Matthew 26:20-30 (#93.2024.04.21)

Scott Keffer [: 00:00:02

Hi. If you're looking for greater hope, assurance, and confidence through the shifting sands of life, then join me on today's episode as we dig deep into the bible to discover rock solid truth for life and living from the God of the bible. I'm your host, Scott Keffer. Hi, and welcome to today's episode. As always, for a deeper experience, you can go to the show notes and download the blank insight sheet. Fill in the blanks along with the group. Depending on how you're listening to this, there'll be a link to the episode website at at beholdingbibletruth.com, and a sheet with the answers is included as well. Enjoy today's episode.

Scott Keffer [: 00:00:48

Okay. Welcome. Thanks for joining me on our journey as we walk with the lord Jesus through the gospel of Matthew. Today will be a day of awe as well as a day of controversy. We'll stir the pot a little bit today. But stay with me if you will as we read the scripture. Matthew 2620 through 30. Now when the evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the 12 disciples.

Scott Keffer [: 00:01:17

As they were eating, he said, truly I say to you that one of you will betray me. Being deeply grieved, they each one began to say to him, surely not I, lord. And he answered, he who dipped his hand with me in the bowl is the one who will betray me. The son of man is to go just as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the son of man is betrayed. It would have been good for that man if he had not been born. And Judas, who was betraying him, said, surely it is not I, Rabbi. Jesus said to him, you have said it yourself. While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, he broke it and gave it to the disciples and said, take, eat.

Scott Keffer [: 00:02:08

This is my body. When he had taken the cup and given thanks, he gave it to them saying, drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins. But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my father's kingdom. After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. The word of the lord. Thanks be to god. A lot here today. Some deep truths.

Scott Keffer [: 00:02:47

So we pick, our shovels, and we dig deep to walk out with the, the mining of gold. So there's da Vinci's tape on the, the last Passover, and it gives us a picture of it trying to show in there all that was going on, certainly a lot. But the very first thing that struck me as I think about this picture and about what had happened is that God's sovereign rain tea is on display. God's sovereign rain tea is on display. And when I think about that, right, with this Saba Raimi is the idea that all will be fulfilled. All will be fulfilled. In acts, according to, scripture, it says scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit foretold by the mouth of David concerning Judas who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. All had to be fulfilled.

Scott Keffer [: 00:03:55

And in Psalms, this picture, even my close friend and whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against me. So we see the actors, if you will, in this story, Judas, and his role in here was prophesied in scripture. No surprise here to the God whose Sabre reigns over all details, all times, all places, as well as the lord Jesus. It says, the son of man is to go just as it is written of him. And I remind myself, right, in acts, it gives us a very clear picture. Go over this again. This is so important. This man let's read this together.

Scott Keffer [: 00:04:36

This man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of god, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put him to death. And gather together against your holy servant, Jesus, both Herod, Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel to do whatever your hand and your purpose predestined to occur. What stands out in there for you? Underline the most significant words in there. Yes. Delivered over. Very first. See the verb, man. Delivered over.

Scott Keffer [: 00:05:18

He was delivered over how? By the predetermined plan, the foreknowledge of God. Right? So who nailed him to the cross? Godless. Godless men. Yeah. Right. Put him to death. But he was delivered over delivered over, and yet godless men put him to death. And he said, gathered against your holy servant Jesus, holy servant Jesus, which means put to death for no good and apparent reason, not in and of himself, both Herod and Pontius Pilate.

Scott Keffer [: 00:05:56

So who was it? Oh, along with the Gentiles and the people of Israel. Last, by the way. They put those last who put him to death. Let's see. Herod punches Pilate, gentiles, people of Israel. Well, what were they doing? Whatever your hand what's the picture of hand? Power, authority, sovereign t. Right? And your hand and your purpose. Right? Design with purpose, predestined to occur.

Scott Keffer [: 00:06:31

Great wonderful picture. This idea that God is sovereign over all things, all details in life, both good and bad intentions. And we're about to enter in of course, here's lord Jesus. We're celebrating together. We're about to enter in, the the most horrific event in the history of mankind. So if you're in that situation and not looking back like we are, the things look good, Don't look good, do they? And they're going to get worse. They're going to get worse, but God had a predetermined plan and purpose. And when we look back on those details, we can see it, can't we? It's a good and joyful event on the other side of it.

