The Founder and Perfector of Our Faith

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1–2 ESV).

 

Our reading today is perhaps my personal favorite of the entire letter. There are two descriptions given of Jesus in the verses. Jesus is described as the "founder and perfecter of our faith" (v. 2). This means He is both the initiator (pioneer/author) and completer (finisher) of the Christian faith. By His life, sacrificial death, and resurrection, Jesus blazed the trail for believers, sustaining their faith and bringing it to its final, perfect goal.

 

The word our writer uses and is translated “founder” is the Greek word, ἀρχηγὸν (archēgon), which is only found four times in the Scripture. It is found twice in Acts and twice in Hebrews (cf. Acts 3:15; 5:31; Hebrews 2:10; 12:2). Thayers Lexicon says, it “portrays one who blazes a trail so that others may follow—an originator, leader, captain, or pioneer whose personal triumph becomes the shared victory of a people. In the New Testament it functions as a uniquely Christological title that gathers up themes of creation, redemption, and consummation into the person and work of Jesus Christ. In short, Jesus is the originator, pioneer, or captain who launched the life of faith, demonstrating perfect trust in God.

 

The word our writer uses and is translated “perfecter” is the Greek word τελειωτὴν (teleiōtēn), and is only found once in the New Testament. The Topical Lexicon says: It “is drawn from the wider New Testament family of terms that revolve around the idea of reaching a designed goal, bringing something to its appointed maturity, or completing a course. In Scripture, perfection does not speak of sinless abstraction but of wholeness, maturity, and full development according to God’s purpose. The term emphasizes that what God initiates He also brings to consummation.” Jesus is the finisher who brings faith to its ultimate, intended completion, ensuring it achieves its goal of salvation and perfection, as noted on

 

Therefore, Jesus becomes the perfect example of endurance. The writer says that Jesus endured the cross, disregarding the shame, for the "joy set before him," and is now seated at the right hand of God, serving as the ultimate example for believers. The passage encourages Christians to stay focused on Jesus, especially when facing trials, to avoid becoming weary in their faith. He began this good work in us and will see it to its finish. That is how we may run the race set before us!  

 

  

Dying Once for All

 

Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. (Hebrews 9:23–28 ESV).

 

The letter to the Hebrews is so rich in meaning. Today we come to a passage that is particularly well known and often quoted. The writer says after death follows judgment. He explains it quite matter-of-factly: “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many.” (v. 27).

 

After a person dies, neither he nor anyone else can present an offering for that individual’s sin that could alter his destiny. Death ends a person’s opportunity to change his or her position in life; there are no second chances. Nor does anyone die repeatedly, as taught in reincarnation. A person’s earthly life is closed at death, and everyone’s eternal destiny is determined and fixed during his or her life here on Earth. From this thought springs a sobering reminder: death irreversibly places people in either heaven or hell based on their relationship to Jesus.

 

Death is an “appointment”. Everyone dies. Scripture records only a few exceptions. First are Enoch and Elijah. They were taken directly to heaven (cf. Hebrews 11:5; 2 Kings 2:11). Second, there will be a generation of believers who will not experience death but will be taken directly to heaven at the Rapture of the church (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:51–52; 1 Thessalonians 4:17). And Scripture also mentions people who died twice: Lazarus, who was resurrected and died a second time (cf. John 11:43–44), and the people who were resurrected at the time of Jesus’ crucifixion (cf. Matthew 27:52–53). All others have or will die.

 

Our reading today teaches that Christ was sacrificed one time and died once for the sins of mankind. His was a final act that cannot be repeated or reversed. This was a major consideration for the Jewish believers being addressed in Hebrews, as they compared Christ’s sacrificial death with the teachings of the Levitical system.

 

Christ’s appearance for believers is mentioned three times in Hebrews 9:24–28. His first appearance was on Earth to become a once-for-all sacrifice by bearing mankind’s sin on the cross (v. 26). His second appearance was to minister as our Advocate in heaven (v. 24). His third appearance will be at His Second Coming (v. 28). As believers, we have much for which to be thankful. Jesus Christ purchased our redemption, removed our sin forever, restored us to fellowship with God the Father, advocates for us in heaven, and has promised us an eternal inheritance at His Second Coming. He died once forever defeating death! Hallelujah, what a Savior!

