Hebrews has a lot to say about the person and work of Jesus. Here are a few.
All in Hebrews
Hebrews 13 is about two cities, with the focus on the City of God. How does the City of God live?
One of the ways the Lord shepherds is by warning. The author transitions from Chapter 11’s “hall of faith” to give one of the sharpest warnings in all of the Bible in Chapter 12, about discipline and repentance. The author uses a combination of exhortation and motivation to move us to a place of openness before the Lord. He startles our soul to wake us up so that he can calm us with the gospel.
Hebrews 11 is a famous passage of Scripture. The author highlights the faith of the Old Testament saints to instruct us about faith. This audience has struggled. They’ve faced persecution and will face more in the future. They’re wondering if Jesus is worth it anymore, but they’re hanging on.
Christians have need of endurance. The Christian life is not easy. To stay faithful to Jesus is not easy. It demands that we put ourselves aside for God’s greater glory. In a world at war with God, sometimes it is costly to side with God. But we are not alone and our inheritance is coming.
Imagine you are a Jew under the old covenant. The Day of Atonement was yesterday. You sinned a lot today and need the Day of Atonement-type sacrifice for forgiveness. But you have to wait a year.
We don’t have return to slavery under the law, trying to earn our way into God's favor. We have his favor because every sin—past, present, and future – has been forgiven at the cross of Christ. We are free. Now it’s time to live like it.
The Hebrews faced an uncertain future. And, in many ways, we do as well. What do we really face when we consider the misty road ahead? We face a choice. Will we trust God or will we seek alternative routes? Here’s what we can know, even if we can’t know all that is ahead.
Like a coach rallying his team in the final seconds of the big game, the author of Hebrews huddles his readers up, looks in their eyes, and tells them exactly what he sees, beginning with discouragement but ending with some of the most encouraging words in the entire letter.
When we open the Bible, we are confronted not just with words on a page but a person speaking through a page. We are confronted by God himself. To read the Bible is a risky thing.
These Hebrews were facing intense suffering and persecution. And their pastor looks them in the eye and asks them pointedly, “where is your faith?”
The author uses Psalm 8 as a passageway into the humanness of Jesus. We may not see the totality of Psalm 8 in our life right now, but we can see something of it in Jesus.
Jesus is the final word from God because Jesus is God. So, to hear clearly from God we need to hear clearly from Jesus. And Hebrews is all about Jesus.