"Let Us Draw Near" -- Hebrews 10:19-39

The Fifteenth in a Series of Sermons on the Epistle to the Hebrews

There are some things easily taken for granted.  A clean conscience before God based on the knowledge that Jesus Christ made a perfect, once for all sacrifice for sin which turns aside the wrath of God, is a priceless treasure.  Yet, people will spend hundreds of dollars per hour to have a counselor or psychiatrist tell them that are OK, that they done nothing wrong, that they couldn’t help it, or that it is not their fault.  It is easy to take for granted the fact that it is the priestly work of Jesus Christ which secures for us full access to the very presence of God, who graciously hears our prayers only because his beloved son intercedes for us.  And it is very easy to take for granted that hope secured for us by Jesus Christ, who having completed his redemptive work on the cross and taken his place at God’s right hand, promises to come again to give us all those eternal blessings secured for us by his priestly work.  All of these wonderful benefits are ours only because Jesus Christ is our great high priest who offered himself, once and for all, as the final and all sufficient sacrifice for sin.  And it is this priestly work of Jesus Christ which secures for us the full assurance of our salvation and the freedom to draw near to God.

We are continuing our series on the Book of Hebrews and we will wrap up our time in chapters 9-10.  Recall that these two chapters contain a sustained theological argument in which the author makes four important points about the priestly work and office of Jesus Christ.  In Hebrews 9:1-10, the author explained the purpose and role of the tabernacle, priesthood, and temple, and demonstrated how these are but types and shadows which point ahead to the coming of Jesus.  Then, in verses 11-28 of chapter 9, the author argued that our Lord’s shed blood does what the Old Testament sacrificial system could not do, take away the guilt of our sins and secure for us an eternal redemption.  It is in this section of Hebrews that we find some of the most important explanations anywhere in the New Testament regarding our Lord’s priestly work on our behalf, and how the death of Jesus secures our salvation for us, because he has accomplished a perfect and eternal redemption on our behalf.

In our text last time (Hebrews 10:1-18), the author made plain that the death of Jesus has put an end to the validity of the old covenant sacrificial system.  The shed blood of bulls and goats is now useless because the sacrifice to which these pointed has already been accomplished.  Jesus made his once for all sacrifice for sin, and then sat down at the right hand of God.  As we read in verse 14, “for by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.”  This declaration means that our standing before God has already been secured for us by the same Savior who has died for us. 

In our text this time (vv. 19-39 of chapter 10), the author draws our attention to the practical consequences of Jesus Christ’s priestly work for us–the wonderful assurance which is now ours by virtue of trusting in what Jesus has already accomplished to save us from our sins.  It is because of Jesus Christ’s finished work (on the cross and in the heavenly temple) that we have a pure conscience, as well as the confidence necessary to enter into the Lord’s presence to worship him, free to offer our sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving to our great high priest who has done so much to redeem us from our sins.  In light of what Jesus has already done for us, the author closes out this section by exhorting us to take advantage of all the blessings and benefits secured for us by our great high priest.  And once again, the author sternly warns us not to sow the seeds of apostasy by neglecting these benefits.

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"By a Single Offering" -- Hebrews 10:1-18

The Fourteenth in a Series of Sermons on the Epistle to the Hebrews

There is a very good reason why we talk a lot about the distinction between the law and the gospel, and the fact Christ’s death upon the cross can save even the guiltiest of sinners, and that Christ’s righteousness (his obedience) is the ground of our justification before God.  The reason why we talk about these things so often is that these things are taught throughout the pages of Scripture, and they are repeatedly emphasized in the Book of Hebrews.  In this epistle we read that it is because of Jesus’ obedience to the will of God in offering himself as the once and for all, final and perfect sacrifice for sin, that we have the forgiveness of our sins, a clean conscience before God, that we are being sanctified, and that we already have an eternal redemption.  And it is because Jesus has done all of this for us as our great high priest, that we live in the new covenant era where there are no more sacrifices for sin, no priests to make them, and no holy places in which God dwells in the midst of his people, protecting us from his wrath and from his glory.

