A Look at Hebrews

Q: What does the Bible say about the book of Hebrews?

The book of Hebrews presents the gospel of God's grace in Christ and reveals the glory of Jesus Christ. The book of Hebrews acts as a vital link between the Old and New Testaments, encapsulating the fullness of God’s revelation in Christ. It emphasizes how Christ is superior to all figures in the Old Testament, such as angels, Moses, and the Levitical priesthood. Written to encourage believers, it explores the themes of faith, grace, and the superior covenant established through Jesus, emphasizing that He is the ultimate revelation of God’s grace and glory to humanity.

Q: Why is Jesus referred to as our great high priest?

Jesus is our great high priest because He mediates between God and humanity, offering Himself as the perfect sacrifice. In Hebrews, Jesus is depicted as the great high priest who surpasses all previous priests, including Aaron. Unlike the priests of the Old Testament, who were sinners and had to offer sacrifices for themselves, Jesus is sinless and offers His own blood as the ultimate sacrifice for sin. His priesthood is eternal, having entered the true Holy of Holies in heaven, and He intercedes for believers, ensuring that they can approach God with confidence.

Q: What is the significance of Christ's finished work?

Christ's finished work on the cross signifies the complete satisfaction of God's justice and the securing of salvation for His people. The concept of Christ’s finished work is central to the message of Hebrews, particularly in how it fulfills the requirements of the old covenant. Through His sacrificial death, Jesus provides perfect atonement for sin, erasing the guilt of His people and fulfilling the law's demands. This act of redemption assures believers of their eternal security in Him, as He not only lays down His life but also rises again, establishing a new and living way into God’s presence. His seated position at the right hand of God signifies that the work of salvation is complete, allowing believers to rest in His accomplished redemption.

Q: How does Hebrews emphasize the superiority of Christ?

Hebrews emphasizes Christ's superiority by illustrating that He is greater than angels, prophets, and the Levitical priesthood. The book of Hebrews systematically compares Christ to key figures in Jewish history, establishing His superiority over angels (Hebrews 1:4-14), Moses (Hebrews 3:1-6), and the Levitical priests (Hebrews 5:1-10). By doing so, it presents a clear theological argument that the old covenant and its mediators were merely foreshadows of the ultimate mediator—Jesus Christ. This emphasis not only affirms His divine nature and authority but also highlights the sufficiency and finality of His work in securing the promises of God, thereby encouraging believers to trust fully in Him rather than returning to a reliance on the old covenant.

