Hebrews 12:22-24, “But ye are
come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly
Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general
assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God
the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, And to Jesus the
mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh
better things than that of Abel.”
As God describes His children and their dwelling and their lives
in this passage, He blends together the present and the future, and He forgets
the past. I am so glad He does! God, who lives in eternity, looks at you and I
as already being seated in the heaven beside Him. Our part is to live by faith,
accepting and claiming what God has declared to already be true. No, we cannot
see it yet with our eyes, but faith sees what is invisible. Let’s look at the
privileges of those who live in Zion.
Sion – Lack of Prejudice. First, there is no prejudice to those who live in Sion. It
is true that the book of Hebrews was written predominantly for Hebrew people,
but the promises are for everyone who is a believer. God is not prejudiced.
Sion is not simply for the Jew. Now, in Christ we are one. The Scripture says
we are no longer Jew, Gentile, Greek, bond, free, male, or female; we are all
one in Christ. (Galatians 3:28) That means all of us can enjoy all of the
privileges of this relationship with God through faith in Christ. The world may
be divided by racial and ethnic prejudice, but Jesus erased all of those
divisions.
Sion – Premier Location. Second, Sion offers us an incredible location. In the
real-estate business, they say that the three most important factors in pricing
a property are location, location, and location. Well, look at Sion’s location.
Verse twenty-two says we are come “unto the city of the living
God.” You cannot beat that! The Greek word for city means
“a community with walls”. In Bible times, walls were vital to the defense of a
city. Without them, you had no means of security or protection. Compare that to
Sinai. In the wasteland of the desert, there were no defenses. It was wide open
– every man for himself. There was no law, no order, no security, and no
safety. Now, we have a home in the city of the living God.
Sion – Enduring Construction. Third, Sion offers us an enduring home. Buildings built
here on earth are subject to decay. Over time, the elements and the wear and
tear of use make our buildings grow old and decay. But, Sion is built with
materials that will last. The Bible says that each gate of the Holy City is
made from a single pearl. A thousand-year-old pearl is just as strong and
beautiful as a brand new one. It does not age or decay. The street of Heaven is
made with pure gold. If you have some 500-year-old gold that you want to get
rid of because it is old, bring it by my house! Gold does not age or decay. All
the materials used in the New Jerusalem are perfect, because everything in
Heaven is perfect. By the way, if we keep that in mind – that we are heading
for an enduring home – we will not get so bent out of shape about what’s
happening in the here and now.
Sion – Wonderful Neighbors. Fourth, Sion provides us wonderful neighbors. Verse
twenty-two says that in Heaven there is “an innumerable company of
angels”. Heaven is filled with angels praising and worshiping God. Oh, what
wonderful neighbors! Verse twenty-three says, we will also live with “the
general assembly and church of the firstborn”. In Bible days, the firstborn
son received the greatest blessings and the largest share of the inheritance.
What god is telling us here is the through His grace, we get to share in all
the privileges of His firstborn Son. All the believers of all the ages will be
our neighbors. Sometimes, Christians do not get along very well here on earth.
But, there all of us will be perfect; we will get along wonderfully with all of
our neighbors.
Sion – Presence of God. Verse twenty-four says, “And to Jesus the mediator
of the new covenant”. Now, there are many different names and titles of
Jesus, but here He is called the Mediator of the new covenant. The old covenant
was the Mosaic Covenant – given at Sinai. God gave Moses the law, but the law
never saved a soul and never brought peace to a broken heart. Jesus came to
bring a new covenant. He not only provided for the covering of sins, which the
sacrifices had done; He provided for the cleansing of sins, which animal
sacrifices could never do. A mediator is someone who brings harmony between two
parties there are at war. We were at war with God over our sins. We are sinners
by nature, and we are sinners by choice. But Jesus stepped in and mediated
between God and man. In Sion, we get to live in His presence. Why would anyone
live in Sinai? Come live in Sion with its lack of prejudice, its wonderful
location, its enduring construction, and its wonderful neighbors.
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