The Good News of the Gospel is found only in God’s Word, and it must be proclaimed! Biblia.com Psalm 19 (ESV) To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. 1   The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. 2   Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. 3   There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. 4   Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun, 5   which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy. 6   Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat. 7   The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; 8   the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; 9   the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. 10   More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. 11   Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. 12   Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults. 13   Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression. 14   Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Articles 1- 4 Article 5: The Mandate to Proclaim the Gospel to All Moreover, it is the promise of the gospel  that whoever believes in Christ crucified  shall not perish but have eternal life.  This promise, together with the command to repent and believe,  ought to be announced and declared without differentiation or discrimination  to all nations and people, to whom God in his good pleasure sends the gospel. Summary I love this time of the year for a number of reasons: it’s getting warmer after the cold of winter, plants are beginning to bud and blossom, and one reason in particular is looking forward to camping.  My wife and I love to go camping over the course of the summer, and are already planning our summer camping trips for this year.  It’s a great opportunity to get out and spend time in God’s beautiful creation.  There’s nothing like sitting around your campfire at night, soaking up the warmth, looking up at the darkened sky, and taking in the breathtaking beauty of it all, praising the Lord for all that He has made and how it points us back to Him.  Creation does that, it points us to the Lord.  It’s one of the ways God reveals Himself to us - one of two mentioned in Psalm 19: General revelation in creation (vv. 1-6), and Special revelation in God’s Word (vv. 7-11).  General revelation is enough to make mankind aware of God and so leave us without excuse ( Romans 1:19-20 ), but insufficient for salvation.  Only Special revelation reveals the Good News of the Gospel; It's through Special revelation that we can better interpret General revelation.  And this Good News of the Gospel in Special revelation goes out by the preaching of God’s Word.  As we’re reminded in Romans 10:14-15 , How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!'   It's not that people can’t come to know the Good News of the Gospel from reading the Bible themselves, but there’s an importance to the preaching, the proclamation of the Word.   Dig Deeper   The Canons highlight this importance of the proclamation of the Gospel when it says: This promise, together with the command to repent and believe, ought to be announced and declared without differentiation or discrimination to all nations and people, to whom God in his good pleasure sends the gospel .  This is why the preached Word of God every Sunday is so important!  It is one of the marks of the true Church (see Belgic Confession Article 29 ). Theologian Louis Berkhof states that "God’s Word is the most important means of grace.”  As God’s Word is faithfully preached Sunday after Sunday, the proclamation of the Good News of the Gospel goes out to all!  And God’s Word does not return void, it accomplishes the purposes God has for it ( Isaiah 55:11 ), whether it be molding and shaping us to be more like Christ, or planting/watering the seed of the Gospel.  So, as you gather for worship this Sunday, and every Sunday after, may you see in the faithful handling and preaching of God’s Word the undifferentiated, indiscriminate proclamation of the Gospel to all. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, whose glory is declared in the heavens; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that your activities and decisions will be guided by God's revealed Word; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Romans 7

Be refreshed in the Good News of the Gospel daily. John 3:16–17 (ESV) 16  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.  17  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18  Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Articles 1- 4 Article 5: The Mandate to Proclaim the Gospel to All Moreover, it is the promise of the gospel  that whoever believes in Christ crucified  shall not perish but have eternal life.  This promise, together with the command to repent and believe,  ought to be announced and declared without differentiation or discrimination  to all nations and people, to whom God in his good pleasure sends the gospel. Summary For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.  It's likely many of you at one time or another have memorized this verse!  It often gets quoted as a part of presenting the Gospel to someone, sharing what God has done for us out of His great and pursuing love in sending His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to stand condemned in the place of lost sinners, our place, so that, for those who believe in Jesus, trusting in Him alone for salvation, we can be redeemed and reconciled to God.  Through Jesus’ sacrifice, when we believe, we have God’s gracious gift of eternal life!  The Canons, at the start of its article on The Mandate to Proclaim the Gospel to All takes up this language from John 3:16: Moreover, it is the promise of the gospel that whoever believes in Christ crucified shall not perish but have eternal life.   Sadly, in the second half of v18, we see what the next article of the Canons addresses: Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God .  