Introduction
Jesus Christ Our Great High Priest: The Better Covenant, the Better Sacrifice, and the Better Hope
Key Scripture — Hebrews 4:14 (KJV)
"Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession."
Introduction
The book of Hebrews is one of the richest presentations of Jesus Christ in the New Testament.
Hebrews takes the reader deeply into the worship, priesthood, sacrifices, covenant, sanctuary, and promises of the Old Testament and demonstrates how they point toward their fulfillment in Jesus Christ.
Its message can be summarized by one recurring idea:
Christ is better.
He is greater than the angels.
He is greater than Moses.
His priesthood is greater than the Levitical priesthood.
He brings a better hope.
He is the mediator of a better covenant.
His blood speaks better things.
His sacrifice is greater than animal sacrifices.
He ministers in the greater and more perfect tabernacle.
And the inheritance secured through Him is eternal.
Hebrews does not demean the Old Testament.
Instead, it shows that the institutions God established under the former covenant were preparing the way for something greater.
The Tabernacle mattered.
The priesthood mattered.
The sacrifices mattered.
The blood mattered.
The Day of Atonement mattered.
The covenant mattered.
But they pointed beyond themselves.
They prepared the biblical language through which the saving work of Jesus Christ could be understood.
Hebrews therefore cannot be fully appreciated without understanding books such as:
Genesis.
Exodus.
Leviticus.
Numbers.
Deuteronomy.
Psalms.
Jeremiah.
The author takes these Scriptures and demonstrates how God's redemptive plan reaches its fulfillment in His Son.
Who Wrote Hebrews?
Unlike Paul's letters, Hebrews does not begin by naming its human author.
The writer never identifies himself by name.
For this reason, the human authorship of Hebrews remains uncertain.
Throughout Christian history several names have been proposed, including:
Paul.
Barnabas.
Luke.
Apollos.
Silas.
Clement of Rome.
And others.
The early Church did not possess a universally agreed identification of the writer.
Some ancient Christian communities associated Hebrews with Paul, while others recognized uncertainty about its authorship.
Therefore, although Pauline authorship has a long history within Christian tradition, Scripture itself does not say:
"Paul wrote Hebrews."
We should not state as certainty what the biblical text leaves unnamed.
What we can say confidently is that the writer possessed an extraordinary knowledge of Scripture, Israel's priesthood, sacrificial worship, covenant theology, and the person and work of Jesus Christ.
The writer also knew Timothy.
Hebrews 13:23 (KJV)
"Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty; with whom, if he come shortly, I will see you."
This places the author within or near the apostolic Christian network.
But it still does not reveal his name.
To Whom Was Hebrews Written?
The title "To the Hebrews" is ancient, but the letter itself does not explicitly identify its recipients by that title.
Nevertheless, the contents strongly suggest an audience deeply familiar with Israel's Scriptures and worship.
The writer assumes his readers understand:
Abraham.
Moses.
Aaron.
Melchisedec.
The Levitical priesthood.
The Tabernacle.
Sacrifices.
The covenant.
The Day of Atonement.
The wilderness generation.
The promised land.
The prophets.
This has led many interpreters to understand the original audience as Jewish Christians, or at least Christians thoroughly formed by Jewish Scripture and tradition.
These believers were experiencing pressure and suffering.
Some appear to have been in danger of drawing back from their confession of Jesus Christ.
Hebrews therefore repeatedly commands them:
Hold fast.
Do not drift away.
Do not harden your hearts.
Do not draw back.
Do not forsake assembling together.
Run the race.
Look unto Jesus.
When Was Hebrews Written?
The exact date is uncertain.
Many scholars place Hebrews somewhere in the AD 60s to 90s, although arguments are made for narrower ranges within that period.
One important question concerns the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in AD 70.
Hebrews discusses priests, sacrifices, and sanctuary worship in ways that some interpreters believe suggest the Temple system was still functioning.
Others argue that the writer may simply be describing the biblical Tabernacle and sacrificial system in the present tense for theological purposes.
Because Hebrews never explicitly says whether the Jerusalem Temple had already been destroyed, we should not use that question alone to establish an absolute date.
Why Was Hebrews Written?
Hebrews was written to encourage believers to remain faithful to Jesus Christ.
They had already suffered.
The writer reminds them:
Hebrews 10:32 (KJV)
"But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions;"
Some had been publicly humiliated.
Some had shared in the suffering of others.
