Series: New Testament Overview
Category: Core Seminars, Assurance of Salvation, Hope, Death of Christ, Person of Christ, The Deity of Christ, Work of Christ, Covenants, Faith, Perseverance of the Saints, God the Son
Detail:
“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll—I have come to do your will, O God.”
Wait you’re thinking, isn’t this the introduction to New Testament class? Why did you just quote from the Psalms? Well, first you are in the New Testament class, and I didn’t exactly quote from Psalm 40, but from Hebrews 10 in which the writer quotes that Psalm of David as the writer connects the substitutionary atonement of Christ with the Old Testament sacrificial system which pointed to Christ.
Now the next thing you’re thinking is, did I just miss about 15 weeks of the New Testament? If last week was the introductory class, why did we just skip over all the Gospels, Acts, and all the letters of Paul? Well, in many ways the book of Hebrews is the doorway from the Old Testament to the New, and is therefore foundational to understanding the New Testament. The writer of Hebrews references and expounds on many Old Testament passages including: 2 Sam 7 and Deut 32 (1:1-2:4), Ps. 8:4-6 (2:5-18), Ps. 95:7-11 (3:1-4:13), Ps. 110:4 (4:14-7:28), Jer. 31:31-34 (8:1-10:18), Ps. 40:6-8 (10:1-10), Hab. 2:3-4 (10:32-12:3), Prov. 3:11-12 (12:4-13), and Ex. 19, 20 12:18-29).
Hebrews acts as God’s commentary on the Old Testament as it beautifully casts the scripture and history of Israel in the light of Christ. Christ is the main point of the Old Testament; it is to him that the entire sacrificial system points. And there are few places in Scripture that make this point better than the book of Hebrews. If you want to understand the rich backdrop that the Old Testament provides for the life and work of Christ, if you want in fact to understand your Old Testament, Hebrews is a great place to start. And, here is where we will take our first look at the coming of God's kingdom.
Purpose and Background
Written prior to the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem in AD 70, the letter was likely written in the mid-60s. Identifying the writer is a more difficult task, but not necessary for understanding the book. The letters primary purpose does not seem to be merely an interpretive guide to the Old Testament, but is written to a Hebrew community that appears to be mostly Christian, but is now in crisis. Although they were persecuted when they became Christians and had gained a reputation for sacrificial service, the author is now deeply concerned for them. He calls them slow to learn (6:12) and repeatedly urges them not to “turn away from the living God” (3:12) but to go on toward maturity (6:1).
“See to it, brothers that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God” (3:12)
It appears that in the midst of mounting difficulties, the Jewish recipients of this letter were considering abandoning Christianity and returning to Judaism. In 2:3 the author asks: “How shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation?” Even as we see these Christians tempted to turn away from following Christ as the call to follow Christ became more difficult, so we can be encouraged and warned ourselves when we may be tempted to consider other less difficult options than following Christ.
Theme and Key Points
The overarching theme of the book of Hebrews leaps out at us from almost every page, and it is the supremacy and finality of Jesus Christ. Jesus, the preeminent of all God’s servants, has, as we read in chapter 9, “appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself” (9:26), and in that sacrifice he has brought us eternal salvation (5:9; 12:22-24; 1:2). Because of Jesus’ sacrificial death we see that we now have direct access to God through Jesus (4:16, 10:22). And given this, we also see major emphasis on the need to continue in the faith (12:1-2).
The writer of Hebrews focuses on three things as he addresses an audience that is considering whether or not it is better to go back to their former religion, he focuses on the Superiority of Who Jesus is, the Supremacy of What Jesus has done in establishing the New Covenant, and the Hope we have because of these truths and how this should change our lives. Along the way, he also gives several warnings to these struggling Christians, which we will consider in conclusion.
I. Superiority of Who Jesus is (Chapters 1-7)
II. Supremacy of Christ’s Work (Chapters 8-10:18)
III. A Life Transforming Hope (Chapters 10:19-13)
Superiority of Who Jesus is (Chapters 1-7)
In Message of the New Testament Dever says, “There were other religious leaders these Christians were tempted to follow. And these other leaders were very impressive. Maybe it would be less morally demanding to follow them; or if it were more morally demanding to follow them, maybe it would be less socially awkward and make for less persecution. Either way, these leaders were hardly false teachers.”
