Jesus, the Anchor of Our Hope (Hebrews 6:13–20)

Introduction

We are continuing our series in the book of Hebrews, and today, we are in an encouraging passage in Hebrews 6:13-20. If life feels unsteady right now, there is steadiness and stability in Jesus Christ because he is the anchor of our hope. Our hope is firm in him.

We’ve all felt moments of unsteadiness in life. When we moved to San Diego, it was an unsteady time. I came to San Diego in June 2011 without employment during a recession, and I didn’t find my first full-time job until February 2012.

That was a long period without work. Neither my wife nor I had a job. We often ran out of money, but somehow, God always provided.

The most challenging times of the month were right before the rent was due. I would go into the parking lot of our apartment complex and pray to God, saying, “God, a rapture would be really good right now.”

Yet, time and time again, God provided. That time built up my faith. I could not have gotten through it without Christ. He anchored me during a tough season.

How can we remember this? When we are facing a difficult situation, how can we hold onto to Jesus, the anchor of our hope? We’ll take a look at that today in Hebrews 6:13-20.

Scripture Reading

Hebrews 6:13–20 CSB

13 For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater to swear by, he swore by himself: 14 I will indeed bless you, and I will greatly multiply you. 15 And so, after waiting patiently, Abraham obtained the promise. 16 For people swear by something greater than themselves, and for them a confirming oath ends every dispute. 17 Because God wanted to show his unchangeable purpose even more clearly to the heirs of the promise, he guaranteed it with an oath, 18 so that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to seize the hope set before us. 19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain. 20 Jesus has entered there on our behalf as a forerunner, because he has become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

Pray

Hebrews 6:13-20 comes at a crucial moment in this letter. What’s come before it, particularly in Hebrews 6, has been some of the sternest warnings in this letter.

In Hebrews 6, he told them they've been lazy in their spiritual growth and that many in the church are still spiritual babies when they should be teachers. Hebrews 6:4- 8 are some of the strongest warnings in this letter, where a person's lack of spiritual renewal may show that they were never really saved.

So, it's time to give some encouragement in this letter. Remember that the pastor who wrote it cares deeply for his congregation and wants them to grow. So, this text today is a moment in the letter where the pastor encourages the church.

The change in tone in this part of the letter starts in Hebrews 6:9, where he says,

Hebrews 6:9 CSB

9 Even though we are speaking this way, dearly loved friends, in your case we are confident of things that are better and that pertain to salvation.

As we get into Hebrews 6:13-20, he will expand on this encouragement, saying that for true believers in Jesus Christ, the hope that we have in Jesus is incredible. Today's key thing to remember is that God's unbreakable promise in Jesus Christ secures our hope, giving us stability and confidence in an uncertain world. Our hope in Jesus Christ is the anchor of our soul.

Let's walk through this together as we consider Jesus, the anchor of our hope in God. Remember, our hope in Jesus is not just about theology. Your salvation in Christ is stability and a confident hope that will last forever.

God's promises in Jesus Christ are foundational to our faith, and that leads to our first point:

Transition

I. God’s Promise is Certain

The writer starts with a point about a promise made to Abraham in Hebrews 6:13: “For when God made a promise to Abraham.” In Hebrews 6:14, he quotes the promise to Abraham, which is from Genesis 22:17. To understand what the writer of Hebrews is describing, we need to understand the promise made to Abraham in Genesis 22.

Genesis 22 describes maybe one of the most faith-filled moments in the Bible. It's the story of Abraham going up to a mountain in the land of Moriah with his son Isaac and being obedient to God's command. Abraham had enough faith in God to obey a command that probably didn't make sense to him then: sacrificing his son Isaac on the mountain.

Abraham was an older man at the time. He was over 100 years old and had walked with God for decades. God gives Abraham a command that must have seemed unbelievable. God tells Abraham in Genesis 22:2,

Genesis 22:2 CSB

2 “Take your son,” he said, “your only son Isaac, whom you love, go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.”

Isaac was Abraham's son. God knew that Abraham dearly loved his son. It reminds me of when Jesus asked Peter a question in John 21:15, where he said, "Do you love me more than these?" God is asking Abraham that same question in Genesis 22:2: Do you love me more than these? Abraham, do you love me more than your son, Isaac?

Abraham got up early that morning. He saddled his donkey, prepared the wood for the burnt offering, and set out to the mountain with two young men and his son, Isaac.