Some had experienced the loss of possessions.
Yet they had endured.
Now they needed continued perseverance.
The danger was not merely external persecution.
There was also an internal danger:
spiritual weariness.
They were in danger of drifting.
Hebrews therefore repeatedly combines deep theology with urgent exhortation.
The message is essentially:
Because Jesus Christ is who He is, do not turn away from Him.
God Has Spoken by His Son
Hebrews begins magnificently:
Hebrews 1:1–2 (KJV)
"God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son..."
God had spoken through the prophets.
Hebrews does not reject that revelation.
But now God's revelation reaches its climactic expression in His Son.
The Son is not presented as merely another prophet in a long succession of prophets.
He occupies a unique position.
The Son and Creation
Hebrews continues by saying that God appointed the Son heir of all things:
Hebrews 1:2 (KJV)
"...by whom also he made the worlds;"
Then:
Hebrews 1:3 (KJV)
"Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person..."
The Son reveals the Father.
He is intimately associated with creation, divine glory, sustaining all things, purification of sins, and heavenly enthronement.
Hebrews begins with an exalted presentation of Jesus Christ.
Jesus Is Greater Than the Angels
Hebrews 1–2 emphasizes the superiority of the Son over angels.
The writer draws heavily from the Psalms.
Hebrews 1:4 (KJV)
"Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they."
Angels are servants.
The Son occupies a unique position of authority.
This distinction is important because Hebrews directs worship and allegiance toward the Son rather than created heavenly beings.
Jesus Was Made Lower Than the Angels
Yet Hebrews also teaches something remarkable.
The One greater than angels entered genuine humanity.
Hebrews 2:9 (KJV)
"But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death..."
The exalted Son humbled Himself.
Why?
So that He could suffer death.
Hebrews holds together:
Christ's divine glory
and
His genuine humanity.
Both are necessary for understanding His priesthood.
Jesus Shared Flesh and Blood
Hebrews writes:
Hebrews 2:14 (KJV)
"Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same..."
Jesus did not merely appear human.
He truly entered human existence.
He experienced suffering and death.
Through death He defeats the one who had the power of death—the devil—and delivers those who lived in bondage through fear of death.
A Merciful and Faithful High Priest
Hebrews 2 introduces one of the book's greatest themes.
Hebrews 2:17 (KJV)
"Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest..."
Jesus understands human suffering from within human experience.
He is not a distant High Priest incapable of understanding those He represents.
Jesus Greater Than Moses
Moses held an extraordinary place within Israel's history.
Yet Hebrews says:
Hebrews 3:3 (KJV)
"For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses..."
The writer does not dishonor Moses.
Moses was faithful.
But Moses was faithful:
"as a servant."
Christ is faithful:
"as a son over his own house."
The servant is honored.
The Son is greater.
The Wilderness Generation
Hebrews uses Israel's wilderness experience as a warning.
Psalm 95 becomes central:
Hebrews 3:15 (KJV)
"To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts..."
The Israelites had experienced God's deliverance from Egypt.
They crossed the Red Sea.
They saw God's works.
Yet unbelief prevented a generation from entering the promised rest.
The warning to Christians is clear:
Past spiritual experiences do not justify present unbelief.
We must continue faithfully.
The Word of God Is Quick and Powerful
Within the discussion of hearing and obeying God's voice comes the familiar declaration:
Hebrews 4:12 (KJV)
"For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword..."
The word "quick" means living.
God's Word exposes what human beings can hide from one another.
It reaches:
"the thoughts and intents of the heart."
Nothing is hidden from God.
Our Great High Priest
Then Hebrews turns immediately toward hope.
Hebrews 4:14 (KJV)
"Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God..."
Israel had high priests.
But Christians have:
"a great high priest."
And His sanctuary is not merely earthly.
He has:
"passed into the heavens."
Touched With the Feeling of Our Infirmities
Hebrews continues:
Hebrews 4:15 (KJV)
"For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities..."
Jesus understands human weakness.
He knows temptation.
He knows suffering.
He knows rejection.
He knows grief.
Yet there is an essential distinction:
"yet without sin."
Jesus was genuinely tempted.
But He did not sin.
Therefore He can represent sinners without Himself requiring atonement for personal sin.
Come Boldly Unto the Throne of Grace
Because we have this High Priest:
Hebrews 4:16 (KJV)
"Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace..."