The writer of Hebrews makes the case of the superiority of Christ to individuals who were not being led astray by false teachers like the Gnostics we’ll come across in our later study of I John. They were being tempted to go back to a “Christless” Judaism, to follow the Old Testament prophets, angels that were messengers of God, and Moses. So, in making his arguments, the writer of Hebrews recognizes it is critical to not only state positively that Jesus is superior to all others, but to use the Old Testament Scriptures to demonstrate that these “teachers” the Hebrews were considering going back to would tell them to look to Jesus not to them.
From the opening of the letter, the author begins to establish the uniqueness and supremacy of Jesus Christ: “In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.” (1:1-1:4)
Supremacy Over Angels
By the time we get to verse 4b, the writer has selected his first point of comparison to establish Jesus’ supremacy: angels (1:4-2:18). Read verse 5 . We see the author’s exposition of several verses from the Psalms, 2 Samuel, and Deuteronomy. And, in these verses the writer emphasizes Jesus’ Sonship (v. 5), His worthiness of worship (v. 6), His rule (v. 8-9, 13), and eternality (v. 10-12) over the angels’ status/role as “ministering spirits” and messengers (v. 7, 14).
The point of this comparison becomes clear at the beginning of chapter 2: “For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation?” (2:2-3a) In the Old Testament, angels were instrumental in delivering God’s Word to God’s people. This messenger (Jesus) is greater than these angelic messengers, and the corollary is also true that His message is of utmost importance.
Jesus' superiority over the angels is found in His identification with man, with us, “For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.” (2:16-17) Jesus functions as more than an errand boy or messenger like the angels; He becomes the satisfaction of God's wrath for "those who are tempted." The angels announce God's Word, He is God's final word. He is the gospel, and it is imperative that we hear this gospel and not drift away (2:2-3).
Superiority to Moses and the Levitical Priests—Jesus is Eternal and Jesus is Perfect
While both Moses and Jesus are lauded for their faithfulness, Christ’s superlative attribute is seen in the fact that while Moses was faithful as a servant, Jesus is “Son over His own house”.
“Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house, testifying to what would be said in the future. But Christ is faithful as a son over God’s house. And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast.” (3:5-6)
The argument is similar to what we just saw with the angels. If the people of Israel were judged for rebelling against Moses, how much more ought we be careful to follow Christ, who is in fact greater than Moses? The urgency of following Christ alone is becoming more clear. We see an example of this urgent exhortation in verses 12-13 of chapter 3. He pleads that we not "be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness" toward the gospel and Christ. He warns us to beware of "an unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God" and to daily encourage one another so that we might avoid this deception. Brothers and Sisters we should heed this warning today! What are ways we can do this? Do you pray for other members of this church and for other Christians you know? Do you encourage other Christians? The writer of Hebrews is telling us that we need other Christians in our lives to hold up a mirror to our lives, unbelief is a very real threat that we must be on guard against together.
From 4:14-7:28, the writer demonstrates that Jesus is a greater high priest than the Levitical Priesthood. But Christ is not in the Aaronic line of the Levitical priests. He is eternal, in line with Melchizedek, “Once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him and was designated by God to be high priest in order of Melchizedek.” (5:9-10) The writer goes on to describe Melchizedek in 7:3, “Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, like the Son of God he remains a priest forever.” According to the writer of Hebrews, Jesus was this kind of Priest. Dever says, “Jesus is an eternal Son of God and therefore an eternal priest. The old priests died. But death could not hold Jesus, so he can continue to intercede on our behalf.” Truly, Jesus is a greater high priest, through Him we have a mediator before God. Furthermore, he is able to sympathize with our weaknesses because he has been tempted in every way that we have been – except without sinning. Unlike former priests, and even more important, unlike us, He is perfect. This is the kind of priest we need!
Jesus a greater ruler than the angels, he a greater prophet of God than Moses, and he is in fact a greater high priest than any descended from Abraham. Having seen who he is as Prophet, Priest, and King – it is now time to look at what he has done.
Supremacy of Christ’s Work (Chapters 8-10:18)
From the Superiority of Christ’s person we move to the Supremacy of Christ’s work.