Yet, for those of us who believe, what a refreshing thing the Good News of the Gospel is!   Dig Deeper   Just the other night, after I got back from our evening church council meeting, my wife was taking care of a few things around the house before bed. As she did so, she was listening to some music.  On the playlist she was listening to, there was a song where someone put these words from John 3 to music and was singing God’s Word.  What a wonderful way to be reminded and refreshed in the Good News of the Gospel!  Yesterday , we talked about thanking God each day for what He’s done for us, but it’s also important to take time to be refreshed in the Good News of the Gospel.  Yes, that requires us to recognize the weight of our sin, the ways we sin against God and neighbor, but even as we do, we are also reminded of God’s amazing grace poured out on us in Jesus and it can refresh us, especially if we are going through a season when we are painfully aware of our own sin to the point where we have no grace for ourselves.  The Gospel is to be proclaimed to all, but sometimes, the first person we need to proclaim the Gospel to is ourselves, being reminded of our sin, our need for God, but also His forgiveness and grace that covers a multitude of sins.  Thanks be to God for His amazing grace!  AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who so loved the world that He gave His only Son; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Ask God to give you a continual hunger to read and hear His Word, that you might be refreshed daily by the gospel; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Romans 6

Thank God for Jesus’ perfect sacrifice every day! Biblia.com Hebrews 2:14–18 (ESV) 14  Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15  and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. 16  For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. 17  Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18  For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Articles 1-3 Article 4: Reasons For The Infinite Value of Christ’s Death This death is of such great value and worth for the reason that  the person who suffered it is— as was necessary to be our Savior— not only a true and perfectly holy human,  but also the only begotten Son of God,  of the same eternal and infinite essence with the Father and the Holy Spirit.  Another reason is that this death was accompanied by the experience of God’s wrath and curse, which we by our sins had fully deserved. Summary So far this week, we’ve taken a look at how Jesus is fully God and fully man united in one person.  But the question still remains to be answered - Why is that so important?  Why is it so important for our salvation that Jesus is both fully God and fully man?  The author of Hebrews tells us as much in our passage today, at least the importance of why Jesus needed to be fully man.  Having been talking about how Christ is not ashamed to be called our brother, believers throughout every age are reminded of the necessity for Jesus taking on our flesh, tabernacling among us.  Jesus took on our flesh in order that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery .  Not only that, but we are told: He had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people .  It was necessary for Jesus to take on our flesh so that He could pay the debt of our sins.  The Canons remind us of this necessity, that Jesus be a true and perfectly holy man  as human nature must pay the debt of sin (which is echoed in the Heidelberg Catechism QA 16 ).  So, it was necessary for Jesus to fully man.  Then why is it also necessary for Jesus to be the only begotten Son of God ?  Because it’s only by Jesus being fully God that He could bear the weight of God’s just wrath on our sin (see HC Q & A 17 ).  This is why Jesus was the perfect sacrificial lamb on your and my behalf, why His sacrifice is of infinite value!     Dig Deeper   As I write this, this week is preparation week for our congregation as we look forward to celebrating Communion in our congregation this upcoming Lord’s Day.  It is this perfect sacrifice of infinite value that we remember, celebrate, and proclaim whenever we gather around the Lord’s Table together.  But it shouldn’t be just when we celebrate Communion, nor only at Good Friday and Easter, which we celebrated not too long ago.  Every Lord’s Day, as we gather as fellow brothers and sisters in Christ to worship the One True God, we come together to celebrate, praise, and worship the Lord out of gratitude and love for what He’s done for us in the perfect sacrifice of Jesus!  And every day, through the Lord’s grace and strength, may our lives be ones lived in gratitude for what God has done as the Gospel works its way into our daily life, thanking and praising the Lord often for His amazing grace in Jesus!     AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, in heaven. Hallowed be His name! A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that when temptation comes, you will remember that because Christ Himself suffered when tempted, He is able to help those being tempted; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Romans 5