Under the old covenant, access to the innermost sanctuary was severely restricted.
The high priest entered the Most Holy Place only under specific conditions.
But through Jesus Christ believers are invited to approach:
the throne of grace.
Not arrogantly.
Not carelessly.
But confidently because of our High Priest.
There we:
"obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."
The Aaronic Priesthood
Under the Mosaic covenant, Israel's priests came from the tribe of Levi, with the high priesthood associated with Aaron's line.
The priest stood between God and the people in covenant worship.
Priests offered sacrifices.
They served at the sanctuary.
The high priest had a unique role on the Day of Atonement described in Leviticus 16.
But Jesus was from Judah, not Levi.
How then can Hebrews call Him High Priest?
The answer is:
Melchisedec.
Melchisedec
Melchisedec first appears in Genesis 14.
He is described as:
"king of Salem"
and
"the priest of the most high God."
Abraham gives him tithes.
Psalm 110 later declares:
Psalm 110:4 (KJV)
"The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek."
Hebrews sees this Psalm as pointing toward Christ.
Jesus' priesthood is not based upon descent from Aaron.
He belongs to another priestly order:
"after the order of Melchisedec."
Abraham and Melchisedec
Hebrews 7 emphasizes that Abraham gave Melchisedec a tenth.
The writer then reasons that Levi was still, in a representative genealogical sense, in Abraham when this occurred.
This supports the argument that Melchisedec's priesthood stands in a position of superiority relative to the later Levitical order.
The central point is not to construct speculative biographies about Melchisedec.
The point is to explain the superior priesthood of Jesus Christ.
An Unchangeable Priesthood
Levitical priests died.
Therefore many priests were necessary across generations.
Jesus is different.
Hebrews 7:24 (KJV)
"But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood."
His priesthood does not pass to another because death cannot terminate His ministry.
He Ever Liveth to Make Intercession
Hebrews declares:
Hebrews 7:25 (KJV)
"Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them."
Jesus' priestly ministry did not end at the cross.
The crucified Christ is risen.
The risen Christ lives.
And the living High Priest intercedes.
A Sinless High Priest
Unlike the Aaronic high priests, Jesus does not need to offer sacrifices for His own sins.
Hebrews 7:26 (KJV)
"For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners..."
His sinlessness distinguishes His priesthood.
Christ Offered Himself
Hebrews 7:27 says:
"...this he did once, when he offered up himself."
This introduces another major theme:
once.
The old sacrificial system involved repeated sacrifices.
Christ's sacrifice does not need continual repetition.
He offered:
Himself.
The True Tabernacle
Hebrews 8 describes Christ as:
Hebrews 8:2 (KJV)
"A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man."
The earthly Tabernacle had been established according to God's command.
It was holy.
But Hebrews presents it as patterned after greater heavenly realities.
Christ ministers in the heavenly sanctuary.
The Pattern Shown to Moses
Hebrews recalls God's command to Moses:
Hebrews 8:5 (KJV)
"...See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount."
This reaches back to Exodus.
The Tabernacle was not designed according to human imagination.
God gave Moses the pattern.
Hebrews then uses that earthly sanctuary to teach concerning Christ's heavenly ministry.
A Better Covenant
Hebrews says of Christ:
Hebrews 8:6 (KJV)
"...he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises."
This does not mean the former covenant was an evil human invention.
God established it.
But it was not God's final covenantal arrangement.
Something greater had been promised.
Jeremiah's New Covenant
Hebrews quotes extensively from Jeremiah 31.
Hebrews 8:10 (KJV)
"I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts..."
The New Covenant includes inward transformation.
God's law is not merely external.
God works within His people.
The passage also promises:
"I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people."
And:
"their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more."
The Tabernacle and the Holy Places
Hebrews 9 reviews the arrangement of the Tabernacle.
It mentions:
The candlestick.
The table.
The shewbread.
The sanctuary.
The second veil.
The Holiest of all.
The golden censer.
The ark of the covenant.
The mercyseat.
These were not random religious objects.
They belonged to a divinely ordered system of worship.
But Hebrews explains that the Holy Ghost was teaching through this arrangement.
The Way Into the Holiest
Under the former system, access was restricted.
Hebrews 9:7 (KJV)
"But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood..."
This describes the Day of Atonement.
Only the high priest entered the Most Holy Place.
Only once each year.
And never without blood.
This provides the background for understanding Christ's priestly work.
