Jesus is better
Jesus is Too Good (Hebrews) • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Growing Up
Growing Up
Told I was being outrageous - replacing Judaism.
Training wheels? Mashed food? Nappies… [time limited -
We read the book - 1st impressions - wordy, detailed, lots of Old Testament - sounds like a sermon, finishes like a letter -
What’s the deal with Angels, Moses, Judaism, Priests, Sacrifices, Holy Places?
[Will go slow through these until Christmas - ]
2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
That’s our aim. To fix our eyes on Jesus. To better see him. Everything God did with Israel in the Old Testament was also a symbol, a signpost, a picture for us to understand Jesus better.
We need a bit of a legend to the map of Hebrews though. It expects you’ll understand a bit of the life of Israel.
[misunderstandings as well as God ordained setup?]
Better than - again and again in Hebrews Jesus is better than things and people and systems.
Want to feel God/heaven is close, watching over us [guardian angels, their angels, etc]
Better than angels
Better than angels
2 He said: “The Lord came from Sinai and dawned over them from Seir; he shone forth from Mount Paran. He came with myriads of holy ones from the south, from his mountain slopes.
A high view of angels -
12 When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.”
Many many others - promises to Abraham, plague of firstborn in egypt - God providing for and communicating with his people -
— a feeling of closeness - a heavenly being - God wanting to communicate with us, to provide for us [still wierd stuff about angels now - ?guardian angels, dead people becoming angels...]
4 So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.
God the Son bringing rescue, becoming human (ch2) - to be close, to communicate and show God, to rescue
17 For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.
You want a heavenly being who can communicate God to us, who can provide for us, — you have Jesus.
You want a leader, someone you can follow, someone who can guarantee your safety, and give you a home...
Better than Moses
Better than Moses
3 Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself.
Moses - God’s servant to lead his people out of slavery, to rescue them, to bridge between God and the people, into a homeland, who gave them the law, who started off the priesthood, who got the plans from God for the holy tent -
Moses - gave us the new deal from God. A way to be his people.
5 “Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house,” bearing witness to what would be spoken by God in the future. 6 But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are his house, if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory.
Putting ourselves in their sandals lets us see Jesus - servants can get kicked out, they don’t have final say, but the Son invites you to stay with him -
[You don’t need a holy person to connect you to God - you need Jesus]
[Aumbry - feeling closer to Jesus there.... // the not seeing Jesus clearly leads to all kinds of misunderstandings - 2,000 years ago for Jewish Christians - and now, for religious church goers]
{I am not a priest, this is not a sanctuary, the table is not an altar for sacrifice]
A Better Deal than the First one: Better Priest, Better Sacrifice, Better Holy Place
A Better Deal than the First one: Better Priest, Better Sacrifice, Better Holy Place
7 For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another. 8 But God found fault with the people and said: “The days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. 9 It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they did not remain faithful to my covenant, and I turned away from them, declares the Lord.
God wanted a people for himself. He rescued them.
God had made a deal with them.
They had obligations.
They had priests - a bridge between people and God - because God was Holy.
The system with the priests and sacrifices kept teaching and reminding them that their hearts were not right, that sin was costly, that forgiveness was costly, that sin deserved death.
The system kept showing them that God wanted to show mercy alongside justice - that he had provided a way to be right with him at all pointed to God wanting to forgive.
God was close - but still at a distance.
[‘Lived experience’ -
A better priest
A better priest
1 Every high priest is selected from among the people and is appointed to represent the people in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2 He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness. 3 This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people.
Human priests - can sympathize. Can deal with people’s sins by sacrifice.
But also a failure himself. Needs forgiveness too. Gets things wrong. His service is not enough.
Hebrews 4:14–16 (NIV)
14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.
16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Jesus - better. Human - can sympathize. Gives mercy and grace. But perfect and permanent.
[sorted… until next year… {} || tax time, ]
A better sacrifice
A better sacrifice
Hebrews 9:7–10 (NIV)
7 But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance. 8 The Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still functioning.
9 This is an illustration for the present time, indicating that the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper. 10 They are only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings—external regulations applying until the time of the new order.
Every year. Only high priest.
Only a temporary setup.
Can’t get in to God.
Couldn’t clear conscience.
3 But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins. 4 It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
They were a reminder.
12 But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God,
14 For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.
The new deal doesn’t need your work, your godliness, your offerings and sacrifices -
Jesus has atoned for you. Not just as mediator, but as the actual sacrifice as well. Jesus has made you holy.
[this is a holy place! being said to my children...]
Better access to God
Better access to God
can I really be close?
God gave Moses instructions for a very special tent
2 A tabernacle was set up. In its first room were the lampstand and the table with its consecrated bread; this was called the Holy Place. 3 Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place,
It was a special place. Restricted access. But a picture. God really was with them, but at a distance. Only the High Priest, only once a year, always with a sacrifice.
God - with his people.
[How do you think about church buildings? coming to God in prayer? being close or not with God?]
24 For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence.
Jesus - a better perfect, permanent priest, who offered himself as a sacrifice - in the very presence of God - not a model copy on earth.
The earthly tent was an elaborate symbol - about access to God.
Jesus really gives us close access to God
Hebrews 10:19–22 (NIV)
19 Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God,
22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.
You have close access to God - it’s how we begin and end today - with Jesus - better than angelic beings, better safety, better lived experience, better conscience cleansing, better access to God.
[Read, pray, draw near…]