Project Contempo Blog » 2008

Why Christmas? This question has been lingering in my mind for a while. The usual answer is that Christ came to be the sacrificial lamb to die for our sins. However, why can’t we continue with the Old Testament sacrifices? We would rather offer more animals than to kill the Son of God. We would rather build lamb farms than to erect a cross.

The traditional understanding of biblical sacrifices is based on the concept of substitution. The animal offered dies on our behalf. This is certainly true and it gives us the doctrine of atonement. (See Lev. 5:13; 6:7) However, the doctrine of atonement, important as it is, does not fully explain the purpose of Old Testament sacrifices.

Consider the following facts.

First, the wrong doer has to slaughter the animal. If the animal represents the wrong doer, it should be the priest that does the killing.

Second, the Bible labels the animal as holy. “Whatever touches any of the flesh will become holy”. (Lev. 6:27) If the animal is a substitute for the sinner, it would become unclean and whoever touches it would be defiled as well.

Third, blood represents life in the Old Testament which says “for the life of a creature is in the blood” and hence “none of you may eat blood” (Lev. 17:11-12). The New Testament however regards blood as a symbol of death. It teaches: “We have now been justified by his blood” and “when we were enemies we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son” (Rom. 5:9-10). That is one of the reasons why Jesus told His disciples to drink His blood as part of the communion meal.

Fourth, while it is true that “without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness”, the very poor who cannot afford to an animal may make a cereal offering instead (Lev.5:11). Besides, the prophet Isaiah was cleansed by a burning coal in the temple.

Fifth, shedding of blood does not necessarily bring forgiveness. When Eli’s two sons showed disrespect for the people’s offering to God, God proclaimed: “The guilt of Eli’s house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.” (1 Sam.3:14) There has to be repentance.

These facts show the doctrine of atonement is only one side of the coin. There is another important dimension that we have often missed. That is the concept of covenant. The whole Old Testament is based on God’s covenant with the Israelites: “I will take you as my own people and I will be your God.” (Exodus 6:7) This is first and foremost a relational offer, different from the legal language of atonement. Unfortunately time and again the Israelites broke the covenant and the purpose of the Old Testament sacrifices is to restore the harmonious relationship of the wrong doer with God.

In the covenant relationship, God always takes the initiative. Hence the Bible says “a body you prepared for me” (Heb. 10:5). At Christmas, God prepared a body for Jesus who became a sacrifice for our sins once for all. Often we think of the Old Testament as being legalistic but that is a gross misunderstanding. God repeatedly shows that He is a covenant keeper. By giving Jesus to us, God demonstrates that He is not only just but also relational. We need to rediscover the concept of covenant which penetrates throughout both the Old and New Testaments (see Jeremiah 31:31). Until then, we will not fully grasp the meaning of Christmas.

The message of covenant is the missing jewel of the Christmas tidings.

Clement Yeung

How many opportunities do you have to witness for Christ in a day? Better still, how many times in a day are you aware of the fact that there are opportunities to witness for Christ? The fact of the matter is that there are many opportunities, and occasionally, some great opportunities. Are we sensitive to their occurrence? Do we make the best of those opportunities?

Here is an e-mail I received the week before:

******
I was listening to Sunday Choral Concert and they were talking about the lack of female voices in the early days.

Then they talked about the voice quality of the castrati.

Then some history of these boys. At the height of the craze for boy voice, 4000 boys were castrated for the church choir each year from 1720 to 1730. Some grew up to be very famous, the rock stars of their days. Others didn’t make it as singers and led a miserable life.

The castrated has less right. They are not allowed to be witness in the court of law. You’ve got to have balls to be a witness.

In fact, the Latin root for witness is testis.

