What a sight the high priest must have been in the bright sunlight of Palestine as he approached the tabernacle – white linen, blue robe – the gold on his turban and the chains and in the fabrics he wore, gleaming yellow in the sun – the gems on his shoulders and over his heart lit to their full colors – golden bells ringing musically with each step!

The image of the high priest is a sanctifying picture when seriously contemplated – and it surely has served as such for pious Jews over the ages. But it is also sadly true that one could don the high priestly vestments and appear outwardly qualified, but fall tragically short of the inner qualifications so necessary to effective ministry. It is these inner qualifications with which our text deals in verses 1-4 before it goes on to demonstrate in verses 5-10 how Christ, our great High Priest, meets and supersedes every qualification – proving he is the priest who will get the stressed-out little church through its stormy seas. As we consider this matter of priestly qualifications, we will do well to keep the image of the Aaronic high priest before us – because Jesus is the fulfillment of everything he symbolized. The writer opens this section by asserting in verses 1-4 the three essential qualifications for one who would aspire to be high priest – namely, solidarity, sympathy, and selection.

Solidarity, oneness with humanity, was fundamental to priestly ministry and is explicitly stated in verse 1. No angel, no celestial being, no deceased soul could function as high priest. He had to be a living human being – a mortal like everyone else. The reason of course, is that his primary function was representative – “to act on behalf of men in relation to God.” The solidarity factor was essential to effective priestly ministry, as it is today in pastoral ministry, and the universal requirement is, as it has always been, a real man with a real link to God and a real bond to man.

Sympathy; this anticipates the next quality for the human priesthood, which is sympathy or compassion (vv. 2-3). The ideal high priest had an inner disposition that enabled him to “deal gently with the ignorant and wayward.” As to why he could be so gently disposed, our text suggests that it is because of two inner awarenesses. First he was aware that he, though high priest, was a sinner for he had “to offer sacrifice for his own sins just as he does for those of the people” (v. 3). The other awareness was that he was himself “beset with weakness” (v. 2b). He shared in the universal “community of weakness” of all mankind. This of course, has primary reference to moral weakness, but it also means human weakness generally (body, intellect, emotion).

Selection; the third and final qualification is straightforward – the high priestly position must spring from divine selection (v. 4). All Israel’s priests were to come only through divine appointment. Attempts to do otherwise met with catastrophic judgment. No genuine priest ever arrogated himself to the high priestly office. All were sovereignly chosen. Therefore, a proper priest was filled with deep humility. His work was never a career. It was a divine calling. How appealing this was to the Hebrew mind, and quite frankly to us! The ideal high priest was a man of incomparable attractiveness.

Could anything or anyone ever exceed this ideal in attractiveness of efficacy?  The answer is a resounding “Yes!” – Jesus Christ! He too was a product of divine selection (vv. 5-6). Not only was Christ divinely chosen, but He was chosen for two offices – the ultimate royal office and the ultimate priestly office, as shown by two Old Testament Scriptures (Ps. 2:7; Ps. 110:4). So our author gives us a stupendous truth: Jesus is both eternal King and eternal Priest. And it all came to Him by the ordaining word of God the Father. Jesus did not seek it! Neither did Jesus clutch the office of king and high priest. His only goal was to glorify God the Father. Jesus’ priesthood is therefore; far superior to that of Aaron. Aaron’s was temporal, but Jesus is a priest of the same kind as Melchizedek. There was no succession of priests and hence no “order” from Melchizedek. Jesus’ priesthood is without ending or beginning!

Not only is Jesus superior as to His divine selection to be king and priest – He is also superior in His solidarity with His people (vv. 7-9). Here we see that the prime example of Jesus’ solidarity (His participating fully in the human condition) was His agony in the garden of Gethsemane where “Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to Him who was able to save Him from death” (v. 7). Jesus placed the exercise of His omniscience, omnipotence, and omnipresence under the direction of God the Father when He came to earth in the Incarnation. This explains His flashes of supernatural knowledge and power while on earth.

So authentic was Jesus’ solidarity with human kind that He “learned obedience through what He suffered. And being made perfect… (vv. 8-9). This “does not mean Jesus passed from disobedience to obedience.” Nor does it mean that He developed from imperfection to perfection. The idea is that He became complete in His human experience. Now, in His completeness, His perfection, He is “the source of eternal salvation to all who obey Him (v. 9). His solidarity with us means He can save us to the uttermost. Christ is our triumphant, eternal Savior. His superior selection as both King and Priest, coupled with His superior solidarity with us, makes Him far superior in sympathy to the high priest of old. Can anyone miss the message to the little church on the high seas? This was their High Priest and our High Priest in life’s uncertain seas today as well. Jesus persevered in submissive prayer in Gethsemane and was heard, and our prayers will be heard also if we persevere. May we avail ourselves of Him day by day!

Hebrews 5:1-10 Reflection Questions:

What was Jesus’ response to the high priest during His time here on earth?

Why is it important for us to know about this today in the twenty first century (see 1Pet. 2:9)?

What message have you received from this study?

Moses did not lead the people of Israel into the promised rest; in fact he himself was forbidden to enter the land. Joshua led them into their physical rest, but not into the promised spiritual rest. But what about Aaron, the first high priest? Is it possible that the Aaronic priesthood, with all of its sacrifices and ceremonies, could bring a troubled soul into rest? The Hebrew Christians who received this letter were sorely tempted to return to the religion of their fathers. After all any Jew could travel to Jerusalem and see the temple and the priests ministering at the altar. Here was something real, visible, and concrete. When a person is going through persecution, as these Hebrew Christians were, it is much easier to walk by sight than by faith. Some of us have doubted the Lord under much less provocation than these people were enduring. The central theme of Hebrews is the priesthood of Jesus Christ, what He is now doing in heaven on behalf of His people. Is the high priestly ministry of Christ superior to that of Aaron and his successors? Yes it is, and the writer proves it.

