Psalm 24 was my Psalm reading this morning. How appropriate this came on Maundy Thursday. The Psalm is really two parts.
Psalm 24 (NIV)
1 The earth is the LORD’S, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it;
2 for he founded it on the seas
and established it on the waters.
3 Who may ascend the mountain of the LORD?
Who may stand in his holy place?
4 The one who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not trust in an idol
or swear by a false god.
5 They will receive blessing from the LORD
and vindication from God their Savior.
6 Such is the generation of those who seek him,
who seek your face, God of Jacob.
Who may ascend, indeed! A perfect description of the Messiah who stands in the holy place, whose hands are clean and whose heart is pure.
As we prepare to celebrate the Lord’s Supper, we see His perfect fulfillment of everything the Father expected from the crown of creation, humans. He now enters our presence to give of Himself for us.
7 Lift up your heads, you gates;
be lifted up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
8 Who is this King of glory?
The LORD strong and mighty,
the LORD mighty in battle.
9 Lift up your heads, you gates;
lift them up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
10 Who is he, this King of glory?
The LORD Almighty—
he is the King of glory.
He fought the perfect fight against sin, temptation, death and the devil:
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. (Hebrews 4:15 NAS)
“Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
“Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?”
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Cor. 15:54-57 NIV)
the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil 1has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. (1 John 3:8 NIV).
Ultimately, Jesus had taken both active and passive demands upon Himself, then gives us everything that He fulfilled perfectly. In the Lord’s Supper, He gives His body and blood for the forgiveness of sins. Thus the bread and wine are not just symbols, but they give what Jesus said they give.
While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”
Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the testament, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. (Matthew 26:26-28)
He gives us His perfect righteousness, the righteousness God demanded of us is now ours by faith. Tonight we receive all those gifts, reassuring, comforting, forgiving, renewing us as we live in this world.
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Cor. 5:21 NIV)
He gives us His perfect righteousness, the righteousness God demanded of us is now ours by faith. Tonight we receive all those gifts: reassuring, comforting, forgiving, renewing us as we live in this world.
Indeed,
Lift up your heads, you gates;
lift them up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
“believe, teach, and confess” 