 

One Death for the Called

 

But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. (Hebrews 9:11–14 ESV).

 

Our reading today is just a part of the chapter (Hebrews 9), which contains the main message of the section. The writer asserts that Jesus Christ, as the superior High Priest who entered the heavenly sanctuary once and for all with his own blood, offering an eternal sacrifice that cleanses consciences and perfects worship, rendering the temporary, repetitive animal sacrifices of the Old Covenant no longer necessary.

 

There are some key elements that we should pay careful attention to in this chapter. The first is the superiority of Christ's sacrifice. Unlike the annual animal blood sacrifices, Christ's sacrifice was voluntary, personal, and final, paying the penalty for sins once and for all. All of these elements are present in the Apostle Paul’s declaration to the Church at Philippi:

 

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:5–11 ESV).

 

The second key element is that Jesus entered the true, heavenly tabernacle, not a man-made one, providing direct access to God. At first glance, that seems to be insignificant; it almost feels as if it is no more important than a mere shoulder-shrug. However, when we think of Jesus entering into the very center of all creation, in the presence of His Father and offering Himself as payment in full for our debt is staggering in its impact. Jesus really did “pay it all… and all to Him I owe”!

 

Third, the new covenant sacrifice doesn't just cleanse externally (like the old system), but inwardly, cleaning the conscience to serve the living God. This also bears a "once for all" effectiveness. Because his sacrifice was perfect, it does not need to be repeated, guaranteeing eternal redemption. Hebrews 9 serves as a contrast, urging believers to rely on the completed work of Jesus rather than returning to old, ineffective systems. That same truth applies to any “new system” man may have developed. There is only one means to eternal life. And, that is the perfect blood of Jesus given for us on the cross!

 

Jesus Provides a Greater Covenant

 

Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, a minister in the holy places, in the true tent that the Lord set up, not man. For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; thus it is necessary for this priest also to have something to offer. Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, since there are priests who offer gifts according to the law. They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, “See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.” But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second. (Hebrews 8:1–7 ESV).

 

When we come to today’s reading we find another example cited by the writer of how Jesus is greater than anything before. In the last two verse of this section he says that Jesus a “more excellent ministry” that was a result of the “old covenant” (v. 6). Further he writes that the reason for this new covenant is the first one had faults. He says this in regard to the first covenant not being “complete.”

 

Perhaps a definition of “covenant might be helpful at this point. A search of definitions provides us with this explanation:

 

A covenant is a formal, solemn, and binding agreement, promise, or contract between two or more parties. It often implies a deeply personal or sacred commitment, going beyond a mere contract to create a lasting relationship or pledge. Covenants are frequently used in legal, religious, and international contexts, requiring specific actions or restrictions.

 

We see here that the reason for the need for this new covenant is that we have now been given a better mediator. Previously in the old covenant it was dependent on the works of the Law. No one was able to keep that covenant until Jesus. So, when Jesus comes, He is the mediator of a "better covenant," which is established on superior promises and a higher ministry in heaven rather than an earthly tabernacle. This new covenant replaces the obsolete, external Mosaic law with an internal transformation—writing God's laws on hearts—providing complete forgiveness.

 

There are some key components in this covenant that we should both understand and appropriate. First, we now have a superior High Priest. Jesus is the High Priest seated at the right hand of God, serving in the heavenly sanctuary—the "true tabernacle" built by God rather than man.

 

Second, we now have superior promises. Unlike the Old Covenant, which focused on external obedience and was broken by the people, the New Covenant, predicted by Jeremiah, involves God placing laws directly into minds and writing them on hearts. It is God initiated and God maintained.

 

Third, there is a better covenant basis. The covenant is not merely "better" in quality but in its very nature, offering direct access to God, internal transformation, and full forgiveness of sins, rather than just covering them. God is not glossing over our sin. Through Jesus He is absolving them from us. They are paid in full, never to hold us accountable for them.

 

And fourth, the writer argues that if the first covenant were flawless, a second would not be necessary. Because the first was broken and temporary, it is deemed obsolete. This is the meaning behind Jesus’ declaration that He had “completed” the old covenant. Where none of us could ever do all that was required for the covenant to succeed, Jesus has already finished that work.

 

That is the hallelujah of our faith!