Jesus Christ is the GREAT High Priest (v. 14). No Old Testament priest could assume that title. But in what does our Lord’s greatness consist? To begin with, Jesus Christ is both God and Man. He is “Jesus, the Son of God.” The name “Jesus” means “Savior” and identifies His humanity and His ministry on earth. “Son of God” affirms His deity and the fact that He is God. In His unique person, Jesus Christ unites Deity and humanity, so that He can bring people to God and bring to people all that God has for them.

Not only in His person, but also in His position Jesus Christ is great. Aaron and his successors ministered in the tabernacle and temple precincts, once a year entering the holy of holies. But Jesus Christ has “passed through the heavens.” When He ascended to the Father, Jesus Christ passed through the atmospheric heavens and the planetary heavens into the third heaven where God dwells (2 Cor. 12:2). How much better is it to have a High Priest who ministers in a heavenly tabernacle than in an earthly one!

But there is another aspect to Christ’s position: not only is He in heaven, but He is enthroned. His throne is “the throne of grace” (v. 16). The mercy seat on the Ark of the Covenant was God’s throne in Israel (Ex. 25:17-22), but it could never be called “a throne of grace.” Grace does not veil itself from people. Grace does not hide itself in a tent. Furthermore the common people were not permitted to enter the holy precincts of the tabernacle and the temple, and the priests got only as far as the veil, and only on the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16). But every believer in Christ is invited, and is even encouraged to “come boldly unto the throne of grace”! What a great throne it is because our Great High Priest is ministering there. Something else makes Him great: He is ministering mercy and grace to those who come for help. Mercy means that God does not give us what we do deserve; grace means that He gives us what we do not deserve. No Old Testament high priest could minister mercy and grace in quite the same way.

Now because of the superiority of Jesus Christ, the Great High Priest, over Aaron, two important conclusions can be drawn. First, there is no need in giving up our profession just because we are going through testing and trial (v. 14). The word translated “profession” means “confession.” These Hebrew Christians were tempted to give up their confession of faith in Christ and their confidence in Him. It was not a matter of giving up their salvation, since salvation through Christ is eternal (Heb. 5:9). It was a matter of their public confession of faith. By returning to the Old Testament system they would be telling everyone that they had no faith in Christ (Gal. 2:11-21).

The second conclusion is this: there is no need to go back because we can come boldly into the presence of God and get the help we need (v. 16). No trial is too great, no temptation is too strong, but that Jesus Christ can give us the mercy and grace that we need, when we need it. “But He is so far away!” we may argue. “And He is the perfect Son of God! What can He know about the problems of weak sinners like us?”

But that is a part of His greatness! When He was ministering on earth in a human body, He experienced all that we experience, and even more. After all, a sinless person would feel temptations and trials in a much greater way than you and I could ever feel them. Christ was tempted, yet He did not sin; and He is able to help us when we are tempted. If we fail to hold fast our confession, we are not proving that Jesus Christ has failed. We are only telling the world that we failed to draw on His grace and mercy when it was freely available to us.

Hebrews 4:14-16 Reflection Questions:

When you have been tempted and gone through trials have you held onto your confession of faith?

How often do you need the mercy and grace from Jesus Christ? Journal them so you can always remember!

Have you ever gone boldly into the presence of God to get the help you need? How has that helped your confession of faith?

In comparing the Word of God to a sword, the writer is not suggesting that God uses His Word to slaughter the saints! It is true that the Word cuts the heart of sinners with conviction (Acts 5:33; 7:54), and that the Word defeats Satan (Eph. 6:17). The Greek word translated “sword” means “a short sword or dagger.” The emphasis is on the power of the Word to penetrate and expose the inner heart of man. The mention of a double-edged sword in our text is a sober warning not to disregard God’s Word as Israel did in the wilderness. The writer therefore gives us four reasons we must not disregard God’s Word. The Word of God is: living, penetrating, discerning and reckoning. Taken positively, these are four immense reasons to celebrate God’s Word.

As the writer begins, he directly warns that God’s Word is alive (v. 12a). It lives because it endures forever (Ps. 119:89). Even more, it lives because it has life in itself. God is “living” (3:12), and the Word, as God’s breath (2 Tim. 3:16), partakes of God’s living character. It is alive! The character of the Word’s aliveness is that it is “active,” or as that word is sometimes rendered, “effective.” God’s Word vibrates with active, effectual power as it rushes to fulfill the purpose for which it was spoken. As Isaiah 55:11 so beautifully says: “so shall My Word be that goes out from My mouth; it shall not return to Me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” Indeed, the Word of God is alive and effectual! God’s Word does what it promises to do. It regards neither age nor education. It can change you if you are 12 or 112.

God’s Word is not only living but penetrating, as verse 12b clearly states. God’s Word cleaves through our hard-shelled souls like a hot knife through warm butter. Certainly we Christians find this to be true in our lives. There are sections of God’s Word that cut through all the pretensions and religious façade, leaving us convicted. When God wills it, His Word will pierce anyone. Tragically, many of these are regular church attendees. The true hearer wittingly or unwittingly invites the divine Surgeon to do His gracious cutting.

