Access to the Father’s Grace
Finding Help for Ourselves and Others
Doxology Grand Reunion

Belleville, Illinois, 2011

1.	The Mystery of Christ
•	Explaining mysteries without explaining them away
•	Difference: secret v mystery
•	Disciples as initiates into the mystery of God’s kingdom
•	Jesus to disciples in Mark 4:11: To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God.
•	Access because they have ears to hear
•	Mystery of Jesus as royal Son and disciples as royal family
•	Kingdom of grace: reception and administration of grace
•	Our access to the mystery of Christ: Col 1:25-27: I became a minister (of the church) according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery hidden throughout the ages and generations but now been revealed to the saints. To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in (among) you, the hope of glory.
•	Stewardship =  oikonomia: housekeeping, temple-keeping, 
•	Church as God’s house/temple
•	Paul and pastors as temple keepers and mystagogues
•	Mystery: hid from outsiders but revealed to the saints
•	Saints: people who stand with the angels in God’s presence
•	Revelation by teaching God’s word and full enactment of it
•	Mystery as presence of risen Lord in the assembly
•	Foretaste of hidden riches: glory of God
•	Revelation by the Holy Spirit through the preaching of Christ: 1 Cor 2:9, 
	10, 12: But as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, 
	nor the heart of man imagined, - what God has prepared for those who  love him” – these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit...Now we have received not the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God that we might understand the things freely given us by God.
•	Revelation of mystery through the Holy Spirit
•	Gift of new ears and eyes and imagination
•	Understanding for reception of gifts from the Lord of glory

2.	Our Access to the Father’s Grace in the Divine Service
•	Our priestly calling: Heb 3:1: Holy brothers, you who share in heavenly calling
•	Restricted access to the Lord at the temple in Jerusalem
•	Hidden presence in the Holy Of Holies: glory cloud
•	Access of Israelites to the altar: reception of earthly blessings
•	Access of the priests to the Holy Place in the daily service
•	Annual entry by the high priest to the Holy of Holies
•	Washing of whole body with water
•	Entry through double layered curtain
•	Entrance with blood from the sin offerings
•	Sprinkling of blood: mercy seat ► incense altar and 
	altar for burnt offering
•	Our Access to the Heavenly Sanctuary: Heb 10:19-22: Therefore, my brothers, since we have confidence for entry into the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he inaugurated for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us come near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled (clean) from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
•	Greek noun for confidence: parrêsia
•	Right of speech in public assembly
•	Frank, bold speech in public
•	Unrestricted access to a person
•	Confidence in approaching and addressing a person
•	Use in Hebrews: privilege of access for audience with God (Heb 4:16; 10:35; cf. Eph 3:12)
•	Contrast: restricted access v open access to God
•	Jesus:  high priest in the heavenly sanctuary
•	Standing in for us before God the Father: intercession
•	Standing in for the Father with us: delivery of gifts
•	Church as God’s house/temple
•	Open access to the heavenly sanctuary together with Jesus
•	Our approach through the flesh and blood of Jesus in Holy Communion
•	Our qualification for entry: clean conscience
•	Washing of bodies with water in baptism
•	Sprinkling of hearts with the blood of Jesus: altar
•	Gift of clean conscience
•	Faith: assurance of favourable reception
•	Access to the Father’s presence through the divine service 
•	Entry with Jesus into the sanctuary
•	Service as priests with him
•	Trinitarian access: Eph 2:17-18: He (Jesus) came and preached 
	peace to you (Gentiles) who were far off and peace to those  (Jews) who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
•	Gift of peace through Jesus: good conscience
•	Access to the Father through Jesus and faith in him (Eph 3:12)
•	Empowerment by the Spirit to approach the Father together with Jesus
•	Access to God’s grace: Rom 5:1-2: Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained the access through the faith to this grace in which we stand.
•	Greek term: prosagōgê
•	Royal term: audience with a King
•	Use of the verb in the Greek OT for offering of gifts or 
	persons to the Lord
•	Liturgical term in the NT
•	Result of justification: access to the Father’s grace
•	Position of access: ‘stand’
•	Admission by Jesus to audience with God: 1 Pet 3:18
•	Reception of grace in the divine service
•	Reception of mercy and grace in the divine service: Heb 4:14, 16:
Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. ...Let us then come near to the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
•	Royal audiences in the ancient world
•	King on throne in palace
•	Petition for mercy or help
•	Audience with God in the Old Testament
•	God’s throne: mercy seat in Holy of Holies
•	Petitions to him in the daily service
•	Our audience with the Heavenly King in the divine service
•	Jesus as God’s royal Son and our high priest 
•	Mediator who sympathises with us and brings us with him into the Father’s presence
•	Approach with him as our advocate
•	Reception: gracious pardon and help for ourselves and others
•	Stories in the gospels about approaching Jesus for help
•	Faith of people who come to Jesus for help
•	Faith of people who bring others to Jesus: see Matt 4:24; 8:16; 9:2, 32; 12:22; 14:35; 15:30; 17:17; 19:13
•	Bringing others to Jesus by praying for them: Mark 2: 1-12: A few days 
later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. So many gathered that there was no room left, not even at the door, and he preached the word to them. Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralysed man was lying on.  When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Son; your sins are forgiven.’ Now some of the teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, ‘Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?’ Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, ‘Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, “Your sins are forgiven,” or to say, “Get up, take your mat and walk?” But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins’- he said to the paralytic, ‘I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.’ He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, ‘We have never seen anything like this!’
•	Link in Mark between the work of Jesus in “his house” or “a 
	house” and the house churches (1:29; 2:1, 15; 3:20; 7:14, 
	24; 9:28, 33; 10:10)
•	The dilemma of the cripple
•	People with a bad conscience or no faith as spiritual cripples
•	The faith of his friends: access to Jesus
•	Prayer as the exercise of faith in Jesus
•	Using our faith to bring others to Jesus
•	Attending church for others: list each Sunday

3. Conclusion
•	Two sides to our holy vocation as priests with access to heaven
•	Reception of blessings and mediation of blessings to others: Eph 1:3: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.
•	Bringing ourselves and others to the Father through the Son by the Spirit
•	Luther in AE 24:87: With these and the following words Christ also demonstrates what constitutes a Christian's true office and function, and how necessary the exercise of this is in Christendom.  The prophet Zechariah refers to this when he says (12:10) that Christ will pour out and grant the Spirit which is called 'a Spirit of compassion and supplication'.  For in all Christians He will effect and produce these two things:  First, He will convince and assure their hearts that they have a compassionate God; secondly, He will enable them to help others by their supplication.  The result of the first is that they are reconciled to God and have all they need for themselves.  Then, when they have this, they will become gods and will be saviours of the world by their supplication.  Through the Spirit of compassion they themselves will become children of God; and then, as children of God, they will mediate between God and their neighbour, and will serve others and help them attain this estate too. For once a Christian begins to know Christ as his Lord and saviour, through whom he is redeemed from death and brought into His dominion and inheritance, God completely permeates his heart. Now he is eager to help everyone acquire the same benefits. For his greatest delight is in his treasure, the knowledge of Christ.