The Letter to the Hebrews

Christ is more than your Bro’

The Book of Hebrews is anonymous letter that over the centuries has been attributed to the Apostle Paul.

That would make the most sense… Paul, a Jews, Jew.

He was in line to be the Chief Priest of ALL of the synagogues in Israel.

Then the Lord Jesus got a hold of Paul. Jesus interjected himself into Paul’s life. And changed his direction.

We don’t completely understand it but we accept that Jesus dwells in our hearts and we are a temple of the Holy Spirit.

The Book of Hebrews aside from the mystery of the authorship is written about who is “greater” and “superior”

Ultimately the author is speaking to a large group of Hebrews about the

The Superiority of Christ

This first chapter of the Book of Hebrews is all about comparisons.

I’ll be dealing with Chapter’s 1-2 and our son Josh will be here in the 24th to deal with Chapter 3.

You won’t want to miss Josh’s message. He is currently enrolled at Sioux Falls Seminary and getting his MDiv in the next couple of years.

I always tell people that my sons, Tyler and Josh are truly better versions of me.

I want to take a minute and tell you about the journey that I am on...

I am encountering the Holy Spirit in ways and situations that I have not been sensitive to before. I won’t say that the Spirit has finally opened himself to me.

The Holy Spirit is given to us all, 100% of Him when we accept Christ. Learn to listen, more than anything… Learn to listen to the Holy Spirit.

I have to learn to take my foot off the gas and to give time for The Spirit to interject.

OK… enough of the background stuff.

I’m excited to see where this study takes us… I’m thinking, depending on how this goes to do.

Christ is more than your Bro’

I got saved in 1986. I grew up a roman catholic kid in NE South Dakota in the 1960’s and 70’s.

I knew what Holiness meant...

When the Monsignor came and blessed me… That was HOLY!

I really fell in love with that feeling, I still have chill bumps when I think about it.

But that was kind of it...

Until I found Christ, until He welcomed me into the family of God.

My experience with family was NOT of an over demanding father, who was overtly abusive.

I didn’t need a father in my life what I needed was a brother, a sibling, that I never had.

I began to form in my “new Christian” mind what I wanted Jesus to be in my life.

This family that he invited to was actually a family. You see I had never really seen a functioning happy family. Jesus gave me family that I never have had before. At this point for me… He is still my ‘Bro!

We don’t get to chose what kind of Jesus we get!

We get the Jesus that is a father to the father-less, a mother to the mother-less, friend to the friend-less. He fills that empty spot in your heart, Yes He is our brother! but he is also the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

You see we get 100% of Jesus In the same that we get 100% of The Spirit and 100% of the Father!

We have some responsibility… We must accept that Free Gift of Salvation! We must do this by Grace from Faith alone!

Ephesians 2:8–9 ESV

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

So what more must we do...

Listen for The Spirit, engage Jesus in a conversation, and Praise and Worship God the Father, God the Son and God The Spirit...

This study I hope stretches ALL of us to be more like the Father intends us to be.

What is and how is our relationship with God?

I pray that as we continue with this study that your relationship is woven with 3-cords that cannot be easily broken.

That we can answer many of the questions that you have and when we are done we understand the God of the Universe better.

The new James Webb Deep Space Probe was turned on this week. If you’ve seen the pictures there is something special about a camera that can capture 10,000 Galaxies each containing at a minimum 1000 planets each. OK so I’m not a math genius but we are looking at 1X10 to the 7th.

God has created it...

Genesis 1:10 ESV

10 God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.

The world was formed exhilo, from nothing! We were and are created for the pleasure of our Father.

We are created to worship Him!

We are also created by him to reach the world with the message of the Gospel.

The Supremacy of God’s Son

Whoever wrote the Book of Hebrews. Has not needed an introduction. Once we begin we are on a rocket ship so hold on!

Today we are looking at The Book of Hebrews. Hebrews is found towards the back of the New Testament. Get to Revelation and go back a couple of books and you’ll find it. Its on page 1001 of your pew Bible.

Hebrews 1:1 ESV

1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets,

So immediately this verse has got to put you on edge. All of a sudden my reference to my “Bro”is seeming a little shallow. Jesus is moving from “‘Bro” to or so much more

To the Jew steeped in tradition, law, history and prophets received his marching orders from the Prophets, speaking of course for Go.