 

Slave or Son - Trapped or Free?

 

Now if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek, rather than one named after the order of Aaron? For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well. For the one of whom these things are spoken belonged to another tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek, who has become a priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life. For it is witnessed of him, “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.” (Hebrews 7:11–17 ESV).

 

We get back to this incredible image of Jesus’ greatness, even over Melchizedek. All of these last three chapters (cf. Hebrews 5-7) leads to this great, practical, relevant conclusion. Because Jesus is alive, and in the presence of God with the sacrifice of the blood of the Son of God, and full of sympathy for his people, therefore two things must be true: first, we must “hold fast our confession” (v. 14b); and second, we may now “draw near with confidence to the throne of grace” (v. 16).

 

This confession is simply our unshakable hope (cf. Hebrews 10:23), that God is for us and will work to bring us into his final rest and joy. Hold fast to that because you have a great High Priest. That’s the first conclusion. For days we have been seeing the call to hold fast and to be diligent and to take heed. Here we see it again. Only here is the writer spreading out powerful reasons not only for why we should hold fast to our confession, but also why we can! God is for us. We have a great High Priest. He is alive. He is in the presence of God. He is the Son of God. He is sympathetic. So, hold fast to our hope. Now we can explore what we practically do with this hope. The writer tells us: “Jesus knows the battle. He fought it all the way to the end. And he defeated the monster every time.” (v. 16).

 

If I were preaching, this would be that moment when I would take a “dramatic pause” and say, “stop… listen… don’t miss this!” It is an incredibly important point. Every one of us needs help. We are not God. We have needs. We have weaknesses. We have confusion. We have limitations of all kinds. We need help. But every one of us has something else: sin. And therefore at the bottom of our hearts we know that we do not deserve the help we need. And so, we feel trapped. I need help to live my life and to handle death and to cope with eternity — help with my family, my spouse, my children, my grandchildren, my loneliness, my retirement, my health, my finances. I need help. But I don’t deserve the help I need.

 

We are all right there. We can try to deny it all and put on that hypocritical front that we don’t need any help. Or we can try to drown it all and throw our life into a pool of sensual pleasures. Or we can simply give way to the paralysis of despair. But God declares over this hopeless conclusion that Jesus Christ became a High Priest to shatter that despair with hope and to humble that false act and to rescue us as if plucking us from the fire. Because we have a great High Priest, the throne of God is a throne of grace. And the help we get at that throne is mercy and grace to help in time of need. Grace to help! Not deserved help — gracious help. This is the whole point of the Old and New Testaments. God planned for a High Priest, a Savior, a Redeemer, a gracious Helper.

 

You are not trapped. Say no to that lie. Listen to Jesus:

 

Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. (John 8:34–36 ESV).

 

Jesus - He Who is Without Sin

 

For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness. Because of this he is obligated to offer sacrifice for his own sins just as he does for those of the people. And no one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was. So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”; as he says also in another place, “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.” (Hebrews 5:1–6 ESV).

 

We cannot leave this passage without examination of “why” Jesus is the greater High Priest. The easy answer is because He is God Himself; however, to simply rely on that answer would be incomplete. It denies the humanity of Jesus, which was essential for His completion of the atonement and how He is perfectly fitted to guide us in our journey.

 

Remember, as I wrote a few days ago, this priestly system had some important and unavoidable inadequacies. The High Priest was fully human and as such a sinner just like any other human being since Adam and Eve. Before he could make any sacrifice for the sins of others, he had to make a sacrifice for himself. That is not true with Jesus. Though He was fully human, He was with sin (cf. Hebrews 4:15; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:22; and 1 John 3:5).

 

As I also wrote earlier, this is the story of Israel from its beginning. In fact, it is also the story of humanity since Adm and Eve were cast out of the Garden. Thus, we needed someone perfect and complete. We needed the only begotten Son of God. It points to Jesus Christ, the Son of God, our ultimate and perfect High Priest. This is the foreshadowing that the sacrifices the high priest offered provided. Because Jesus is such a perfect and complete fulfillment of the priesthood that he is not only the High Priest, but he is also the sacrifice that the High Priest gives (Hebrews 9:12, 25–26; 13:12).

 

This is the truth that urges us to hold fast to our hope and draw near to our God! Tomorrow we will go deeper into this glorious truth!

