The Forgotten Anchor of Hope

I Need a Brave Volunteer to Raise Their Hands, Literally

Hold Arms Out to the Side Until I Tell You to Stop

Hebrews 10:32–34 (NASB95)

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.

Imagine You are a 1st Century Jew

And You Meet this Community of People Who Some Call “The Way”…

And Others Call “Christians”

And These Christians Claim They Have Good News to Share with You

This Good News was that the Messiah had Come

How He’d Allowed Himself to Be Crucified and that He Resurrected 3 Days Later

And that He Then Ascended Back to Heaven to Take His Throne at the Right Hand of God

And that He is Currently Ruling Over Heaven and Earth

And that He is Going to Return and Rescue His People From Sin, Corruption, and Death

This Good News is Appealing to You and the Many Witnesses and Miracles Convince You that it’s True

So You Give Your Allegiance to King Jesus and Become a Christian

You Become Enlightened

But Being a Christian Wasn’t Very Glamorous

Almost Immediately You Began Experiencing:

Great Sufferings

Public Shaming and Humiliation

Insults and Oppression

Some of Your New Siblings Being Thrown in Prison

Some of Your Property is Being Confiscated By Authorities

Christianity had Proven to Be a Hard Way of Life

But You Were Made Aware of this Before Giving Your Life to Jesus

You Were Taught and You Believed that it was All Worth it

So You Joyfully Endured the Suffering…

And Kept Your Mind Focused On Jesus and the Wonderful Blessings to Come

Enduring Suffering, Humiliation, Insults, and Oppression for a Short Time is Difficult

But Enduring These Things for a Long Time Becomes Nearly Impossible

How’s My Volunteer Doing? (Put Arms Down)

Holding Your Arms Up for a Short Time Isn’t Too Bad is it?

But After a While, All You Want to Do it Quit

That is the Audience of the Book of Hebrews

They Started Off Their Christian Walk Strong

But Over Time, the Hardships that Come with Being a Christian…

Are Starting to Weigh Them Down

They are Considering Returning to the Old Covenant/Judaism

They are Considering Giving Up On Jesus

But the Hebrew Author is Encouraging Them to Stick it Out…

To Stay Faithful to Jesus

To Not Forsake the New Covenant

To Endure

What is His Encouragement?

“Jesus is Better”

He’s Better Than Moses

His Covenant is Better than the Old Covenant

And More Than Anything Else…

His Priesthood is Better Than the Old Priesthood

I’ve Noticed Something in the Past Few Years that I Think is Concerning

All of My Life of Being in and Around the Church…

I’ve Noticed that the Focus as it Pertains to Jesus and Salvation…

Is Always On What Jesus Did in the Past and What He Will Do in the Future

But Rarely Do We Ever Say Much About What He’s Doing Now

We Have Missed or Forgotten a Crucial/Essential Part of the Good News of Jesus

A Part that is Just as Necessary for Our Salvation as:

His Death, Burial, and Resurrection

His Return to Bring Judgement and Life in the Age to Come

The Part We’ve Seemingly Forgotten is His Ascension to Heaven…

And Everything that Entails

We Remember Jesus’ Life, Ministry, Death, and Resurrection

Because They are Essential to the Gospel

We Remember the Salvation and Judgement that Jesus Will Bring When He Returns

Because They are Essential to the Gospel

But What About Now/the Present?

Jesus Did Something to Initiate Our Salvation

Jesus Will Do Something to Finalize Our Salvation

But is He Doing Anything Now to Maintain Our Salvation?

The Book of Hebrews Speaks with an Emphatic “Yes!”

Without Jesus’ Death and Resurrection, We Would Have No Hope

Without Jesus’ Return to Resurrect Us, We Have No Hope

But Also, and Just as Crucial…

Without Jesus’ Ascension to Heaven, We Have No Hope

No Hope of Life in the Age to Come

No Hope of Entering into the Eternal Promised Land of Rest

No Hope of Living Forever in the Holy Presence of God

In the Book of Hebrews…

The Ascension of Jesus is One of Our Primary Sources of Hope

Hebrews 6:19–20 (NASB95)

This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

An Anchor’s Purpose is to Make the Ship Immovable

To Keep it Firm and Steadfast

Come What May, With a Good Anchor, the Ship Will Stay Secured

These Hebrew Christians are Starting to Drift Away From Jesus

And They are in Need of an Anchor to Keep Them Firm and Steadfast in the Faith

They are in Need of Hope

The Focus of the Book of Hebrews is to Remind Them of the Source of that Hope:

The Ascension of Jesus

But Especially One Specific Purpose of His Ascension:

His High Priesthood

The Early Christians Found Hope in the High Priesthood of Jesus

But for Us to Find Hope in His High Priesthood…

We First Need to Appreciate His High Priesthood

Under the Old Covenant, a Descendant of Aaron was Chosen By God to Be High Priest

The Primary Purpose of a High Priest was to Serve…

As a Representative/Mediator Between the People and God

Ever Since the Fall, Humanity has Been Separated From God’s Presence

And a Mediator is Needed to Help Bridge the Gap and Bring Reconciliation

The Most Special Duty of the High Priest Took Place on the Day of Atonement

Once a Year on that Day, He Would Enter the Most Holy Place of the Tabernacle

This was a Back Room of the Tabernacle, Separated By a Veil

This Room was an Earthly Representation of God’s Heavenly Throne-Room

It was Called the Most Holy Place Because that’s Truly What it was

A Room Filled with the Holy Presence of God

Only the High Priest Could Enter the Most Holy Place on the Day of Atonement

But Even Then, He had to Follow Strict Regulations…

So He Wouldn’t Immediately Die Upon Entering

Sin-Stained People Without the Proper Covering Can’t Survive in the Presence of a Holy God

