Is there anything in your life that truly does not change, something everything else can rest on? This Easter sermon turns to the Letter to the Hebrews, where sacrifices repeated year after year prove to be only a shadow of what was still to come (Hebrews 10). The speaker also tells his own story of a teenager who looked for stability in books, in substances and in Eastern rituals, until one question from a schoolmate changed everything. Listen to why the death and resurrection of Christ can become, once for all, the foundation of your life.
Discussion questions
For your small group or for personal reflection after the sermon.
- The author of Hebrews calls the Law a shadow of the good things to come, not the realities themselves (Hebrews 10:1). What does the image of a shadow tell us about the role of Old Testament sacrifices?
- According to Hebrews 10:1-18, the sacrifices repeated every year were a reminder of sins rather than a release from them. How is Jesus' sacrifice, offered once for all, different from those sacrifices?
- The speaker says our rituals and customs, however beautiful, cannot replace what Christ has already done. In what situations do you catch yourself trying to earn God's favor through your own effort?
- The text says that after offering His sacrifice, Jesus sat down at the right hand of God. How does the picture of Christ reigning change the way you think of Him compared to the image of the Christmas baby?
- The speaker describes years of searching for something stable in art, relationships, substances and rituals until he found it in the cross and the resurrection. Where do people around you look for stability today, and what could you share with them?
- God promises: their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more (Hebrews 10:17). How might this promise shape the way you come to God after you stumble this week?
