Dear Family at Christ Community,

     On Sunday, we will have the opportunity to celebrate the fully finished redemptive work of Christ on our behalf. Our time of worship will focus on the familiar story from Daniel 6 of Daniel in the lion’s den. As with so many stories from the Old Testament, we can be so familiar with them that we miss how they connect to Christ. Iain M. Duguid in Daniel: Reformed Expository Commentary speaks to this: “…we need to see that Daniel 6 provides something more than simply a model of how God deals with suffering believers, or how, like Daniel, we are supposed to stand firm under trials. Rather, Daniel 6 is foreshadowing in history of the verdict that will be delivered on all believers on the final judgment day. Daniel endured the test of the lions’ den, emerging safely on the other side, because God judged him and found him not guilty;…those who are in Christ will be found not guilty and will share Christ’s glory and exaltation.”

     Consider the various points of connection between the Daniel story and the Christ story. The satraps paint King Darius into a no-win corner with a twisting of the empire’s law to their advantage. Darius is forced to pass capital judgment on Daniel whom he doesn’t really want to execute. In the same way, the Jews paint Pilate into a no-win corner with a twisting of the empire’s law. Pilate too is forced to pass capital judgment on Jesus whom he doesn’t really want to execute. King Darius delivers Daniel to be entombed with the lions sealing him in to ensure that nothing might be changed concerning him. Pilate also delivers the crucified body of Jesus to be entombed with the dead sealing him in to ensure that nothing might be changed concerning his body. King Darius who cared for Daniel rushed to the supposed tomb to see what the living God had decided. The sovereign, faithful God delivered Daniel from the jaws of death as evidence of His redeeming love for His people. In the same way, the disciples who cared for Jesus rushed to the supposed tomb to discover what the living God had decided. The sovereign, faithful God delivered Jesus from the jaws of death as the means of His redeeming love for His people. While the Daniel’s story foreshadows the Christ story, the Christ story accomplishes the deliverance of ALL of God’s people from the jaws of sin and death as evidence of His redeeming love!

     The elements of the Lord’s Table remind us of who we truly are in Christ. The broken bread declares that we have been delivered from the jaws of sin and death through the broken body of Christ. The poured out cup proclaims that we have exited the tomb not guilty to walk in newness of life through the shed New Covenant blood of Christ. Reflect on this additional quote from Duguid as you prepare and examine your heart and mind for the Table on Sunday:

“The people that Jesus redeemed through his death and resurrection are not all superbelievers like Daniel. Most of us are ordinary sinners, people who cave in constantly to the unrighteous demands of the empire. From our earthly perspective, it may not seem to us that the motley assortment of deeply flawed humanity that makes up the church has much to commend it. What kind of reward is this for Christ’s suffering? Yet Jesus does not hesitate to call us beautiful!...My salvation rests not on my ability to “Dare to be a Daniel,” but solely on Christ’s perfect obedience in my place. In the midst of a world of trials and tribulation, that is where my peace and comfort rest. In the world to come, that will be all of my glory: the righteousness of Christ, given to me.”

In Christ,
Cameron