Scott Keffer [: 00:07:21

So how many are in a situation that at maybe at some point in the future looking back on it, it will appear good, but at the moment, it doesn't feel so good. See, that's a lot of life, isn't it? And so we're looking back on an event where we see have have seen it unfold. We have to remind ourselves that god has sovereign reign in all of it. In the midst of evil purpose and evil men and evil plans and evil desires and evil schemes and evil actions, God is still sovereign over all of all all of the all evil without being evil, his good purposes. He nullifies the council of the nations. He frustrates the plans of the peoples. The council of the Lord stands forever, the plans of his heart from generation to generation. We always have to remind ourselves we are in the middle of his story.

Scott Keffer [: 00:08:21

We are in the middle of our story, always in the middle of it. Right? We look back on stuff and we think, oh, yeah. I see how it worked out. Right? But the fact is we always have the present moment. Sometimes it's difficult. Sometimes it's dire. Isn't it? We have to remind ourselves that he is sovereign. And even in the midst so think about this.

Scott Keffer [: 00:08:44

Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, he lifted up his heel against me. He lifted up his heel. Sometimes it's those closest to you. We don't know, but he reminds us that he is sovereign in all of this. So we see his sovereignty. Super important that we remember that always. To me, it is the footer, the deep and lasting footer that gets us through the stuff of life, doesn't it? Otherwise, holy smokes. And the the the the deep to to me, it's gotta be deep deep root, right, firmly grounded in that.

Scott Keffer [: 00:09:22

Otherwise, the stuff that blows up above the surface can blow us over. We have to remember his sovereignty. We also have to remember his mercy and justice. God's mercy and justice are also on display in the midst of this. His mercy and his justice. So Moses says, Lord, show me your glory. And he says, you can't look at me because if any if a man looks at me, you'll die. Yeah.

Scott Keffer [: 00:09:53

So he says, I will pass by. Right? He says, I will show you my goodness. And it says, Moses is there, and the lord descended in a cloud and stood there with him. And the Lord proclaimed, he said, the Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in loving kindness, right, keeping loving kindness for 1,000, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin. Right? Yet he will, by no means, leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of the fathers to the children and the grandchildren, right, to the 3rd 4th generation. So he says he's full above of loving kindness and truth. He keeps loving kindness for 1,000. He forgives iniquity, transgression, and sin.

Scott Keffer [: 00:10:40

All three sinfulness. Right? Kind of all. This is the God who is Yahweh, the God of the universe. He is both merciful. Right? And I love this. It doesn't say the lord is. It just says the lord, the lord god, compassion, gracious. He is those things.

Scott Keffer [: 00:11:06

He just that's his name, if you will. Right? And I love the very first. What's the very first? Compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in loving kindness. Are you grateful? So then I see that. Right? He goes through all the deciding he says, the son of man's gonna go just as written, but woe to the man. Right? And Judas, who was betraying him, said, surely it is not I, Rabbi. And Jesus says to him, you have said it. You have said it yourself.

Scott Keffer [: 00:11:37

And I thought about that. What is that? You have said it yourself. You have said it yourself. So he just said somebody's gonna betray me, and he says to him, is it me, Rabbi? And Jesus said to him, you have said it yourself. To me, it's mercy and a chance to repent. He says, you've said it yourself. It was an opportunity for Judas to repent, to say, me? Well, he knew it was him. It was clearly and Jesus showed him, I know it's you.

Scott Keffer [: 00:12:12

Jesus said to him, I know it's you. You're guilty. You know you're guilty, and I know it's you. And he still didn't repent. So to me, it's mercy till the end. Mercy till the end. Because he gave him a chance to repent. Mercy till the end.

Scott Keffer [: 00:12:27

A chance to repent. Is that exactly how it works with all? I don't know. Sometimes we don't know, Jack? Don't know. Like, it was there is there an opportunity at the end? Did he say something to Matt? We don't know. Right? We don't know. I think about we we found my dad. He was dead in his apartment. At best, my understanding would be he never repented.

Scott Keffer [: 00:12:51

But this gives me a picture that God gives everybody an opportunity right till the end, chance to repent. Yet, judgment is sure. Judgment is sure. We have mercy, but god is a god of of compassion, grace, but he has to be. He is righteous. The foundation of his throne, righteousness and justice. If he stops being those, he would stop being the God who we know. Right? See because he says, but yet, woe to the one.