When you face trials and hardships, look to the Word become flesh. Biblia.com John 1:9–18 (ESV) 9  The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10  He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11  He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12  But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13  who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. 14  And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15  (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’ ”) 16  For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17  For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18  No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Articles 1-3 Article 4: Reasons For The Infinite Value of Christ’s Death This death is of such great value and worth for the reason that  the person who suffered it is— as was necessary to be our Savior— not only a true and perfectly holy human,  but also the only begotten Son of God,  of the same eternal and infinite essence with the Father and the Holy Spirit.  Another reason is that this death was accompanied by the experience of God’s wrath and curse, which we by our sins had fully deserved. Summary John alluded to the beginning of Genesis in this first chapter of his Gospel account as He affirms that Jesus is one hundred percent God, as we saw yesterday . But Jesus is also one hundred percent man.  The same passage that described Jesus as fully God - He Who is from eternity - also shows that He became man, that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.   Just as God dwelt amidst His people in the Tabernacle in the wilderness wanderings of Israel, Jesus literally “tabernacled” ( skénoó  - “to pitch tent, encamp; to tabernacle…”), dwelt among us as true man.  Jesus took on our flesh, which was absolutely necessary for our salvation, as we’ll talk about tomorrow.  Even though we talk about these two natures separately, it’s so important for us to remember that they are united in one person.  Just like various errors arose theologically concerning Jesus’ deity throughout Church history, so also errors arose regarding Jesus’ two natures and their union in Him.  Some have believed that because there is both a human and a divine nature, that means there are two people, but that’s not the case.  The Belgic Confession puts it well when it says: “We believe that by being thus conceived the person of the Son has been inseparably united and joined together with human nature, in such a way that there are not two Sons of God, nor two persons, but two natures united in a single person, with each nature retaining its own distinct properties” ( Article 19 ).   Dig Deeper   Just as Jesus being one hundred percent God can and should provide you immense comfort throughout your life, so too should the wonderful truth that Jesus is also one hundred percent man give you comfort.  It is truly amazing knowing that He Who is eternal God would willingly come, take on our flesh, and tabernacle among us.  What wonder that He by Whom everything was created would humble Himself to experience our heartache, temptations, ridicule, agony, suffering, loss, and eventually go to the cross for lost sinners, coming to His own who did not receive him .  But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God…  As you face trials and hardships throughout the course of your life, may you ever look to our God, Who took on our flesh and has experienced sufferings and trials too.  May you find comfort in and rest knowing that He is walking with you through your trials and difficulties as your Great High Priest.  May you rely ever on the grace and strength that He provides for each new day. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who sent His divine Son, full of grace and truth, to become man; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you live in a way that acknowledges that Jesus has made His dwelling among you; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Romans 4

Never forget the lengths God has gone for you. ourdailyverse.com John 1:1-5 (ESV) 1   In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2  He was in the beginning with God. 3  All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4  In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Articles 1-3 Article 4: Reasons For The Infinite Value of Christ’s Death This death is of such great value and worth for the reason that  the person who suffered it is— as was necessary to be our Savior— not only a true and perfectly holy human,  but also the only begotten Son of God,  of the same eternal and infinite essence with the Father and the Holy Spirit.  Another reason is that this death was accompanied by the experience of God’s wrath and curse, which we by our sins had fully deserved. Summary 'Was when He was not…,' 'Was not when He was not…'  If you lived in the early 300s AD, you could have heard slogans or jingles along these lines.  Throughout the early Church, various points of theology were being hammered out and nailed down; in this particular case, the deity of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was being vigorously debated. So, what do these two phrases mean?  'Was when He was not' translates out to be that there was a time when Jesus did not exist, that He was a creation of the Father at some point in time.  This is what is known as the Arian heresy, which was espoused early on in the Church.  The other, 'Was not when He was not,' is the biblical doctrine that we believe, uphold, promote, and defend, that there has never been a time when Jesus did not exist.  He is co-eternal with the Father and the Holy Spirit, One God forever and ever; as the Canons put it: Jesus is of the same eternal and infinite essence with the Father and the Holy Spirit. As we read just a few moments ago in the beginning of John’s Gospel account, in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.   Jesus has existed from all eternity, as John reminds us here, and He is one hundred percent God!   Dig Deeper   The beautiful and wonderful truth that Jesus is fully God is so important to our theology, especially to our salvation, as we’re going to see more in depth on Wednesday.  But as we’ve been seeing throughout the year, our theology is not just dry, head knowledge, but practical. The amazing truth that Jesus is one hundred percent God should lead us to such praise and worship since He Who is eternal God - the One who created Heaven and earth, who created you and me, who willingly humbled Himself as He took on our flesh in order to save, redeem, and reconcile us to Himself!  When the enemy would tempt you, trying to get you to doubt God’s love and care for you, remember the unfading truth that He Who is God from eternity, came and was born, lived, died, and rose again for you and me!  Never forget the lengths that He was willing to go for you, as He showed you just how much He loves and cares for you! AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who made all things through the Word; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you would live in the truth of knowing that He Who Is God became flesh to give you peace with God; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Romans 3