 

 

 

Elementary Doctrine and Dead Faith

 

Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And this we will do if God permits. (Hebrews 6:1–3 ESV).

 

This reading is certainly worded in a way that captures our attention. Something doesn't seem to fit. Look back at an earlier verse: "Though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God" (Hebrews 5:12). The question is how this fits together with our reading today where it says, "Leave the elementary teachings and don't lay a foundation again" (v. 1). One seems to say you need to be taught the basics again (v. 12), and the other seems to say you should not lay that foundation again (v. 1). Well, which is it!

 

I think the teaching they need about the basics (cf. Hebrews 5:12) is how to use these basics for Christ's sake to press on to maturity. But laying a foundation again, I think, implies that they are losing sight of the basics about Christ and are beginning to occupy themselves with Old Testament and Jewish truths that were used as the foundation for presenting and understanding Christ. And the writer doesn't want them to go that far back.

 

In this writer's mind, laying a foundation for the understanding of Christ is different from teaching about how to live in Christ based on that foundation. The striking thing about this list in the first two verses of our reading is that it is not distinctively Christian. It is made up of foundational Old Testament and Jewish truths and practices that the readers probably built on when they were converted. The context of his readers makes this easier to understand.

 

He lists "repentance from dead works and of faith toward God" (v. 1d); "instruction about washings and laying on of hands"; and, "the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment" (v. 2). All these are common Old Testament beliefs or current practices among the Jews. When these readers were evangelized and converted, these things, it seems, had been made foundational as a way of helping them understand the work of Christ. Christ is the goal and fulfillment of all these things. So when verse 1 says they should leave the "elementary teachings about Christ (or literally: "the word of the beginning of Christ"), what I think it means is that they should not occupy themselves so much with the pre-Christian foundational preparations for Christ that they neglect the glory of the gospel and how to use it to grow into maturity and holiness.

 

I wonder if we are guilty in this sometimes. We spend so much energy teaching people how to begin that I fear we have lost the mechanism of producing disciples. And, yet that is precisely what we are called to do. That is Jesus’ desire for the church. We should then take care to move forward from the foundation of our faith. We can’t neglect it. However, once we have that truth, there is so much more! We must always be in the mode of learning.

 

After the Order of Melchizedek

 

For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness. Because of this he is obligated to offer sacrifice for his own sins just as he does for those of the people. And no one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was. So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”; as he says also in another place, “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.” (Hebrews 5:1–6 ESV).

 

In the last phrase of this paragraph the writer says that Jesus is “a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek” (v.6). To understand this best we should read the original mention of this King/High Priest in the Old Testament (cf. Genesis 14:18-20) and the writer’s description of him later in this letter (cf. Hebrews 7:1-25). Instead of dealing with these twenty-five verses in detail today, I want us to get the big picture and the main point. The big picture is of Christ's superior priesthood over the Old Testament priests of the tribe of Levi. While the first twenty-four verses of chapter seven may be complex and difficult to understand, the last verse is wonderfully plain.

 

It has three parts: Christ can save forever (v. 25a), which is a great promise; He always lives to make intercession for us (v. 25c); and, this eternal intercession and eternal salvation are for those who draw near to God through Christ (v. 25b). Think with me about the relationship between those first two: that Christ can save forever, and that Christ always lives to make intercession for us. It says that he can save us forever since (or because) he always lives to make intercession for us. In other words, our future eternal salvation hangs on Christ's future eternal intercession for us.

 

This implies two huge things. First, it answers the question of what we need to be saved from. We need to be clear about this, especially when we talk to unbelievers. For them the very term "salvation" or "being saved" may not carry the same meaning the Bible gives these terms. It is simply that we need to be saved from God. Specifically, we need to be saved from the wrath of God that burns against all ungodliness and unrighteousness (cf. Romans 1:18). Christ can save us forever from the wrath of God because he intercedes forever with God. He continually puts himself between the Father and us as an impenetrable shield against his wrath against sin. Hebrews 10:30-31 says, "We know Him who said, 'Vengeance is mine, I will repay.' And again, 'The Lord will judge his people.' It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God."

