LaGrave Live, March 8, 2026

LaGrave Live LIVE Morning Worship Service 03-08-2026 Cross Words: The Atoning Sacrifice About The concert: March 8 is the third Sunday in the season of Lent and we will continue our Cross Words sermon series. Pastor Jonker will preach on Romans 8: 1-4. Order of Worship: https://lagrave.org/wp-content/uploads/2026-3-8-AM-Order-of-Worship.pdf About the Church: We are a traditional CRC church in the middle of Downtown Grand Rapids, MI, worshipping at 8:40am, 11:00am, and 6:00pm. (10:00am and 6:00pm during the summer months) We'd love to hear from you: Connection: https://www.lagrave.org/contact Let us pray for you: Prayer: https://www.lagrave.org/prayerrequest/ Giving: https://www.elexiogiving.com/App/Giving/lagr107178 The March special offering is for Mel Trotter Ministries. Mel Trotter Ministries provides shelter for individuals and families with services including: meals, emergency shelter, transitional housing assistance, case management. Listen on the go: Amazon Music: https://bit.ly/LGPodAmazonMusic Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/3tuOdwQ Google Podcast: https://bit.ly/LGPodGoogle Soundcloud: / lagravecrc https://soundcloud.com/lagravecrc Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3yXDFaT Follow us! Facebook: / lagravecrc https://www.facebook.com/lagravecrc Instagram: / lagravecrc https://www.instagram.com/lagravecrc Website: https://www.lagrave.org #LaGrave #LaGraveCRC The Atoning Sacrifice: Understanding the "Blood Story" of the Cross Cross Words: The Atoning Sacrifice A deep dive into Romans 3 and the "strange" logic of blood, debt, and eternal grace. LENT SERIES The Central Paradox "Jesus died on the cross to save us from our sins. It is a phrase as simple as a nursery rhyme, yet as strange as ancient ritual." The Theology of Debt Sin accrues a debt unpayable by humans. Only God has the capacity; only a human deserves the sentence. Christ, being both, bridges the gap through Atonement. From Ritual to Reality Referencing Leviticus 16 (Yom Kippur): The high priest used blood to purify the Holy of Holies. Paul argues Christ is the final sacrifice, ending the cycle of yearly rituals. The "Blood Story" Logic 01 Tim O'Brien: A soldier breaks his own nose to "square" a debt of guilt with a friend. Blood is the currency of justification. 02 Kazuo Ishiguro: "The Buried Giant" explores how forgotten atrocities (blood stories) eventually rise to demand justice. 03 The 100 Ribbons: A story of a prisoner returning home to find a tree covered in white ribbons—a visual of lavish, total forgiveness. Key Takeaways Boasting Excluded: Faith, not works, is the leveler. Grievance Ended: Christ's blood absorbs our personal "blood stories." Transformed Living: Humility and grace become the new social rule. #Atonement #Romans3 #Grace Reading Time: 12 min • LaGrave Ministries This Lenten service at LaGrave explores the theological depth of "Atonement" as presented in Romans 3, reconciling ancient sacrificial rituals with the modern human experience of guilt and justice. The message challenges believers to move from external grievances to a personal realization of grace through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Detailed Summary Liturgy, Confession, and the Call to Love The service commenced with a series of hymns and a formal call to worship, emphasizing the "wondrous cross" and the redemptive power of Christ's blood. The congregation engaged in a corporate prayer of confession, seeking God’s mercy to blot out transgressions and wash away iniquity. This liturgical opening served to reorient the community toward the "first and greatest commandment": to love God with all heart, soul, and mind, and to love one's neighbor as oneself. The assurance of pardon, drawn from 1 Peter, reminded the faithful that Christ bore their sins in His body so they might live for righteousness. The Parable of Forgiveness During the children's message, the concept of forgiveness was illustrated through a story of a young man returning home after ten years in prison. Fearing rejection, he asked his parents to tie a white ribbon on an apple tree if they were willing to welcome him back. Upon his return, he found the tree covered in a hundred white ribbons. This narrative served as a poignant analogy for the cross: a sign of God’s overwhelming love and a "welcome home" for those burdened by the shame of their past. The Ritual of Atonement: Then & Now Old Testament (Yom Kippur) High Priest enters the Holy of Holies once a year with animal blood to cover Israel's sins. [Leviticus 16] The New Covenant (The Cross) Jesus, as both Priest and Sacrifice, sheds His own blood to provide eternal redemption. [Romans 3] The Theology of the "Blood Story" The sermon focused on the "crossword" of atonement, addressing the modern discomfort with the language of blood sacrifice. By referencing the Old Testament ritual of Yom Kippur, the message explained that blood was the "currency" required to pay the debt of sin. The speaker argued that even in secular society, the intuition that "the price of justice is blood" remains prevalent. Examples from literature—such as the physical penance in Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried and the "buried giant" of unpunished atrocities in Kazuo Ishiguro’s work—demonstrate that humans naturally recognize that sin creates a debt that cannot be ignored or simply forgotten. Personal Transformation and Community Grace The message concluded by personalizing the "blood story." Rather than using the language of grievance to condemn others, believers are invited to see their own lives "scrolled" before God, recognizing their own need for cleansing. The blood of Christ is described as both absorbing the pain caused by our sins and washing our "hands" clean. This realization excludes boasting and fosters a community defined by humility, kindness, and pervasive grace. When the story of one's own forgiveness stands between them and their grievances, the result is a transformative joy that flourishes within the church. The Logic of Justification "Where then is boasting? It is excluded." 1. The Problem:All have sinned and fallen short of God's glory. 2. The Price:The debt of sin is death; the currency is blood. 3. The Provision:God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement. 4. The Result:Justification by faith, apart from works of the law. Key Data Scripture Text: Romans 3:21-31 (Page 1,748 in the pew Bible). Historical Context: The ritual of Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) from Leviticus 16. Congregational Milestone: Steve Palazzolo was cleared for a bone marrow transplant scheduled for Wednesday in Ann Arbor. To-Do / Next Steps Check the bulletin for 10:00 hour opportunities immediately following the service. Attend the coffee fellowship located down the hall and to the right in the multipurpose room. Pray for Steve Palazzolo and his wife Lisa as he undergoes his transplant this Wednesday. Offer prayers of peace for those grieving family members, specifically the Colbors, Gruesings, and Buskers. Support those in rehab or facing cancer, including Jean de Kryger, Millie Friend, and Andrea Heckman. Reflect on personal "blood stories" and ensure the story of Christ’s forgiveness stands between you and your grievances. Conclusion The cross is not merely a primitive symbol of sacrifice but a profound answer to the universal human experience of guilt and the need for justice. By accepting Christ as the ultimate sacrifice of atonement, believers are freed from the weight of their own "blood stories" and invited into a life of humility, joy, and radical grace.