Christ the Greater High Priest
Hebrews announces:
Hebrews 9:11 (KJV)
"But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle..."
Jesus enters a greater sanctuary.
His priesthood operates on a greater level than the earthly pattern.
Not the Blood of Goats and Calves
Then comes the great contrast.
Hebrews 9:12 (KJV)
"Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place..."
The old high priest carried sacrificial blood.
Jesus gives:
His own blood.
And the result is:
"eternal redemption."
Without Shedding of Blood
Hebrews 9:22 states:
"...without shedding of blood is no remission."
Blood represents life given in sacrificial death.
The sacrificial system taught the seriousness of sin.
Forgiveness is not presented as though sin simply does not matter.
Redemption comes at a cost.
Ultimately that cost points toward Christ.
Christ Appeared Once to Put Away Sin
Hebrews says:
Hebrews 9:26 (KJV)
"...but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself."
Again:
once.
Christ's sacrifice is sufficient.
Appointed Unto Men Once to Die
Hebrews continues:
Hebrews 9:27–28 (KJV)
"And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many..."
Human death is followed by accountability.
Christ's death, however, was the sacrificial bearing of sin.
And Hebrews looks forward to His appearing again.
The Law Had a Shadow
Hebrews 10 explains:
Hebrews 10:1 (KJV)
"For the law having a shadow of good things to come..."
A shadow is real, but it points beyond itself.
The sacrifices foreshadowed something greater.
The repeated nature of those sacrifices demonstrated that they had not brought the final resolution to the problem of sin.
It Is Not Possible for Animal Blood to Take Away Sins
Hebrews declares:
Hebrews 10:4 (KJV)
"For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins."
Animal sacrifices belonged to the covenant system God established, but they were never God's final answer to human sin.
They pointed forward.
Christ is the fulfillment.
One Sacrifice for Sins Forever
Hebrews contrasts the standing priest with the seated Christ.
Hebrews 10:11–12 (KJV)
"And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices...
But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;"
The priest stands because his work continues.
Christ sits because His sacrificial offering is complete.
One sacrifice.
Boldness to Enter the Holiest
The result is extraordinary.
Hebrews 10:19 (KJV)
"Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,"
Access to God is now grounded in the blood of Christ.
The barrier has been dealt with through His sacrificial work.
Let Us Draw Near
Hebrews responds with several exhortations:
"Let us draw near..."
"Let us hold fast..."
"Let us consider one another..."
Theology produces action.
Because Christ has opened the way:
Come near to God.
Hold fast your faith.
Encourage other believers.
Do Not Forsake Assembling Together
Hebrews says:
Hebrews 10:25 (KJV)
"Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together..."
The Christian life was never intended to be lived in isolation.
Believers need mutual exhortation.
This becomes increasingly important during difficult times.
"The Just Shall Live by Faith"
Hebrews 10:38 declares:
"Now the just shall live by faith..."
This introduces Hebrews 11.
The opposite of drawing back is living by faith.
What Is Faith?
Hebrews gives the famous description:
Hebrews 11:1 (KJV)
"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."
Faith is not mere wishful thinking.
Biblical faith trusts God because of who He is and what He has spoken.
The Witnesses of Faith
Hebrews 11 walks through biblical history.
It mentions:
Abel.
Enoch.
Noah.
Abraham.
Sarah.
Isaac.
Jacob.
Joseph.
Moses.
Rahab.
Gedeon.
Barak.
Samson.
Jephthae.
David.
Samuel.
The prophets.
Some experienced extraordinary deliverance.
Others suffered terribly.
This is important.
Faith does not always produce the same earthly outcome.
Some:
"obtained promises."
Others:
"were tortured."
Both groups are included among the faithful.
Biblical faith cannot be reduced to a guarantee of earthly comfort.
Abraham Looked for a City
Hebrews says of Abraham:
Hebrews 11:10 (KJV)
"For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God."
Abraham's journey ultimately pointed beyond earthly geography.
His faith looked toward God's greater promise.
Moses Chose Affliction
Hebrews says Moses chose:
Hebrews 11:25 (KJV)
"Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;"
Faith sometimes requires choosing faithfulness when compromise would be easier.
Rahab by Faith
Hebrews includes Rahab:
Hebrews 11:31 (KJV)
"By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not..."
Rahab's past did not prevent her from entering the story of faith.
Her response to God changed the direction of her life.