No matter how much you save, you'll never be able to buy yourself. Minnesota's favorite couple expressing their version of Psalm 49 Psalm 49 For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm. 1  Hear this, all you peoples; listen, all who live in this world, 2  both low and high, rich and poor alike: 3  My mouth will speak words of wisdom; the meditation of my heart will give you understanding. 4  I will turn my ear to a proverb; with the harp I will expound my riddle: 5  Why should I fear when evil days come, when wicked deceivers surround me— 6  those who trust in their wealth and boast of their great riches? 7  No one can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for them— 8  the ransom for a life is costly, no payment is ever enough— 9  so that they should live on forever and not see decay. 10  For all can see that the wise die, that the foolish and the senseless also perish, leaving their wealth to others. 11  Their tombs will remain their houses forever, their dwellings for endless generations, though they had named lands after themselves. 12  People, despite their wealth, do not endure; they are like the beasts that perish. 13  This is the fate of those who trust in themselves, and of their followers, who approve their sayings. 14  They are like sheep and are destined to die; death will be their shepherd (but the upright will prevail over them in the morning). Their forms will decay in the grave, far from their princely mansions. 15  But God will redeem me from the realm of the dead; he will surely take me to himself. 16  Do not be overawed when others grow rich, when the splendor of their houses increases; 17  for they will take nothing with them when they die, their splendor will not descend with them. 18  Though while they live they count themselves blessed— and people praise you when you prosper— 19  they will join those who have gone before them, who will never again see the light of life. 20  People who have wealth but lack understanding are like the beasts that perish. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Articles 1-2 Article 3: The Infinite Value of Christ’s Death This death of God’s Son is the only and entirely complete sacrifice and satisfaction for sins;  it is of infinite value and worth,  more than sufficient to atone for the sins of the whole world. Summary Psalm 49 is different than other parts of the Bible. Many of the New Testament epistles, for example, are addressed to God's elect or saints (people like you, whom God has made holy), not to everyone in general. But Psalm 49 has something to say to all peoples - all who live in this world, both low and high, rich and poor alike. The psalmist begins by showing the futility of those who trust in their wealth... so that they should live on forever and not see decay. Billionaires can buy nearly anything they want; they can even buy their way into space! But they can't buy their way out of death, for all can see that both the wise and the foolish die, leaving their wealth to others. As Ole wisely replied when Lena asked how much his rich uncle left behind when he died: "He left all of it." Nobody, regardless of what else they can afford to buy here and now can afford to pay the price required to dodge death. No one , the Psalmist writes, can redeem (literally: buy out) the life of another or give to God the price of his life (ESV). Psalm 49 has a refrain that has a slight variation as it's repeated: 12  People, despite their wealth, do not endure; they are like the beasts that perish. 20 People who have wealth but lack understanding are like the beasts that perish. It's bad enough that people who trust in their wealth will perish , but it's how they'll perish that is even sadder: they are like the beasts. In other words, they die devoid of the one attribute that separates mankind from the animals, having lost all aspects of the image of God they were created in. They are like sheep and are destined to die; death will be their shepherd.   Dig Deeper   The mood changes in third stanza (vss. 15-19) of Psalm 49. After warning all the peoples who live in the world that they can't dodge death despite their wealth and power, the psalmist proclaims good news for the people of God. It's not that they won't die - after all, the psalm has already noted that both the wise and the foolish will - but there remains hope after death for those who trust in the LORD. This hope is made possible because although nobody can redeem themselves or be bought out by another, you can rest in the fact that God will redeem you from the realm of the dead; He will surely take you to Himself! As the ancient Israelites sang of this hope they had no idea what it would cost or how it would be possible for this transaction to take place. But as one who is in Christ, you know that your redemption is only possible because, as the Canons put it, the death of God's Son is... of infinite value and worth . AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who has redeemed you from the realm of the dead; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will not be overawed when others grow rich, when the splendor of their houses increases; for they will take nothing with them when they die, their splendor will not descend with them; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Romans 2