He leaves the young men at the foot of the mountain with the donkey, and he tells them this in Genesis 22:5,

Genesis 22:5 CSB

5 Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go over there to worship; then we’ll come back to you.”

I don’t think Abraham says this lightly. He’s walked with God for a long time, and he knows that God keeps His promises. He doesn’t know how God will work it out, but somehow, Abraham believes that if he obeys, he and Isaac will return down that mountain. Because the God Abraham serves is faithful.

Abraham picks up the wood for the burnt offering and puts it on his son, Isaac. Abraham has the knife in his hand, and they walk up the mountain. Isaac asks his dad, "Father, where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" (Gen. 22:7). This must have hurt his heart, but Abraham believed God. He tells his son, "God will provide the lamb" (Gen. 22:8). That is faith. In the middle of what seems impossible, Abraham trusts that God is faithful.

They reach the top of the mountain. Abraham builds the altar, arranges the wood, binds his son Isaac to the wood, and lifts his knife.

But God breaks in. “Do not lay a hand on the boy or do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God.” (Gen. 22:12). Abraham looks, and there it is, a ram caught in the thicket. God has provided the offering.

In this moment of faith in Abraham’s life, God provides an oath to Abraham by swearing by Himself in Genesis 22:16, where he says, “By myself I have sworn,” and it’s within this context that God says what the writer of Hebrews will quote in Hebrews 6:14,

Hebrews 6:14 CSB

14 I will indeed bless you, and I will greatly multiply you.

I want you to understand what is happening here and why God would swear by himself. Understand this,

A. God swore by Himself to reassure Abraham and us.

Abraham had faith in God because he knew God's character. Abraham had walked with God long enough to know that God's character never changes. Isaac was the son of the promise, and Abraham knew that God was faithful in keeping his promises.

Why would God swear by himself? First off, there's no one greater than himself to swear by. He gave an oath based on the strongest being in existence, himself. But God didn't need to swear by himself. He doesn't need to prove anything. So why would he swear by himself?

God's words were not an act of convincing himself. God's oath was a message of grace to Abraham and us who are in Christ. It said, "Abraham, I know you fear me. Know that I am for you. In every time and in every season, I am your hope. I am the anchor for your soul." God's promise was a solid foundation for Abraham and for us to stand upon.

The example of Abraham’s faith reminds us that,

B. Faith waits with endurance.

Hebrews 6:15 tells us,

Hebrews 6:15 CSB

15 And so, after waiting patiently, Abraham obtained the promise.

Abraham's life is an example of the outworking of faith in the middle of God's promises. There were many years of waiting in the middle of God's promise. Abraham had longed for a child with Sarah for many years. He's probably about 75 when he receives the promise that God will provide him with a son through Sarah.

So when he gets the promise, he's probably thinking about nine months from now. A year from now? He's probably not thinking 25 years from now. But Abraham receives the promise of a son through Sarah, his son Isaac, 25 years later, when he is 100 years old.

He lived and walked with God for a long time. During this time, he learned that faith waits with endurance and needs patience.

As Christians, we build our faith on the solid foundation of God's promise in Jesus Christ. Our faith doesn't demand instant results. Faith is an active trust because we know that God is faithful.

This week, I spoke with a sister in our church. She shared how God is moving and working in her family. She had been praying for years and now sees the fruits of those prayers in her family.

I know of another woman in our church who shares that she prays every morning for her family and says she also prays for me. Through those prayers, she sees people come to faith in her family, including a granddaughter who wants to be baptized soon.

Faith waits with endurance because it is built on trust in Jesus Christ. When you know who Jesus is and the salvation that we have in him, you know that God's promises will not fail. There are seasons when God will call us to wait and endure, but we can do that because our faith is in Christ, our solid Rock and our firm foundation. Trust in God's timing.

God’s promise is sure. His grace has reassured us that we have a firm foundation in Christ. The second thing we see in Hebrews about the promise of God and the faith that we have in Christ is that,

Transition

II. God’s Oath Strengthens Us

How does God's oath to Abraham strengthen us? God gave this oath thousands of years ago on a mountain we've never seen to a man we've never met. What does this oath mean to us?

Hebrews 6:17 addresses that question, telling us that God had more than Abraham in mind. It says,

Hebrews 6:17 CSB

17 Because God wanted to show his unchangeable purpose even more clearly to the heirs of the promise, he guaranteed it with an oath,

Who are the heirs of the promise? As a believer in Jesus Christ, you are an heir to the promise of God to Abraham. Being an heir to the promise was more than just a bloodline. It was a promise to those who have faith in Jesus Christ. The Bible tells us this in Galatians 3:29,

Galatians 3:29 CSB

29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, heirs according to the promise.