I’ve Heard God Compared to the Sun

The Sun is Good

It Gives Us Warmth, Light, and Life

But the Sun is Also Dangerous

Without the Proper Covering, the Sun Can Hurt and Even Kill You

God is Good

He is the Provider of Everything that is Good

But He is Also Dangerous

Without the Proper Covering, We Can’t Survive in His Presence

This is Why the High Priest is So Important

Each Year He Entered the Most Holy Place with the Sacrificial Blood of an Animal

And There He Would Make Atonement/Cover the Sins of the People

Without this Atoning, Mediatory Service, the People Would Have No Hope

The Same is True for Christians Today

We Still Need a High Priest/Mediator…

To Enter into the Presence of God for Us…

And Make Atonement for Our Sin

To Intercede on Our Behalf

And the Author of Hebrews Goes into Great Detail…

In Explaining How that is Exactly What We Have in Jesus

Hebrews 8:1–2 (NASB95)

Now the main point in what has been said is this: we have such a high priest, who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a minister in the sanctuary and in the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, not man.

We Have a Minister for Us in the “True Tabernacle”

Not a Man-Made Tent, But Heaven Itself:

At the “Right Hand of the Throne of the Majesty in the Heavens”

Jesus, Our Heavenly High Priest, is Ministering/Serving on Our Behalf

Hebrews 9:11–12 (NASB95)

But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.

Not Only Did Our High Priest Enter the “Greater and More Perfect” Tabernacle

But He Entered with a Greater and More Perfect Sacrifice

He Didn’t Enter with the Sacrificial Blood of an Animal…

But With His Own Sacrificial Blood

He is Both the Priest and the Offering

He is Both the Sacrifice and the Sacrificer

The Old High Priests Had to Enter the Most Holy Place Every Year…

Because Every Year There was a Reminder of Sin

Sin Needed to Be Atoned for Every Year

But Our High Priest Only Had to Enter Once

And the Atonement He Offered was “Once for All”

His One Time Sacrifice and Perpetual Ministry in Heaven…

Ensures Our Eternal Redemption

Hebrews 7:25 (NASB95)

Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

Those Who Draw Near to God By Faith in Jesus…

Have Complete Salvation Through His High Priesthood

How?

Because He Always Lives to Make Intercession for Them

That is to Say, His Intercession for Us Will Never Stop

Because of His Perpetual Intercession…

We Can Have Total Confidence in Our Salvation

It Isn’t Just the Book of Hebrews that Assures Us of this:

1 John 2:1–2 (NASB95)

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.

Romans 8:33–34 (NASB95)

Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.

Even Though We Will Continue to Struggle with Sin All of Our Lives…

There is No Condemnation for Those in Christ Jesus

Because of What He is Doing for Us Right Now…

We Can Know Salvation is Ours

Hebrews 4:14–16 (NASB95)

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Because We Have Jesus as Our Heavenly High Priest…

We Can Hold Firmly to Our Allegiance to Jesus

The Hebrew Christians Were Flirting with Giving Up Their Allegiance to Him

They Needed to Be Reminded that the High Priesthood of Jesus…

Provides an Anchor of Hope

This Hope Says, “I May Not Be Able to Reconcile Myself to God...”

“But I Already Have a Mediator in Heaven Who is Providing that for Me”

A High Priest Who Sympathizes with Our Weaknesses

A High Priest Who Knows How We Feel

A High Priest Who was Tempted Like We are

Because We Have Such a High Priest…

We are Able to Approach the Presence of God

Not With Fear, Expecting to Receive Condemnation or Death…

As if We are Approaching His Judgement Seat

We Can Approach the Presence of God with Confidence/Boldness…

Because We are Approaching His Mercy Seat…

Where We Can Expect to Receive Grace and Mercy Whenever We Need

This is the Hope that Our High Priest Provides

Application

We’ve Only Been Able to Scratch the Surface of Jesus’ High Priesthood

But I Would Highly Recommend Reading the Book of Hebrews in One Sitting

That’s the Best Way to See All of These Themes and Concepts Come Together

But I Do Want to End By Saying this:

Hope Keeps Us Anchored to Jesus

Hardships, Trials, Temptations, and Sin Can Break Our Hope/Anchor

And We Can Begin to Drift Away From Jesus

Unfortunately, There are a Lot of Christians Out There Without Hope (Confident Expectation in God’s Promises)

Not Because They’ve Forgotten What Jesus Did for Them

Not Because They’ve Forgotten What He’s Going to Do

But Because They’ve Forgotten What He’s Doing Right Now

There’s No Reason for Christians to Have No Hope

We Most Begin to Lose Hope When We Focus Too Much on Ourselves and Not Enough on Jesus

Our Hope is Not Based on Us

It’s Based Upon the King and High Priest of Heaven and Earth:

Who Died and Resurrected so that You Receive Atonement for Your Sins

Who is Currently Interceding for Your Salvation Each and Every Day

And Who is Coming Again to Rescue You and Give You Life

Our Hope Relies on the Eternal High Priest Who Lives to Intercede for Us

When that is Where Our Hope Lies…

We Will Stay Anchored in Our Allegiance to Jesus

We Will Serve and Obey Him Faithfully with Love and Gratitude

Our Practice of Christianity is Most Influenced By Our Beliefs

Do We Believe in Our Heavenly High Priest?

Those Who Do, Will Live for Jesus in Love, Service, and Hope