As we continue with our series on the Book of Hebrews, we now take up the author’s discussion of Christ’s sacrifice for sin in chapter 10–concentrating (as we did last time) on the “once for all” and the “how much more” descriptions of our Lord’s redemptive work on behalf of sinners.  In this section of Hebrews we find some of the most important teaching in the entire New Testament about the purpose and the meaning of the death of Jesus Christ.  This is why it is wise that we take our time as we work through this section of Hebrews, and why we should digest this material carefully and prayerfully. 

In order to understand why the unknown author of Hebrews emphasizes the particular theological points that he does, we need to keep in mind that he is writing to an unnamed church (likely a house church in Rome or Alexandria) which is made up of recent converts from Judaism to Christianity.  Apparently, a number of the people who originally founded this church had renounced Jesus Christ and returned to that religion in which they had been raised.  The author of Hebrews composes this epistle to demonstrate the absolute superiority of Jesus Christ to all things, effectively removing any reason or justification to return to Judaism.  The result is this letter in which we learn a great deal about the eternal priesthood of Jesus Christ, the nature of his sacrifice upon the cross, as well as how our Lord’s priesthood gives us a clean conscience before God, confidence to approach God in prayer, and a solid hope that our eternal priest will return to deliver his people at the end of the age. 

As we have seen throughout our study of Hebrews so far, the author has been relentless in building his case from the Greek text of the Old Testament (the LXX) that Jesus is the great high priest whose redemptive work fulfills every Old Testament expectation that God would send a Messiah who would save his people from their sins.  We all know someone who if one nail is required uses three, if a dab of glue is needed they use half the tube.  They just want to make sure . . . 

We see this tendency “to make sure” in the way in which the author of Hebrews builds his case for the superiority of Jesus Christ to Moses, to the priests of Israel, and even to angels.  We have observed that the author has used one line of biblical argumentation after another to prove that Jesus is superior to the inferior (the types and shadows of the Old Testament), that Jesus ushered in the new covenant superseding the old covenant, and that in Jesus–through the power of the Holy Spirit–God’s redemptive work is not merely external to us (the sacrificial blood of animals and the law being given on stone tablets), but is now internal, removing from us the guilt of sin in such a definitive way that our consciences are now clean before the Holy God.

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"Once for All" -- Hebrews 9:11-28

The Thirteenth in a Series of Sermons on the Book of Hebrews

Christianity is not primarily a religion of morals and ethics.  Christianity is a religion centering around shed blood, a Roman cross, and an empty tomb.  The animal sacrifices and the purification rites of the old covenant served a number of very important purposes.  For one thing, the very need for such sacrifices demonstrates that our sins are a great offense to a holy God, and that satisfaction must be made to his holy justice in order to turn aside his wrath.  That the sacrifices were offered by a high priest who alone could enter the Most Holy Place after making sacrifices for his own sins, is a graphic illustration that our sin separates us from the presence of God.  And while providing a provisional and temporary relief from sin, ultimately, the nature of these sacrifices shows that they were intended to teach God’s people and prepare the nation of Israel for the coming of Jesus Christ.  But as the author of Hebrews continues to make his case for the superiority of the priesthood of Jesus Christ and the new and better covenant, he now describes how Jesus offers a sacrifice that is much superior in every way to the types and shadows of the old covenant, thereby rendering it obsolete, and establishing the new covenant in his blood.

As we continue our series on the Book of Hebrews, we are working our way though that section of the author’s extended argument for the superior priesthood of Jesus Christ, and the nature of the once for all sacrifice for sin made by our Lord, the great high priest.  One of the remarkable things about the Book of Hebrews is that the author keeps building his case by adding additional arguments to those already made.  In chapter 7, the author described how Jesus is an eternal priest after the order of Melchizadek, tying our Lord’s priestly office to this mysterious figure to whom Abraham paid tithes.  Then in chapter 8, we saw that with the coming of Jesus Christ the new covenant era is now a reality, and the old covenant is no longer in force.  Jeremiah’s well-known prophecy of a new and better covenant was the fulfillment of the covenant promise God made to Abraham, so that all those who are Christ’s are the children of Abraham. 