Having established that God’s Word is living and penetrating, the writer adds: “discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (v. 12c). The root word for “discerning” is the word kritikos, which we derive critic. So the emphasis here is on the discerning judgment of “the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” The heart is the seat of human personality. It is hidden from all. Yet God’s Word sifts through its thoughts and attitudes with unerring discrimination. “The sword of the Spirit” (Eph. 6:17) will tell us what is in our hearts. Fellow-believers, if we really want to understand ourselves, we must fill our souls with God’s Word. God’s Word – read, meditated upon, and prayerfully applied – will give us brilliant discernment and profound self-knowledge. This gift of self-knowledge is no small grace because when we grasp something of the serpentine ways of our hearts, we are disposed to cast ourselves even more on God’s grace; and that is no small grace! We will also be judged by God’s Word. And herein lays the warning to those who in disobedience are falling away. His judgment will be perfectly discerning. The wise Christian invites the penetrating, discerning work of God’s Word in his life.

Now in verse 13 the discussion continues, but the focus switches from God’s Word to God as a knowing and reckoning God. Verse 13 gives us one of Scriptures great descriptions of Gods knowing. God sees everything. This can be discomforting if we have something to hide. The divine gaze is in light and darkness; He sees all (see Prov. 15:3; Ps. 90:8)! “All” – everything – everyone – is stark naked before Him. There is nothing to hide in or behind. The language here forces us to imagine ourselves naked, held helpless, exposed, in God’s grip, close to His omniscient eyes, and so we must give account. He cannot be fooled. Duplicity and hypocrisy will not work. Happily this means He will miss no good thing. But to the sinning, self-righteous heart, apart from the grace of God this brings nothing but unmitigated terror.

Of course, the author means all of this to be sanctifying instruction for the tiny house-church in the welling seas of persecution. He is calling for them not to rebel against God’s Word in disobedience, but to submit to it and find rest in the storms.

How does this double-edged sword work? First, it is the sword of judgment. Because it is “living,” it is effectually active. It accomplishes what God purposes for it to do. It is so sharp that it penetrates – “piercing” through everything. And then it discerns everything in the core of our being – leaving us “naked” and bare before our God with whom we must reckon. All of this is a gracious cutting. We see ourselves, and we see God, and we long to fly to Him and be healed. Second, for the believer it is the sword of sanctification. God’s two-edged sword, His Word, is alive and effectual in our lives. Again it penetrates and discerns our hearts, exposing them to us – leaving us uncovered and laid bare, so that “naked” we flee to God for dress. Blessed be the double-edged sword of judgment and sanctification. God cuts us deeply that we might die. God cuts us again with His Word so that we might live!

Hebrews 4:12-13 Reflection Questions:

Are you reading, meditating upon, and prayerfully applying God’s Word?

Do you invite the penetrating, discerning work of God’s Word in your life?

How does it make you feel that God’s Word leaves you “naked” and bare with whom you must reckon?

As Christians, we understand there is no rest for the soul apart from Christ. When we came to God in Christ, it was like pulling into a snug harbor from a stormy sea. There is no rest for the heart apart from Christ. However, if we are candid we will admit that the initial rest has not always been our lot, because there is a difference between the primary experience of rest and living a life of rest on life’s uneven seas. Certainly this was true of those the writer of Hebrews was addressing. Their experience of Christ was not living up to expectations. Instead of rest there was turmoil. They had given up their ancient religion but were suffering for their new faith. To some it seemed that the initial experience of rest was a cruel delusion. It is to these endangered hearts that the writer now focuses his remarks in Chapter 4 as he instructs and exhorts them on participation in the rest of God. This theme has always been contemporary and will find a responsive chord in every believer’s heart – especially if he or she is sailing into the contrary winds of the world.

Chapter 4 opens with a warning based on Israel’s tragic failure in the wilderness (vv. 1-2). Israel had heard the good news brought by Caleb and Joshua that the land was theirs for the taking, however they were listening more to the other 10 that were frightened by what they saw. They simply did not trust God and so failed to enter their rest. Many, perhaps thousands, were believers (they believed in God), but only the two really trusted God and found rest. We must keep this subtle distinction between belief and trust clear is we are to understand what kind of faith is necessary to have rest in this life. The principle is so simple: the more trust, the more rest. There is not a fretful soul in the world who is trusting. Fellow Christians, there is a rest for you. It’s not beyond your capacity. You can have it if you wish.

Note first that he twice quotes Psalm 95:11 – “They shall not enter My rest” (vv. 3, 5). His purpose is not to imply that his readers will not enter the rest, but rather to show that God calls the rest being offered “My rest” because it is the rest He Himself enjoys. This in itself is a stupendous revelation. It means that when we are given rest by Him, it is not simply a relaxation of tensions, but a rest that is qualitatively the same rest God enjoys – His personal rest He shares with us! The sublime fact that we share God’s personal rest, the rest He enjoys, ought to set our hearts racing!

The character of God’s rest is the ideal of all rests. First, it is joyous. Job 38:7 echoes the joy of the Creator that he carried into his Sabbath-rest. Second, His rest is satisfying. This is the repeated implication of His multiple assertions regarding creation that “it was good” (Genesis 1). Third, it is a working rest. God finished His great work and rested, but it was not a cessation from work, but rather the proper repose that comes from completing a great work. Jesus referred to His Father’s ongoing work in John 5:17. God’s repose is full of active toil. God rests, and in His rest He keeps working even now.

Some members of the little church had become so disheartened that they thought the rest was not available to them. It may have been available to the Israelites in the desert, they thought, or to David’s hearers when he reoffered it in Psalm 95, but rest was not really available to them in their difficult circumstances. So in verses 6-10 the author argues that the rest remains. Notice that verses 6 and 9, the opening and closing sentences of this section, assert that fact. The writer has used every angle to show his friends and us that we can know and experience this rest. If we learn anything from this text, we must understand that the rest is there is we want it (v. 9). Praise to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!