Scott Keffer [: 00:13:24

And so we know for sure it's appointed for men to die once and then comes judgment. I mean, that's the reality. And so as believers, we have to deal with both of those, don't we? God's mercy seemingly till the end, but there is judgment. There is judgment. Yet he will, by no means, leave the guilty unpunished. It's a hard thing with people you know, right, and family and right? All of that. Right? It's just it's just a difficult. It is difficult, and it grieves the lord Jesus as well.

Scott Keffer [: 00:14:00

Right? It grieves god for he is seemingly patient beyond all patience for his desires that none that all would come to a saving knowledge, but they don't. So we deal with both of these, and he shows us this picture here, his sovereignty over evil, plans and purposes, his mercy and and justice carried out in the midst of all of that. He desires to be merciful, and yet some will not will not repent will not repent given the opportunity. So a couple of things, I think, from this part of our passage. Right after the Lord shows up and imagine that, I always think of it's time for your spiritual depends, but, you know, because holy smokes, the Lord showed up. You know? You think I mean, I'm thinking, like, the Lord showed up and stood there with him. What? You know, you always think like, Lord show up. I don't know.

Scott Keffer [: 00:14:57

You know? Right? But everybody say you look, Moses, you go talk to him and come back here and tell us what he said. Right? Because the mountain's shaking and it's erupting and got you tell us what he said. But it says as soon as that god speaks to him, really just unfolding his character, because god didn't have to speak, that's for our benefit. Everybody get it? He speaks for our benefit to to make himself known. So he makes himself known. Moses said he made haste to bow low and to worship, that our response should be in the midst of his mercy and grace and his righteousness and justice haste to worship. And so I see a picture of Moses doing this, you know, and not just on his knees. Like, I can imagine his face to the ground as he falls.

Scott Keffer [: 00:15:52

Right? Falls in worship to our god. Right? He falls in worship for a God who is both merciful and gracious, but he's also right. He's also righteous and just So don't make him less than his. His character is all his character. We have to embrace both of it much as we can understand it or comprehend. How can all come together? But he makes haste to worship. So it's it's mindful or a reminder for us. The second thing I put put be ever mindful that it could be you.

Scott Keffer [: 00:16:34

Be ever mindful there but for the grace of God Tried to find out who came up with that. First said it. I think it was a they said it was a pastor, Bradford, or somebody. There, but for the grace of God. So I liked it because each one each one of the disciples was grieved. Each one was grieved, and they said, surely not I, Lord. In other words, mindful that, hey. That could be me.

Scott Keffer [: 00:17:02

It really could be me. I mean, I look at my past and think, why did the grace of God rescue me? It's not nothing I did. I didn't deserve it. Not like I was I was something special. You know? I was on a, a strong path to be a, professional heathen with many advanced degrees, working very hard in it, working very hard. Just you know, I'm addictive. I'm broken. I'm, sinful.

Scott Keffer [: 00:17:31

I'm prideful. Yeah. No. I am. I am. I'm I'm greedy. I'm envious, and I still am, yet I've been saved by the grace of almighty god. Why did he rescue me? Why did he redeem me? I don't know.

Scott Keffer [: 00:17:48

But it's a great reminder. When I first came to the Lord, my friends called my mother, and they said, what's up with him? This is weird. And my mother said, it's just like vitamins. You know? He'll get into it, and then he'll go away. You know? Because I was a guy who would read books and never get done with them. I'd start an airplane model and never finish it. I was the starter, but I was never the finisher. And I said to the Lord, you've gotta be the finisher.

Scott Keffer [: 00:18:17

And he said, I'm the author and the finisher. I'm the author and the finisher. But I recognize if he's not my shepherd, Lord, I'm going over the hill. I am I'm I'm over there down in the muck, down in the briars. That's me. If you don't if you don't keep me, I'm gone. I'm just gone. And it's so critical that, to me, not only personal worship, corporate's good.

Scott Keffer [: 00:18:48

It's a part of it, but god has called each one giving you access to him personally, not just so you worship him together with others, but you worship him personally. Says come boldly, you, before the throne of grace. They may receive mercy and grace to help in time of need. And so a part of that is to see him in his glory, make haste to worship, and to confess our sin. You're not seeing his holiness on a daily basis, and you're not seeing your own sin on a daily basis. Woe to you. That's all I can say. To me, it's absolutely critical that I need to be confessing.

