Sermon by the Rev. Maggie McTernan

This morning let us go, together with the writer to the Hebrews, back in time. We are going to the temple in Jerusalem. It is no longer there, but back then, two thousand years ago, it stood as the heart of Jewish worship on earth.

This is the second temple, built by the exiles returning to Jerusalem – the first temple, the temple built by Solomon was destroyed when the Babylonians conquered Judah. And the worship that is taking place is older still, given by God to Moses before the Jews ever entered the promised land.

In the temple, behind the curtain is the Holy of Holies. There, stands the golden altar and the ark of the covenant, which holds signs of the covenant God made with his people – the manna that speaks of God's provision; the tablets of the commandments that speak of God's holy ways; and the rod of Aaron that speaks of God's power and protection.

The high priest alone enters the Holy of Holies, once a year, to perform the most solemn of rituals. He sacrifices a bull for his own sins and those of his household, and a goat for the sins of all the people. The blood from the sacrifices is sprinkled over the covering on top of the ark. Incense is cast on the fire, the cloud from this rising up over the ark of the covenant. Then he comes out and takes another goat, lays his hands on the head of the goat and confesses over it all the sins of the people of Israel. This goat is then sent out into the wilderness, the scapegoat, taking away their sins. This ceremony has been repeated again and again and again, in order to make peace with God.

And yet, this is not a perfect sacrifice. Sins are acknowledged, forgiveness is sought, but the people can not, by their own actions, make peace with God. You see, no matter how often they seek forgiveness, no matter how earnest they are, they find themselves falling back into habits of sin again.

It's a bit like when you spring clean your house. I mean, a proper, all over, deep down clean, when you wash out the cupboards, move the sofa to clean under it, even get the dust bunnies under the bed! When it is all done, your house looks like a show home, so you sit down and have a cup of tea. And then there is a dirty mug sitting on the coffee table, and it starts all over again.

So God took it on himself to find a way to end the need for the sacrifice, again and again and again. In place of the high priests, offering their imperfect sacrifice, came the one High Priest – Jesus – who could offer a sacrifice once for all. He came to make atonement for our sin, to restore our relationship with God, to bring peace.

And he offered a sacrifice of blood, once for all. But he didn't offer the blood of a bull, or a goat. It was his own blood that he offered, his own blood that he shed for us. The High Priest becomes the sacrifice. The Creator lays down his life for the creation. His life for ours, a wonderful exchange.

The sacrifice in the temple is a shadow, pointing to the sacrifice of Jesus, once for all. And as we come to the table today, we come in remembrance of that sacrifice of Jesus. We look back at what he has done for us, to bring us back to God. And we look forward also, to the day that this reconciliation is fully realised. Jesus has come to deal with our sin. And he will come again to bring peace – not simply the absence of conflict. Peace – shalom – is a big, wide, welcoming word – the peace that Jesus will bring when he comes back is a restoration of all creation, a re-ordering to the way God in his wisdom and love made creation to be.

The prophet Isaiah speaks of this:

The Lord has broken the rod of the wicked,

the sceptre of the rulers,

which in anger struck down peoples

with unceasing blows,

and in fury subdued nations

with relentless aggression.

All the lands are at rest and at peace;

they break into singing.

The Lord’s justice will dwell in the desert,

his righteousness live in the fertile field.

The fruit of that righteousness will be peace;

its effect will be quietness and confidence for ever.

The day will come when God's peace will rule over all the world. And in the meantime? We hold on. We hold on to the hope of peace, because he who promised is faithful. We pray that his kingdom come and his will be done, and we seek to become the answers to these prayers. And we are assured that Jesus has, once for all, cleansed us from our sin, so we can have confidence to come to God, through Christ, and receive his grace.

May the God of peace, who brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, make you complete in everything good so that you may do his will, working among us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory for ever and ever. Amen.