 

That’s not a very popular message. We like the kindly, old grandpa figure of God who is indulgent in allowing his grandchildren to do whatever pleases them much better. However, that is not the God of the bible and the Father of our Savior, Jesus. Until we get this firmly and clearly fixed in our minds, hardly anything in the book of Hebrews will make sense. The major problem in the world and in our lives is not our troubled marriages or our wayward children or our financial pressures or our failing health or our cultural degeneration. The main problem in the world—everybody's problem—is our sin and how to be reconciled to God so that we escape his terrifying wrath at the judgment. That's the main problem. And the Biblical answer is priesthood. And specifically, the superior priesthood of Christ. Jesus is greater!

 

This is where the writer is going. What we need God has provided for us in His Son, who is so much greater than anything we could imagine! Melchizedek was great. Even Abraham recognized that truth; but he pales in comparison to the greatness revealed now in Jesus! Thanks be to God!

 

High Priest and Son of God

 

For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness. Because of this he is obligated to offer sacrifice for his own sins just as he does for those of the people. And no one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was. So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”; as he says also in another place, “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.” (Hebrews 5:1–6 ESV).

 

In our reading today we have two declarations. First, Jesus is the appointed High Priest who is the Son of God; and second, He is a priest forever “after the order of Melchizedek” (v. 6). Both are vital in our understanding. However, we will look at them separately, one today and the other tomorrow.

 

Built into the priestly system were some inadequacies. The one we see here in Hebrews 5:3 is that the high priest was himself a sinner and had to offer sacrifices for his own sins as well as the sins of the people. This meant not only that his sympathy would be imperfect and his presence in the holy place with God limited; it also meant that he would die and need to be replaced. He could never guarantee an ongoing presence with God to intervene for the people. All the inadequacies of the old priesthood will be clearer as we go forward in the book of Hebrews; however, this one is addressed with the statement that Jesus is the “Son of God.” There is no imperfection in “the only begotten Son of God” because He is fully God and fully human. There is no other like Him.

 

The whole history of Israel points to this truth. It is imperfect, inadequate, and incomplete. It all points forward to something greater, to Someone perfect and complete. It points to Jesus Christ, the Son of God, our ultimate and perfect High Priest. In fact, even the sacrifices that the high priest offers (v. 3) point to Jesus, because Jesus is such a perfect and complete fulfillment of the priesthood that he is not only the High Priest, but he is also the sacrifice that the High Priest gives (Hebrews 9:12, 25–26; 13:12).

 

Fifty years ago, C.S. Lewis imagined someone objecting here. Lewis imagined the objection that if Jesus never sinned, then he doesn’t know what temptation is like. He lived a sheltered life and is out of touch with how strong temptation can be. Here is what Lewis wrote in response to that objection:

 

A silly idea is current that good people do not know what temptation means. This is an obvious lie. Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is . . . A man who gives in to temptation after five minutes simply does not know what it would have been like an hour later. That is why bad people, in one sense know very little about badness. They have lived a sheltered life by always giving in . . . Christ, because He was the only man who never yielded to temptation, is also the only man who knows to the full what temptation means — the only complete realist.

 

We’ll see more tomorrow. Today we should recognize that Jesus is the perfect High Priest and the perfect sacrifice, willingly given, on our behalf. That brings me to the highest level of gratitude and amazes me as nothing else could!

The Great High Priest

 

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:14–16 ESV).

 

Many believers in their enthusiasm to understand more of Jesus have tried to skip the Old Testament. This usually results in an interpretation of Jesus within their own personal experience and context. It leads to errors that can only be avoided with the biblical-historical context and categories. This is the reason some have assigned the role of a teacher, life-coach, even a hero or trailblazer to Jesus. And, while there may be some truth in each of these, they will not be as true and deep and authoritative and helpful as the categories that the Bible itself uses.

 

In our reading today we have one of those Old Testament contexts for understanding who Jesus is and what he came to do, namely, the category of “high priest” (v. 14). This reference is a bit difficult for most of us, especially if we are new to the faith. There aren’t any high priests around today. So, this is a context for understanding Jesus that is foreign to us. But God planned centuries of history with Israel, recorded in the Old Testament, so that we would have a context for understanding this reference. This also indicates the high level of importance the writer has toward the reference. We would impoverish ourselves and swerve from the truth if we said, “Well, that’s too old-fashioned and irrelevant for today. Nobody knows what a high priest is; so, let’s just translate Jesus into one of our familiar categories, say, defense attorney.” That would be foolish indeed!