Scott Keffer [: 00:19:30

And I'm struck, but I'm confessing the same sometimes the same sin every single day. I think how many days till you runs out? When will the where is is the right? Just like, is the mercy tank gonna run out? And it never does. That's because there is no end to his mercy. It's it's a spring of mercy. It just springs forth from him. But it keeps me in regulation, keeps me in the right place. Otherwise, pride goes before the fall to me, confession. Search me, oh god.

Scott Keffer [: 00:20:07

Know me. See the evil. See the hurtful way in me. Does god need to search me? Is that for him? Hey. By the way, take a look, lord. No. He says, I know what you're gonna say before you say it, but it's for me. See the hurtful way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.

Scott Keffer [: 00:20:26

The lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul. He guides me in the path of righteousness for his name's sake. Is that the greatest verse? It's one of the he guides me in the path of righteousness, not just for me, for his name's sake, oh, lord. And then, of course, the one thing prayer.

Scott Keffer [: 00:20:53

Let's read this. One thing I have asked from the lord that I shall seek that I may dwell in the house of the lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the lord, and to meditate in his temple. This is not a prayer that he would live in the temple. Everybody get that? That David would, you know, pick his bed and live in the temple. This is a prayer for daily, moment by moment intimacy. I need thee every hour. I need thee every minute. This is the one thing prayer for me.

Scott Keffer [: 00:21:30

This is my regular prayer. One thing, Lord. One thing I've asked that I shall seek. What's he asking for? That would dwell in the house of the lord forever, that I would be in your presence, that it would be intimate with you on a regular basis. And as I go through there, then I would that I would behold the beauty of the Lord. I even have to pray that I would look at the Lord and call it beauty because it's not the the Lord is not naturally beautiful to me, not to my flesh, because he's humble and obedient and submissive, and he's all the things I don't wanna be. And so all the things that we struggle with. So even that you are and I would see you and it would be beautiful.

Scott Keffer [: 00:22:16

Yeah. I would be able to call it beauty because it's not to my flesh beautiful. I need a transformation to be able to redefine beauty and to meditate in this temple. So he shows us his sovereignty and his mercy and his justice. Also, he unfolds for us a new covenant, which is literally the word we use with the last will and testament. He unfolds a new testament. That's why it's called the new testament. Yes.

Scott Keffer [: 00:22:53

That's what covenant means. Testament. It's a New Testament. In order to have a New Testament, a new covenant, there's only one who can make a covenant. Who's that? God's the only one with authority to establish a new covenant to set aside the old. God has authority. He alone has authority, which means Jesus has the authority. The days are coming.

Scott Keffer [: 00:23:19

What day? When I'll make a new covenant? What kind of covenant? I'll put my law within you. Right? And on your heart, I'll write it. I'll be their god. They should be my people. I will forgive their inequity, their sin. I will remember no more better. I will give them one heart in one way that they may fear me also. Who gives you that? He does.

Scott Keffer [: 00:23:42

It's the grace of almighty god. I will make an everlasting covenant. Oh, what kind of covenant? Everlasting. That I will not turn away from them, to do them good. I'll put the fear of me in their hearts. Do I need that? Oh, yes. I didn't come up with the fear of him. I wasn't walking on thinking, gee.

Scott Keffer [: 00:24:08

I hope I fear the Lord one day. I mean, think about it. Who is thinking that? You know, it's one of my goals. I have a 100 goals that I would fear the lord. I mean, no way. And he says, so that why would he put the fear of the Lord? It's so that they will not turn away from me. That's the new covenant. And the new covenant requires a new mediator, requires a permanent priest, and it requires an eternal intercessor, an eternal intercessor.

Scott Keffer [: 00:24:44

Through his own blood, he entered the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption. For this reason, he is the mediator of what? A new covenant says in in Hebrews, because he continues forever, holds his priesthood permanently. This is good news. Therefore, he is able. What's he able to do? Save forever. Save forever. Those who draw near to God through him since he always lives to make intercession. Is that good news? I'm not you are not on your own.

Scott Keffer [: 00:25:18

You are not sustaining yourself as a Christian. You're not. You would not do it. You couldn't you can't do it. You can't do it. You're doing it because he intercedes for you. He ever lives to make intercession for you, which means because of it, because of his work, we have eternal life, forgiveness of sins, no condemnation, peace with God, righteousness of Christ. We have the Holy Spirit permanently indwelling us.