The writer properly closes this section with a challenge to his church (v. 11). How then, do we “strive” (or, as some translations have it, “do our utmost”) “to enter that rest”? Our passage suggests two things. First, we must do our utmost to focus on the rest. We must strive to comprehend that it is a divine rest – the rest that God personally enjoys. It is joyous, satisfying, and productive. We must do our utmost to grasp this. There is no room for mental laziness. Second, we must do our utmost to combine the hearing of the good news of the offered rest with genuine faith – that is, belief plus trust. In the midst of life’s uneven seas, we are called, as was the early church, to believe in the mighty God of the exodus, He who parted the seas, brought forth water from a rock, and fed His people with manna. Even more, we are to believe in the Bread of Heaven who gave His life for us and rose from the dead and ascended to God in mighty power. Do we believe that our God is such a God? Do we really believe it with all our heart? We must make every effort to do so!

Finally, can we add to this belief trust? This was the bottom line for the wavering church. Could they trust God to take care of them? There is no rest in this life without trust.

Hebrews 4:1-11 Reflection Questions:

When you were a new Christian did you ever experience “rough seas” like the Hebrews was experiencing?

What is the greatest problem you face? Do you believe God can meet it? Can you, will you, trust Him?

Take heed to what? To the sad history of the nation of Israel and the important lessons it teaches. The writer quotes from Psalm 95:7-11, which records God’s response to Israel’s tragic spiritual condition. God delivered His people from Egypt and had cared for them, revealing His power in many signs and wonders. Israel saw all of this and benefited from it, but the experience did not bring them closer to God or make them trust Him more. All that God did for them did not benefit them spiritually. In fact, just the opposite took place: they hardened their hearts against God! They put God to the test and He did not fail them; yet they failed Him!

The heart of every problem is a problem in the heart. The people of Israel (except Moses, Joshua, and Caleb) erred in their hearts (v. 10), which means that their hearts wandered from God and His Word. They also had evil hearts of unbelief (v. 12); they did not believe that God would give them victory in Canaan. They had seen God perform great signs in Egypt. Yet they doubted He was adequate for the challenge of Canaan. When a person has an erring heart and a disbelieving heart, the result will also be a hard heart. This is a heart that is insensitive to the Word and work of God. So hard was the heart of Israel that the people even wanted to return to Egypt! Imagine wanting to exchange their freedom under God for slavery in Egypt! Of course, all this history spoke to the hearts of the readers of this letter because they were in danger of “going back” themselves.

God’s judgment fell on Israel and that entire generation was condemned to die, and only the new generation would enter the land. God said, “They shall not enter into My rest” (v. 11). But what message does this bring to a believer today? No believer today, Jew or Gentile, could go back into Mosaic legal system since the temple is gone and there is no priesthood. But every believer is tempted to give up his or her confession of Christ and go back into the world system’s life of compromise and bondage. This is especially true during times of persecution and suffering. True believers are willing to suffer for Christ and they hold firmly to their convictions and their confession of faith. Of course, we are not saved by holding to our confession. The fact that we hold to our confession is proof that we are God’s true children.

It’s important that we take heed and recognize the spiritual dangers that exist. But it is also important that we encourage each other to be faithful to the Lord (v. 13). We get the impression that some of these believers addressed were careless about their fellowship in the local assembly (see Heb. 10:23-25). Christians belong to each other and need each other. Moses, Caleb, and Joshua did try to encourage Israel when the nation refused to enter Canaan, but the people would not listen.

It’s clear from this section that God was grieved with Israel during the entire forty years they wandered in the wilderness. The sin of Israel is stated in verse 12 – “departing from the living God.” Israel departed from the living God by refusing God’s will for their lives and stubbornly wanting to go their own way back to Egypt. God did not permit them to return to Egypt. Rather, He disciplined them in the wilderness. God did not allow His people to return to Bondage.

The emphasis in Hebrews is that true believers have an eternal salvation because they trust a living Savior who constantly intercedes for them. But the writer is careful to point out that this confidence is no excuse for sin. God disciplines His children. Remember that Canaan is not a picture of heaven, but of the believer’s present spiritual inheritance in Christ. Believers who doubt God’s Word and rebel against Him do not miss heaven, but they do miss out on the blessings of their inheritance today, and they must suffer the chastening of God.

Hebrews 3:7-19 Reflection Questions:

For all that God has done for you, has it brought you closer and closer to God or make you trust Him more?

Has your heart wandered from God and His Word?

Where are you with your relationship with God?

Next to Abraham, Moses was undoubtedly the man most greatly revered by Jewish people. To go back to the Law meant to go back to Moses, and the recipients of this letter to the Hebrews were sorely tempted to do just that. It was important that the writer convince his readers that Jesus Christ is greater than Moses, for the entire system of Jewish religion came through Moses. In the next few studies we will learn in what ways Jesus Christ is superior to Moses.

In verse 1, “holy brethren” could only be applied to people in the family of God, set apart by the grace of God. That the writer was referring to people in the church, the Body of Christ, is clear from his use of the phrase “Partakers of the heavenly calling.” No unconverted Jew or Gentile could ever claim that blessing. The word translated “partakers” here is translated “partners” in Luke 5:7, where it describes the relationship of four men in the fishing business: they were in it together. True Christians not only share in a heavenly calling, but they also share in Jesus Christ. Through the Holy Spirit, we are “members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones (Eph. 5:30). True believers are also “partakers of the Holy Spirit” (Rom.8:9). Because we are God’s children, we also partake in God’s loving chastening. Not to be chastened is evidence that a person is not one of God’s children.