Throughout both of these chapters, the author has shown that everything in the Siniatic covenant (the law, the tabernacle, and the priesthood) was designed to teach the people of God about the superior priesthood of Jesus Christ whose once for all sacrifice for sin puts an end to the Old Testament sacrificial system.  Jesus is the better priest with the better sacrifice (himself), and his death alone, once and for all, turns aside God’s wrath toward all those for whom he dies.

In chapters 9-10 (that section in which we now find ourselves) the author makes four important theological points building upon those points he has already made.  In verses 1-10 of chapter 9 (which we covered last time), the author described the earthly tabernacle, the worship which was conducted there, and the role these things played in redemptive history.  The tabernacle, its priests, and its sacrifices are types and shadows which point ahead to the coming of Jesus Christ.  In the balance of chapter nine (vv. 11-28, our text this morning), the author discusses the nature and meaning of the death of Jesus (in light of the old covenant types and shadows) and sets forth how our Lord’s shed blood does what the sacrificial system associated with the old covenant could never do, remove the guilt of our sin and secure for us an eternal redemption.  The old covenant sacrifices temporarily and provisionally turned aside God’s anger, but these can do nothing to assuage the consciences of guilty sinners.

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"The Holy Place" -- Hebrews 9:1-14

The Twelfth in a Series of Sermons on the Epistle to the Hebrews

As evangelical Christians (in the truest sense of the term) our religion is not tied to holy things, holy people, or holy places.  Our religion is centered in very ordinary things including the “means of grace,” material things through which God’s Spirit works to establish and strengthen our relationship with our God who dwells in heaven.  These ordinary things include:  The ink and paper of the word; the bread, wine, and water of the sacraments; and a functional building in which we assemble for worship.  As Christians, we have ministers and are no longer represented by high priests in priestly garments encrusted with jewels who make sacrifices on our behalf.  Nor do we sacrifice animals on special altars using vessels of made of precious metals under a cloud of fragrant incense.  We need not make pilgrimages to holy places where God is present, and we do not venerate holy people who have earned supposedly, a greater righteousness than the rest of us.  All of this is because we live in the new covenant era, and all of those things associated with the old covenant have been rendered obsolete by the coming of Jesus Christ.  But those elements associated with the old covenant served a very important purpose in redemptive history, and the author of Hebrews now points us to the heavenly reality which these things were designed to illuminate and illustrate–the eternal high priest and the heavenly temple, the true holy place.

As we continue our series on the book of Hebrews, we now come to chapter nine.  If you’ve been with us for any portion of this series, by now it should be clear that the author of Hebrews is relentless in building his case for the superiority of Jesus Christ.  Laying out argument upon argument, the author has shown us from the pages from the Old Testament that Jesus Christ is creator of all things and the promised redeemer of God’s people.  The author has made a very convincing case that Jesus is superior to angels, to Moses, and to the priests of Israel.  Jesus is not only an eternal priest after the order of Melchizadek, but Jesus is the mediator of a new and better covenant.

The reason why the Book of Hebrews is so relentless in building this case is because of the historical circumstances which led to the writing of this letter.  The author is writing to a church (likely in Rome or Alexandria) made up of people who are recent converts to Christianity from Judaism.  When the members of this church came under persecution from the civil authorities or from the synagogues from which they had departed, many caved in to the pressure and returned to Judaism.  The purpose of this letter is show the Jewish converts from the pages of the Old Testament that Jesus is the one in whom the promise to Abraham is fulfilled.  Jesus is the eternal high priest who offers a perfect sacrifice (himself) and who always sympathizes with his weak and sinful people.  Jesus is that one in whom the types and shadows become reality and fulfillment.  And since Jesus is all of these things and more, there is no reason why returning to Judaism is anything but an act of apostasy, a return to the inferior and sadly, serves to invoke the same covenant curses which brought judgment upon that people and nation.