This epistle brings together
more effectively, I think, than any other book in the New Testament,
both the Old and New Testament. I believe it does. I believe
this book presents the gospel of God's grace in Christ Jesus. And I believe this book exalts
the Lord Jesus Christ as much or more than any other epistle.
I wish I could encourage you, I wish in some way that I could
encourage you this week to make this your assignment to study the book of Hebrews.
It's only fourteen pages. I think sometimes I look at it
like that, you know, and thumb through it like I was doing up
here, and I thought, there's not much reading there. the very short epistle of some
fourteen pages, and yet, oh my, what is contained therein. If you want to take a ballpoint
pen or pencil and a piece of paper or write it on your Bibles,
and let me give you just an outline to use this week to study the
book of Hebrews, I think it would be very very helpful if you look
at it this way. If you take chapter 1 and see this, the Lord Jesus
revealed in the glory of His Godhead. You know, that's where
we start, who He is. Who is this man Christ Jesus?
And that's what we find in chapter 1 of Hebrews, who He is, who
Christ is. The glory of His Godhead. In
verse 1, let's look at it. God, who at sundry times, and
in different manners, spake in time past unto the fathers by
the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son,
whom, he's God's Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things,
by whom he made the world. Who, this tells you who he is. Who, being the brightness of
God's glory and the express image of his person, and upholding
all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself
put away, purged, obliterated, eliminated all our sins. sat down on the right hand of
the Majesty on high. Verse 6, And again, when he bringeth
in the firstborn into the world, he said, Let all the angels of
God worship him. And of the angels he saith, who
maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.
But unto the Son he saith, What does he say to Christ? Thy throne,
O God, is forever. The scepter of righteousness
is the scepter of thy kingdom. That's who He is, O God. Thy
throne, O God. I remember E.W. Johnson preaching
here one time years ago, and that's when there were several
new translations of the Bible that were being published. I think the Living Bible and
a few of that nature. And he said, what a person needs
to look for in new translations is the glory and Godhead of Jesus
Christ. When you're reading a new translation,
he gave us several scriptures and this was one of them. Watch
how they translate Hebrews 1, 8 in a new translation. Anytime you get a new translation,
See how it's translated. Thy throne, O God, is forever. Another verse he said is found
in Acts 20, where it says this, feed the church of God which
he purchased with his own blood. Watch how that's translated.
Any of these verses relating to the deity of Christ, because
that's usually where they begin to pick at the deity of Christ,
but his Godhead You see, it's not how much blood was shed,
it's whose blood. This is what makes His work effectual,
who He is. Chapter 2, here's the key to
chapter 2. Our Lord is beheld in the sinless
perfection of His manhood. That's what chapter 2 talks about.
Look at verse 9 of chapter 2. I can't read the whole epistle. deal with it, but I'm going to
let you read it. But verse 9 says, but we see Jesus, who was made
a little lower than the angels, but for a while. He's made a
man. He became flesh by the suffering
of death. We see him crowned with glory
and honor that he, by the grace of God, should taste death for
every man. For it became him for whom are
all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons
unto glory, to make the captive of their salvation perfect through
suffering." He perfected a righteousness for us and a payment for our
sins in the flesh by becoming a man. For both he that sanctified
and they who have sanctified are one, for which cause he's
not ashamed to call them brethren. Verse 14, now watch this, "...for
as much then as the children," you and I, "...are partakers
of flesh and blood," that's what I am, I'm a man. The commands
and demands of God are upon me in the flesh as a man. They've
got to be met. So I'm a partaker of flesh and
blood. He also, himself, likewise, took
part of the same. that through death he might destroy
him that had the power of death, that is the devil, and deliver
them who through a fear of death were all their lifetime subject
to bondage. Now here's the distinction, verse
16. There are other sinners besides
the sons of Adam. Lucifer and the angels that fell. But our Lord, verse 16, verily,
he took not on him the nature of angels, But he took on him
literally, actually, the seed of Abraham. He was made flesh. He thought it not robbery to
be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation and took on
himself the habit of a servant, the form of a servant, and was
made in the likeness of sinful faith. Verse 17, Wherefore in all things
it behooved him to be made just like his brethren, just like
us. in all things tempted, in all
ways, yet without sin. All right, that's the key to
chapter 2. His manhood, the perfection,
sinless perfection of his manhood. And chapter 3, Moses appears.
And you know how the people of Israel revered Moses and should
have. Moses was a prophet and Moses
was a Servant of God, and Moses was a great man, a great example,
a great leader. God used him mightily. In chapter
3, Moses appears, the prophet and servant of Almighty God. But when Christ appears, who's