Your testimony is a powerful tool - but it must be used correctly! You likely give testimonies about all sorts of things that happen to you. How often do you give testimony about what Jesus has done for you? John 4:39-42 (NIV) CONTEXT: Jesus has just finished His famous encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well. She had run back into town to tell her community about Jesus. 39  Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” 40  So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. 41  And because of his words many more became believers. 42  They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.” Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Articles 1-2 Article 3: The Infinite Value of Christ’s Death This death of God’s Son is the only and entirely complete sacrifice and satisfaction for sins;  it is of infinite value and worth,  more than sufficient to atone for the sins of the whole world. Summary Why don't we have the same level of excitement about Jesus that the Samaritan woman had? Why don't we have the same eagerness to provide testimony about our experience with the Living God? Testimonies have tremendous power. They tell of a person's unique experience, an experience other people are interested in. Maybe you think that your story is boring - especially compared to somebody as colorful as the Samaritan woman - and that nobody wants to hear about it. But you likely don't take that same attitude in other aspects of your life. When you get home, you tell people about your day (even when it wasn't much different than any other day). At work, you tell people about what you did the night before or the interesting thing you saw on the drive in. At the store you tell the random person in the aisle about an awesome coupon or deal you just found. When it comes down to it, you're almost always engaged in some sort of testimonial! So why don't you testify about the far more amazing things you read and hear from the Bible? The testimony of this woman of ill repute captures her neighbors' attention, enough that many of the Samaritans from that town believed in Jesus because of the woman's testimony!   Dig Deeper   As powerful as what personal testimonies are, they have their limitations. At this point, the Samaritans who believed in Him because of the woman's testimony only know about her personal experience with Jesus - that He told her everything she ever did. That's a pretty big deal for sure, but it's only a drop in Jesus' divine bucket! Sharing your testimony is related to, but not the same as, sharing the gospel. Your testimony is simply telling how you've experienced Christ, how it's changed your life, and how it's made you feel. Again, these insights are valuable and all of us introverted upper midwesterners (and beyond!) need to do much better at it! But nobody's going to really understand how God has unconditionally elected them or how it is that the death of God’s infinitely valuable Son is the only and entirely complete sacrifice and satisfaction for sins based only on how Jesus makes you feel.  And so it is that the woman's neighbors want to know more about Jesus. They urged Him to stay with them, and He stayed two days. John doesn't convey what it was that Jesus taught them for those couple of days, but we can tell from the people's reaction that it must have been awesome! Because of Jesus' words , John tells us, many more became believers. Testimonies are important - the woman's testimony about what Jesus told her got her neighbors interested and piqued their attention. But testimonies are a short lived means to an end. Even the testimony of the Samaritan woman at the well. After a couple of days of listening to Jesus themselves, her neighbors told her, We no longer believe just because of what you said , but we believe because we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world! So get better testifying to the amazing things (or even the ordinary things) that Jesus has done in your life! But use your testimony to point others to hear the Word of God for themselves, so that they too can know not just how Jesus makes you feel, but that He really is the Savior of the world. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who sent His Son to be the Savior of the world ; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray the courage, ability and desire to share your testimony often, not just to tell others how you feel, but to help them come to know what you know about Jesus; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Romans 1

The Lamb of God didn't just take on our sin, He took our place. John 1:29-31 (NIV) CONTEXT: The religious establishment had just sent a contingent to inquire whether John the Baptist, who'd been garnering massive crowds, was the coming Messiah. John denied he was, and he also denied being a reincarnation of Elijah or the Prophet. When pressed for his true identity, John quoted Isaiah, saying he was "the voice of the one calling in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way for the Lord.'" 29  The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30  This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ 31  I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.” Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Articles 1-2 Article 3: The Infinite Value of Christ’s Death This death of God’s Son is the only and entirely complete sacrifice and satisfaction for sins;  it is of infinite value and worth,  more than sufficient to atone for the sins of the whole world. Summary What a sight - and even sound - it must have been. John the Apostle doesn't record what it was that John the Baptist was doing when he saw Jesus coming toward him , but we do know from other gospel accounts that nothing about John the Baptist was ordinary or dull - he was not, as they say, a slave to fashion, and he had no reservations about speaking truth to power when the opportunities came up. That's probably part of the reason crowds flocked out to the desert to see him. He was a spectacle to behold. So no matter what he'd just been doing, his shocking statement certainly rang out and captured the attention of all who could hear him. And the words he proclaimed have kept the attention of theologians now for millennia: Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! Everybody agrees that John was describing the approaching Jesus, but what exactly did he mean by referring to Jesus as a Lamb? If you've been a Christian for any length of time, you're likely not surprised at all to see Jesus described as the Lamb of God. You've heard it, read it, sung it, and have even seen lots of artwork depicting it. It's just part of the everyday Christian vernacular, so much so that it almost goes by unnoticed. Of course Jesus is the Lamb of God. But John the Baptist's proclamation is one of only two times in the entire Bible that Jesus is described as a lamb (the other being Rev. 5:12, interestingly also written by John). Furthermore, nowhere does the Bible describe sheep as being used to atone for sin. Hundreds of thousands of bulls and goats (maybe even millions?) had people's sin put upon them before having their blood poured out, but never lambs. So why, out of all the titles John the Baptist could have used to announce Jesus, does he choose Lamb of God to describe the One who takes away the sin of the world? And why has this description of who Jesus is become so foundational to Christianity?   Dig Deeper   Although lambs were not prescribed by God's Law as a sacrificial animal, there are all sorts of examples of sheep being symbolically tied to salvation, especially by the prophet Isaiah . Likewise, when Abraham obeyed God's directive to sacrifice his son Isaac, it was a ram caught in a nearby thicked that God provided as a substitute that spared Isaac's life. "The Lamb of God is certainly prefigured in the Passover. When God prepared to bring His final plague on the Egyptians, the death of every firstborn male of the Egyptians, including the crown prince of the Pharaoh, He instructed His people Israel to slay lambs without blemish and to spread the blood on their doorposts . God promised to pass over all the houses where He saw the blood of the lambs on the doorposts" ( RC Sproul ). So when John the Baptist announces Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, he's putting Jesus into a whole new category of atoning sacrifice. Jesus wasn't just another creature in a long line of bulls and goats who had sin & guilt put upon Him before being sacrificed. Jesus was something new and different: He was truly a substitute; One who not only took on our sins, but also who took our place. Sproul concludes, "Just as the blood of those lambs caused the people of Israel to be spared from God’s wrath, the Lamb of God redeemed His people from the penalty that was due for their sin." AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who sent His Son as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world by taking our place; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will have the same sense of awe and wonder that John the Baptist had toward Jesus; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Matthew 28

The old sacrificial system wasn't just a symbol, it was a shadow. Hebrews 10:1-14 (NIV) CONTEXT: Yesterday we read the passage ( Hebrews 9:22-28 ) that precedes today's. 10 The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. 2  Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. 3  But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins. 4  It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. 5  Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; 6  with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. 7  Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll— I have come to do your will, my God.’ ” (Psalm 40:6-8) ... 10  And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11  Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12  But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13  and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. 14  For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Articles 1-2 Article 3: The Infinite Value of Christ’s Death This death of God’s Son is the only and entirely complete sacrifice and satisfaction for sins;  it is of infinite value and worth,  more than sufficient to atone for the sins of the whole world. Summary It's easy to think that the Old Testament was merely symbolic; that all of the rules, regulation and transfer of guilt to sacrificial animals whose blood was poured out as a kippur (atonement) was just a grand drama pointing us to what would later be accomplished by Christ. And in some senses, that's true. As our passage today indicated, those activities were not the realities themselves. In fact, they could never make anyone perfect , no matter how often they were repeated, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. But those Old Testament practices were more than just symbolic. Symbols are abstract designs that artistically point to a concept, the way the red stripes on an American flag remind us of the blood spilled to attain freedom. The red on the flag comes from ink; it only symbolizes blood. We understand the bread and wine of communion as symbols which signify Christ's body and blood; they neither are nor become actual flesh and blood. But our passage today describes doesn't describe those gruesome procedures repeated day after day as mere symbols. Rather, it calls them a shadow of the good things that would come. A shadow is more than just a mere symbol, it's an extension of something very real. The sins requiring atonement were very real . The fact that atonement required the shedding of blood ( yesterday's passage ) became very evident as the very real lifeblood drained out of a very real animal. The ceremonies put in place by God in accordance with His law to account for the sins of His people were real payments, it's just that they were just not sufficient payments. They were a shadow of the payment Christ made.   