The Cross: The Word of Truth

There are some moments that glimmer like gold.  I remember a discussion with my tutors in college and the air around us seemed to shine as we talked.  Where do these moments come from?   In the Bible we learn of the the “mercy seat.”  The mercy seat was the cover of the ark of the covenant.  It was gilded in gold an inch thick and on that cover, on the Day of Atonement, the high priest would sprinkle a bit of the blood of the sacrifice and that year, the sins of the people would be “covered;” the sins of the people would lose their power and have no hold anymore.  And see the difference between our God and all other “gods.”  Other gods are appeased by sacrifice, their anger, mollified.  All of the false idols of man’s imagination require a payment in exchange for their good will.  They exist under some overarching law that requires…something.  Not the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel.  Instead as Leviticus 17:11 tells us, he provides the sacrifice.  He gives the mercy seat.   Why?  Because he is faithful and he is loving.  He is who he is. Where there is a problem he fixes it.  Where there is sin, he renders it harmless,”they shall not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain.” In Romans we read, “God set forth a mercy seat through faith in his blood.”  This even greater and more beautiful mercy seat is the Lord Jesus.  He takes away our sins.  How? “through faith,” but this faith is not our own faith of course, “all we like sheep had gone astray.” Rather Jesus on the cross where he shed his blood is mercy seat by the power of faith or as I like to translate, “establishment.”  But most important to remember, God was not angry with Jesus on the cross, his wrath was not “satisfied,” no overarching law or requirement was fulfilled.  Rather God did what he always does.  He saves, he makes things right.  In Genesis, God clothed Adam and Eve in skins, he knew that their fig leaves would not make the grade.  He gave what was precious to him in order that we might be comfortable and happy.  But on the cross he gives what is most precious to him, his beloved son so that we might be “more than conquerors.”  Our shining moments come from the gold mercy seat, the Lord Jesus, given by God, and as if that were not enough those golden times, (and fear not, these include our sorrows (Romans 5) as they work they way out into hope and love through the Holy Spirit), are but a downpayment (Hebrews 11), a glimpse of what is to come. Even now they are a reflection of the truth; the beautiful life that we have through his son the Lord Jesus.  The Lord rejoices over Zion with singing (Zephaniah) because of what he has done and given, in giving the Lord Jesus, mercy seat through faith.