 

Instead, what we need to do before we jump to contemporary analogies is to go back to God’s context, God’s history and God’s instruction, and learn some deep and wonderful things that we might otherwise miss, even to our peril, because “high priest” does not equal “defense attorney” or any other analogy in our world. Our history is simply too limited to interpret Jesus. We need God’s history. Our culture, our society, our era in time are way too provincial to give the needed categories for grasping who Jesus is and what he came to do.

 

While we will see much more of this tomorrow, today we can know this truth of the high priest’s role in being the bridge between us and God. The high priests came from among men and were appointed on behalf of the people to offer gifts and sacrifices to God for sins. A whole world of meaning is opened up to us here. There is a God. There is sin. This sin has created a barrier between God and the people. But God has made a provision for being reconciled to the people. He has ordained that there be human priests who would be a go-between; and that these priests would offer sacrifices. There is no negotiation; there is only atonement. The high priest facilitated that act.

 

Since Jesus is the greatest High Priest, His act on our behalf is perfect and eternal. This is now a role that provides so much more depth to our relationship to Him. He reall is all we ever need to be reconciled to God!

 

An Example to Persevere

 

Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness, where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years. Therefore I was provoked with that generation, and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart; they have not known my ways.’ As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest.’” Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. As it is said, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses? And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief. (Hebrews 3:7–19 ESV).

 

As we continue through Hebrews, the writer’s main approach is with a very serious warning of the way God worked in the past. God has always been consistent. This is seen clearly in the way He dealt with Israel after they came out of Egypt and then in spite of all that power and mercy on their behalf, they responded to God with grumbling and unbelief. The result was that he gave them up to die in the wilderness and swore that they would not enter God's rest in the promised land.

 

A refresher may be helpful here. The people of Israel are used as an example for the original readers at this point. Remember, they had been treated with great mercy as God brought them out of Egypt by signs and wonders. And these people had seen signs and wonders (cf. Hebrews 2:4). The Holy Spirit had been at work in their midst, and they had participated in his power (cf. Hebrews 6:4). They had tasted the powers of the age to come (cf. Hebrews 6:5). And for a short while they were very happy and seemingly confident in God. But it didn't last. And that is why this example is so important to the writer of Hebrews. He wants the professing Christians to last, to persevere. Because that's the only way they will prove they are truly God's house and truly share in Christ's salvation. So, he says look at Israel and don't be like them.

 

Then he continues with the warning to his readers (v. 8). The warning is clear and severe: do not harden your hearts as when they provoked me [or perhaps better, "as in the embitterment", as in the day of trial in the wilderness (v. 9), where your fathers tried me by testing me, and saw my works for forty years. And it gets worse: "They always go astray in their heart; and they did not know my ways; as I swore in my wrath, 'They shall not enter my rest.'" (v. 11).

 

The story of Israel should be an example for the professing church. Do not treat the grace of God with contempt, presuming to receive the benefits of grace without the responsibilities. Simply put, do not treat Jesus as a mere ticket to heaven. He calls us to life and the works of that life. We are indeed chosen for the continued spread of His Gospel!

 

Who Are You

 

Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son. And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope. (Hebrews 3:5-6 ESV).

 

Today’s reading is one of those difficult passages for many people. In order to understand the principle the writer is introducing here, we must look at what seems to be a random inclusion in the last verse. Look at the last part of verse six. The writer draws us into the picture. He says to his readers that they (we) are the very house of God—the house his Son made and inherits—"if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end"—"Whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end."

 

Now this "if" is a tremendously serious thing. We are his household—we are God's people, we are God's possession and inheritance, that is, we are saved—if. This "if" is so serious and so important that the rest of chapter 3 is a support and explanation of it. In fact much of the rest of this book is meant to make this "if" plain. We will be looking at this in the days to come.

 

Notice first that this condition— "'if' we hold fast to hope"— is a condition for being something now. It does not say: you will become God's house if you hold fast to your hope. It says, "We are God's house" if we hold fast to confidence and hope. It's like saying, "You are a Aggie if your typical rally cry is 'Gig ‘Em!' or if your natural greeting is 'Howdy!' Using these phrases does not make you an Aggie; it shows you are an Aggie.