Because these people were holy brothers and sisters, and partakers of a heavenly calling, they were able to give a “confession” of their faith in Jesus Christ. It was this same confession that they were “strangers and pilgrims” on the earth that characterized men and women of faith in the ages past. It was not Moses who did all of this for the people addressed in this epistle; it was Jesus Christ! The writer did not exhort them to consider Moses, but to consider Christ.

That Christ is superior to Moses in His person is an obvious fact. Moses was a mere man, called to be a prophet and leader, while Jesus Christ is the Son of God sent by the Father into the world. The title apostle in verse 1 means “one sent with a commission.” Moses was called and commissioned by God, but Jesus Christ was sent as God’s “last Word” to sinful man. Jesus Christ is not only the Apostle, but He is also the High Priest. Moses was a prophet who on occasion served as a priest, but he was never a high priest. That title belonged to his brother Aaron. In fact, Jesus Christ has the title “great High Priest (Heb. 4:14). As the Apostle, Jesus represented God to men; and as the High Priest, He now represents men to God in heaven. Moses of course, fulfilled similar ministries, for he taught Israel God’s truth and he prayed for Israel when he met God on the mount. Moses was primarily the prophet of Law, while Jesus Christ is the Messenger of God’s grace. Moses helped prepare the way for the coming of the Savior to the earth.

The word “house” is used six times in verses 3-6. It refers to the people of God, not to a material building. Moses ministered to Israel, the people of God under the Old Covenant. Today, Christ ministers to His church, the people of God under the New Covenant (“whose house are we,” Heb. 3:6). The contrast between Moses and Christ is clear: Moses was a servant in the house, while Jesus Christ is a Son over the house. Moses was a member of the household, but Jesus built the house! By the way, the truth in these verses is a powerful argument for the deity of Jesus Christ. If God built all things, and Jesus Christ built God’s house, then Jesus Christ must be God.

There is another factor in Christ’s superiority over Moses: the Prophet Moses spoke about things to come, but Jesus Christ brought the fulfillment of these things (v. 6). Moses ministered “in the shadows,” as it were (see Heb. 8:5, 10:1), while Jesus brought the full and final light of the Gospel of grace of God.

The word “confidence” in verse 6 literally means “freedom of speech, openness.” When you are free to speak, then there is no fear and you have confidence. A believer can come with boldness to the throne of grace with openness and freedom and not be afraid. We have this boldness because of the shed blood of Jesus. Therefore we should not cast away our confidence, no matter what the circumstances might be. We should not have confidence in ourselves, because we are too prone to fail; but we should have confidence in Jesus Christ who never fails.

Because of this confidence in Christ and this confession of Christ, we can experience joy and hope (v. 6). The writer exhorted these suffering saints to enjoy their spiritual experience and not simply endure it. Jesus is the beloved Son over His house, and He will care for each member of the family. He is the faithful High Priest who provides all the grace we need for each demand of life. As the Good Shepherd of the sheep, Jesus is using the experiences in His people’s lives to equip them for service that will glorify His name. In other words, those who have trusted Christ prove this confession by their steadfastness, confidence, and joyful hope. They are not burdened by the past or threatened by the present, but are “living in the future tense” as they await the “blessed hope” of their Lord’s return. It is this “heavenly calling” that motivates the believers to keep on living for the Savior even when the going is tough.

Hebrews 3:1-6 Reflection Questions:

When the going gets tough where do you turn: yourself, the world, or to Jesus?

Do you have total 100 percent confidence in Jesus as the Good Shepherd?

Journal on a recent time you relied on Jesus.

The fact that angels are “ministering spirits” without human bodies would seem to give them an advantage over Jesus Christ who had a human body while He ministered on earth. (Today He has a glorified body that knows no limitations.) The writer gave four reasons that explain why our Lord’s humanity was neither a handicap nor a mark of inferiority.

His humanity enabled Him to regain man’s lost dominion (vv. 5-9). The quotation here is from Psalm 8:4-6, and you will want to read the entire psalm carefully. When God created the first man and woman, He gave them dominion over His Creation (Gen. 1:26-31). David marveled that God would share His power and glory with feeble man! Man was created “a little lower than the angels” (and therefore inferior to them), but man was given privileges far higher than the angels. God never promised the angels that they would reign in “the world to come” (v. 5). But we have a serious problem here, for it is obvious that man today is not exercising dominion over creation. In fact, man has a hard time controlling himself! “But now we see not yet all things put under him” (v. 8). “But we see Jesus!” (v. 9) He is God’s answer to man’s dilemma. Jesus Christ became man that He might suffer and die for man’s sin and restore the dominion that was lost because of sin. Today everything is under His feet (Eph. 1:20-23).

His humanity enabled Him to bring many sons to glory (vv. 10-13). Christ is not only the Last Adam; He is also the Captain of Salvation. The word “Captain” literally means “pioneer – one who opens the way for others to follow.” Christ gave up His glory to become a man. He regained His glory when He arose and ascended to heaven. Now He shares that glory with all who trust Him for salvation (John 17:22-24). He is bringing many sons and daughters to glory! Christ is united with us, and we are united to Him; we are spiritually one. In fact we are His “brethren” (v. 12). The writer quotes Psalm 22:22 – a messianic psalm – in which Christ refers to His church as His brethren. This means we and the Son of God share the same nature and belong to the same family! What a marvel of God’s grace! One phrase in Heb. 2:10 ought to be discussed before we move on: “Make the Captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.” This statement does not suggest that Jesus Christ was imperfect when He was here on earth. The word translated “perfect” means “complete, effective, and adequate.” Jesus could not have become an adequate Savor and High Priest had He not become Man and suffered and died.