the fulfillment of that prophecy in Deuteronomy, where God said
to Moses, I'll raise up from among the brethren, the midst
of the brethren, a prophet like you. I'll put my words in his
mouth, and him shall they hear. And if a man doesn't listen to
him, I'm required of him. Now watch chapter 3. Wherefore,
holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the
apostle and high priest of our profession, Christ Jesus, who
was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful
in all his house. But this man was counted worthy
of more glory than Moses. Inasmuch as he who hath built
the house hath more honor than the house. Moses was a part of
the house, part of the temple, the living temple. The son, it's
his house, it's his temple, it's his work, it's his building.
And as the house, as the builder has more glory than the house,
the Lord Jesus Christ has more glory than Moses. more excellent
than Moses. Verse 4, For every house is built
by some man, but he that built all things is God, God our Savior. Now Moses barely was faithful
in all his house as a servant for a testimony of those things
which were to be spoken after but Christ. And this is a key
that's used all the way through this word, all the way through
this book of Hebrews. This is a Christ. But Christ. But this man, talks
about the angels, but Christ has more glory than the angels.
Talks about Moses, but Christ has more excellence and glory
than Moses. But Christ, as a son over his
own house, whose house are we? If we hold fast the confidence
and rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end, wherefore as the
Holy Ghost sayeth, Today, if you will hear his voice, harden
not your hearts, as in the provocation in the day of temptation in the
wilderness, when your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw
my works forty years. Wherefore, I was grieved with
that generation. I said they do always air in
their heart, and have not known my ways. So I swear in my wrath
they will not enter into my rest." Now, when I was reading that,
did you notice something? There's a parenthesis. When he talks
about verse 6, Christ being a son over his house, whose house are
we? Then he says, wherefore? Wherefore? And there's where the parenthesis
starts. And he goes back in that parenthesis and talks about these
people that followed Moses and how that Moses was a faithful
servant and a faithful prophet and a faithful leader, but they
didn't listen to him. They didn't hear him. They didn't
believe. And God swore they wouldn't enter
into his rest. So leave the plexus out and read
verse 7, wherefore, verse 12, you take heed, brethren. Now
we're part of Christ's house if we continue in the faith.
Wherefore, you take heed, brethren, lest there be found in you an
evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God. But you
all exhort one another daily. That's talking about me and you,
isn't it? He said that bunch wouldn't listen
to Moses and are greater than Moses is here. If the words spoken
by Moses and the prophets were steadfast, how shall we escape
if we neglect so great salvation? Wherefore, don't be like them.
Wherefore, brethren, listen, verse 13, encourage and exhort
one another daily. Listen to these elders, listen
to these teachers, listen to your parents, listen to one another,
exhort one another while it's called today, while we've got
our faculties, while we've got this glorious privilege, lest
any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. A lot of dangers around us and
in us, and we need to be encouraged and exhorted. Word that's read
in here, in yonder, at home, where it's needed. Every word
of exhortation is needed by us. Every little rebuke is needed.
Every little encouragement is needed. That's what he's saying.
For we're made partakers of Christ if we hold fast to the beginning
of our confidence, steadfast to the end. A friend of mine,
just the other night, Ask me this question. You've been preaching and pastoring
a long time. Have you seen a lot of people fall away, lose their interest,
become hardened, become disinterested? Yeah. Well, have you seen a lot
of people last a pretty long time and then fall away? Unfortunately,
yes. Really how? Do you remember us
talking about that? Oh, I tell you, that's chapter
3. It says he's greater than Moses. That bunch didn't listen
to Moses. We've got one greater than Solomon
and greater than Moses. Let's listen. All right, chapter
4. Long comes Joshua. And you know,
Moses brought him through the wilderness, but Moses couldn't
lead him into the promised land. And there's a whole sermon there,
and I don't have time to go into it. Moses is the law. Joshua,
the word Joshua, is Jesus. You knew that, didn't you? Jesus
in the New Testament is Joshua in the Old Testament. And that's
the reason God permitted Moses to sin. and took him up on the
mountain and took him to glory and said, you can look at the
promised land, but you can't go in. You can't lead the people
in because the law can't take you in the rest. The law can't
take you in the rest. Moses represents the law. The
law came by Moses. Grace and truth by Jesus Christ. So God killed Moses and Joshua
took him in the promised land. Joshua, Savior, Jesus. But you know something? He took
them in, but he couldn't give them rest, Tom. Couldn't give
them rest. Look at verse 8. That's what
chapter 4 deals with, the rest. The rest. Verse 8 says, for if
Jesus, you got a little mark there? Look in the margin. That's
Joshua. If Joshua had given them rest,
then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. There
remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. This earth