Jesus Christ is the complete fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham and, by extension, everyone united to him by faith.

God already gave his word to Abraham. Why did he also give an oath? He gave an oath to Abraham and, by extension, the heirs of the promise, us, to drive hope deep into our hearts.

A. God gives us His word and His oath.

In wanting us to understand the hope that we have for our souls, the writer of Hebrews points to two things about the nature of God. It says in Hebrews 6:17-18,

Hebrews 6:17–18 CSB

17 Because God wanted to show his unchangeable purpose even more clearly to the heirs of the promise, he guaranteed it with an oath, 18 so that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to seize the hope set before us.

There is a lot to unpack in those two verses. Notice God's intentionality toward the heirs of the promise: "God wanted to show."

He wants you to be strengthened.

He wants you to be encouraged.

He wants you to rest in the hope that you have in him.

God doubles down to bring clarity so you will be strengthened, encouraged, and hopeful. He gives you both his promise and his oath.

The pastor again points to God's nature, saying, "Listen, it's impossible for God to lie." There are certain things God can't do. God can't sin. He can't lie. That's something Abraham understood. As Abraham walked up that mountain with Isaac, he knew he was coming down with Isaac because Isaac was God's promise to him. When God gives his word, he keeps his word. God can't lie. Numbers 23:19 says,

Numbers 23:19 CSB

19 God is not a man, that he might lie, or a son of man, that he might change his mind. Does he speak and not act, or promise and not fulfill?

You may hear about the promises of God and be skeptical. Maybe someone hurt you in the past. Maybe someone promised something to you, and they never came through. You’ve grown up learning to be skeptical about promises.

God is not like other human beings. Don't make the mistake of putting God in the same category as humans. God is all-powerful and perfect. What he says he will do, he will do. God's promises are sure.

You may not be able to trust your friends, but you can trust God.

You may not be able to trust your family, but you can trust God.

You may not be able to trust even your mother and father, but you can trust God.

God does not make empty promises. He does not over-promise and under-deliver. God loves you so much that he gave you a promise and an oath in Jesus Christ.

You can have an unwavering hope today, not because your circumstances are steady. You have hope because God's nature and word never change, and Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

God’s unbreakable promise in Jesus Christ secures our hope and gives us stability and confidence in an uncertain world.

Because of the hope that we have in Jesus, Hebrews 6:18 reminds us that,

B. We have fled for refuge in Christ.

Hebrews 6:18 says, “We who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to seize the hope set before us.” The term “fled for refuge” is an allusion to cities of refuge that we read about in Numbers 35.

Within the Law, there was a provision for people who had accidentally killed someone to flee to cities of refuge for protection. It was a place of safety for them from others who would want to get revenge. You could run to one of these cities of refuge until you stood trial before the assembly. It was a place where the guilty could run to and be safe.

That's the image God wants you to have in mind. We are not the spiritually elite, the self-righteous, or the self-sufficient. We are the guilty ones in desperate need of God's grace. We have run to God through faith in Jesus Christ, desperate for his mercy and safety. We have found a city of refuge in Jesus.

Jesus is why we can say with the psalmist in Psalm 46:1,

Psalm 46:1 CSB

1 God is our refuge and strength, a helper who is always found in times of trouble.

Jesus is why we can say, as in Proverbs 18:10,

Proverbs 18:10 CSB

10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are protected.

Hope is not for the perfect. Hope is for those who are in desperate need of God's grace. We run to the hope that we have in Christ. We find hope in Jesus. You don't need to be impressive. You don't need to have it all together. You just need to run to Jesus.

The hope we have in Jesus is the final point of Hebrews 6:13-20.

Transition

III. Our Hope is Anchored in Christ

After describing the image of us fleeing to refuge, the pastor comforts his flock, and Scripture comforts us through this verse in Hebrews 6:19,

Hebrews 6:19 CSB

19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain.

The picture shifts from a city of refuge to an anchor. The people of Israel were heavily acquainted with the picture of a boat on the sea, especially for people in Galilee.

The Sea of Galilee in Israel is known for its sudden storms. Hills surround it, and the winds that come through it over the sea can stir up dangerous waves.