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"A New Covenant" -- Hebrews 8:1-13

The Eleventh in a Series of Sermons on the Epistle to the Hebrews

It was the eminent philosopher and New York Yankee catcher Yogi Berra who once said “when you come to a fork in the road, take it.”  Well, the author of Hebrews has brought us to that point in his case for the superiority of Jesus Christ where we must now decide how we will understand the relationship between the old covenant (that covenant God made with Israel at Mount Sinai) and the new covenant (the new era in redemptive history established by Jesus Christ).  Is the new covenant an entirely “new” covenant made from scratch?  Or is the new covenant the fulfillment of that covenant that God made with Abraham in which promise becomes reality?  How you answer these questions determines where you go to church (a Baptist or a paedobaptist church), how you treat your children (as unbelievers, or as members of the covenant whose faith is to be nurtured), as well as your understanding of the end times (do the end-times center around national Israel?).  Hebrews 8 is a theological fork in the road and we must take it.

We are continuing our series on the Book of Hebrews, and we now take up that section of this book in which the author argues that with the coming of Jesus Christ, God’s people enter the new covenant era foretold by the prophet Jeremiah, making the old covenant obsolete.  As we have seen, the author has been using a number of biblical texts to prove that the Old Testament teaches that Jesus is both creator and sustainer of all things, and that Jesus’ eternal priesthood is tied to Melchizadek, that mysterious figure to whom Abraham paid tithes.  Now the author makes the case that with the coming of Jesus Christ, there is a fundamental shift in the nature and course of redemptive history.  The inferior (the types and shadows) must give way to the superior (the reality that is found in Jesus Christ).

Given the fact that the author is writing to a church composed of people who were predominantly Jews, and who had recently become Christians, the author uses terms like “old covenant” assuming that his readers/hearers knew exactly what he meant.  Since we are Christians (and predominantly Gentiles) and since we live nearly 2000 years later, we will need to carefully define the terms the author is using so as to make sense of his argument about the obsolescence of the old covenant, the dawn of the new covenant era, and the superiority of Jesus’ priesthood–an argument which runs through the end of chapter 10.

The first thing to consider is when the author speaks of the “old covenant” we should not take him to mean the Old Testament.  Rather, when he speaks of the “old covenant” he is referring to that covenant which God made with Israel at Mount Sinai.  Old covenant = Sinaitic covenant, not “Old Testament.”  This means that the covenant God made with Abraham earlier remains in force throughout the whole time Israel (as a nation) was operating under the Sinaitic covenant.  Keep this in mind as we proceed.  It also means that the old covenant (i.e., the law, the priesthood, the temple, the land etc.) becomes obsolete once Jesus Christ fulfills everything God promised to Abraham on his sworn oath.

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"The Guarantor of a Better Covenant" -- Hebrews 7:1-28

The Tenth in a Series of Sermons on the Epistle to the Hebrews

You don’t hear much these days about Melchizadek.  Other than a brief discussion of his priesthood on the White Horse Inn a while back, the last time anyone mentioned Melchizadek to me was when a nineteen year old Mormon elder stood at my door and told me that he belonged to the Melchizadek priesthood–whatever that means.  It has long been common for Christian people to use biblical names for their children, yet I don’t recall ever meeting anyone named “Melchizadek.”  No doubt, this lack of interest in Melchizadek is because he is a rather obscure and mysterious figure.  Yet according to the author of Hebrews, Melichizadek figures prominently in redemptive history as a type of Jesus Christ.  Understanding who this man is as well as the role he plays in redemptive history is essential to the author’s case for the superiority of the priesthood of Jesus.  Although nobody talks about Melchizadek these days, perhaps we should.

We are continuing our series on the Book of Hebrews, and have come to chapter 7.  In this section of the Book of Hebrews the author returns to a discussion he began in chapter 5 when he cited from Psalm 110:4 which speaks of the future messianic king as being a high priest forever after the order of Melchizadek.  Having made his initial point about Melchizadek’s priesthood, the author of Hebrews then broke off his discussion about Melchizadek to express his frustration with this congregation when he realized that those to whom he was writing probably would not be interested in his theological arguments which demonstrated by Jesus was superior to Moses, to angels, and to the priests of Israel.  This lack of interest in what the Old Testament teaches about Jesus Christ, sadly, was indicative of the circumstances under which a number of those in the church receiving the Letter to the Hebrews had quickly wilted under persecution, given up on Christianity, and then returned to Judaism.