The author makes a transition from the person of Christ to the work of Christ in the first two verses of chapter 8, though in one sense he continues this great theme of the superiority of Christ. “The point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by man.”
The Nature of the New Covenant
The writer of Hebrews is getting to the climax of the book. He wants us to know that this high priest, just as the old priests gave gifts and sacrifices, so now does this new high priest. What he gives is different from what the old priests gave. The author calls this a new covenant.
The Old Covenant was meant to direct man to God and to illuminate our sinful state. The law was the shadow of things to come and was symbolic (see 10:1-4). In contrast, the point of the New Covenant is to transform the mind and heart (see 8:8-13 and Jeremiah 31:33). This, the writer says, is a fulfillment and discontinuity with the kingdom the Jews had known and the kingdom that has now come (v. 13).
The author makes the point that the New Covenant is superior to the Old with three examples/arguments:
Human Illustration- A Will: The new covenant (or will/testament in Greek and Hebrew) only came into force after Jesus died (9:15-17)Biblical Analogy – Sacrifice and Blood: First Covenant ratified with the blood of animals; the second covenant inaugurated with Christ’s blood. Why the importance of blood? Hebrews 9:22 - “In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” Argument from Experience: One sacrifice made perfect everyone who is being made holy (see 10:14). Once forgiveness has been provided there is no longer any need for further sacrifice (10:17-18).
The writer of Hebrews wants his readers to know that we are privileged to have a better covenant than that given through Moses.
The Sacrifice of Christ
At the core of the new covenant is Christ’s sacrifice. Christ has offered an effective and permanent sacrifice that atones for sins.
The past sacrifices were ceremonial, temporary, and only serve as a reminder of sins. What was needed was a sacrifice that would clear the conscience of the worshipper forever (9:9; 10:3). That is what Christ’s sacrifice finally accomplished. According to the writer of Hebrews, Christ’s sacrifice changes the way we relate to God, and most fundamentally this happens because through Christ our sins have been forgiven forever. Quoting from Jeremiah 31:31-33, the writer of Hebrews says,
“The time is coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them,” declares the LORD. “This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time,” declares the LORD. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God and they will be my people. No longer will a man teach his neighbor or a man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the LORD. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” (8:8-12)
The sacrifice in the Old Covenant is ceremonial – it is symbolic and intended to point us to Christ. As we read in 10:3-4: “But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” The sacrifice in the New Covenant, however, is moral. It has the power to actually change our hearts. The writer goes on to say in 10:12,14, “But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God…because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.” Dever says, “So, on the one hand, we have the servants who died because of their own sin, and whose endlessly repeated sacrifices of bulls and goats could only make people ceremonially and externally clean. On the other hand, we have the eternal and sinless Son of God, who gave himself once forever to make his people holy. This is the choice the writer of Hebrews presents to us.”
The sacrifice Jesus offered was not only effective it was permanent. It happened once and for all (9:12; 9:26; 9:28; 10:10). It is a single action that is not repeated. This is contrasted with the daily rituals and the annual day of atonement. Read 9:23-28 if time. Incidentally, this is one reason why our church disagrees with the Roman Catholic idea of mass. We don’t see the need to repeat Christ’s sacrifice week after week because we understand that he has completed his work of atonement. And, as the author of Hebrews points out, whereas the priests of the Old Testament are continually standing at their work, Christ has sat down at the right hand of God.
Why was Christ’s work able to be permanent? Because He was the perfect sacrifice, imperfect priests could only offer temporary sacrifices, the perfect Christ could offer a sacrifice once for all.
In view of the supremacy of Christ's sacrifice on our behalf, we are admonished and exhorted to "hold fast to our profession" because God is faithful, and to not draw back but to continue in faith unto salvation (10:23-39). This we are able to do through the person and work of Christ.
A Life Transforming Hope (Chapters 10:19-13)
After summing up this section on the work of Christ with another exhortation, the author now turns to encourage his listeners to continue in their faith, hope, and love. Why is it that we had to work through all of this discussion about the person and work of Christ first? It is because as Christians our faith is centered on a person, not on a list of commands. The purpose of life for a Christian is not to obey a list of rules but to serve the risen Christ. And the best way to accomplish that is not just to remind each other of rules, but to learn more about the person and work of Christ. How is it that we can best learn about who Jesus is? Certainly, we can read the gospels and understand his teaching. But as the author of Hebrews makes clear, looking just at that ignores thousands of years of God’s revelation pointing to Christ. If we want to persevere in our faith, then we must learn more about Jesus. And to learn more about Jesus, we must understand the Old Testament. That is precisely the purpose of the book of Hebrews.
