END OF THE AGE - In our lesson but also recurring throughout the homily is the emphasis on the eschatological end. "He has appeared once for all at the end of the age to remove sin" (9:26) and ". . . so Christ, having once been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time . . ." (9:28). The idea is prevalent in the synoptics-especially Matthew (Mt. 13:39, 40, 49; 24:3; 28:20) as well as elsewhere (e.g. 1 Cor. 10:11; Gal. 4:4; 1 Pet. 1:20). Sin is dealt with once and for all but what will happen a second time is his appearance for the consummation of salvation for those eagerly awaiting his coming. [1]

REALITY CHECK - In the struggle to understand and communicate the content of 8:1-10:18, the preacher will not want to miss the forceful rhetoric of this epistle-sermon. The two most operative rhetorical devices of this section are repetition and contrast. Under the cultural pressure to say something new in a new way, the preacher may too easily abandon the time-tested value of repetition used in the service of memory, clarity, and cumulative impact. As for contrasts, rhetoricians have long known the persuasiveness of sharp, clear, bold presentations frame as old/new, dead/alive, ineffective/effective, apparent/real, endless repetition/once for all, shadow/substance. [2]

The writer in presenting Christ and Christ’s salvific work draws on the religious cultural icons of his/her day. What icons, what images or "redemptive analogies" could you use to present Christ to a non-churched, non-understanding public?

How does the phrase "end of the ages" impact your thinking, worship, living?

 

One helpful piece of advice would be to share Christ’s work of salvation as an extension of, rather than replacement of Jewish faith. God instituted both traditions and both have nourished communities of faith for generations. Play on the similarities between Moses and the Tabernacle in the wilderness with Christ’s role and action as the high priest for our sins.

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[1] The New Interpreter’s Bible XII (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1998), page 113.
[2] Ibid, page 118.