A Great Cloud of Witnesses
Hebrews 12 draws the application:
Hebrews 12:1 (KJV)
"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses..."
The witnesses of Hebrews 11 testify that God is worthy of trust.
Their lives encourage believers to continue running.
Lay Aside Every Weight
The writer says:
"...let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us..."
Not everything that hinders the race is described specifically as sin.
Some things are weights.
A serious disciple must sometimes ask not merely:
"Is this sinful?"
but:
"Is this hindering my race?"
Looking Unto Jesus
Then comes the central direction:
Hebrews 12:2 (KJV)
"Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith..."
The heroes of Hebrews 11 are witnesses.
But Jesus is the focus.
We do not run the race by keeping our eyes ultimately upon Abraham, Moses, David, or any other servant.
We look:
unto Jesus.
Jesus Endured the Cross
Hebrews continues:
**"...who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame..."
Jesus Himself becomes the supreme example of endurance.
The road to glory passed through suffering.
Therefore believers should not interpret every hardship as evidence that they have left God's will.
Godly Discipline
Hebrews 12 discusses God's discipline of His children.
The writer compares divine correction with parental discipline.
God's purpose is:
Hebrews 12:10 (KJV)
"...that we might be partakers of his holiness."
Biblical discipline is not divine cruelty.
Its purpose is holiness.
Mount Sinai and Mount Sion
Hebrews 12 contrasts the terrifying scene at Sinai with believers coming to:
"mount Sion,"
"the city of the living God,"
and
"the heavenly Jerusalem."
The contrast emphasizes the believer's covenantal access through Christ.
Jesus is identified as:
Hebrews 12:24 (KJV)
"the mediator of the new covenant."
The Blood That Speaketh Better Things
Hebrews also contrasts Christ's blood with Abel's.
Hebrews 12:24 (KJV)
"...the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel."
Abel's blood cried from the ground after murder.
Christ's blood speaks the message of a greater covenantal reality—atonement, reconciliation, and redemption.
Jesus Christ the Same
Near the end of the letter comes the great declaration:
Hebrews 13:8 (KJV)
"Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever."
Human leaders come and go.
Circumstances change.
Generations pass.
Jesus Christ remains.
The Great Shepherd of the Sheep
Hebrews concludes with a beautiful blessing:
Hebrews 13:20–21 (KJV)
"Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
Make you perfect in every good work to do his will..."
Jesus is therefore revealed in Hebrews not only as:
Son.
King.
Great High Priest.
Sacrifice.
Mediator.
He is also:
"that great shepherd of the sheep."
Major Themes of Hebrews
Jesus Christ the Son — God's climactic revelation is in His Son.
Christ Greater Than Angels — Angels are servants; the Son possesses unique authority.
Christ Greater Than Moses — Moses was faithful as a servant; Christ is Son over the house.
Jesus' Humanity — He truly shared flesh and blood and understands human suffering.
Jesus the Great High Priest — He represents His people before God.
Melchisedec — Christ's priesthood is presented as belonging to an order greater than the Levitical priesthood.
The New Covenant — Jesus mediates the covenant promised in Jeremiah.
The Heavenly Sanctuary — Christ ministers in the greater and more perfect tabernacle.
The Blood of Jesus — His own blood secures eternal redemption.
The Once-for-All Sacrifice — Christ does not need to be repeatedly sacrificed.
Access to God — Believers may come boldly to the throne of grace.
Faith — God's people live by trusting His promises.
Perseverance — Believers are repeatedly warned not to drift, harden their hearts, or draw back.
Holiness — God's discipline works toward holiness.
The Better Hope — Christ brings God's people into something greater than the shadows that preceded Him.
Key Observations
The human author of Hebrews is unknown. We should not state Pauline authorship as certainty when the text does not name its writer.
Hebrews is deeply rooted in the Old Testament. Understanding the Torah, Psalms, Prophets, priesthood, sacrifices, and Tabernacle greatly enriches the study.
The Old Covenant institutions were not meaningless. They provided patterns and shadows pointing toward Christ.
Jesus is both fully exalted and genuinely human. His humanity enables Him to identify with those He represents.
Jesus is our Great High Priest. He understands our infirmities yet remains without sin.
Christ's priesthood is after the order of Melchisedec rather than Aaron.
Jesus offered Himself. He is both the priestly mediator and the once-for-all sacrifice.
The New Covenant brings inward transformation and forgiveness.