is not it. Earthly Canaan is not it. Even
a land of milk and honey is not it. That's not the rest. That's
not the rest. Because they were still under
a covenant of works. They were still under the law.
They were still under the curse of the broken law. They were
still sinners. Canaan didn't give them rest.
Joshua didn't give them rest. There remaineth a rest, verse
10. For he that is entered into his rest, this is talking about
the Lord Jesus Christ, he also has ceased from his own works
as God did from his. Our Lord Jesus came down here
to do a work. I must be about my father's business.
He went to the cross and said it's finished. He went to glory
and sat down. Having finished his work, he
entered into rest. That's the rest. Finished work. Accomplished redemption. Sin
put away. The law satisfied. Justice satisfied. Now let's look at verse 11. Let
us labor. You can use any word you want
to. Strive to enter in. Seek ye the Lord while he may
be found. Seek ye first the kingdom of God. That's right. Let us labor. Therefore to enter into that
rest, that rest, that's the rest, sins forgiven, sanctification
accomplished, the law honored, justice satisfied, the rest of
Christ. Come unto me, I'll give you rest. Let's labor to enter into that
rest. Lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. There's chapter 4, it talks about
that rest, that rest. All right, chapter 5, now we've
seen Moses, that prophet Christ is more excellent than Moses.
Seen Joshua, the Old Testament Jesus who took them into Canaan
but couldn't give them rest. Just a, it was a, it was a typical
rest. Christ takes us into real rest. Now here comes, here comes Aaron. Here comes Aaron chapter 5. He
stands before us in his high priestly garments. Oh, those
were special garments. Sometimes one of the elders takes time to study it. I wish
one of you sometimes would study the garments of Aaron and bring
us a message on each part of that garment. Each part of his
robe and mitre and hat and up the mitre on top and the breastplate
and all these things has a special meaning. And here Avon stands
in his high priestly garments, chosen of God, ordained of God
to represent the people and things pertaining to God. All right,
let's read about it in chapter 5. For every high priest, and
you say, why did you mention Avon? He was the first. He was
the first. Every high priest taken from
among men is ordained of God for men in things pertaining
to God. Everything pertaining to God.
That high priest represented the people to God. He went to
God for the people. He went to the people for God.
He was the mediator. He stood between them. Read sometime
about Joshua, the high priest standing between the dead and
the living, waving that incense, the prayers of Christ. That he
may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins, verse 2, who can have
compassion on the ignorant and on them that are out of the way,
for that he himself is compassed with infirmity. Every high priest
of the Old Testament was a man, and that's all he was. that he
was appointed of God, chosen of God, ordained of God, and
recognized by God. Verse 3, and by reason hereof
he ought as for the people so also for himself to offer for
sinners, because he's a sinner. And watch this now, verse 4,
and no man takes this honor unto himself, that he that is called
of God as was Abraham. Also, Christ, even Jesus Christ,
the God-man, glorified not himself to be made a high priest, but
he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, today have I begotten
thee, have I chosen thee, and appointed thee, and ordained
thee to be a priest. Now go back to chapter 4, verse
14. that we do have a great high
priest. It's not Aaron. You see, there were many of them.
Christ was one. They were men only. He's the
God man. They ministered on earth. He
in heaven. They had a temporary priesthood. He has an eternal
priesthood. They offered not only for the
people's sins, but for their sins. He had no sins. They brought
animal blood. He brought his own blood. Their
sacrifices never put away sin. He had put away all the sins
for which his sacrifice were offered. See, we have a great
high priest, and he's passed into the heavens, verse 14, Jesus,
the Son of God. So let's hold fast our profession.
And we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with
the feeling of our infirmities. He's a man like we are, but was
in all points tempted as we are yet without sin. So let's therefore
come boldly to the throne of grace. We may obtain mercy and
find grace to help in our time of need. All right, then in chapter
6, Abraham appears. Abraham appeared. We've seen
the angels. He's more excellent than the
angels. He's God. We've seen Moses. He's more excellent
than Moses, being the son. We've seen Joshua. He's the one
who gives us perfect rest. We've seen Aaron, the high priest.
Christ is our high priest. And see, don't let anybody take
you back into that. You see, we're back into the
law, back under the law, back under the rules and regulations
of the law, back under the priesthood. These things are all, you'll
see in a moment, fulfilled and taken away. And Christ is the
fulfillment of all of them. And here stands Abraham there.
And now we seem to be just graduating. Here's the Abraham. We have Abraham,
our father. That's what they said. All right,
in chapter 6, verse 13. Chapter 6, verse 13. For when
God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no
greater, he swore by himself, saying, Surely blessings I will
bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. God made a covenant
