Hebrews 5:11-6:8
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Intro John 2:10
Intro John 2:10
Previously, we were re-introduced to the idea of Jesus as High Priest and King in the order of Melchizedek. Melchizedek was the king and priest of Salem (later Jerusalem), and Abraham gave a tithe to him.
We saw from the Psalms how this pointed to Jesus. However, we might not be ready to hear any more about it!
Jesus is better than the old priesthood, but are we really ready to hold fast to our confession?
Are we ready to learn obedience through suffering?
What are some pros and cons of being a child?
Have you ever had to pause what you were saying or doing to catch people up? When and how?
How does it feel when a pastor scolds you from the pulpit?
The next 24 verses are a pause in the action. The author wants to keep preaching on how Jesus is a High Priest and King in the order of Melchizedek, and what that means for our sure salvation.
But…he’s got to scold those of us that are too lazy to pay attention.
There are 3 sections to this scolding.
The problem of immaturity
A warning against falling away
How to overcome this: the faith of Abraham
We’ll look at the first two sections today.
Section 1: Lazy and immature Christians 5:11-14
and 6:1-3
Section 2: Warning against falling away: 6:4-7
Section 1: lazy and immature Christians. 5:11-14
We have a great deal to say about this, and it is difficult to explain, since you have become too lazy to understand. Although by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the basic principles of God’s revelation again. You need milk, not solid food. Now everyone who lives on milk is inexperienced with the message about righteousness, because he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature—for those whose senses have been trained to distinguish between good and evil.
Applications:
It is OK to lovingly confront people—the author does!
We should be growing—it helps us to know good from evil, and it lets us teach others.
It is easy to be tempted to be lazy in this area.
Therefore, let us leave the elementary teaching about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works, faith in God, teaching about ritual washings, laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And we will do this if God permits.
Applications:
The basic teachings are:
repent from dead works
faith in God
baptism
laying on of hands (commissioning/blessing)
resurrection of the dead
eternal judgement
How can we talk about Jesus as the Great High Priest and King, better than the sacrificial system in every way, if we still don’t understand sin, faith, and baptism?
The way we think will shape the way we act. What do we think about Jesus? Are we stuck on the elementary things? Do our lives reflect that?
For it is impossible to renew to repentance those who were once enlightened, who tasted the heavenly gift, who shared in the Holy Spirit, who tasted God’s good word and the powers of the coming age, and who have fallen away. This is because, to their own harm, they are recrucifying the Son of God and holding him up to contempt. For the ground that drinks the rain that often falls on it and that produces vegetation useful to those for whom it is cultivated receives a blessing from God. But if it produces thorns and thistles, it is worthless and about to be cursed, and at the end will be burned.
The key to understanding this passage is the setup done in chapters 3 and 4. Chapter 3 talks about the wilderness generation after the Exodus, who rebelled against God and did not enter his rest—> the promised land. Chapter 4 tells us to hold fast to our confession.
“Truly I tell you, anyone who believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven so that anyone may eat of it and not die.
Jesus himself compared the salvation experience of the Israelites to the salvation he offers.
Compare:
enlightened —> shared in Spirit
tasted heavenly gift —> tasted God’s word
The comparison language ties those who died in the wilderness to those Christians who have fallen away.
They are recrucifying and they are shaming Christ (active participles).
The comparison of the rain for vegetation vs thorns and thistles is “promised land” language as well. It calls back to Eden, where plants grew without work until God cursed the ground with thorns and thistles.
Jesus picks up on this language many times in the gospels.
For it is impossible to renew to repentance those who were once enlightened, who tasted the heavenly gift, who shared in the Holy Spirit, who tasted God’s good word and the powers of the coming age, and who have fallen away. This is because, to their own harm, they are recrucifying the Son of God and holding him up to contempt. For the ground that drinks the rain that often falls on it and that produces vegetation useful to those for whom it is cultivated receives a blessing from God. But if it produces thorns and thistles, it is worthless and about to be cursed, and at the end will be burned.
The author shows a deep pastoral concern for this community. The language is harsh!! But it is not too late to believe. Grace comes through faith. Believe!
Application
We can be tempted to make Jesus less than he is.
In what ways do people talk about Jesus in a why that is less than who he is?
Are you personally tempted to think about Jesus in ways that are less than who he is? The author of Hebrews begins here.