e-vo for week of December 19

Dearest e-votees-

Blessings on you and yours as you draw near to celebrating Christmas. We rejoice that Jesus comes into the world to accomplish the will of God.

Jesus taught us to pray “Our Father who art in heaven, Thy will be done…” What exactly are we praying for when we pray the Lord’s Prayer? Our appointed epistle text for this Sunday perhaps sheds some light on that question.

Peace,

Karl

----------------

5 Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, "Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body you have prepared for me; 6 in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. 7 Then I said, "See, God, I have come to do your will, O God' (in the scroll of the book it is written of me)." 8 When he said above, "You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings" (these are offered according to the law), 9 then he added, "See, I have come to do your will." He abolishes the first in order to establish the second. 10 And it is by God's will that we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Hebrews 10:5-10, NRSV

According to the author of Hebrews Jesus came into the world to do God’s will. God’s will was not fully accomplished in sacrifices and sin offerings and burnt offerings. God had commanded such things in the Law given to Moses but the Law didn’t fully accomplish God’s purposes. Jesus came into the world and through his life, death and life again he abolishes the requirements of the Law. Some see the destruction in 70 AD and persistent non-reconstructing of the Temple as a sign that such sacrifices really have become a thing of the past. Jesus’ sacrifice an sin offering are sufficient and fulfill the forms established by the Law as given to Moses.

So what is God’s will for us? (which we pray for whenever we pray the Lord’s Prayer) It is to be sanctified through Jesus’ offering once and for all. God wills that we are made clean and made holy by what Jesus did. God wills that we remain sanctified forever.

If we truly want to live out the Lord’s Prayer we will trust that God has saved us, made us clean and made us holy. We abide in God’s will when we trust. We are saved. We are made well. And so we rejoice. And that joy might beckon others to, with us, taste and see that the Lord is good.


Lord, teach us to continue to pray that Your will be done. Help us trust that you give us what you say—forgiveness, adoption and an abiding forever love.