The Bible in Exodus 28:34, 35 tells us that the High Priest had bells and pomegranates around the hem of his robe so that he would not die! I like to call this the Sound of Life!
In Luke 2:7-20 we have another kind of cry! A baby is born! Jesus is Alive! the Lamb of God has come to take the sin of the world away!
Allow me take a couple minutes to bring these two scriptures together.
As the High Priest entered the Temple and moved into the back room called the Holiest of Holies, all the people would gather around the temple to listen, and see if their scarifies were going to be accepted. They would listen to the tinkling of the bells as the High Priest walked through the tabernacle. If the bells stopped making noise that meant the High Priest was killed as their offerings where not accepted. If, on the other hand, the offering was accepted it seems that the High Priest would begin to dance for joy. The sound of the bells would gradually get louder and louder, and the people would rejoice for their sins were forgiven for another year!
Enter Jesus, the Lamb of God. That night about 2,000 years ago a cry pierced the darkness. A young lady was in labor, and feeling the pain. A while later another cry was heard: the Messiah was born -- Jesus was Alive! In the hills on the outside of town shepherds where watching their sheep. Suddenly the sound of Angels voices! They where declaring the birth of the Messiah, and praising God! The shepherds went to town and found Jesus just like the Angel had said! They left with their mouth filled with praise!
The sound of the Bells, and the praise of the Angels and shepherds are much the same! As a matter of fact I believe that any praise to God from anyone is like the tinkling of the bells: the Sound of life!
We praise Jesus because He has once and for all taken away the stain of sin from our lives. He has forgiven us, washed us, cleansed us, and put His spirit inside of us! We worship as the High Priest did, because we are forgiven and redeemed!
Let your praise ring out as the bells of old! Let the Sound of Life flow from you!
(for more on this, and a sermon outline go to our district website:
www.newfoundlandupci.org/sermons)
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