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Jesus in the Feasts (Part Four): Atonement

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Jesus Christ, as the Suffering Servant, embodies the ultimate sacrifice for humanity's sins, fulfilling a role of profound humility and obedience. The Word, being in the form of God, did not cling to His divine status but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a servant and coming in the likeness of men. As a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross, divesting Himself of glory to live among sinners under the restraints of flesh for over thirty-three years, always tempted yet maintaining His righteousness. Despite humanity's moral failings, Christ died for the ungodly when we were still without strength, demonstrating God's love by sacrificing Himself while we were yet sinners. Through His blood, we are justified and saved from wrath, reconciled to God through His death, and saved by His life. He performed this supreme act of love silently, as a sheep to the slaughter, without contention or cries for sympathy, perfectly fulfilling His mission. As our atoning sacrifice, Christ is central to the Day of Atonement, a solemn feast reminding us of the awesome price paid for our justification—His very lifeblood. This act obligates us to serve Him wholly, acknowledging our frequent failures and the need to grow in His image. Isaiah's prophecy portrays Him as the Suffering Servant, despised and rejected, bearing our griefs and sorrows, wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, silent before His shearers, bearing the iniquity of us all to justify many through His death. In the Gospels, His purpose is clear from the start: named Jesus, meaning Savior, He came to save His people from their sins, not as a conquering king but as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. As the Good Shepherd, He voluntarily laid down His life for the sheep, fulfilling His Father's will. At the crucifixion, bearing the weight of all human sin, He cried out, feeling forsaken by God as our sins separated Him from the Father, yet He yielded up His spirit, opening access to God through His death. As High Priest, Christ entered the Most Holy Place with His own blood, obtaining eternal redemption, purging our consciences to serve the living God, and mediating the new covenant for the called to receive eternal inheritance. His single sacrifice, unlike the repeated offerings of earthly priests, perfected forever those being sanctified, removing the need for further offerings as God remembers our sins no more. By bearing our sins on the tree, He enables us to live for righteousness, returning us to the Shepherd and Overseer of our souls, guiding us toward spiritual maturity and the Kingdom of God.

According to His Pleasure

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

The concept of Jesus Christ as the Suffering Servant reveals a profound aspect of God's pleasure in the fulfillment of His divine plan. Isaiah 53:4-6 portrays Jesus bearing our griefs and sorrows, wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities, with the chastisement for our peace upon Him, by whose stripes we are healed. This scripture highlights that God the Father struck His Son, a paradoxical act of love, as it was according to His purpose and good pleasure to accomplish salvation for mankind. In Isaiah 53:10, it is declared that it pleased the Lord to bruise Him and put Him to grief, making His soul an offering for sin. The Hebrew word ratsah, meaning to be pleased or satisfied, underscores that God found satisfaction in this act, not due to any delight in suffering, but because it advanced His goal of redemption. Through Jesus' sacrifice, the pleasure of the Lord prospers in His hand, signifying that the ultimate outcome of salvation brings God great delight. Jesus, as the precious object of the Father's delight, sees the labor of His soul and is satisfied, justifying many by bearing their iniquities, as noted in Isaiah 53:11. Jesus' obedience unto death, resisting the temptations of temporary relief offered by satan, reflects His vision of the future glorious spiritual kingdom of God. His beating, humiliation, and crucifixion, though painful, produced the result God desired, taking a significant step toward the accomplishment of salvation. The resurrection of Jesus, as implied by the phrase "He shall prolong His days" in Isaiah 53:10, signifies His triumph over every enemy, securing victory in the spiritual battle for humanity. The suffering of Jesus also holds spiritual significance for healing, as reiterated in Isaiah 53:5 and I Peter 2:24, where His stripes are linked to our healing from sin. During the Passover observance, the broken bread symbolizes His broken body, a reminder of the severe beating and whipping He endured, making Him nearly unrecognizable, as foretold in Isaiah 52:14. This act of suffering, while not breaking His bones, broke His skin through welts, lacerations, and wounds, spilling His blood for our redemption. God's pleasure in Christ's sufferings stems from the voluntary submission to sorrows necessary to expose the evil of sin, demonstrating His justice and mercy, and resulting in the eventual pardon and salvation of mankind. This process, though involving temporary agony, aligns with God's overarching vision and wisdom, focusing on the end result of eternal happiness for His family. Thus, the Suffering Servant, Jesus Christ, embodies the means by which God's holy and righteous designs are fulfilled, bringing satisfaction to the Father through the accomplishment of His will.