So I think… “Long ago” — Refers to the Old Testament times and earlier.

— God spoke to the Old Testament Fathers by the prophets… Note that God did not say that he spoke via Via The Spirit to the Prophets!

These people of the later First Century, Hebrews. Not followers of Jesus. They would’ve essentially followed their “old” ways into the grave… except for Jesus.

Are we willing to follow OUR old ways into the grave or is there another way?

There is another way...

Hebrews 1:2 ESV

2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.

— We are in the last days… at any given time he could roll all of this up and say He has had enough...

— We have heard what is spoken to us… the Gospel is clear

“Believe on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and Be Saved.”

Through Jesus the world was created… I’m not going to argue about 7 days or 700 million years. God did it … I Believe it.

God has appointed Jesus as the author and protector of our Faith.

Who is this Jesus that the Hebrews are supposed to follow?

Hebrews 1:3 (ESV)

3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

THIS VERSE IS HUGE!!!! The Lord Jesus is my ‘Bro but more he is the the only begotten son of God. He is exactly like him… exactly!

The Author lays out for us who Jesus is...

— “the radiance of the Glory of God”

— “the EXACT imprint of his [God’s] Nature

— “He upholds the universe… how by his word!!

— Then when he has some extra time… “making purification for sins”

— After beating death, rising from the dead, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high!!

— Jesus is now next to the Father, interceding for us with God, Sending the Spirit as the replacement for Jesus.

Verses 4 & 5

Hebrews 1:4 ESV

4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

In verse 4

The writer was showing the Jews, who would be very familiar with the important part that Angels played in the Old Testament… Delivering the Law for example.

The Son became better than the angels.

Does that at one time or another infer that at one time He was lower than the angels?

Verse 5

Hebrews 1:5 ESV

5 For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”? Or again, “I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son”?

I don’t think that there is necessarily a person that this is directed instead at a people group.

The original voice that this is directed, is at those who are doubting.

Verses 7&8

Hebrews 1:7 NLT

7 Regarding the angels, he says, “He sends his angels like the winds, his servants like flames of fire.”

This is a direct quotation from Ps 104.

Psalm 104:4 ESV

4 he makes his messengers winds, his ministers a flaming fire.

This is one of the arguments

In order to show that, high as that place may be, it is far inferior to the position of supremacy given to the Son

Hebrews 1:8 ESV

8 But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.

The writer of Hebrews is making a gigantic comparison here.... Jesus, the Son… He will be beside us

He is saying… all that I talked ahead of this. To be very clear who the Son is and where he is awaiting us… To welcome us!

Here is the next passage. Read along if you will

Hebrews 1:10 ESV

10 And, “You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands;

Acknowledging the handiwork of God, in the beginning, laying foundation.

Hebrews 1:11–12 ESV

11 they will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment, 12 like a robe you will roll them up, like a garment they will be changed. But you are the same, and your years will have no end.”

These verses are illustrating the remaining duties for the believer, maintaining , living life to the fullest, making space and time for Jesus.

Hebrews 1:14 ESV

14 Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?

Whew… that was a close one. After accepting Christ, we are set to obtain a full set of unique tools, you are given the Holy Spirit, A promise that what have her on earth to from God and Jesus. All of the “ministering spirits” set to serve those who are inherited.

— Let’s tie up some loose ends… Hebrews was written anonymously.

— The clear place of Jesus… And His relationship with Father and with us.

— The Holy Spirit is given {Don’t ignore this ]

— He is set to serve us… But he must know who we are and how we got where we are. those “spirits” serve our needs as we inherit them.

I’m going to share the first verse in Chapter that we will do next week

Hebrews 2:1 ESV

1 Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.

This first verse begins with a “Therefore” it is a summary statement from the first 11 verses of this passage

This is in the form of a warning!!!

We have to pay must closer attention to what we have heard. All of the good news that has come to light.

LEST WE ALL “DRIFT AWAY.”

That is not a good spot… call it what you want. Backsliding, ignoring the Spirit,

Do not think that drifting away is an option. You can only for so long drift away. Before you are in fact LOST

Do not make yourselves one of the lost ones… Do NOT begin to drift and the Lord with support you though this.

So… is He my ‘Bro or not

— Yes he is your brother, friend, confidant,

— He is always there and always available.

But… He is sooooooo much more

He is Lord, God, Author and protector, originator.

He is the perfect Brother and Father!