with Abraham and promised to bless and multiply his seed.
and promised that his seed would live forever, that his seed would
inherit the land, that his seed would be children of God. Now
the question we've got to settle is who are his seed? That's the
main thing. And see, that's where these Jews
of old, that's where they laid claim to special favor with God
because they were descendants of Abraham. They were sons of
Abraham. All right, let's turn to Galatians
and see who we're talking about here, the book of Galatians,
in reference to these blessings, these mercies of God upon Abraham
and his seed. Galatians chapter 3, turn to
Galatians 3. Galatians chapter 3, verse 7. Know ye therefore that they which
are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. Now verse
16, now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith
not to seeds, as of many, but as of one to thy seed, which
is Christ. Oh, Abraham's seed is Christ
and all who are in Christ. That's the reason we read in
verse 29 of that same chapter, that if you be Christ, if you
belong to him, If God gave you to Him before the foundation
of the world, if He prayed for you, if He came to seek you and
to die for you, if you be healers, then you're Abraham's seed. You're
an heir of the promise. See that? That's Abraham's seed. Those are the ones to whom the
land has been promised, the rest has been promised, the glory
has been promised. Now, go back to my text, chapter
6. We see Christ is greater than Abraham, because Abraham was
nothing but a picture and a type and a pattern of him who is to
come. And this covenant that God made
with Abraham is the covenant he made with Abraham in Christ. All right, watch it now, verse
15. And so, after Abraham had patiently endured, Hebrews 6,
15, he obtained the promise. You know, men barely swear by
the greater, and an oath for confirmation is to them an end
of all strife. When someone swears by a greater,
that's the end of the strife. All right? We're in God, willing
more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise. That's
the children of Abraham, seed of Abraham, that's us. The immutability,
that word means unchangeableness, of his counsel confirmed it with
an oath. That by two immutable things
in which it's impossible for God to lie. What are those two
immutable things? Write in your margin two things.
His word and his oath. That's the two things he's talking
about. God's word and God's oath. God's promise and God's oath.
You see, he said to Abraham, I'll bless you. And he swore
it with an oath. Tom what? By himself. He could
swear by no greater. And that's what we have. That's
the assurance we have of covenant mercies in Christ. God's word
and God's oath. That's right. By two immutable
things in which it's impossible for God to lie, we might have
a strong consolation or comfort who have fled for refuge to lay
hold upon the hope set before us, which hope we have as an
anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast. which entereth
into that within the veil wherein the forerunner is for us entered
in, even whom, Jesus Christ." Made a high priest forever after
the order of Melchizedek. Now here comes another character,
Melchizedek. See, the book of Hebrews just
builds, doesn't it? You don't see that, how it just
goes from step to step. Somebody told me that, and I
said, you're a good teacher of the Word. I want to be. But it's impossible for any man
to teach the Word. It has to be revealed. But I
can show you how you can step by step. Here's another man,
another character that steps forward in chapter 7, Melchizedek. You see, Abraham was returning
from the slaughter of the kings. You know, he went down to rescue
Lot. and all his possessions, and God gave him the victory,
and he was coming back. Now let's read about it, chapter
7. Who is this Melchizedek? For
this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the most high God,
who met Abraham, returning from the slaughter of the kings, and
blessed him. Abraham was coming back from
the slaughter of the kings, and there appeared, let's say, a
man. a priest of the Most High God,
who met Abraham and blessed him, and gave him bread and wine.
And Abraham paid tithes, under the law they paid tithes. He
paid them to this man. Abraham was the greatest of the
great, and yet he paid tithes to this man greater than he.
Greater than he. Now who was this man? Verse 2,
To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all. Now here's this
man being, by interpretation, king of righteousness. This Melchizedek's
king of righteousness. After that, also king of Salem,
which is king of peace. Here's a high priest who's called
the king. Here's a king priest. Never met
one of those before, have you? There's never been one before.
There's never been one. Not king and a priest. A man
might be a king, but he's not a priest. Man might be a priest,
but he's not a king. Man might be a priest, but he's
not the prophet. He's not the king. Those offices aren't combined.
They are here. King of righteousness, king of
holiness, king of peace. Watch it now, without father,
here's a man without a father. Without a mother, here's God
without a mother. Without descent, what's that?
Pedigree. No ancestry, no pedigree. Having
neither beginning of days, nor end of life, but made, oh, here
we are, the Son of God. He abideth a priest continually. Now you just consider how great
this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the
tenth of the spoils. And verily, they that are the
sons of Levi, all of the priests were the tribe of Levi. And they see Abraham, and those
guys hadn't come along yet. This is Abraham. This is before