Scott Keffer [: 00:25:46

We have direct access to God. He's given us a new heart and new spirit. We're adopted as sons. We're fellowshipping in the body. We have his intercession. We have the hope of resurrection. We're sanctified. We have a spiritual calling and a set of gifts.

Scott Keffer [: 00:26:00

We've given earthly purpose and eternal inheritance and glory. Oh, by the way, just a few of the eternal benefits. They those benefits are blood bought benefits. Blood bought benefits. And, of course, here we get this powerful initiation. Right? This was the last Passover, but it was also communion, the Lord's supper, the Eucharist. So, of course, many have gone to their death over their belief and what that means. So I put on there many interpretations many interpretations.

Scott Keffer [: 00:26:46

Jesus bids us commemorate not his birth, his life, his miracles, but his death is what Carson says. So on the separate sheet, I have a review of various thoughts and beliefs about what's happening in the midst of communion, the lord's supper, the Eucharist. Okay. So Roman Catholics believe in transubstantiation transubstantiation Transubstantiation. Literally give you a minute to write out that long word. Transubstantiation. The bread and the wine, after being consecrated by the priest, literally become the body and the blood of Christ. You can't let you can't let even a bread crumb fall onto the ground.

Scott Keffer [: 00:27:40

For them, it is the body of Christ. It is his blood. Literally, they are transformed into the body and blood of Christ during the mass. Even though the they would say accidents, the appearances don't change of the the the bread and the wine. Literally, they become the body and blood, and it is spiritual nourishment for Catholic. They believe that's where your spiritual life is enhanced. That's why the Eucharist is the center, right, and the key to them. The what that's western, really, western Roman Catholicism.

Scott Keffer [: 00:28:14

Eastern Orthodox nori and or Orthodox call it the mystery. They maybe have it most right, the mystery. They believe also in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. I think I have all these right, but, hope I don't. That that, if I made a mistake that I've tried to give it the essence of these. But they avoid the precise explanation. They don't say transubstantiation. They just say the Eucharist is a mystery, and the Eucharist is the center.

Scott Keffer [: 00:28:44

They believe it is. Right? It is the presence of Christ for sure, the mystery. Because Luther believed in transubstantiation. Martin Luther believed that it was the body and blood. Right? But I think Lutherans now today, there is in with an under. This idea that not exactly become the body and blood, but that it is in, with, and under, the true body and blood. So there's a coexisting so I don't know exact but it's it's different, but not exactly. Then there is what I call spiritual presence spiritual presence.

Scott Keffer [: 00:29:23

Christ is spiritually present in the elements, but there's no physical transformation of the bread and the wine. It's believed to be the real and substantial presence, and that there is it's a means of grace that you're spiritually nurtured and strengthened in your faith. It's a dynamic interaction with Christ and the believer. The Holy Spirit facilitates communion. Right? Spiritually uniting. Right? There is a there it is a means of grace, and there is a spiritual exchange that occurs in our interaction with Christ. Protestant, reformed, pretty much the reformed belief. Calvin, John Piper, he's a reformed Baptist.

Scott Keffer [: 00:30:06

Baptist would generally not be this, but he's reformed Baptist. RC Scruggs, Timothy Keller. Though they would be reformed in their belief about it, the mystery and the power of the Holy Spirit. It unites believers with Christ. There's a sacramental, right, a means of grace through this, going beyond mere remembrance or symbolism. Right? So I call that spiritual presence. So there is a means of grace to your faith through this. Then the last is memorialism.

Scott Keffer [: 00:30:39

So in the time, again, Martin Luther believed in the real presence. Zwingli did not. So Zwingli, right, the Protestant denominations began. As soon as they broke away from the Roman Catholic church, Luther said, alright. Now we're gonna right. This is what I believe. Zwingli said, that's not what I believe. And now okay.

Scott Keffer [: 00:30:56

Here we go. So right. Now we're on now we're on the path. Right? Spurgeon, John MacArthur, the Bible Chapel would be in this category. So the bread and wine are purely symbolic. The Lord's supper is performed in obedience to do this in remembrance of me. It says a memorial of his sacrifice. Commemorate or reflect on the sacrifice of Christ, believers remember his death.