If you are on a boat in the Sea of Galilee and a storm rolls in, an anchor isn't just something that keeps you steady. It is a lifeline.

When that storm rolls in, your confidence isn't in your strength, boat size, or ability to row. Your confidence is in the anchor.

You don't see the anchor when the anchor goes in the water. It disappears into the water but holds you steady amidst the chaos. You are safe because you are attached to the anchor.

That’s the kind of hope that we have in Jesus.

A. Our hope is firm and secure in Christ.

Our hope doesn’t rest in our ability to navigate the storm. Our hope rests in the anchor that holds us through the storm.

What’s interesting about the word “hope” in Hebrews 6:19 is the kind of word it is. When we use the word “hope” in English, we use it as a verb:

I hope that I will get a raise at work.

I hope that kids will do well in school.

I hope that Pastor Jason will finish preaching by noon.

We use the word "hope" to mean a wish or a desire. But Hebrews 6:19 uses it differently. When he says, "We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure," that word is not a verb but a noun. It is a person, place, or thing.

In other words, our hope in Jesus is not something we wish for. Hope in Jesus is something we have in him. It is a settled confidence not in something we desire but in something we already have secured in Christ.

Since your hope is anchored in Jesus Christ, God will not let you drift away. You are anchored in him. He will not let you go. You are steady because God is with you.

Your hope is anchored in heaven, tethered to the throne of God. It’s not attached to the stock market, your health report, your job, or your circumstances. Your hope is fixed to the very presence of God in your life.

How do we know our anchor is secure in Christ and attached to heaven? We find the answer in the last part of Hebrews 6:19, where it says, "It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain," and then he says in Hebrews 6:20,

Hebrews 6:20 CSB

20 Jesus has entered there on our behalf as a forerunner, because he has become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

Our hope is anchored in Christ because,

B. Jesus has gone before us

Jesus is our forerunner. He is our perfect high priest who has entered directly into the presence of the Father. The wood was placed not on Isaac but on Jesus. He has gone to the mountain, and the Father has provided the sacrifice in his Son. God has provided the Lamb of God, who takes away your sin and mine.

Jesus has gone ahead of us and prepared the way for us. He has done this for eternity, and our access to God is eternally secure in him.

Since Jesus is ahead of us, we’re following him where he has already gone. Jesus has gone ahead to prepare a place for us. Jesus said in John 14:3,

John 14:3 CSB

3 If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself, so that where I am you may be also.

As a follower of Jesus, the Lord is preparing a place for you and is already ahead of you. We follow Jesus Christ, and he is leading us home. Our hope is firm and secure in heaven through Jesus.

Maybe you feel like you’re drifting. You feel like the waters are unstable, and you’re afraid. The Bible says you have nothing to fear. You are not alone. You are not drifting aimlessly. You are anchored to the one who has gone before you, has stood in the presence of God on your behalf, and the one who is leading you home.

Conclusion

So what should we learn from Hebrews 6:13-20? Today, I want you to remember that God's promise for you is unbreakable in Jesus Christ. What God says will happen. When he speaks, it is only truth. God cannot lie. God gave an oath to reassure you to hold on to our hope in Christ.

Our hope in Jesus Christ is not wishful thinking or a desire for something. It is a strong anchor, a firm foundation, anchored in heaven for you. The hope that we have in Jesus is stability in an unstable world.

The Lord has gone before us and made the way for us to be with the Father in him.

So when life is uncertain, we are secure.

When our prayers feel unanswered, we have faith and endure.

When everything feels unstable, we remember that we have all we need in Christ.

Run to Jesus. Rest in him. Cling to him. You have a firm anchor in Jesus Christ. He will never let you go.

Prayer

Last Song

Doxology

Numbers 6:24–26 CSB

24 “May the Lord bless you and protect you; 25 may the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 may the Lord look with favor on you and give you peace.” ’

Jude 24–25 CSB

24 Now to him who is able to protect you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of his glory, without blemish and with great joy, 25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority before all time, now and forever. Amen.

You are dismissed. Have a great week in the Lord!

===

Sermon Reflection Questions

What is the central message in Hebrews 6:13-20 about our hope in Jesus?

How does the example of Abraham in Genesis 22 illustrate the concept of faith?

How does God reassure Abraham through His oath, and what implications does this have for believers today?

According to the sermon, how does the concept of ‘cities of refuge’ relate to our hope in Christ?

How can we hold onto our hope in Jesus during challenging situations?