Having made his initial theological point about Melchizadek, and realizing that his audience didn’t really care, the author then rebuked this church for acting like children who were unwilling to press on to maturity.  In chapter 5:11-14, he writes, “about this [the superiority of Jesus Christ] we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.  For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God.  You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child.  But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.”  Not only is Melchizadek’s priesthood an essential plank in the author’s overall case for the superiority of Jesus Christ, the fact the people didn’t care about the life of Melchizadek supplying powerful evidence for the superiority of Jesus’ priesthood reveals their immaturity, prompting the author’s ire and leading to his warning about apostasy in Hebrews 5:11-6:12. 

The author is not saying that lack of interest in Melchizadek’s priesthood is the first step toward apostasy.  But he is saying to a church where many have turned their backs upon Jesus Christ and committed the sin of apostasy that they need to understand how the Old Testament directed the Jewish people to expect the coming of Jesus as Israel’s Messiah.  This is why the author spent so much time proving from the Old Testament that Jesus is the mediator of a new and better covenant, and that one in whom Israel’s priesthood, the office of prophet, and that of messianic king, find their fulfillment.  These new Christians must grow to maturity and that means understanding how the Old Testament points them ahead to the coming of Christ.  It also means realizing that Melchizadek figures prominently in this case.

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"God Made a Promise" -- Hebrews 6:13-20

The Ninth in A Series of Sermons on the Epistle to the Hebrews

The contrast could not be greater.  The Psalmist says of the human race–“all people are liars” (Psalm 116:11).  Yet the author of Hebrews tells us that “it is impossible for God to lie” (Hebrews 6:18).  Our track record is so–so at best when it comes to keeping our promises.  But God cannot lie.  When he makes a promise, he will keep it.  He must keep it because he is truth itself.  In fact, the entire Christian faith and the gospel depend upon this very point.  God promises to save sinners who trust in Jesus Christ.  This is why the gospel is “good news,” because salvation is of the Lord and grounded in his sacred oath.  And this is why the author of Hebrews reminds the struggling church to which he is writing that gospel they have believed is grounded in God’s unshakable promise, and is not grounded upon human faithfulness, good works, or in our ability to keep our promises.  God made a promise.  He will keep that promise and the work of Jesus Christ is the proof.

As we continue our series on the Book of Hebrews, we pick up where we left off last time with Hebrews 6:1-12–the author’s stern warning not to turn away from Jesus Christ or else suffer eternal consequences.  But that warning is not the end of the author’s overall argument.  So, we will do a very brief bit of review before we turn to the specifics of our text (verses 13-20 of chapter six).

The author of Hebrews has spent the first five chapters of this remarkable book making a powerful case for the superiority of Jesus Christ.  The author has shown us from the pages of the Old Testament that Jesus is superior to angels, Moses, and the priests of Israel.  The reason why the unknown author of this epistle has made this impressive case is because the church to which he is writing is facing a serious crisis.  Many of the members of this congregation who were reading/hearing this letter were likely recent converts to Christianity from Judaism.  Yet many of  these same converts were facing intense persecution from civil authorities, or from the Jewish community they had left behind.  Because of this pressure, a number of the members of this church renounced their faith in Jesus, and had returned to the synagogue.

Since Jesus Christ as creator and redeemer is superior to all things, the author exhorts the members of this church to grow to maturity, and to know what they believe and why.  They must not neglect the great salvation accomplished for them by Jesus Christ.  But the author also warns them of the need to persevere to the end of their lives in faith.  Apostasy is a serious sin with grave consequences, and cannot be taken lightly.  However, the author of Hebrews never gives warnings, or issues threats of covenant curses without at the same time giving his readers a reason to persevere, and showing them a better way.  So, after issuing his warning in the first half of chapter six, at the end of the chapter the author reminds these struggling Christians of the glorious nature of God’s covenant promise to his people, a promise grounded in his own divine authority and truthfulness–in other words, his sacred oath.

