Beginning this Sunday, I will be preaching a sermon series on "Your Wildest Dreams" based on the exodus story and the life of Moses. I'll begin the series with the story of Moses and the burning bush and conclude it with the Israelites in the wilderness.
One of the reasons why it's important to focus on the exodus story is the prominent role it plays throughout scripture. Much of the New Testament includes references from exodus and puts it into the context of Jesus and his ministry. As we saw in the Book of Romans sermon series this past July, the Apostle Paul brilliantly explains the good news of Jesus Christ with scenes from the exodus story. Without a good grasp on the exodus story, we would easily miss what Paul is conveying in his letter.
For example, in Romans chapter 6, Paul uses twelve references to slavery to make the point that just as the Israelites were slaves in Egypt, so we are slaves to sin. The good news is that just as God rescued the Israelites, Jesus Christ rescues us from our sin.
In Romans 7, Paul refers a lot to the law which again is to remind us of when God gave the law and the Ten Commandments to Israel during the exodus/wilderness story. And in chapter 8, Paul refers to the Spirit and connects it with the cloud and the pillar of fire that led the Israelites through the wilderness.
Many bible scholars point out that Jesus' own baptism is a pointing back to the miracle of the Red Sea when God allowed the Israelites to cross the sea to freedom from the Egyptians. Through the waters of baptism, God rescues us from sin and death and sets us on a path of new life in Jesus Christ.
Probably, the ultimate connection between the exodus story and the New Testament is the passover meal when Jesus reinterpreted it in light of his pending death on the cross. Just as the blood of the lamb was sprinkled on the doorposts of the homes of the Israelites to protect them during the plague of the killing of the first born males, so does the blood of the Lamb (Jesus) protect and save us from the enemy of sin and death.
The New Testament writers are making the point that to understand who Jesus is, we need to have a good understanding of the exodus story. It will be good to spend the next four Sundays, exploring four important events of Moses and the exodus story which include the burning bush, the passover, the Red Sea and the wilderness.
As we explore these exodus themes over these next several weeks, I invite us to think about how all of this relates to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. And even more importantly, I invite us to think about how all of this relates to us and God's desire to rescue the world from sin and death through Christ.
Here are the scripture passages for each Sunday of the series:
August 28 - "Burning Bush" Exodus 3:1-15
September 4 - "Passover" Exodus 12:1-14
September 11 - "Red Sea" Exodus 14:19-31
September 18 - "Wilderness" Exodus 16:2-15
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Good Stuff :)
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