His humanity enabled Him to disarm Satan and deliver us from death (vv. 14-16). Angels cannot die. Jesus did not come to save angels (note v. 16); He came to save humans. This meant that He had to take on Himself flesh and blood and become a Man. Only then could He die and through His death defeat Satan. The word “destroy” does not mean “annihilate,” for it is obvious that Satan is still alive and busy. The word means “render inoperative, make of none effect.” Satan is not destroyed, but he is disarmed. The final authority of death is in the hands of God. Satan can do only that which is permitted by God. But because Satan is the author of sin (John 8:44), and sin brings death (Rom. 6:23), in this sense Satan exercises power in the realm of death. Satan uses the fear of death as a terrible weapon to gain control over the lives of people. His kingdom is one of darkness and death (Col 1:13). We who trust in Jesus Christ have once and for all been delivered from Satan’s authority and from the terrible fear of death. The death, burial, and resurrection of Christ have given us victory! (1Cor. 15:55-58)

His humanity enables Him to be a sympathetic High Priest to His people (vv. 17-18). Being pure spirits who have never suffered, the angels cannot identify with us in our weakness and needs. But Jesus can! While He was here on earth, Jesus was “made like unto His brethren” in that He experienced the sinless infirmities of human nature. He knew what it was to be a helpless baby, a growing child, a maturing adolescent. He knew the experiences of weariness, hunger, and thirst (John 4:6-8). He knew what it was to be despised and rejected, to be lied about and falsely accused. He experienced physical suffering and death. All of this was a part of His “training” for His heavenly ministry as High Priest. Jesus Christ is both merciful and faithful: He is merciful toward people and faithful toward God. He can never fail in His priestly ministries. He made the necessary sacrifice for our sins so that we might be reconciled to God. He did not need to make a sacrifice for Himself, because He is sinless. So, what happens when we who have been saved are tempted to sin? Jesus stands ready to help us! Because He defeated every enemy, He is able to give us the grace that we need to overcome temptation. The word “succor” (v. 18) literally means “to run to the cry of a child.” It means “to bring help when it is needed.” Angels are able to serve us (Heb. 1:14), but they are not able to succor us in our times of temptation. Only Jesus Christ can do that, and He can do it because He became a man and suffered and died.

Hebrews 2:5-18 Reflection Questions:

Are you ashamed to call Jesus “Lord”? Can you express it openly? Do you?

After reading this study, are you amazed at the grace and wisdom of God?

What one part of this study really stands out for you? Why?

One of the ancient symbols for the Church is a ship. The idea originated in the Gospel accounts, which tell how Jesus compelled His disciples to board a ship and sail to the other side of the Sea of Galilee (Matt. 14:22-33; John 6:16-21). That night, when they were some distance from shore, a perilous storm arose so that they tossed like a cork on the waves – until Jesus came walking across the water in the night. This is a most fitting picture of the Church sailing the contrary seas of this world. And it’s a particularly appropriate symbol of the church to which the book of Hebrews was written, for all agree it was under stormy siege. This tiny house-church was probably somewhere in Italy, possibly in or around Rome – then we can imagine the huge waves that were poised above their little boat in the imminent Neronian persecution. Some in the church were also in danger of being blown away from their moorings and drifting away from the truth of Christ and back into “the Dead Sea of Judaism.”

So now, with the superiority of Christ ringing in their ears, the writer explicitly sounds his warning to the harried church in 2:1-4. The vivid warning here uses nautical, sailing language, suggesting the image of a ship whose anchor has broken loose from the ocean floor and is dangerously drifting away. I have experienced this firsthand while fishing off the Southern California coast near Dana Point. My boat was having engine troubles and while trying to repair we ran the battery dead. We decided to fish where we were for a while before calling for help. However before we knew it the tide, wind and waves brought us very close to the rocky coast. Such dangerous drifting is not intentional but comes rather from inattention and carelessness – which was precisely the problem with the pressured little church. They had become carless about their moorings in Christ. At first, in calm waters, it wasn’t noticeable. But as the storms of opposition rose, some of them were drifting farther and farther away from Christ toward the shoals of shipwreck in their old world of Judaism.

Drifting is the besetting sin of our day today, and as the metaphor suggests, it’s not so much intentional as from unconcern. Christians neglect their anchor – Christ – and begin to quietly drift away. What brings drifting? For one thing, there is the tide of years. You have to live for some length to observe this, but the longer you live, the more you will see it. Many who were at one time professing, fine Christians drifted away from their earlier, better selves. They kept up appearances, but the years have carried them far away from their devotion.

There is also the tide of familiarity with the truth. It is natural for us to come to regard the familiar as commonplace. The initial venture into the mysteries of Christ will leave us exhilarated, but with the repeated journeys, some become bored tourists. Granted, some find joy in their familiarity with the mysteries of Christ. But familiarity has both danger and reward. It depends on us.

There is the danger of busyness too. In today’s world, the multiplicity of our cares and duties can overwhelm us. A snowflake is a tiny thing, but when the air is full of them, they can bury us. Just so, the thousand cares of each day can insulate us from the stupendous Excellencies of Christ, causing us to begin a deadly drift.

The drifting that comes through the combination of years, familiarity, and busyness often bares its existence when the storm of opposition comes. The anchor has long been loosed, and when the winds come, an eternal soul is suddenly on the rocks and shipwrecked. No wonder, then, that the warning is a powerfully phrased command that should be read with an exclamation point!

