THURSDAY 13TH APRIL 2017 HOLY THURSDAY
THEME: THE BODY AND BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST FOR ETERNAL LIFE
Hebrews 9:1-20, Leviticus 16:15-22 (NIV)
Hebrews 9:1-20 New International Version (NIV)
Worship in the Earthly Tabernacle
1 Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary. 2 A tabernacle was set up. In its first room were the lampstand and the table with its consecrated bread; this was called the Holy Place. 3 Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place, 4 which had the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant. This ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron’s staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant. 5 Above the ark were the cherubim of the Glory, overshadowing the atonement cover. But we cannot discuss these things in detail now.
6 When everything had been arranged like this, the priests entered regularly into the outer room to carry on their ministry. 7 But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance. 8 The Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still functioning. 9 This is an illustration for the present time, indicating that the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper. 10 They are only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings—external regulations applying until the time of the new order.
The Blood of Christ
11 But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here,[a] he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation. 12 He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining[b] eternal redemption. 13 The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. 14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death,[c] so that we may serve the living God!
15 For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.
16 In the case of a will,[d] it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, 17 because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living. 18 This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood. 19 When Moses had proclaimed every command of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves, together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people. 20 He said, “This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep.”[e]
Footnotes:
- Hebrews 9:11 Some early manuscripts are to come
- Hebrews 9:12 Or blood, having obtained
- Hebrews 9:14 Or from useless rituals
- Hebrews 9:16 Same Greek word as covenant; also in verse 17
- Hebrews 9:20 Exodus 24:8
Leviticus 16:15-22 New International Version (NIV)
15 “He shall then slaughter the goat for the sin offering for the people and take its blood behind the curtain and do with it as he did with the bull’s blood: He shall sprinkle it on the atonement cover and in front of it. 16 In this way he will make atonement for the Most Holy Place because of the uncleanness and rebellion of the Israelites, whatever their sins have been. He is to do the same for the tent of meeting, which is among them in the midst of their uncleanness. 17 No one is to be in the tent of meeting from the time Aaron goes in to make atonement in the Most Holy Place until he comes out, having made atonement for himself, his household and the whole community of Israel.
18 “Then he shall come out to the altar that is before the Lord and make atonement for it. He shall take some of the bull’s blood and some of the goat’s blood and put it on all the horns of the altar. 19 He shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times to cleanse it and to consecrate it from the uncleanness of the Israelites.
20 “When Aaron has finished making atonement for the Most Holy Place, the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall bring forward the live goat.21 He is to lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites—all their sins—and put them on the goat’s head. He shall send the goat away into the wilderness in the care of someone appointed for the task. 22 The goat will carry on itself all their sins to a remote place; and the man shall release it in the wilderness.
Today is the day before Good Friday. This evening, at 6pm, we will have a special Holy Communion service to remember how Jesus started the Holy Communion while celebrating the Jewish Passover with His disciples. The Old Testament sacrifices such as those mentioned in our passage from Leviticus were a shadow of what was come. Those sacrifices did not adequately atone for the sins of the people. But Christ’s death once on the cross was sufficient to atone for the sins of the whole world.
Welcome to the Holy Communion service this evening where we remember how Christ shed His blood to set us free.
ALHAMISI KUU . APRILI 13 . MWILI NA DAMU YA YESU KWA UZIMA WA MILELE
Waebrania 9:1-20, Walawi 16:15-22
1 Basi hata agano la kwanza lilikuwa na kawaida za ibada, na patakatifu pake, pa kidunia.
2 Maana hema ilitengenezwa, ile ya kwanza, mlimokuwa na kinara cha taa, na meza, na mikate ya Wonyesho; ndipo palipoitwa, Patakatifu.
3 Na nyuma ya pazia la pili, ile hema iitwayo Patakatifu pa patakatifu,
4 yenye chetezo cha dhahabu, na sanduku la agano lililofunikwa kwa dhahabu pande zote, mlimokuwa na kopo la dhahabu lenye ile mana, na ile fimbo ya Haruni iliyochipuka, na vile vibao vya agano;
5 na juu yake makerubi ya utukufu, yakikitia kivuli kiti cha rehema; basi hatuna nafasi sasa ya kueleza habari za vitu hivi kimoja kimoja.
6 Basi, vitu hivi vikiisha kutengenezwa hivyo, makuhani huingia katika hema hiyo ya kwanza daima, wakiyatimiza mambo ya ibada.
7 Lakini katika hema hiyo ya pili kuhani mkuu huingia peke yake, mara moja kila mwaka; wala si pasipo damu, atoayo kwa ajili ya nafsi yake na kwa dhambi za kutokujua za hao watu.
8 Roho Mtakatifu akionyesha neno hili, ya kwamba njia ya kupaingia patakatifu ilikuwa haijadhihirishwa bado, hapo hema ya kwanza ilipokuwa ingali ikisimama;
9 ambayo ndiyo mfano wa wakati huu uliopo sasa; wakati huo sadaka na dhabihu zinatolewa, zisizoweza kwa jinsi ya dhambi kumkamilisha mtu aabuduye,
10 kwa kuwa ni sheria za jinsi ya mwili tu, vyakula na vinywaji na kutawadha kwingine kwingine, zilizoamriwa hata wakati wa matengenezo mapya.