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"The Full Assurance of Hope" -- Hebrews 5:11-6:12

The Eighth in a Series of Sermons on the Epistle to the Hebrews

In the first five chapters of the Book of Hebrews, the author has made a very powerful case for the superiority of Jesus Christ.  Jesus is superior to angels, to Moses, and to the priests of Israel.  The author of this epistle has built a powerful case because the church to which he is writing is facing a serious crisis.  A number of people in this church came to faith in Jesus Christ as converts from Judaism.  Now, apparently, a number of these same converts were facing serious persecution.  As a result, many have renounced their faith in Jesus and returned to the synagogue.  Having made his case for the superiority of Jesus Christ, at this point, the author now issues a stern warning to the members of this church to grow to maturity, to know what they believe and why, as well as warning them of the need to persevere to the end of their lives in faith.  But the nature of the warning raises an important and long-standing theological question.  Can a Christian fall away from Christ and be lost?  Can a true Christian believer lose their salvation?

We are continuing our series on the Book of Hebrews, and we now come to the author’s very direct warning about the possibility of apostasy (Hebrews 5:11-6:12).  Christ’s church has long debated the meaning of this passage–some see it as proof that a true Christian can fall away from Christ and be lost, while others see the passage as a warning for Christians not to fall away from Christ, a warning which those are truly Christ’s will heed, meaning that those who fall away were never truly Christ’s in the first place.  Unfortunately, this important debate often takes place apart from the context in which the possibility of apostasy arises, and that is the author’s warning to professing Christians about returning to Judaism.  So, as we deal with this issue, it is imperative that we keep the original context in mind.

The author’s warning takes place against the backdrop of his five chapter argument for the superiority of Jesus Christ to all things.  Repeatedly, the author has cited from well-known portions of the LXX, demonstrating that the Old Testament Scriptures foretold of Jesus Christ, Israel’s priest and king, who is the Son of God as well as the creator and sustainer of all things.  The author has shown us that the death of Jesus renders us perfect (because Jesus’ death propitiates the wrath of God), and that because Jesus suffered and was tempted as we are, we have in Jesus a high priest who sympathizes with all of our weaknesses.  Jesus is not just a great high priest, he is the great high priest.

As we turn to our text (Hebrews 5:11-6:12) and address the question as to whether or not a Christian can lose their salvation, the severity of the author’s warning soon becomes clear.

Throughout the epistle so far, the author has warned his readers about their need to persevere in their faith Jesus Christ, while at the same time giving his readers ample reason to persevere.  Jesus Christ, and the New Covenant, of which he is the mediator, is vastly superior to the Old Covenant, whose mediator was Moses, and whose priests were sinners who needed to offer sacrifices for themselves as well as for the people of God.  In this section of this epistle, however, the author breaks off his argument for the superiority of Christ’s priesthood to Israel’s priesthood, and scolds his readers for their collective spiritual immaturity, before warning them about the gravity of the sin of apostasy. 

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"A Great High Priest" -- Hebrews 4:14-5:10

The Seventh in a Series of Sermons on the Book of Hebrews

The author of Hebrews has been relentless in building his case for the superiority of Jesus Christ.  Jesus is superior to the angels–he is their creator and they worship and serve him.  Jesus is superior to Moses–Jesus is without sin, and the mediator of a better covenant with much greater promises.  The Christian Sabbath (the Lord’s Day) has much better promises than those of the Jewish Sabbath–on the Lord’s Day (Sunday) we are given a foretaste of our eternal rest, in addition to being given an opportunity to rest our weary bodies.  Beginning in verse 14 of chapter four, the author of Hebrews returns to a theme he introduced earlier in the epistle, the superiority of the priesthood of Jesus Christ to the priesthood of Israel.  The author will now spend several chapters demonstrating to his readers/hearers a number of the specific ways in which Jesus’ priesthood is superior to that of the priests of Israel.