Scott Keffer [: 00:31:21

They proclaim his sacrifice until he comes again. It's an act of remembrance rather than a means of receiving spiritual sustenance. You focus on the historical abandoned Christ sacrifice. And there is a need for self examination, repentance, and reconciliation both with God and fellow believers when you partake of the Lord's supper. So in 1st Corinthians, which is kind of the core of the memorial, action, the Lord Jesus on the night which he was betrayed took bread, and he'd given thanks, he broke it and said, this is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me. Hear that often. The same way he took the cup after the supper saying this cup is the new covenant in my blood, as often as you drink it in remembrance of me.

Scott Keffer [: 00:32:10

For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the lord's death until he comes. Therefore, that idea we're proclaiming the lord's death until he comes. Therefore, whoever eats the bread, drinks the cup in an unworthy manner shall be guilty of the body and blood of the lord, but a man must examine himself and in so doing is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup, which might suggest there's more to just symbolic if you eat it and there's a there's a consequence for, you know, kind of un unrepentant, unconfessed sin. Right? So those are sort of the and there's probably some in between those with people, but that's generally how the Roman Catholics look at it, transubstantiation, the mystery, and the ether nor Orthodox. So that's Western, Catholicism, consubstantiation in and around and apart, spiritual presence, and then memorialism, which is us here at the chapel. In the spiritual presence, the the reform would believe the same. Right? Saved by faith. Right? Faith alone, grace alone, scripture alone, within that.

Scott Keffer [: 00:33:17

In memorialism, there would be some that don't believe that you could there are some that believe you could lose your salvation, Pentecostal, charismatic. So they can believe memorialism, but still believe you can lose your salvation. So there's there's mixes and and yeah. There are mixes and matches here. Right? To which if you're an average money, you go like, what's up with that? Right? And that is the that is the profound and I think in some ways that the ether nor Eastern Orthodox has a right. It's the mystery. There's a mystery in in in what god has done, and there's a there's a mystery about it. But it is a, I mean, the point is it's very it's a significant interaction between you and the lord, which we do together, but it's it's it's significant.

Scott Keffer [: 00:34:11

And there is a mysterious part to this. And there's a remembrance, and there's an interaction with Christ, and there's all we're proclaiming his death. There's all of that woven together into into the communion, the Lord's supper, the Eucharist. Hopefully, it's helpful to give you a kind of a sense. Alright. So if we flip back to the sheet, just to give you some sense, it says that Jesus gave thanks. He gave thanks. The word is Eucharistus, which we get the word Eucharist, but it means be grateful.

Scott Keffer [: 00:34:48

So I put on there, write down, be grateful. It is a time of deep, deep gratitude. Right? Because literally, it means grateful. He gave thanks. And we see 2 key components, his body. We give thanks for his body. It says in, Hebrews, sacrifice and offering, he says, lord, you have not desired. So he's quoting from Psalms, but a body underline that, but a body body who prepared? The father prepared for the son.

Scott Keffer [: 00:35:26

The father prepared a body for the tongue. He takes away the first in order to establish the second, the New Testament, the New Covenant. And by this will, we have been sanctified. What? Through the offering of the body of the lord Jesus. How? Once for all. So what Eric was saying, once for all, one sacrifice, once for all. And we would say that versus the mass, which is the regular offering they would not say exactly resacrificing, but it is a sacrificing of the I don't totally understand it, but it's just it's a resacrificing. This is the body offering again.

Scott Keffer [: 00:36:16

But he offered it, we would believe, once for all, not to be offered again. That's why he was able to sit down. It says in Hebrews, he sat down. Why is that significant? The high priest never sat down, never sat down. They had a bell on his and and they had a rope when he was in the holy of holies. If the bell stopped ringing, they pulled him out. That mean he was dead. Right? Because he never sat down.

Scott Keffer [: 00:36:47

You can't set you didn't sit down until it was once for all. The second thing he gave thanks for, his blood. And scripture says, without the shedding of blood, there is no remission, underlying remission. It's all it can be also translated forgiveness. However right? Somebody asked me what's the difference between that and if you confess your sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive. Right? They're 2 different words. Remission here, the word used here, it's also used in Ephesians 17 where it says, in him in him, we have redemption, the forgiveness, the remission of our of our our transgressions. What the difference is, the first one, which is used here, is a noun.

