Jesus: Our High Priest and Revealer of God

 

The Book of Hebrews

The Book of Hebrews: Introduction The book of Hebrews is a letter written to Jewish believers between 60-70 AD, about 30-40 years after Jesus lived and died 

The book in our Bible is also a letter with relevance for today to the Hebrew in all of us 

More correctly, Hebrews (like the rest of the Bible) is a letter to the Christ in us...a new covenant, a new testament to friends and followers of JesusChildren of GodThe new creatures Individuals who love Jesus and have been given

a new name

People with developing new divine natures

It is a good thing to have some Hebrew in us (but not the BETTER thing God offers)  

1. Believers in Christ are the true circumcision: the true spiritual Jews

Phil 2:3 For we are the circumcision, who

worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh...

2. Like the Hebrews, we are law-keepersBut like the Jews, we often rely on

law keeping, not ChristThis better than law-breaking, but

not the best

3. Like the Hebrews addressed in this letter, we run the risk of starting our journey with God strong, but weakening, losing our first love, and following away

The Theme of HebrewsThe sufficiency of Jesus as our high priest and

revealer of GodThe Purpose of Hebrews:

To establish that the covenant God gives us through Jesus is better than the one God gave to Israel through Moses.

And because of this New Covenant we can:a) Live in relationship with Jesus rather than

in a frustrated life of trying to obey lawsb) Have faith that God is with us nowc) Have the sure hope that God will be with

us eternallyThe New Covenant is better, relational, and

imparts faith and hope

Hebrews is a New Testament book that follows the Gospels and letters of PaulAnd precedes the “General Epistle,” the letters of

James, Peter and John

The book is a bridge between the precise, doctrinal teachings of Paul for us, the Gentile churchAnd the books of James, Peter, John, Jude all

Jewish writers, writing primarily to early Jewish Christians

James 1:1...to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad,

greeting

James 2:2When you come into your assemblies... (Gr.

sunagoge, not ekklesia)

1 Peter 1:1 ...to those who are elect exiles of the

dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia

II Tim 3:16All Scripture is breathed out by God and

profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.

Paul’s writings target first century Gentile believers (and the Gentile believers to come)

Peter’s writings actually introduced first century Jewish believers to Paul’s revelations and placed a “blessing” on them

II Peter 3:15And account that the longsuffering of our

Lord is salvation, even as our beloved brother, Paul, also according to the wisdom given unto him has written unto: as also in all his letters speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction

The General Epistles (Letters) purpose:To round out New Testament doctrine

by supplementing the Pauline explanation of salvation by faith through grace

A summary of the roles in New Testament Jesus is the Lord and SaviorPaul is the apostle of faithPeter is the apostle of hopeJohn is the apostle of loveJude is the apostle of the defense of the

Faith

Hebrews is the best book in the Bible to help us connect the Old and New Testaments

Truly, the Old Testament, and the gospels, and the non-Pauline letters are best viewed through the lens of the book of Hebrews

“The New Testament is in the Old Testament contained; the Old is in the New explained.”

Twelve Lessons from Hebrews:1. Nobody Does It Better2. God Has Built a Better House for Us3. There is a Rest for the People of God4. Jesus Is a High Priest We All Can Love5. Never Give Up 6. Who the Heck is Melchizedek? 7. God’s Extended Warranty8. For a Limited Time Only 9. Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea10. Inductees in the Hall of Faith 11. The Christian Ironman Course 12. Jesus: The Man for All Seasons

Hebrews teaches us that Jesus gave us a better sacrifice than that commanded in the Law of Moses (sacrifices of bulls, sheep, goats, doves)

Indeed, the Law of Moses sacrifices were simply “shadows,” “types,” temporary symbols pointing to Jesus and His sacrificial work on the cross which was yet to come

Jesus’ finished work fulfilled the need for Old Testament Judaism on earth

Matt 5:17“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or

the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.”

The author of Hebrews is not named in the letter

In old KJV Bibles this book is called “Hebrews, the Epistle of Paul”

The Eastern Orthodox Church accepts Paul as the writer

Tertullian called it the Epistle of BarnabasThe book is full of exhortations and

encouragementAnd Barnabas’ name means “son of

encouragement”Barnabas was a Levite who would know the

old covenant laws and ceremonies well

Luther believed Apollos wrote it

Acts 18:24-26, 28 Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of

Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately...28 For he vigorously refuted his Jewish opponents in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Messiah.

Verses supporting Paul as the author:

Heb 2:3How shall we escape if we ignore so great a

salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. 

I Cor. 15:8Last of all, as to one untimely born, he (Jesus)

appeared also to me.

