because God's people will be alive inside the holy city. 52:20 And you can imagine we're sitting in front row seats. 52:23 No bleachers for any of God's people. 52:26 Front row seats. Box seats. 52:30 And I'll tell you what. 52:31 And then Jesus will say, "Let there be light." 52:34 Wow, there it is. 52:37 Let there be the firmament. 52:39 Everything was destroyed by the plagues, 52:41 by the second coming. 52:43 "The earth was without form and void," Jeremiah says. 52:46 Just like before creation week. 52:47 Are you with me? 52:49 And so now Jesus says, "Ah, let the dry land produce trees 52:53 and flowers and plants." 52:58 And the earth becomes a gigantic botanical garden. 53:04 And then Jesus says, "Let the sun, moon, and stars 53:07 occupy their legitimate places." 53:10 And so all of those heavenly bodies occupy their places 53:14 to benefit the planet. 53:16 And then Jesus says, "Let the sky have birds, 53:20 and let the waters produce fish." 53:22 And suddenly the waters are bubbling with life. 53:25 And the birds are chirping away and singing in the heavens. 53:29 And then Jesus says, "Let the land produce 53:33 all of these animals." 53:35 So you have giraffes, and elephants, and cows, and horses. 53:41 And the serpent will drag himself along. 53:45 He's not going to fly again. 53:47 There will be two reminders. 53:49 The reminder of the scars on the body of Jesus, 53:54 and the Bible says that the serpent will eat dust. 53:57 He'll bite the dust. 53:59 Interesting. 54:01 And then when Jesus finishes His work, 54:04 He'll say to His people, "What do you think?" 54:08 And we're going to say, "Lord, the elephant's 54:11 ears are too big." 54:14 "Lord, the giraffe's neck is too long." 54:18 No. 54:19 We will look in awe at everything that Jesus 54:22 has made; it is absolutely perfect. 54:24 Even more beautiful than it was at the beginning. 54:28 And then Jesus will say, as the sun sets the sixth day, 54:33 He'll say, "My people, let's now sit down and rest and enjoy." 54:42 And so the seventh day will be used for the same thing 54:44 that the seventh day was used at the beginning, 54:47 at creation. 54:49 If you read the material on, God's Great Week, 54:52 that you received yesterday, Ellen White said that 54:56 God looked upon His work of creation and He delighted 55:00 in His work of creation. 55:02 Everything was beautiful and everything was perfect, 55:05 worthy of its divine Author. 55:07 He rested, not as one tired, but one who delighted 55:11 in His work of creation. 55:13 I can imagine God said, "Wow, I even outdid Myself. 55:19 This is wonderful, beautiful." 55:20 And Adam and Eve were there. 55:22 The Sabbath was still not holy until God had 55:24 rested the whole day. 55:25 But Adam and Eve are with Jesus. 55:28 And Jesus is giving them the scenic tour. 55:32 They say, "Look, wow." 55:34 And He's taking them all across creation. 55:36 They say, "Wow, what a wonderful world. 55:39 Where did this come from?" 55:40 Jesus said, "I made it." 55:42 "Why?" 55:43 "For you." 55:45 "For us? Free?" 55:48 "Yes, free. It's yours." 55:50 "Wow, what a wonderful God you are." 55:53 And then the devil has to come in and spoil it 55:55 by trying to make God look bad. 55:59 And Eve bought it. 56:00 After all of the wonderful things that God had 56:03 done for her, and that God had done for Adam. 56:07 Unbelievable. 56:08 And that's why we're here in this class. 56:10 Or else we would be in the Garden of Eden. 56:14 But we have an Eden to look forward to... 56:17 ...if we receive Jesus as our Savior and as our Lord, 56:22 if we claim His life and His death in our place, 56:25 if we see what sin cost. 56:29 And when we see what sin cost, we say to Jesus, 56:32 "Lord, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I hate sin. 56:35 I love You, I hate sin. 56:36 I want to overcome sin. 56:37 Please give me victory over sin." 56:39 Jesus will give us victory over sin. 56:42 So it's not only a matter of, in a cheap way, saying, 56:46 "Okay, give me Your life and give me Your death." 56:47 No, the sorrow for sin will lead us to want to reflect 56:52 the beautiful and perfect character of Jesus, 56:55 and rest in Him as our wonderful Creator, 57:00 as our wonderful Redeemer, 57:02 and as our soon to be Restorer in a new heavens 57:07 and a new earth. 57:09 What a wonderful God we have. 57:11 And what a Christ centered perspective of the Sabbath 57:15 in Scripture. 57:17 See, it's not about keeping the Sabbath. 57:20 It's about loving the Lord of the Sabbath 57:22 and delighting in spending time with Him. 57:25 Because we like to spend time with people we love. 57:29 So people who say, "Oh, I don't have to keep the Sabbath," 57:32 they're slapping Jesus in the face. 57:34 They're saying, "I don't want to spend time with You." 57:36 It's all about time with our beloved Savior, Jesus Christ. 57:41 What a wonderful Savior He is. |
Revised 2015-02-18