The blood of Christ accomplishes what animal sacrifices could never finally accomplish.
Believers have access to God through Jesus Christ.
Faith does not guarantee an easy earthly life. Hebrews 11 includes both miraculous victories and severe suffering.
Perseverance is a major theme. Believers are repeatedly told to hold fast.
Jesus—not the heroes of faith—is the ultimate focus.
God's discipline is intended to produce holiness.
Jesus Christ remains the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Personal Application
Hebrews calls me to look beyond religious forms and fix my eyes upon Jesus Christ.
The Tabernacle was important.
The priesthood was important.
The sacrifices were important.
But they were pointing toward something greater.
They were pointing toward Christ.
Therefore I must never become so fascinated with biblical symbols that I lose sight of the One to whom the symbols point.
Jesus is my Great High Priest.
When I feel weak, He understands.
When I am tempted, He understands temptation, yet He remained without sin.
When I need mercy, I do not have to run away from God.
Because of Jesus, I can:
"come boldly unto the throne of grace."
There I can obtain mercy.
There I can find grace.
There I can receive help in my time of need.
Hebrews also challenges me to examine my perseverance.
Am I drifting?
Has my heart become hard?
Have I become weary?
Am I allowing suffering to make me draw away from God?
The wilderness generation reminds me that yesterday's deliverance does not replace today's faith.
I must continue believing.
Hebrews 11 reminds me that faithfulness does not always look like visible victory.
Sometimes faith shuts the mouths of lions.
Sometimes faith endures persecution.
Sometimes faith receives deliverance.
Sometimes faith remains faithful while waiting.
Either way:
God is faithful.
Therefore I will lay aside every weight.
I will lay aside the sin that so easily besets me.
I will run with patience the race set before me.
And above all:
I will look unto Jesus.
Reflection Questions
Why does Hebrews leave the identity of its human author uncertain?
What evidence suggests that the original audience was deeply familiar with Jewish Scripture and worship?
Why does Hebrews emphasize that Jesus is greater than the angels?
Why was it necessary for Jesus to share in flesh and blood?
In what way is Jesus greater than Moses?
What warning does Israel's wilderness generation provide for believers?
What does it mean that Jesus is "touched with the feeling of our infirmities"?
Why can believers come boldly to the throne of grace?
How does Christ's priesthood differ from Aaron's priesthood?
Why is Melchisedec important to the argument of Hebrews?
What is the significance of Jesus offering His own blood?
How does Jeremiah's promise of a New Covenant help us understand Hebrews?
What did the earthly Tabernacle teach concerning access to God?
Why were repeated animal sacrifices unable to provide the final answer to sin?
What does Hebrews mean by Christ's sacrifice being offered "once"?
What do the faithful people of Hebrews 11 teach us about the nature of faith?
What weights might hinder a believer even when they are not themselves specifically identified as sins?
What does it mean practically to look unto Jesus?
Closing Prayer
Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, thank You for speaking to us through Your Son.
Thank You for Jesus, our Great High Priest.
Thank You that He understands our infirmities.
Thank You that He was tempted, yet without sin.
Thank You that through Him we may come boldly unto the throne of grace to obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Father, give us greater understanding of Your Word.
As we study the Tabernacle, priesthood, sacrifices, covenants, and promises, help us to see how Your redemptive purpose points us toward Jesus Christ.
Keep us from stopping at the shadow while missing the substance.
Thank You for the blood of Jesus.
Thank You that our redemption was not purchased with the blood of bulls and goats but through the sacrifice of Christ Himself.
Thank You that Jesus does not need to be sacrificed repeatedly.
His sacrifice is sufficient.
Thank You for the New Covenant.
Write Your truth upon our hearts.
Transform our minds.
Cause us to know You more deeply.
Holy Spirit, keep our hearts from becoming hardened.
Do not allow us to drift away from the truth.
When we become weary, strengthen us.
When we become discouraged, remind us of the faithful witnesses who endured before us.
When we are tempted to draw back, help us to hold fast.
Teach us to live by faith.
Help us to lay aside every weight and every sin that hinders our race.
Give us patience to run the race You have set before us.
Above all, keep our eyes fixed upon Jesus,
the author and finisher of our faith.
Thank You that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Thank You for the Great Shepherd of the sheep.
Make us perfect in every good work to do Your will, working in us that which is well pleasing in Your sight through Jesus Christ.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.