Approaching God Through Christ (Part Two)

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

The brazen altar symbolized total sacrifice. We have to be willing to give up everything, bearing our own individual cross, forsaking all to follow Him.

Will Jesus Be Ashamed of You?

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

We are never to be ashamed of God's truth no matter what the consequences. For those who keep this charge, God will reciprocate with honor.

The Role of the Outcasts (Part Three)

CGG Weekly by David F. Maas

God the Father in His sovereignty evidently looks upon the experience of rejection, scorn, and humiliation as necessary precursors to godly service.

'Unto Us a Son Is Given'

CGG Weekly by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

It is high time for our conception of Christ to rise above the mere physical, which Christmas tends to emphasize, to the glories of His present and future work.

A Misunderstood Characteristic of God

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

Many are shocked at the seeming lack of sensitivity in the Father's bruising of His Son. He struck the Being He loved most to add multiple members to His family.

His Bones Were Not Broken

Sermon by Ted E. Bowling

Jesus is the fulfillment of the Passover Lamb whose bones were to be left intact. His piercing parallels the lamb being bled by splitting its throat.

The First Prophecy (Part One)

'Prophecy Watch' by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Genesis is a book of beginnings, and in that theme, it also contains the first prophecy. Part of it is God's curse on the serpent in Genesis 3:14-15.

Peace, Peace (Part One): Peace with God

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Jesus Christ, as the Suffering Servant, embodies the ultimate act of redemption and sacrifice as foretold in the prophecies of Isaiah. From the foundation of the world, He was destined to be the Lamb slain, volunteering to break the impasse between sinful humanity and God. As John the Baptist declared in John 1:29, He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. His purpose, as He Himself stated in John 10:11, was to give His life for the sheep, a sacrifice He willingly made, as seen in John 10:17-18, where He affirmed His power to lay down His life and take it again by the command of His Father. In Matthew 20:28, Jesus connects His atoning work to the concept of the Suffering Servant, declaring that He came not to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many, echoing Isaiah 53:11-12, where the Servant justifies many by bearing their iniquities. Isaiah 53 vividly portrays Him as despised and rejected, a Man of sorrows who bore our griefs and carried our sorrows, wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes, we are healed, restoring us to wholeness and enabling a relationship with God. Further, in Isaiah 61:1-2, His mission expands to include preaching good tidings to the poor, healing the brokenhearted, proclaiming liberty to the captives, and opening the prison to those who are bound, fulfilling a comprehensive redemptive work. Through His death, as described in Colossians 2:13-14, He wiped out the record of our sins, nailing it to the cross, thus removing the guilt that separated us from God. His blood covers our sins, offering a way of escape from the burden of guilt and establishing peace with the Father. Jesus, as the Suffering Servant, not only paid the penalty for sin but also reconciled humanity to God, as seen in Romans 5:1, where through Him we have peace with God, having been justified by faith. His sacrifice broke down the wall of enmity, creating one new man and making peace, as stated in Ephesians 2:14-16. Ultimately, in Isaiah 9:6-7, He is heralded as the Prince of Peace, whose government and peace will have no end, establishing His kingdom with judgment and justice forever. Through His servant leadership and sacrificial death, He has provided the conditions for growth in righteousness and the hope of eternal life.

Lamentations (Part Six)

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

In Lamentations 3, the narrator finally convinces Lady Jerusalem that her own sins have caused her necessary punishment and affliction by God.

God Heals Today

Sermonette by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

The doctrine of healing has always had a paramount position, declaring that through the stripes of Christ, we are forgiven and our bodies our healed.

Acquainted with Grief

Sermonette by

Christ's bearing of our sicknesses and infirmities may have taken place throughout His life. He may have been acquainted with ill health for our benefit.

How Much Do You Value the Kingdom of God?

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Martin G. Collins

Martyrdom is not a penalty because a person has failed to qualify for the Place of Safety; rather, it is a badge of honor for those who have overcome.

Magic Doesn't Work (Part One)

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

While God is consistently depicted as working, magic seemingly provides a shortcut that bypasses overcoming and growth, attaining something for nothing.