What to do? The answer brings us full circle in the warning to where it begins; we must pay the “greatest attention” to what we have heard. Two things are in view here. First, all our attention must be focused on the supremacy of Christ: prophetic, cosmic, Levitical, and angelic. We need to work at this – meditating on Him, asking questions, memorizing Scripture, and worshiping. Second, paying closest attention to what we have heard means living in revelation of God’s Word – and it always has. We all should be familiar with (and memorized) the great verses from Deuteronomy 6:4-9, they are crucial words and truths from which we must not drift!

Hebrews 2:1-4 Reflection Questions:

Have you ever found yourself drifting farther and farther away from Christ? Are you there now?

How is your prayer life, Bible studies, Church attendance and involvement going?

Are you putting God first in your life?

What are angels? What does God’s Word tell us? Angels are mentioned over 100 times in the Old Testament and more than 160 times in the New Testament. They exist in vast numbers. On one occasion they are described as assembling in great numbers (see Rev. 5:11). In most cases they are invisible, as was the experience of Balaam when the Lord had to open his eyes so he could see the angel blocking his way (Num. 22:31). Or consider Elisha’s servant who had his eyes opened so he could see that he was protected by encircling chariots of fire (2 Kings 6:17). Ordinarily when angels are visible, they have a human-like appearance and are often mistaken for men (see Gen. 18:2; 19:1-2; Mark 16:5). Sometimes they have shined with glorious light (Matt. 28:3; Luke 2:9). Other times they have appeared as fabulous winged creatures – seraphim and cherubim (Exodus 25:20; Isaiah 6:2). The Hebrew word for angel is malak and the Greek angelos. Both mean “messenger,” designating their essential functions as divine message-bearers. As God’s messengers they can wield immense power – for example, staying entire armies (2 Kings 19:35) or delivering captives (Acts 12:7-11).

Regarding angels’ specific function, there are at least four: First, angels continuously worship and praise the God they serve. Second, angels communicate God’s message to man. Third, angels minister to believers. Fourth angels will be God’s agents in the final earthly judgments and Second Coming. But despite all their cosmic excellencies, their significance dwindles in the presence of Christ. Thus, we come to the grand theme of Hebrews 1:4-14, Christ’s superiority to angels. Why does the writer expound it here? Because some of the Jewish believers to whom he was writing were in danger of compromising Jesus’ superiority and lapsing into Judaism. They were tempted to compromise. If they would simply agree that Jesus was an angel, perhaps even the greatest of angels, but not God, they would be accepted into the synagogue and escape the awful pressure. It takes only a little thought to identify with this temptation, because the supremacy of Christ brings tension in everyday life. But the writer of Hebrews is determined that his friends not fall to this.

Christ’s superiority is first adduced because He has a superior name (vv. 4-5). Jesus had the name “Son” from all eternity, and it is the name He will always keep, as the perfect tense of the phrase “the name He has inherited” indicates. No angel ever had the title “Son”.

The next point in the author’s argument for Christ’s superiority over angels is that He is worshiped by angels (v. 6). Here he turns to the final lines of the Song of Moses (Deut. 32:43). The Jews considered these final lines to be messianic. Its obvious application is to the angelic worship that had its first occurrence on earth at the incarnation when all God’s angels worshiped Christ in Luke 2:13-14a).

Next the writer demonstrates the superiority of Christ to angels by contrasting their status: the angels are servants, but the Son is sovereign. Psalm 104:4 is quoted regarding the angels’ being servants: “Of the angels he says, ‘He makes his angels winds and his ministers a flame if fire’” (v. 7).

For the fourth proof of Christ’s superiority, the writer quotes Psalm 102:25-27, which contains a broken man’s rising awareness and celebration of God’s transcending existence (which of course, describes Christ’s existence by virtue of His creatorship: “through whom also He created the world,” 1:2). Psalm 102 reads as it is recorded here in verses 10-12 of our text.

The clinching argument for Christ’s superiority over angels is vocation: Christ rules; angels serve. That Christ rules supreme is proven by a passage quoted more often in the New Testament than any other (14 times). Jesus even quoted it Himself and applied it to Himself at His trial (Mark 12:36). It is Psalm 110:1 which is quoted here in verse 13. Christ’s absolute rulership is dramatically seen here in that it was the custom for a defeated king to prostrate himself and kiss his conqueror’s feet and for the victor to put his feet on the captive’s neck so that the captive became his footstool. One day every knee will bow before Christ, and every tongue will confess that He is Lord. And all the angels will be in that number, both good and evil, for the Son is infinitely their superior. In contrast to Christ’s superior ruling vocation, the angels’ vocation is that of serving (v. 14). This does not mean their serving is a disgraceful vocation. Far from it! It is a sublime privilege. The point here is, however, that it is inferior to the Son’s vocation of ruling the universe.

But there is something more here for the harried church – a double encouragement. First, this supreme Son is their God. Christ’s cosmic superiority, prophetic superiority, priestly superiority, and angelic superiority were all at the believers’ service in a world that was falling apart. Second, in respect to Christ’s angelic superiority, all angels had been sent by Him as “ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation.” The force of the original Greek is that the angels are perpetually being sent out to help God’s people – one after another!

The message to the harried, trembling church of the writer’s day, and to the Church universal, is this: Our superior Christ has assigned His angels to minister to us. And if He wills, He can deliver us anytime and anywhere He wishes. Christ is superior to everything. He is adequate in our hour of need. We must believe it and trust Him with all we are and have.

Hebrews 1:4-14 Reflection Questions:

Have you ever had a personal encounter with an angel?

Have you ever been tempted to compromise on your faith in Jesus?