11 Lakini Kristo akiisha kuja, aliye kuhani mkuu wa mambo mema yatakayokuwapo, kwa hema iliyo kubwa na kamilifu zaidi, isiyofanyika kwa mikono, maana yake, isiyo ya ulimwengu huu,
12 wala si kwa damu ya mbuzi na ndama, bali kwa damu yake mwenyewe aliingia mara moja tu katika Patakatifu, akiisha kupata ukombozi wa milele.
13 Kwa maana, ikiwa damu ya mbuzi na mafahali na majivu ya ndama ya ng'ombe waliyonyunyiziwa wenye uchafu hutakasa hata kuusafisha mwili;
14 basi si zaidi damu yake Kristo, ambaye kwamba kwa Roho wa milele alijitoa nafsi yake kwa Mungu kuwa sadaka isiyo na mawaa, itawasafisha dhamiri zenu na matendo mafu, mpate kumwabudu Mungu aliye hai?
15 Na kwa sababu hii ni mjumbe wa agano jipya, ili, mauti ikiisha kufanyika kwa kukomboa makosa yaliyokuwa chini ya agano la kwanza, hao walioitwa waipokee ahadi ya urithi wa milele.
16 Maana agano la urithi lilipo, lazima iwepo mauti yake aliyelifanya.
17 Kwa maana agano la urithi lina nguvu palipotukia kufa kwa mtu; kwa kuwa halina nguvu kabisa, akiwa yu hai yeye aliyelifanya.
18 Kwa hiyo hata lile la kwanza halikuanzwa pasipo damu.
19 Maana kila amri ilipokwisha kunenwa na Musa kwa hao watu wote, kama ilivyoamuru sheria, aliitwaa damu ya ndama na ya mbuzi, pamoja na maji na sufu nyekundu na hisopo, akakinyunyizia kitabu chenyewe, na watu wote,
20 akisema, Hii ni damu ya agano mliloamriwa na Mungu.
Walawi 16:15-22
15 Kisha atamchinja yule mbuzi wa sadaka ya dhambi, aliye kwa ajili ya watu, na kuileta damu yake ndani ya pazia, na kwa damu hiyo atafanya vile vile kama alivyofanya kwa damu ya ng'ombe, na kuinyunyiza juu ya kiti cha rehema, na mbele ya kiti cha rehema,
16 naye atafanya upatanisho kwa ajili ya mahali patakatifu, kwa sababu ya mambo machafu ya wana wa Israeli, na kwa sababu ya makosa yao, naam, kwa ajili ya dhambi zao zote; naye atafanya vile vile kwa ajili ya hema ya kukutania, ikaayo pamoja nao katikati ya machafu yao.
17 Wala hapatakuwa na mtu katika hema ya kukutania, wakati aingiapo ili kufanya upatanisho katika patakatifu, hata atakapotoka nje, baada ya kufanya upatanisho kwa ajili ya nafsi yake mwenyewe, na kwa ajili ya nyumba yake, na kwa ajili ya mkutano wote wa Israeli.
18 Kisha atatoka na kuiendea madhabahu iliyo mbele za Bwana na kufanya upatanisho kwa ajili yake; atatwaa baadhi ya damu ya yule ng'ombe, na ya damu ya yule mbuzi, na kuitia juu ya pembe za madhabahu pande zote.
19 Tena atanyunyiza baadhi ya damu juu ya madhabahu kwa kidole chake mara saba, na kuitakasa, ili machafu yote ya wana wa Israeli yaitoke.
20 Naye akiisha kufanya upatanisho kwa ajili ya mahali patakatifu, na hema ya kukutania, na madhabahu, atamleta yule mbuzi aliye hai.
21 Na Haruni ataweka mikono yake miwili juu ya kichwa cha yule mbuzi aliye hai, na kuungama juu yake uovu wote wa wana wa Israeli, na makosa yao, naam, dhambi zao zote; naye ataziweka juu ya kichwa chake yule mbuzi, kisha atampeleka aende jangwani kwa mkono wa mtu aliye tayari.
22 Na yule mbuzi atachukua juu yake uovu wao wote, mpaka nchi isiyo watu; naye atamwacha mbuzi jangwani.
Leo jioni tutakuwa na ibada maluumu kwa kukumbuka jinsi Yesu alisherekea siku Kuu ya Pasaka ya kiyahudi na Wanafunzi wake. Siku aliyoanzisha ibada ya Chakula cha Bwana. Kesho yake alikufa msalabani kwa ajili ya dhambi za watu wote.
Katika somo letu toka kitabu cha Walawi tunasoma habari za sadaka ya wanyama wa kuchinja. Huu ulikuwa utaratibu Mungu aliuweka kwa ajili ya kulipia dhambi za Wayahudi. Lakini sadaka hizi hazikutosha. Yesu alikufa mara mmoja, na sadaka ya maisha yake ilitosha kulipa deni la dhambi ya watu wote ulimwenguni.
Karibu kwenye ibada cha Chakula cha Bwana leo saa 1 jioni ili tukumbuke jinsi Yesu alikufa kwa ajili yetu, ili tuwe huru.