Heb 13:24-25I want you to know that our brother Timothy has

been released. If he arrives soon, I will come with him to see you. Greet all your leaders and all the Lord’s people. Those from Italy send you their greetings. Grace be with you all.

The logical development of the letter is similar to Paul’s writing in the book of Romans

Hebrews is written from Rome where Paul was imprisoned off and on from 60 to 67 AD

The writer was with Timothy who had accompanied Paul to Rome

Col 1:1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,

and Timothy our brother

Why is no name given in the letter?Paul was not a popular guy in Jerusalem, either with

the authorities, not even with some of the Jewish believers

Some of the emphasis in the letter to not rely on the animal sacrifices anymore was, in addition to the superiority of Christ’s one time sacrifice, perhaps a veiled prophecy that soon the temple will be destroyed, so Jewish believers will not even have the option of serving God there

Regardless: there was great Pauline influence in the letter of Hebrews

Romans is the main doctrinal letter from God to Gentile ChristiansTeaching us the relationship between

God and the individual Gentile and the Gentile nations (Christ as Savior and Lord of the entire world)

Hebrews is the main doctrinal letter from God to Hebrew ChristiansTeaching us the relationship between

God and the individual Hebrew during the age of grace

Hinting that there are promises yet to be fulfilled to the Jewish nation as a whole

Romans is written for the most part as doctrine, not really rebuking the young Roman Christians (they were likely new in the Faith)

Hebrew is doctrinal, but includes warnings and rebukes, because it was written to people who have been believers for as much as thirty years but were not growing in the faith.

The book of Hebrews warned Jewish individuals who had become Christians against falling back into Judaism and mixing the Law with grace

So as challenging as the book of Romans can be, Hebrews is even more personally challenging with some in-your-face warnings, even threats regarding the salvation of the readers

Is there a reason we 21st Century Gentiles need to study about the Hebrew nation and God’s covenants with them?

Yes. The book is an exhortation, and encouragement help us when the Faith does not seem to be working for us, and when God seems to have abandoned us in this life

The book is God’s letter to the Hebrew is all of us: Hebrews were the original people of God and

were and will be greatly blessed by GodBut Jews , not understanding that the

righteousness of God comes from Jesus’ sacrifice, not human effort, did not realize the full promise of God

Rom 9:8It is not the children by physical descent who are

God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring.

Nevertheless, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, King David, the faithful prophets of the Old Testament, and Peter, John, and Paul serve as examples to usWe will join them in heaven

Paul reminds us of the benefits of being Jewish

Rom 9:4-5The people of Israel: theirs is the adoption

to sonship; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen.

So, in a way, there is no shame to have some Hebrew in us, in the tradition of the heroes and saints in the faith that were Hebrews

Further, the Hebrew in us desires to keep God’s law

Ps 119:97O how I love your law! It is my meditation all

the day

Law-keeping beats rebellion and disobedience

I Sam 15:22Samuel said (to King Saul), “Has the LORD as

great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.”

But living a life for God based on keeping rules and obeying by the force of our wills—perhaps by traditions, rituals, disciplines—is doomed to failure, is frustrating, and not the “My yoke is easy and my burden is light” plan that the Lord has for Christ-indwelt, Spirit-filled Christians

Even further: true Hebrews, the people of God, are those who are people of God in spirit, not just by descent

Rom 2:28-29A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly,

nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. 

Everyday we have the option of three ways to respond to a situation, a temptation, in which we may sin or serve:1. We can respond by and with the

love of Christ, enabled by the Christ in us, the “hope of glory”

2. By internal Law-keeping, by obligation, by obedience, by the Hebrew in us

3. By sinning and yielding to the temptation of evil and the demon influencing us

Example: visiting church through the week and seeing the offering plate unattended and being tempted to steal from it. We have three options:1. Stealing a few bucks (the evil and

tempter in us)2. Not taking some money because we

know it is wrong, “against the Law” (the Hebrew in is—motivated by obligation, fear of getting caught)

3. Not stealing a dollar or two because we want the money to bless the church and others (the Christ in us—motivated by love)

The Hebrew in us is better than the devil in usBut Christ in us, loving, enjoying service to others, wanting

blessing and more for others and not for ourselvesLiving as a resource for others, not the recipient of

blessingWalking in grace and New Testament truth

The book of Hebrews is the letter of God to the Hebrew in the early New Testament believersAnd it is a letter to the Hebrew in us that tried to

please God by our own will apart from the empowering of the Holy Spirit and the Christ within us that we received at salvation

Col. 2:6Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the

Lord, so walk in Him