End of an Era-Advent 20, 2021

There were many placeholders in the Interlude as God’s presence never left us completely alone. The sacrificial system was a placeholder and the priesthood, too…until the birth of Christ who would eventually be the Lamb of God sacrificed for sin and our final High Priest with the perfect sacrifice of Himself. A good chunk of the Book of Hebrews points that out.

If there were Interludes for God as King, our Savior from sin, the ground as cursed, and the Sanctuary to meet with God as physical and earthly, there was also an Interlude for the ways we could contemplate approaching a holy God. The priesthood and the sacrificial system were God’s temporary answer to point us to the need of Christ’s forgiveness bought on the Cross as only blood can cleanse sin and result in forgiveness (Hebrews 9:22).

Our reliance too easily slips from truth of God onto the thing He gave us… onto what we can do instead. What God gave us were placeholders to point us to the one thing we cannot do: save ourselves. But what do we do? We rely on Bible study or church. We rely on works of charity or almsgiving. We rely on ritualistic prayer, etc. Having the form of worship but empty, fruitless.

Imagine the horror the disciples felt when Jesus cursed the fig tree and proclaimed that the Temple would be utterly destroyed (Mark 13:1-2). No wonder the priests were upset that cursing the fig tree and overturning the tables pointed to the end of the priesthood and the sacrificial system. It was the end of an era for things which were never intended to replace God.

Questions for further thought:

Read Mark 11:12 The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 13 Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. 14 Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it.

15 On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, 16 and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. 17 And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’ “

18 The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching. 19 When evening came, Jesus and his disciples went out of the city. 20 In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots.

21 Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!” 22 “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. 23 “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25 And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”

27 They arrived again in Jerusalem, and while Jesus was walking in the temple courts, the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders came to him. 28 “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you authority to do this?”

If leaves were showy enough to be seen at a distance, even immature figs would have been present on a fully leafed out tree. It is an acted parable to show judgment against barren practices. All show and no fruit isn’t Jesus’ way. Beginning at verse 15, identify what fruitless practices Jesus might have been thinking of (i.e. ones dire enough to culminate in the destruction of the Temple and the sacrificial system).

Withering from the roots is a way of saying the root system was dead. Ask God to show you areas of fruitless practice and any reliance on earning salvation instead of on the Life-giver.

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Advent 2021 began Sunday, November 28th and continues to Friday, December 24th as we explore the multi-faceted Interlude between the promise of a Deliverer and the birth of our Messiah and King. By signing up on the sidebar of my Home Page you can receive these daily “Interlude” devotionals. Or they will be reposted on SeminaryGal’s Facebook page as well.

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Last year’s Advent Devotional Series Divine Intervention began on November 29, 2020 and explored God’s activity on behalf of a hurting world and nations in tumult– Intervention for you and for me when our status as sinners required nothing short of a miracle.
God’s Christmas list explored what might be on God’s Christmas list, learning what He wants from us. It began December 1, 2019.
Storyteller began December 2, 2018 and entered into the Christmas story through its telling.
The 2017 series Still Christmas, began December 3, 2017 and was the Advent complement to the Lenten series, Be Still and Know that I AM God.
The 2016 season devotionals were called “Timeless: The Message of Christmas for All Ages” and explored how the message of Christmas is timeless truth, for all ages of people, and for all ages at all times. Timeless hope, encouragement, grace, peace, and love as we looked into the Word, saw the face of our Lord Jesus, and experienced restoration in His presence. His goodness and His Gospel are truly Timeless. The 2016 devotionals began November 27, 2016.
The 2015 season devotionals were titled Incarnation and involved digging deep–and yes, I mean deep– in this important mystery of Christian theology. They began November 29, 2015.
Carol Me, Christmas! remains one of my most popular offerings and tells the Christmas story through our most beloved Christmas hymns and carols. You can access all of the numbered devotionals from 2014 via the archives. They began November 30, 2014.
The 2013 series was Emmanuel: When LOVE Showed Up in Person and examined the Prologue to the Gospel of John. It began December 1, 2013.
The 2012 series focused on Expecting the Unexpected…the unexpected, unlikely, and uniquely divine qualities of God’s perfect plan outlined in Luke’s account of the Christmas story. It began December 1, 2012.