Abraham. This is before Levi. This is before the priesthood.
And they're all in the loins of Abraham. Abraham, he conceived, he sired
Isaac. And from Isaac, all these fellows
came, these priests. And when Abraham met Melchizedek,
Abraham represented every one of them. He represented Abraham,
the sons of Levi, Moses, and all the rest of them. And he
paid tithes to Melchizedek. Read it. They that are of the sons of
Levi, who received the office of priesthood, have a commandment
to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is,
of their brethren, though they came out of the lords of Abraham.
But he whose descent is not counted from them, that's Melchizedek,
he received tithes of Abraham and blessed them that had the
promise. That's Christ. That's who that is. That's a
pre-incarnation appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is
a priest forever, not like Abram, but like milk is a death. If
you look at verse 27 or verse 22, by so much was Jesus
made a surety of a better covenant And they truly were many priests,
because they were not suffered to continue by reason of debt.
But this man," I told you a while ago, but Christ, but this man,
"...because he continueth ever hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore he is able to save
to the uttermost them that come to God by him, seeing he ever
liveth to make intercession for them." All right, in chapter
8, let's move along quickly. Here comes the old covenant with
its tabernacle, with its priesthood. It gives way to Christ. In chapter
8, Now the things which we have spoken, this is the sum. We have
a high priest who is set on the right hand of the throne of the
majesty in the heavens, a minister of the sanctuary of the true
tabernacle which the Lord pitched to not man, For every priest
is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices wherefore it is necessary
that this man also have somewhat to offer. In the Old Testament
there were three things essential to worship. There was a tabernacle,
there was a priest, there was a sacrifice. Isn't that correct?
That's right, there was a tabernacle. The Holy of Holies, where God's
presence was dwelt between the cherubims over the mercy seat.
There was a priest and a sacrifice. All of this Christ fulfilled.
He tabernacled among us. This is not the church, this
building. We are the church. This building,
take it away, tear it down, burn it up, whatever, we'll meet out
under the tree. But the church will still be here. Christ is
our building, Christ is our tabernacle, Christ is where we meet God.
He's tabernacle among us. The priest, Christ, the priest
after the order of Melchizedek. The sacrifice he's got to have
somewhat to offer. What's he got to offer? These
priests have the incense, these priests have the blood, his own
blood. That's what chapter 8 is about. It's about Christ fulfilling
all of these things. Let's look at verse 6. But now
he hath obtained a more excellent ministry by how much also he
is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better
promises. For if that first covenant had
been faultless, there had been no place sought for the second.
For finding fault with him, he said, Behold, the day is come,
saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house
of Israel, with the house of Judah, not according to the covenant
which I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by
the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt. Because it
continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, said
the Lord. This is the covenant I'll make
with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord. I'll
put my law in their minds and in their hearts, and I'll be
their God, and they'll be my people. All right, chapter 9. Chapter 9, the atonement. You
have the tabernacle, you have the priest, you have him once
a year. Look at verse 7. into the second, into the holy
of holies, went the high priest alone once every year, not without
blood, which he offered for himself and for the errors of the people."
That's the atonement every year. All right, verse, now look down
at verse 11. Verse 11, but Christ being come,
a high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more
perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not
of this building, that's his own flesh, neither by the blood
of goats and calves, but by his own blood, he entered in once
into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. That's
the end of the atonement. In Christ we have received the
atonement. Look at verse 24. For Christ is not entered into
the holy place made with hands, which is a figure, a picture,
a pattern of the truth, but into heaven itself, now to appear
in the presence of God for us. He put away sin with the sacrifice
of himself. All right, chapter 10. Let me
move quickly here. I'm just giving you something
to study this week. Chapter 10. Here is the end of
all these types and patterns. He puts them away. Now look at
verse 8, verse 7, Lo said I, then said I, Lo, I come, this
is Christ, in the volume of the book is written of me, to do
thy will, O God. Above, when he talked about the
sacrifices and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin
that never gave God any pleasure. He would not, neither had he
the pleasure therein offered by the Lord. These, these, the
blood, let's look back at chapter 10, verse 4. It's not possible
the blood of bulls and goats should take away sin. The Lord
was never satisfied with these sacrifices. God was never pleased
with these sacrifices. They were pictures. A picture