What part of this study has encouraged you the most?

The central message of the Book of Hebrews is “Consider Christ.” In the first half of Hebrews 1:2, consider why He came. That is, He is God’s final word. Then, in the second half of verse 2 and into verse 3, we see who He is through seven characteristics of the incomparable Christ. So as we take up our study of Hebrews 1:2-3 we joyfully affirm that the best thing we can do is to preach Jesus Christ! This great text will allow nothing else. The grand theme of these verses is the supremacy of Christ as God’s final word. Christ is held up like a great jewel to the sunlight of God’s revelation, and as the light courses through it, seven facets flash with gleaming brilliance. We have given these facets names so they can be easily followed and assimilated. Christ is: Inheritor, Creator, Sustainer, Radiator, Representor, Purifier, and Ruler.

Inheritor: It is natural for the writer to first emphasize that Christ the Son is the Inheritor because sons are naturally heirs. Thus the text naturally flows from sonship to heirship (v. 2a). The writer, in stating here that Jesus is “the heir of all things,” is also consciously identifying him with the Lord’s “Anointed” and “Son” in Psalm 2. Thus Jesus is specifically said to be heir to Planet Earth and its peoples. But the promise also embraces the universe and the world to come. The immense scope of Christ’s inheritance comes from His dual functions as Creator and Redeemer. As Creator of the universe, He is its natural heir. Scripture is clear: everything in the physical universe is for Him and to Him and will consummate in Him as heir of a new creation. But in addition to His natural inheritance as Creator, as Redeemer He has also earned a vast inheritance of souls renewed through His atoning work of reconciliation on the cross. We are His inheritance! This is a mind-boggling truth, to say the least.

Creator: Having introduced the Son’s superiority as Inheritor of all things, the thought naturally moves to His supremacy as the Creator of all (v. 2b). The stupendous creative power of Christ created every speck of dust in the hundred thousand million galaxies of what we know of the ever expanding universe. Jesus was the agent in whom and through whom the entire universe of space and time was created. Everything was created by Him – everything corporeal, all things incorporeal, everything substantial, all things insubstantial.

Sustainer: But not only is He Creator, He is also Sustainer (v.3c). He is not passively upholding the universe, He is actively holding up all things. He does this by His spoken word. Just as the universe was called into existence with a spoken word, so it is sustained by the utterance of the Son. We cannot create the tiniest speck of dust; much less a mayfly, but He created the universe. He can do what we can never do, materially and spiritually. He can create in us clean hearts (Ps. 51:10). In fact, He can make us into new creations (2 Cor. 5:17). He can do it out of nothing. He can take whatever you are – your nothingness – and create a new person. There is nothing in your soul that is beyond the creative power of God. You are not an exception to His creativity, no matter how unique you may imagine yourself or your problem to be. But He is also our Sustainer. He can sustain the universe; He can sustain the struggling, harried church. Jesus is adequate for everything.

Radiator: The fourth facet of the Son’s superiority brilliantly sets forth His relation to the Father (v. 3a). The ESV translation “radiance” here is proper, as against some others that use “reflection.” Jesus does not simply reflect God’s glory; He is part of it! This is shown on the Mount of Transfiguration (Mark 9:3). It is His own essential glory, but it was also the Father’s. This is what blinded Paul on the Damascus Road (Acts 9:3).

Representor: The following phrase balances out His identity by emphasizing that He is also the Representor of God: “and the exact imprint of His nature” (v. 3b). The word translated “exact imprint” refers to the image on a coin that perfectly corresponds to the image on the die. Jesus is therefore completely the same in being as the Father. However, there is still an important distinction – both exist separately, as do the die and its image. Jesus is a superior revelation of God. When we see Him, we know just what the God of the universe is like. We know how He thinks. We know how He talks. We know how He relates to people. God has spoken in His Son. It is His ultimate communication, His final word, His consummate eloquence. Oh, the superiority of the Son!

Purifier: We have been all over the universe with the cosmic Son, and then suddenly He is introduced as the priestly Purifier who paid for our sins with His own blood. The thought almost sounds an aside – “After making purification for sins” (v. 3d). Ceaseless cosmic activity and then boom, His once-and-for-all sacrifice for our sins! Actually this a cosmic achievement because Jesus did something no man or priest could ever do: offer alone the sacrifice that paid for all sins. That had to be the work of a cosmic being!

Ruler: The immensity of His cosmic achievement is given perspective by the phrase that follows: “He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high” (v. 3e). He is Ruler. The overarching significance here is that priests never sat down. Levitical priests always were standing, because no sacrifice was complete. But Jesus, a high priest after the order of Melchizedek, sat down (Heb. 10:11-12). From the cross Jesus shouted, “It is finished” (John 19:30) and then, reassured, took His seat forever. Jesus’ colossal work underlines the utter blasphemy of the thought that we can pay for our own sins with works of righteousness. There is only one way to purity, and that is the blood of Christ. The only way to justification is by faith in His blood (Rom. 3:25; 5:9). Lastly, there is the ultimate significance of Jesus’ sitting down at the right hand of the Majesty in Heaven – and that is His ruling exaltation! It is here, in this supreme exaltation at God’s right hand, that Christ intercedes for us (see Rom. 8:34). The thought is utterly sublime but true – this glorious cosmic being at the apex of is splendor is praying for you and me! Can it really be? Yes! God’s Word says it is so.

Hebrews 1:2-3 Reflection questions:

How are you preaching Christ daily?

Do you see why we can do no better than to preach Jesus Christ?

Do you know this Son? Has His eloquence spoken to you? He is God’s final word. There is no other!