Main Entry: tes-tis
Pronunciation: \’tes-tes\
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural tes-tes
Etymology: Latin, witness, testis
Date: 1650
: a typically paired male reproductive gland that produces sperm and secretes testosterone and that in most mammals is contained within the scrotum at sexual maturity

Main Entry: tes-ta-ment
Pronunciation: \’tes-te-ment\
Function: noun
Etymology:
Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin & Latin; Late Latin testamentum covenant with God, holy scripture, from Latin, last will, from testari to be a witness, call to witness, make a will, from testis witness; akin to Latin tres three & to Latin stare to stand; from the witness’s standing by as a third party in a litigation —
******

Now how would you capitalize on a comment such as “ You’ve got to have balls to be a witness”? This is my short reply:

******
That’s right. In Biblical times, women couldn’t be witnesses in court. They had to tell their stories to their hubbies who then gave testimonies for them. That is why it is so incredible that the first witnesses to the resurrection were two women. Now who would make up such a flimsy story like that - just telling it like it is. Even the eleven didn’t believe it.
******

When Jesus told his disciples to deny themselves daily, and to take up their crosses, and follow him, he meant a one-way ticket to the end of their days. There was to be no turning back. The cross was an instrument of death. Well, let’s not be so drastic for the moment, and step aside from a discussion of physical death. Let’s just consider for now this thought. Are you willing to die of embarrassment for Christ’s sake? Indeed, you’ve got to have balls to be a witness! Let’s ask for wisdom and sensitivity to opportunities, and then run with it. Let’s have some balls!

Consider also this cute title for a book I saw recently: “If You Don’t Die to Self, I May Have to Kill You!”

God bless.

Bob

Ottawa

As another Christmas approaches, we seek to reflect on the meaning of Christmas from different angles. This is especially good if we find time and opportunity to do it with seekers. Just this past Monday, we had a noon hour bible study at a conference room at work. Two out of 11 of us were seekers. Following from a study two weeks ago on the great faith and submission of Mary as recorded in Luke 1:26-38, we chose to study the appearing of the angels to the shepherds as recorded in Luke 2:8-20.

It dawned on me that these shepherds were in fact at work while the angels appeared to them. Similar to Peter in Luke 5 when Jesus encountered Peter while he was finishing his work, the shepherds were on duty at night (properly not overtime, but a night shift). When we pondered together the question why the shepherds have to work at night, one of the brothers quickly shared that he did have to watch over sheeps at night when he was sent into the rural area during China’s cultural revolution. He shared that the sheeps he tended actually slept in the day time. At night, they were sent out to eat the grasses to so that the grasses can grow quicker (it is more humid at night). We have to do more research, but these were interesting as we experienced the dynamics of a good bible study, when each participant contributes his or her expertise and experience on the passage.

Well, why did the angels chose the shepherds? Why did they not appear to the elites, especially those from the religious institutions? Someone responded that the magi in Matthew did go to Jerusalem to inform King Herod (and subsequently the priests and the scribes), however, they just responded intellectually but not submissively and experientially. They new-found realized knowledge that the Christ should be born in Bethlehem did not prompt them to go and worship Him. The shepherds were not well educated, but they were surprised by joy and the great news that the savior would be born. They immediately went into Bethlehem to confirm what was revealed to them (evidence-based faith).

As they followed through with what was revealed and obeyed, they were over-joyed. They shared the good news with others (contagious faith), and also went back (perhaps to their field, i.e. their workplace) glorifying God and praising God.

Reflections:

1. Do we expect to experience God in the workplace, or have we boxed God out of the workplace?

2. Do we have a humble and ready heart like those of the shepherds to whom the angels shared the good news?

3. How can we share the news of great joy with others, especially at the workplace?

4. Do we have a heart of praise and a desire to glorify God even at the workplace?

Ed writing on an anniversary of starting to work in Ottawa

P.S. You will notice that we have been studying Luke, thanks again to Donna Dong who gave her first message at the Calgary national retreat on Luke 5. Since her talk, God has led me to a deepening journey of Luke, especially from the angle of how Christ was portrayed as the perfect Man.

December 2008

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