can't warm, a picture can't speak, a picture can't comfort, a picture,
it's Christ the fulfillment. Now look at verse 9. Then said
he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God, he taketh away the first,
that he may establish the second. First covenant, covenant of grace. First Adam, the second Adam. First atonement, Christ's atonement. First tabernacle, Christ's tabernacle. First mercy seat, He's our mercy.
It's all new. By the witch will we're sanctified
through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest standeth daily
ministering, offering oft times the same sacrifices which can
never take away sin. Here's the key to Hebrews, but
this man. Isn't that the key to it? But this man. After he offered
one sacrifice for sin forever, sat down. in the right hand of
God. Chapter 11, the Lord brings before
us all those people by faith in the Old Testament that looked
to Christ. They waited for the coming of
the Lord. They looked to Him. Verse 13 tells you about them.
It talks about Enoch and Abel and Noah and Abraham and Sarah. Verse 13, chapter 11, these all
died in faith, not having received the promises. Not having seen
the fulfillment of them, but having seen these promises of
Paul, and they were persuaded of these promises of God, and
they embraced them by faith. And they confessed that they
were strangers and pilgrims on this earth. For they that say
such things declare plainly, they seek a country. Truly, if
they had been mindful or homesick for that country from which they
came out, they could have gone back. That's what he's saying.
He said to his disciples, will you go away? If Moses had been
homesick for Egypt, he could have gone back. God didn't chain
him and take him out there. That's right. He could have gone
back. That's what it says here. But now, verse 16, Abraham could
have gone back to his old idolatrous country. He'd wanted to. He didn't want to. But now they
desire a better country, that is, a heavenly country, wherefore
God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he prepared them
a city. And this chapter 11 says, you
be what they were, men of faith. Chapter 12, seeing that we are
surrounded by this type of people, witnesses, let us lay aside every
Wait, and the sin that doth so easily beset us, and let's run
with patience, the race set before us, not looking to Moses, not
looking to the Lord, not looking to the ceremony, not looking
to the sacrifice, not looking to Abraham, but not looking to
the priest, looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of our
faith. And then chapter 13, the apostle gives some instructions
to those who look into Christ. I tell you, this is a great book.
In verse 1 of chapter 13, he said, love like brothers. Love like brothers. Verse 2,
be hospitable, entertain, help one another. Verse 3, remember
those that are sick and in bonds and in trial and trouble. Verse
5, be content with what you have. Verse 7, Remember those that
have the rule over you. Take care of your preachers and
missionaries. Verse 9, let your heart be established with grace.
Verse 15, offer the sacrifice of praise. Verse 16, do good
and communicate with one another. God is well pleased with those
things, those good works. Verse 17, obey the word preached. Obey them that have the rule
over you. Listen to those that preach to you. Verse 18, pray
for us. Verse 20, He gives us a benediction. And now, the God of peace, and
He's a God of peace in Christ, nowhere else. Brought again from
the dead, our Lord Jesus, and that's the assurance we have.
He raised our great high priest from the dead. That great shepherd
of the sheep, through the blood of that everlasting covenant,
not a temporary covenant, make you perfect in every good work
to do His will. Working in you, doing, there's
a better word there, doing in you that which is well pleasing
in His sight through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever
and ever. That's what that book's all about. To whom be the glory
forever and ever. Take that little outline and
read it again this week. I just believe that as a result
of that, as a result of what we've done here this evening
and what you'll do reading and studying this week, it'll give
you some consolation and some comfort and a strong hope, because
that's where all the hope is in Christ Jesus. Back yonder,
they did these different sacrifices and ceremonies because they were
commanded, waiting for the better hope, but the hope's been revealed
in Him. All right. Mike, lead us in on
him, please.

A Look at Hebrews

What does the Bible say about the book of Hebrews?

Why is Jesus referred to as our great high priest?

What is the significance of Christ's finished work?

How does Hebrews emphasize the superiority of Christ?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

Comments

Joshua

Articles

Featured Authors

Podcast

Sermons

Featured Preachers

Books

Browse by Format

Music

Recent Comments

About

Legal

Subscribe

Account

Articles

Featured Authors

Podcast

Recent Comments

Sermons

Featured Preachers

Books

Browse by Format

Collections

Music

About

Legal

Subscribe

A Look at Hebrews

What does the Bible say about the book of Hebrews?

Why is Jesus referred to as our great high priest?

What is the significance of Christ's finished work?

How does Hebrews emphasize the superiority of Christ?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

Comments

More from Henry Mahan

Related Sermons

Same Scripture

Articles by Henry Mahan

Books by Henry Mahan

Joshua

Where this book stands in the tradition

Plato

Augustine

The Western Christian Tradition

This Book