We simply must understand what Jesus is currently doing in heaven. If we don’t understand what role He is currently playing in heaven, we’ll never understand what role we must currently play on earth. So what’s Jesus doing in heaven?
Third, He’s making atonement for sinners (1 John 2:2, 4:10).
In the 2012 movie Hunger Games, the evil and wealthy President Snow rules twelve poor districts. As punishment for past rebellion each district must annually provide two “Tributes” (one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18) who will fight to the death in a vast arena. Well, when Katniss Everdeen’s younger sister, Primrose, is selected in the lottery, Katniss volunteers to take her place. Even though Primrose was selected to die, motivated by love, Katniss said: No, I’ll die instead. I’ll go in your place.
This is what Jesus did on the cross. He was our substitutionary sacrifice, so our sins could be forgiven (or atoned for). You see, once a year the high priest led a ceremony commanded in the Mosaic Law called The Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16). The Day of Atonement was for the forgiveness of the previous year’s sins. The high priest used two sacrificial animals in this ceremony. The first animal was a substitute sacrifice. It died in the place and for the sins of the person who brought it. The second animal was sent out into the desert, forever removed from the people (after the person symbolically transferred his sins over to it by placing his hands on its head and confessing his sins).
In the same way the OT priest would make atonement for the sin of the people, so Jesus, (our High Priest) makes atonement for our sin. He was our substitute sacrifice. He died in our place and for our sins. And his substitutionary death forever removes our sins from us.
Jesus has made atonement (forgiveness of sins) possible. The only question left to ask is “What will you do with Jesus?” This reminds me of a story I read two weeks ago of the late preacher Dwight Moody that took place in October of 1871. He was wrapping up a sermon with this question “What will you do with Jesus? Go back home and think about that question this week,” he urged. “Then come back next Sunday and tell me what you’re going to do with Jesus.” They sang a hymn and the service was over. Well what Moody soon learned was that during the service, the city of Chicago, where Moody and his parishioners lived, had caught on fire. Soon the very church they had just finished service in was engulfed in the flames. But the fire seemed to be moving in a different direction so he and his family went to bed. But soon after midnight, they heard pounding on their front door. “Get out! Get out!” cried the police. “The fire is coming this way!” A neighbor made room for Moody’s two children in their carriage as they escaped from the city. Dwight and Emily had to escape on foot, pushing a baby buggy with a few of their belongings in it. When the fire finally burned itself out, three hundred people had died, 17,000 buildings had been destroyed and 90,000 people were homeless – including the Moody family. “Emily,” Moody said huskily as they looked at the heap of ashes that had been their home, “I made a big mistake.” Was her husband remembering some special thing he had not saved from the flames? No, Dwight Moody was thinking of something else. “I gave the people a week to think about what they were going to do with Jesus,” he said sadly. “But they didn’t have a week. Never again will I miss a chance to ask people, “What are you going to do with Jesus today?”
I’d like to ask you that very same question: What are you going to do with Jesus today? The flames of hell will certainly engulf you apart from having Jesus forgive your sins and I’m pounding on the door of your heart today, telling you “Get out! Get out! The fire is coming your way!” That’s the bad news. The good news is that Jesus’ offer is to take your place in facing certain death. You now need to decide if you want to die for your sins yourself, or if you’ll let what Jesus did on the cross be the payment for your sins.