Scott Keffer [: 00:37:36

It means the sending away, the release, the pardon. Right, the pardon, the paid in full concept here. Right? So it's once and for all, complete forgiven, remission of sin and release from bondage, freed from the penalties. So you can write to the left of that in him, in Christ. We would believe it's your position that remission of sins occurs once. It is where you are when you're put into Christ. You're you he's he's bought you off of the slave block, and it is the remission. The second use of it is a verb.

Scott Keffer [: 00:38:17

It is the ongoing forgiveness that occurs when we fall. Right? If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins. That's the ongoing cleansing that's different than the once for all remission of sins. So one is positionally. The other the one is the fact of our relationship. The other is the quality of our relationship. When we fall and we don't confess, then my my relationship is broken. So I need I need the the forgiveness of sins.

Scott Keffer [: 00:38:53

So it's the difference between remission, positionally, judicially, where I've had all my sins. Right? And here's the ongoing. Does that make sense? We're on about by his body and his blood. It talks about in first John, the power of his blood, the power of his blood. There is power. Power, wonder working power in the blood of the lamb. Right? So we're called to be grateful, to be to be reminded. That's what that's what the Eucharist, that's what communion is.

Scott Keffer [: 00:39:29

Eucharist, be grateful. I'm grateful that he gave his body and he gave his right. He shed his blood. And if you stop for a minute and think, who would do that? Who would do that? It says the father prepared a vessel, a body. Jesus, the uncontainable, stepped into a container in order to have his body broken and his blood shed, the perfect, unblemished lamb of God. Worthy is the lamb who was slain, it says. Worthy is the lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing and every created thing in the heavens and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea and all things in them. Says, I heard them say to him who sits upon the throne and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion, everything from him and belongs to him.

Scott Keffer [: 00:40:30

Everything. He's the lamb who was slain. He he gave his body was broken and his blood was shed to redeem you, to buy you, to be his own. So he says remember that. Remember that. And then he reminds us, lastly, it's shed for many. It's shed for many. And the many, by the way, is a reminder that salvation is of the Jews and then the Gentiles, the Jews and then the Gentiles, which means we should be deeply grateful because it was always to bless Abraham, all the nations through Abraham.

Scott Keffer [: 00:41:09

But it was stunning for them because it the the idea that God was going to bless the Gentiles equally, right, is stunning. But they will sing a new song to the lamb. Worthy is the lamb who was slain. Right? Because he says, who who could who's worthy? Because he shed his blood for men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation, which means there's no one there's no one that you know who's beyond his salvation. There's no one. Tribe and tongue, people, and nation. No economic situation that's that's beyond his grace. No sin, no depth of sin.

Scott Keffer [: 00:41:51

I still remember I'm standing in Red Square in in in Russia, and the guy said to me, you have no idea what I've done. I've been in the military. You do not know what I've the the the the crimes that I've committed. I said to him, I don't know what you've done. I know what I've done. I don't know what you've done, But I do know the one who's done something that makes what you've done sufficient. He shed his blood, and there isn't anything that you've done that's beyond the blood, the body and the blood. Right? We preach Christ in him crucified.

Scott Keffer [: 00:42:27

He broke his body. He shed his blood for you, for your sin. There's no sin, no person, no situation, nothing that's beyond his grace and mercy. There's nothing. Nothing beyond it. Shed for many. Shed for many. So a new covenant, a new testament.

Scott Keffer [: 00:42:44

So a new testament, new covenant, God's sovereignty, God's mercy and justice, and then we see how they're wrapped up in this new testament, this new covenant. Right? And, all the the blessings and the favor and how the communion, the Lord's supper, the Eucharist is a celebration of that. So inside application. And maybe the god of the old and the new covenant. May he bless you. May he keep you. May he cause his face to shine upon you. May he lift up his countenance and grant you his favor, his his peace, his grace, his shalom deep in your soul.

Scott Keffer [: 00:43:24

May the grace of our God, our father, and the love of with the grace of God and the love of the Lord Jesus Christ and fellowship with the Holy Spirit be with you now and always, and he knows how to bless you. May he bless you. Amen. Thanks for listening. I hope you have greater hope, assurance, and confidence in your life and a deeper trust in the God of the bible and his son, Jesus Christ. Until next time. May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you.

Scott Keffer [: 00:43:56

And may the Lord lift up his countenance on you and give you his peace, his shalom in your soul and in your life. Until next time, may god bless you and keep you.