Talbot - Christ in the Tabernacle

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The Tabernacle foreshadowed in one of the four pillars that upheld the gate of the Jewish tabernacle. Mark emphasized that part of our Lord's life on earth which tells us that He was the faithful Servant of Jehovah. The key words are "straightway," "immediately," "forth- with," words that remind one of prompt obedience to His Father's will. The key verse is Mark 10:45, "For even the Son of man came not to be adminis- tered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ran- som for many." Mark gives no record of the genealogy or birth of Christ ; for who asks for these things concerning a servant? He portrays the One who unceasingly went about "doing good," ministering to the needs of others, ever demon- strating His mighty power. This is not to say that Mark did not present Christ as the King of the Jews as well. Indeed, all four of the Gospel writers gave abundant tes- timony that Jesus was eternal God, perfect Man, King of Israel, Servant of Jehovah, and Saviour of the world. But each of the four emphasized some particular phase of His Person and work, that we might get a more complete por- trait of Him. Surely Mark is as one of the four pillars at the gate of the Jewish tabernacle. . Luke presented Christ as the perfect Son of Man. Therefore, he gave His genealogy through Mary, tracing it back to Adam, the father of the human race. It was Luke who told of the humble shepherds, the lowly manger, the Boy Jesus in the temple. Luke recorded many of the parables which tell of the compassion of the seeking Son of Man. Let us not forget that Luke magnified the Lord Jesus as eternal God, but he dwelt particularly upon His sympathetic humanity, as the seeking Saviour of men.

The Tabernacle Luke may have been in the mind of God as symbolized by one of the four pillars in the Jewish tabernacle. John plainly stated his purpose in verses 30 and 31 of the twentieth chapter; for he wrote to prove that Jesus of Nazareth was the eternal God. The deity of Christ is set forth in John as in few books of the Bible, plainly, repeat- edly, forcefully. John gave no record of the genealogy or birth of Jesus, because God has neither beginning nor ending. He opened his Gospel with the majestic statement, "In the beginning was the Word . . . and the Word was God." John has preserved for us seven of the most pro- found of our Lord's discourses, all emphasizing His deity: "The New Birth"; "The Living Water"; "Christ's Equal- ity with the Father"; "Christ, the Bread of Life"; "Christ, the Light of the World"; "Christ, the Good Shepherd"; and "His Farewell Discourse to His Disciples." John gave us the seven statements of our Lord, declaring that He is the great "I AM" who spoke to Moses from the burning bush. It was John who told us of His raising Lazarus after he had been dead four days. No wonder Christians love the book of John! It exalts the Lord in all His deity and glory! And it may well answer to one of the four pillars in the gate of the Jewish tabernacle. 3. The Only Gate. We have already seen from this study that there was only one gate of entrance into the tabernacle; and that the penalty of death faced any who might attempt to approach God in any other way. We have also spoken constantly of the fact that Christ is the only Way of salvation, the only Way to the Father and heaven and eternal life. The central theme of all the Word of God is "Christ, the Way." "The Way of the Cross Leads Home!" Immediately in front of the gate was the altar of

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