Throughout, the author gives us points of application, inferences drawn from the exposition of OT scripture. In the last four chapters, those applications are lifted up for us. He presents aspects of Gospel based, grace inspired Christian living: faith, perseverance, hope and love.
Faith (10:39 and Chapter 11) We begin this section on faith with what many have called the “Faith Hall of Fame” in chapter 11. We are to emulate these great saints by showing the same confidence in the promises of God. Incidentally, this section emphasizes that the way of salvation has always been about faith and trust in God. This is the great unifying truth that we see throughout God’s Word. So, in Hebrews 11:1 we find:
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.”
Perseverance (12:1-12) With this magnificent heritage of faith, the author calls us to follow the examples of these witnesses. It is in suffering that we see the intersection of faith and perseverance. “Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons” (12:7). Read 12:1-3. What does it mean to have persevering faith? It means to trust that God is in control and that God is at work accomplishing good purposes, even in the midst of great hardship.
Hope (12:18-24) With this look at our present circumstances, the author turns our minds toward the future. We begin with a reminder of the day the law was given to Israel at Mount Sinai. Read 12:18-24. Since we have been made part of this new covenant of the heavenly Jerusalem, there is much to hope in. Perseverance is fueled by meditating on God’s sovereign goodness to us through Christ, and in the hope we have before us in Heaven. Hope comes from faith in future grace.
Love (13:1) As he turns to love, the author exhorts us to follow the example of Christ and love our brothers. With this great foundation of hope established, the author turns in the final chapter to implore and remind his readers to love and serve others and ultimately to be like Christ who suffered “outside the gate” (to be banished from the city) for the sake of others (13:12-13).
Hebrews is all about perseverance in faith, hope and love through our knowledge of what God has done for us through Jesus Christ.
Dangers in our struggle to persevere
In Messages of the New Testament, Mark gives seven dangers that the writer of Hebrews lays out throughout the book to warn these struggling Christians. We will conclude our time today considering these dangers.
Ignoring what God has done in Christ
“We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.” (2:1) God’s Word must be studied carefully, particularly what it has to say about Christ and what He has done.
Not Believing God
“See to it brothers that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.” (3:12) A heart that believes God is a heart that doesn’t just know the Scriptures, but seeks to understand the implications of what God has said and apply it to our lives.
Ceasing to Grow
“though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again…Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity.” (5:12, 6:1) The writer of Hebrews doesn’t know multiple classes of Christians, those who are growing and those that are not. While there may be different levels of Christian maturity, Scripture understands all Christians to be growing Christians. A Christian that does not bear fruit must consider whether they are actually a Christian at all.
Not persevering in holiness
“If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.” (10:26-27) Repetitious and unrepentant sin in the life of a professing believer is a very serious matter. Sin is scary indeed. Dever says, “If we remain unholy, we show that Christ’s sacrifice has been ineffective in our lives; and if Christ’s sacrifice has been ineffective in our lives, what hope do we have?”
Losing Faith
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (11:1) The author of Hebrews knew that losing faith was a danger, so he provides this section in chapter 11 to exemplify what Christian faith looks like. It is characterized by a hope that is rooted in certainty. Hope is the result of faith in a reality we have not yet seen, but know exists.
Rejecting Discipline
“Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” (12:10-11) The Christian must be one that learns to listen to God’s correction and obey that correction. Without accepting God’s discipline, we will not produce the harvest of righteousness He has prepared for us.
Refusing This Warning
“See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven?” (12:25) Refusing to listen to the warning God has given us though this book will mean there is no escape from His judgment.
Will you heed the message of Hebrews, will you believe in Christ, will you trust in the work He has accomplished to atone for the sins of all those who repent and trust in Him?
What’s Next Week?
We will be looking at the 5 depictions of the king in the Gospels & Acts, and what the Gospels say to God’s people as a whole.