As we continue with our series on the Book of Hebrews, this we take up what amounts to the central theme of this epistle–the superiority of Jesus Christ to all those elements in the Old Testament which pointed ahead to the coming of our Lord, yet which served as the heart of first century Judaism.  While we don’t know the name of the author of the epistle (he is likely someone well-known in the Pauline circle), and we don’t know which congregation was receiving this letter (likely a struggling house church in Rome or even Alexandria), we do know that this letter was written to church composed largely of Hellenistic Jews who were recent converts to Christianity.  Hellenistic Jews (Greek in culture, Jewish in theology) accepted the authority of the LXX (the Greek translation of the Old Testament), and many Hellenistic Jews converted to Christianity during the apostolic age.

The issue which the author of Hebrews is addressing is that many of the members of this church had made professions of faith in Christ and were baptized, but began to wilt under the pressure from their Jewish friends and family, or from the civil authorities.  Sadly, many in this church renounced Christ, and returned to the synagogue.  Others, apparently, were seriously considering doing the same thing.  Therefore, the unnamed author writes this epistle to warn the members of this church about the serious nature of the sin of apostasy.  It is no small thing to make a profession of faith in Jesus Christ, be baptized in his name, and then renounce him by returning to a religion founded upon the types and shadows which had pointed ahead to the coming of Jesus in the first place. 

To make his case, the author repeatedly appeals to the Old Testament (specifically, the LXX, seen as authoritative by his audience), demonstrating how the Old Testament writers spoke of the coming of Jesus Christ and his superiority to those things which Hellenistic Jews found central in the Old Testament.  Throughout this epistle we not only see how Jesus was hidden in the types and shadows of the Old Testament, but we, as Gentile readers two millennia removed, are given a lesson in how to read the Old Testament through the lens of the person and work of Jesus Christ.

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"A Sabbath Rest for the People of God" -- Hebrews 4:1-13

The Sixth in a Series on the Epistle to the Hebrews

For a tired and weary people, struggling in the face of all kinds of persecution, and yet striving to persevere to the end in faith, nothing sounds better than God’s promise that at the end of the journey, his people will enter his Sabbath rest.  But God’s promised Sabbath rest is not merely physical rest from earthly burdens (although this is part of what is in view).  Rest from our earthly burdens is merely an illustration of our heavenly rest which extends throughout all eternity.  And we enter this rest when we place our trust in Jesus Christ.

As we continue our series on the Book of Hebrews, I hope you are finding this series to be helpful.  I encourage you to continue to read through his book on a regular basis in preparation for these sermons.  We now move into chapter 4 of this remarkable book, and we will take up the subject of the Christian Sabbath (the Lord’s Day).  In this chapter, the author is continuing his discussion begun in the previous chapter when the author quoted the words of Psalm 95 and applied them to the congregation receiving this letter.  This section (chapter 3:7-4:13) is part of the author’s case to demonstrate the superiority of Jesus Christ to Moses, and the New Covenant to the old. 

Psalm 95 was very familiar to those Hellenistic Jews who became followers of Jesus Christ, and who composed the bulk of the congregation receiving this letter.  This particular Psalm, which was read often in the synagogues as a celebration of the arrival of the Sabbath, is divided into two parts.  The first part of the Psalm (vv. 1-7a) speaks of the proper worship of YHWH.  The second half of the Psalm (vv. 7b-11), recounts Israel’s rebellion against YHWH at Meribah in the wilderness (an event recorded in Exodus 17).  Hellenistic Jews understood the account of Israel’s rebellion as the sad story of one of the worst moments in Israel’s history, and something not to be repeated. 

The author of Hebrews uses this well-known incident in Israel’s history as a powerful warning that Israel’s rebellion against YHWH was not merely a lesson about the nation’s history–the rebellion at Meribah also serves as a warning to all those in this church who had made profession of faith in Jesus Christ, and were baptized, but who were now considering renouncing Christ and returning to the synagogue as some of their number had already done.  To renounce Jesus Christ is to do the same thing the Israelites did in the rebellion at Meribah, only the consequences are far greater because of the greater promises of the New Covenant to those of the Old.  To look at this from another angle, rejecting the New Covenant means that much more is forfeited (eternal promises) than even possible under the Old Covenant with its temporal promises and curses.

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