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“When Christ came into the world, he said: ‘Sacrifices and offerings you did not want, but you prepared a body for me; burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin were not pleasing to you. Then I said: “As it is written about me in the scroll, behold, I come to do your will, God”‘” (Hebrews 10:5-7).
These verses are from the Epistle to the Hebrews of the New Testament. Those are Jesus’ first words at Christmas timesaid dr. Jeremiah J. Johnston for Fox News Digital.
This Sunday is celebrated Fourth Sunday of Adventthe last week in the preparation period before Christmas.
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Johnston is an elected member of the Guild of New Testament Scholars Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas, president of the Society of Christian Thinkers, and pastor of apologetics and cultural engagement at Perstonwood Baptist Church in the Dallas area.
“The scriptures reveal a conversation between Jesus and God during his incarnation,” he said. “Quoting Psalm 40:6-8, the author of Hebrews portrays the pre-existent Christ speaking through the psalmist.”
The fourth Sunday of Advent is a time to reflect on Jesus’ example of piety. (iStock)
Jesus’ birth was at a time of “religious and political exhaustion,” Johnston said.
“Late Second Temple Judaism expanded God’s commandments into 613 laws of which 248 were positive (‘do…’) and 365 negative commandments (‘don’t…’),” he said.
This, he said, turned the practice of religious faith into a mechanical “burden of endless rules” that lacked sincere commitment.
Jesus followed God’s will on behalf of mankind.
In addition, the situation was bleak for most people living in the Roman Empire at the time of Jesus, Johnston noted.
The average life expectancy was only 20 years, he said – and about a quarter of the population was in dire need of medical attention.
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“As much as 40% of the population lived in slavery,” Johnston said. “The much celebrated ‘Pax Romana’ failed to bring true peace.”
True world peace is not achieved by religious rituals or political power, but because Jesus followed him God’s will on behalf of humanity, he said.
“His first written words, as repeated in Hebrews 10:7, reveal this mission: “Then I said: ‘Here I am – it is written about me in the scroll – I have come to do your will, O God.’ ”
True world peace was not achieved through religious rituals or political power, but because Jesus followed God’s will on behalf of humanity, a renowned religious leader said. (iStock)
During the Christmas season, “these words remind us that God wants wholehearted obedience, not empty rituals,” he said.
The verse’s use of the phrase “in the scroll” is evidence of Jesus’ commitment to scripture, Johnston told Fox News Digital.
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“From his first words to his last moments before his death, Jesus consistently supported the fulfillment of God’s word,” he said.
“Unlike the four Old Testament sacrifices mentioned in the Epistle to the Hebrews, which often lacked accompanying faith, Jesus’ sacrifice was voluntary and wholehearted.”
“From his first words to his last moments before his death, Jesus consistently supported the fulfillment of God’s word.” (iStock)
God, Johnston said, “repeatedly rejects hollow religious practices without sincere piety.”
Unlike animal sacrifices, “Jesus willingly gave his life to fulfill God’s eternal will, as it was planned before the foundation of the world,” he said.
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That, he said, is proof that “what God doesn’t want is not outward performance, but inward faithfulness,” Johnston said.
As the world prepares to celebrate the birth of God’s son, people should “ponder the deeper meaning of Jesus’ words and actions,” Johnston said.
These verses, he said, “capture the essence of Jesus’ mission.”
“Only through the incarnation could Jesus remove sin and fulfill God’s will through his death, burial and physical resurrection.”
“Only through the incarnation could Jesus remove sin and fulfill God’s will through his death, burial and physical resurrection,” he said.
“His life reminds us that true worship involves obedience of the heart, not hollow tradition—something we could never achieve on our own, without His atoning help.”
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During the last week of Advent and before Christmas, “we follow the example of Jesus by giving our lives in sincere devotion to God, glorifying His love and peace with our actions and relying on Him,” he said.