 

This verse, with the support of others in Scripture, shows that "if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm to the end, we show that we are God's house." This is what defines the household of God: God's people hope in God. God's people are confident in God. They hold fast to God as their boast. That's the human trait and evidence of belonging to God's household. If you want to be assured that you are of God's household, test to see if you hope in God and have confidence in God and look to God for the security and happiness of your future and the satisfaction of your heart. It is who we are. It is not a condition for our salvation; it is a proof of our salvation. Listen to the Apostle Paul:

 

Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:3 ESV).

 

In those moments when your courage begins to fail, remember your hope is in Jesus’ work, not your courage! You are a part of the house of God!

 

Jesus is Greater than Moses

 

Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, who was faithful to him who appointed him, just as Moses also was faithful in all God’s house. For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses—as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.) Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son. And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope. (Hebrews 3:1–6 ESV).

 

The writer of Hebrews now turns his attention to the superior nature of Jesus over Moses. He has already established that Jesus is greater than the angels. He establishes this superiority several key distinctions:

 

First, he uses the image of a builder versus the house. This is the primary metaphor. Moses is described as a faithful part of "God’s house" (the people of God). Jesus is the builder of that house. Just as a builder deserves more honor than the house itself, Jesus deserves more glory than Moses because He is the creator and architect of the community Moses served.

 

Next, he uses the metaphor of the Son versus the servant. Moses was faithful in God's house as a servant, fulfilling his role by testifying to the things that would be spoken in the future. Jesus is faithful over God's house as a Son. A son holds authority and inheritance over the household, whereas a servant only carries out the owner's instructions.

 

Then he uses the metaphor of fulfillment versus foreshadowing. Moses delivered the Old Covenant and the Law, which served as a "shadow" or "testimony" of things to come. Jesus is the fulfillment of those promises, bringing a New Covenant established on "better promises," offering grace and truth rather than just the Law.

 

And finally, he shows Jesus to be the source of redemption. Moses led Israel out of physical slavery in Egypt but could not lead them into the ultimate "rest" of God because of their unbelief. Jesus leads a "new exodus," delivering people from the spiritual slavery of sin and providing eternal salvation and rest.

 

These comparisons were essential to his readers who were Jewish. They are essential to us today in that our nature is to be focused on earning our redemption by our works. All our works are little more than “filthy rags.” The grace of God is imparted to us through the work of Christ. Listen to the Apostle Paul:

 

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:8–10 ESV).

 

There are good works to be done, but these are the result of the “workmanship” of Christ. We get to do them! Focus on the greatness of our Savior!

 

Pay Attention to this Great Gift

 

Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will. (Hebrews 2:1–4 ESV).

 

Perhaps the most interesting feature of our reading today is its use of nautical terms. The idea given here is that of a boat that has slowly drifted out to sea. A boat that someone failed to tie to the dock, and consequently has been pulled out to sea by the undercurrent or the tide. Quickly I must say the writer is not referencing the loss of the boat (salvation); rather he is referring to the benefits of the salvation we have been given.

 

We’ve either seen it or experienced it ourselves. We grow out of, or slowly moves away from, interests, habits, and hobbies in our lives over time. An eight-year-old who loves playing with building blocks or dolls will eventually trade in their stuffed giraffes for make-up or a game console by the time they are twelve. The star high-school athlete will eventually trade their sports ambitions in for a business endeavor. People change, their interests change, they drift in and out of various likes, dislikes, and pastimes. What once was, may no longer be our primary focus. This is not necessarily bad in relation to pastimes and trivial matters.

 

However, in relation to the Gospel and the Christian faith, it can be devastating. The truth is, every Christian has or will experience spiritual drift at some point in their Christian lives. Interestingly, the believers to whom the letter of Hebrews is addressed apparently were at risk of the very same danger. For them, this message was not only timely but necessary to protect them from a terrible fate.

 

Remember the historical context of the letter. The audience of the writer was under immense persecution from the Roman government, as the letter was likely written during the reign of Emperor Nero. Due to this persecution, these believers were tempted not only to drift away from the Gospel and all that they had been taught, but were tempted to abandon their faith and lose their hope.