Dig Deeper   A shadow takes its form from that which cast it, even though the shadow's form is often compressed, elongated, or not the exact image of the original shape. If you only saw the shadow of something, it would be hard to accurately describe that object's details. The book of Hebrews changes the angle of the light, so we can see Christ's perfect sacrifice and not just its shadow. It's in this light that the accuracy of the previous understandings derived from the shadow become evident. First, the shadow accurately made clear that it is God's will that His people be made holy through sacrifice . Sin must be atoned for, and blood sacrifice is the currency. It's likely that those who lived in that shadow understood this concept better than we do, since they saw the grotesque reality of this every time they witnessed those sacrifices , which were an annual reminder of sins. But being in the shadow made it hard for those living in it to understand that it was impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Nor did the endless repetition of those sacrifices do anything to achieve the holiness that God's will desired. But, praise be to God, we now clearly see the wonderful object that cast that long shadow: the one sacrifice by which Christ has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. As the Canons put it, the death of God’s Son is the only and entirely complete sacrifice and satisfaction for sins. It's no longer known just by its shadow; it's now the light of this dark world. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, by whose will we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will live in the light of Christ rather than the shadow of the law; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Matthew 27

God's grace is stronger than you are because of Christ's infinitely valuable atonement. Hebrews 9:22-28 (NIV) CONTEXT: One of the key themes in the book of Hebrews is that 'Jesus is better than...' The previous passages have demonstrated that Jesus is better than the Jewish priests and sacrificial system, which are described as only "a copy and shadow of what is in heaven" (Hebrews 8:5). 22  In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. 23  It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24  For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence. 25  Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. 26  Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27  Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28  so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Articles 1-2 Article 3: The Infinite Value of Christ’s Death This death of God’s Son is the only and entirely complete sacrifice and satisfaction for sins;  it is of infinite value and worth,  more than sufficient to atone for the sins of the whole world. Summary You probably don't need much help understanding what it's like to be stuck in an endlessly repeating cycle. At work you deal with the same problems over and over, and it seems like at the end of the day there are always more issues needing solutions than what you began with, despite all the work you did. Others of you are at home day in and day out following the same dull routine that makes it hard to remember which day of the week it actually is. The Old Testament sacrificial system was stuck in a very similar rut. Day after day, blood was shed as to atone (pay) for the sins - both of the priests offering the sacrifices and the of the people they represented before God. But day after day, the pile of sins needing atoning kept getting bigger. Jesus came to put an end to this hopeless cycle. Jesus is our priest - the One who entered heaven itself to appear for us in God's presence - but He's far different than the human priests who were mere copies. Jesus did not enter heaven to offer Himself again and again the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. Instead, Jesus appeared once for all to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself! Christ's blood was of such tremendous value that He only needed to be sacrificed once for the sins of many in order to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him.   Dig Deeper   These five Canons that we're using as a roadmap to read through the Bible this year are commonly referred to by the acronym TULIP. Arranging the letters in the actual order of the doctrines they represent results in the much less attractive word ULTIP, but that helps explain why we started the year with U nconditional Election and have now moved to the second doctrine: L imited Atonement. Although the 'L' is handy for spelling out the word T-U-L-I-P (after all, a tulip by any other name wouldn't smell as sweet... or would it??), people often mistakenly assume that somehow this doctrine implies that Jesus' atonement - they payment that He made as He shed His blood on the cross - is somehow limited in its value. We'll discover why the adjective limited was attached to the word atonement in the weeks to come, but this second article makes very clear what so many passages like what we just read from Hebrews teaches: that far from being limited in value, the death of God’s Son... is of infinite value and worth, more than sufficient to atone for the sins of the whole world . It's this infinite value that has freed you from the otherwise endless and hopeless cycle of needing to placate God for each and every sin you commit. Understanding the overflowing worth of Christ's sacrificial death on your behalf is critical to fully experiencing the peace that comes from knowing why it is that God's grace is stronger than you are. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father in heaven; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for the forgiveness you've received because of the infinite value of Christ's atoning blood; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Matthew 26