Introduction to Hebrews
Notes
Transcript
Theme
Theme
Hebrews is a letter that was sent out to the fledgling Judeo-Christian churches with a single theme - Jesus Christ is superior to everything. In those trying times, as today, we must persevere to the end, holding tight to our faith and our hope in Jesus Christ.
Author
Author
The author of Hebrews is unknown. Some early church fathers attributed Paul, although his authorship is not definitive. Others have suggested Barnabas and still others, Apollos, Luke, Phillip and others. Bottom line, it was authored by the Holy Spirit. Peter writes:
But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation,
for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.
Date Written
Date Written
While we cannot determine the author of this letter, there are several clues to when it was written.
For every high priest taken from among men is appointed on behalf of men in things pertaining to God, in order to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins;
he can deal gently with the ignorant and misguided, since he himself also is beset with weakness;
and because of it he is obligated to offer sacrifices for sins, as for the people, so also for himself.
And no one takes the honor to himself, but receives it when he is called by God, even as Aaron was.
Notice the present tense in Hebrews 5:1-4. This indicates that sacrifices were still being offered at the Temple in Jerusalem.
Now when these things have been so prepared, the priests are continually entering the outer tabernacle performing the divine worship,
but into the second, only the high priest enters once a year, not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the sins of the people committed in ignorance.
The Holy Spirit is signifying this, that the way into the holy place has not yet been disclosed while the outer tabernacle is still standing,
which is a symbol for the present time. Accordingly both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make the worshiper perfect in conscience,
since they relate only to food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until a time of reformation.
Hebrews 9:6-10 is even clearer that the tabernacle is still standing, which places the letter prior to AD 70 when the temple was destroyed by the Romans.
Also, Timothy had just been released from prison (13:23) and that persecution had begun (10:32-34) places the date in the AD 68-69 time frame.
Take notice that our brother Timothy has been released, with whom, if he comes soon, I will see you.
But remember the former days, when, after being enlightened, you endured a great conflict of sufferings,
partly by being made a public spectacle through reproaches and tribulations, and partly by becoming sharers with those who were so treated.
For you showed sympathy to the prisoners and accepted joyfully the seizure of your property, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and a lasting one.
Audience & Purpose
Audience & Purpose
Hebrews emphasizes the Levitical Priesthood and the sacrifices that take place in the Temple, which indicates that the audience was a community of Jewish converts to Christianity. The community probably also contained Jews who had heard the word but had not totally committed to faith in Christ and others who had heard of Christ but did not buy into His divinity. One thing is clear, the community is facing increased persecution. (10:32-39).
When Jews adopted Christianity, they were ostracized by their families and the devout Jewish community. They lost the community they had grown up with. There was reason to leave Christianity and return to their old ways - they would be welcomed back into the fold and their losses would be restored.
If we look at Christianity today, we see similar patterns, The world does not understand us. Indeed, it is hostel to us.Jesus said:
“If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you.
“If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.
“These things I have spoken to you so that you may be kept from stumbling.
“They will make you outcasts from the synagogue, but an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God.
“These things they will do because they have not known the Father or Me.
Oh the temptation to join in with the world so the hatred and hostility will end!
Oh the temptation to go back into the fold so the ostracism would end.
How many of today’s Christian churches have succumbed to the pressure that the world has placed upon them to conform to its values and beliefs.
The writer of Hebrews is telling this Jewish-Christian community (and us) that Jesus Christ is worth all the ostracism, is worth the hatred that we are enduring right now.
Persecution was just beginning for this community of believers.
Persecution is just beginning for our community of believers.
If you are experiencing pain - emotional or physical - it is natural for you do do anything to alleviate that pain. You might even give in to the world!
Resist! That is what the writer of Hebrews is telling us! And, through this short letter, he is giving us all the reasons to resist. He is giving us a listing of those in the Old testament who resisted, even though Jesus Christ had not come yet and had not opened up heaven to His followers. Yet, they resisted and persevered to the end. And we will see when we get to Chapter 11 that the end was not all that pleasant!
Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection;
and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment.
They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated
(men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground.
And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised,
because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect.
These Christian Jews were well aware of the fate of the prophets in the Old Testament. The writer of Hebrews tells them that the prophets were waiting for the Messiah to come and that messiah is Jesus Christ.
He begins this letter by showing the excellence of Jesus Christ as Messiah. He shows that Jesus is greater than the angels, greater than the prophets, even greater than Moses, the most revered man in all Judaism.
Let’s begin our study by examining Hebrews 1:1-3
The Excellence of Jesus Christ
The Excellence of Jesus Christ
God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways,
in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.
And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
In these short verses, the writer is explaining the nature of Jesus Christ. He begins by reminding us that in the Old Testament, God spoke through the prophets. The OT is comprised of 39 books reflecting different times, locations, cultures and situations over the course of some 1800 years (Job, ca. 2200 BC to Nehemiah, ca. 400 BC.)
God spoke in many ways - visions, symbols and parables written in poetry and prose. No matter how it was written, it was always God’s revelation to us of what He wanted us to know. He was communicating His will for His people.
As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries,
seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow.
It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which angels long to look.
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;
so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
To the Jews, the last days were the time of the coming of the Messiah, Christ. Since His first advent, then, we are living in the last days. Peter wrote:
If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth;
knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers,
but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.
For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you
who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
With the Messiah’s coming, we no longer rely on the words of the Prophets, but with the Word of Christ. God has spoken, and still speaks, the message of redemption through the Son, the heir of all things. He shall exercise all authority over all creation.
‘Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance,
And the very ends of the earth as Your possession.
‘You shall break them with a rod of iron,
You shall shatter them like earthenware.’ ”
And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
In verse 3, the writer states that:
And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
A reflection is not the real thing. It is an image that does not have any substance. Here we are told that He is the radiance of His glory - the only place in the New Testament where this word is used. Christ does not just reflect the Glory of the Father, He is the same essence as the Father. He is God and he radiates His own Glory!
The exact representation is another word used only here in the New Testament. It is used to describe a perfect image, the exact representation of the nature of God.
Jesus said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
“Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works.
And because He is God, He upholds all creation by His Word. Paul writes:
He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
He spoke all things into being, He holds all things together and He accomplishes His purpose by His Word.
By His death for our sins and by His resurrection from the dead He has freed us from the punishment for our sins.
He is now seated at the right hand of the Father, the position of power and authority and honor. Christ is seated on the throne of God where He rules as sovereign Lord.
This is our Savior, victorious, undefeated.Death could not hold Him and the grave could not keep Him.He completed His work so that we all might be saved.
Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.
But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared.
And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb,
but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing;
and as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living One among the dead?
We are in the season of Lent. This is a time of reflection on our lives and on all that Jesus has done for us. He came to earth to live as one of us. To endure the pain of walking on this fallen world. To suffer excruciating agony and die so that we may live.
He Lives so that we will not die.
Let us pray.