 

It was a warning against doubt. Listen to James, the brother of Jesus in his letter:

 

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. (James 1:5–8 ESV).

 

It is not as if Jesus has not proven His trustworthiness. If we should learn anything from our recent celebration of the resurrection, it must be that Jesus keeps His word. Don’t be careless about your faith. Grow it! Nurture it! Anchor it in the history of the Lord in your life!

 

He Upholds the Universe by His Power

 

He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”? Or again, “I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son”? And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.” Of the angels he says, “He makes his angels winds, and his ministers a flame of fire.” But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom. (Hebrews 1:3–8 ESV).

 

Our reading today presents Jesus as the supreme, divine Son of God the radiant image of God who sustains the universe, cleanses sin, and reigns eternally. He is vastly superior to angels, inheriting a superior name and throne. It is a summary of what is to come in the rest of the letter. It encourages trusting in his active power, finished work, and supreme authority. We should briefly unpack each of these declarations. They hold the essence of our continued strength for each step of our journey.

 

Jesus is the supreme sustainer of the universe. I have watched the images and reports of the NASA mission of Artemis II. They are spectacular. The mission's trajectory sets several human spaceflight records, including distance from Earth (252,757 miles); distance beyond the Moon (about 4,700 miles); and velocity (atmospheric reentry speed of about 25,000 miles per hour), and the furthest distance humans have traveled from Earth. Yet, the reports continue to affirm others who have traveled into space concerning the incomprehensible vastness of the universe. Jesus sustains it all, seen and unseen!

 

Jesus is not just a messenger; he is the "dazzling radiance" of God’s splendor and the exact representation of His nature. To know Jesus is to know God entirely. And, as God, He is currently upholding all things by the word of his power. This means he is sustaining our life right now. When we feel overwhelmed, we can look to the one who holds the universe together.

 

Jesus has also provided purification for sins. Notice the writer says, “… he then sat down”. This is a position of finished work. There is no "extra" work needed to secure salvation; we can trust in his completed sacrifice. Jesus is superior to angels, a theme highlighted to show his unmatched rank. Angels are servants, but Jesus is the Son—the rightful King whose throne is everlasting.

 

The question we should ask of ourselves is if Jesus is holding the entire universe together, can’t we trust him with the specific, chaotic details of our lives today?

 

Long Ago, and At Many Times God Spoke

 

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. (Hebrews 1:1–4 ESV).

 

I hope you had a wonderful Easter! What an incredible time of year to see the hand of God in fresh ways. It seems that is at the heart of where I want to begin with Morning Devotionals for the rest of this month. So, today we begin in the first chapter of the Book of Hebrews.

 

The author of Hebrews is unknown. He knew Timothy (cf. 13:23). He was not an eyewitness of Jesus (cf. 2:1, 3). The letter was written very early in comparison to the other books of the New Testament, probably before 70 AD. Early manuscripts bear the title “To the Hebrews,” which reflects the ancient assumption that it was written to Jewish Christians as well as Gentile Christians who previously had been drawn to the Jewish religion.

 

The theme of the letter is simply that Jesus is greater than any angel, priest, or old covenant practice. We will see the instruction that believers must not forsake the great salvation that Jesus has brought about, and that they must hold on by faith to the true rest found in Christ. The author encourages the readers to minister to others with this truth. Jesus is superior to any other revelation God may have given in the past. He writes of Jesus: “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power” (v. 3). The word translated “radiance” is ἀπαύγασμα (apaugasma). It refers to Christ's eternal radiance, that is to say that His brilliance supremely reflects the effulgent glory of the Godhead. His eternal light breaks through all the darkness that keeps someone in spiritual ignorance (bondage) and thus protects us from every attack exerted by sin.

 

In Augustine’s writings against the Manichaeans, he argues that Christ, as the "brightness" of God's glory, must be equal to the Father. He notes that just as there is nothing "round about the sun but its brightness which is produced from it," there is no separation between the Father and His Son. He further highlights that through the Son, God "created the world" and that the Son "upholds the universe by the word of his power". In his Confessions, he reflects on how the whole creation is supported by this divine power. This is the Savior who has given His life for us. It underscores the great love and value He shows toward each of us. That is the strength we may draw on in our daily needs! Jesus was no mere prophet telling others what God said. He is God, telling us the good news of redemption!