Many people are confused about the identity of Jesus Christ. Unless we understand who Jesus really is, we will not grasp His role in providing salvation from sin, nor will we acknowledge Him as the Savior. Perhaps of all the New Testament books, the letter to the Hebrews provides the most comprehensive explanation of Jesus’ identity and His superiority over everyone else.
- Introduction, God Communicates (Hebrews 1:1-2) - A question which the followers of Christ often hear is “Why are you a Christian?” Some people make the argument that the only reason some follow Christ rather than practice another religion is that they happened to be born to a Christian family or they grew up in a society that is heavily influenced by … Continue reading
- A Superior Messenger (Hebrews 1:1-4) - Ever since Adam and Eve sinned and hid from God in the Garden of Eden, God has been pursuing mankind with a message of love and redemption. Through the centuries God has tried to communicate with man in many different ways. The first 4 verses of the inspired book in the Bible which we call … Continue reading
- The Son (Hebrews 1:5-14) - There are a lot of people who like to think of Jesus as a good man. Others are prepared to accept Him as an inspired teacher. Some even say that Jesus is a prophet – one who speaks on behalf of God. But people are reluctant to acknowledge that Jesus is anything more than a … Continue reading
- Pay Attention (Hebrews 2:1-4) - The writer of the inspired book in the Bible, called Hebrews, demonstrates in the first chapter that Jesus is superior to the angels. Jesus is superior because He is not a created being. Rather, God created the universe through Him. Jesus is superior because God has given Him the name ‘Son’ and given Him all … Continue reading
- Lower, Yet Higher Than The Angels (Hebrews 2:5-9) - The inspired book of Hebrews makes it clear that Jesus Christ is superior to everyone. He is above the angels. He even shares God’s being. Yet Jesus was also a man. That being the case, what is man’s position in relation to the angels? Chapter 2, verses 5 through 9 says, “For he didn’t subject … Continue reading
- He Shared In Our Humanity (Hebrews 2:10-18) - There is a huge difference between knowing about someone and actually knowing him. For example, you might know all the details about the life of some celebrity but until you actually spend some time with him, talk with him and share some experiences with him, you can’t say that you know him. The same is … Continue reading
- Faithfulness (Hebrews 3:1-6) - Trouble is one of the constants of life. Something else which we all face is temptation. We will be prompted either to do what we shouldn’t, or not do what we ought. The difference between those who follow Christ and those who do not, is not whether they will have to face trouble and temptation, … Continue reading
- Hard Hearts (Hebrews 3:7-19) - The writer of the inspired book in the Bible we call Hebrews spends a great deal of time telling us about the supremacy of Jesus. In chapter 1 he demonstrates that Jesus is greater than the angels. In chapter 2 he writes that the salvation Jesus makes available to us is greater than the Law … Continue reading
- Rest (Hebrews 4:1-13) - What is it that makes something valuable? Is it not the worth which we ascribe to it? This is particularly true of things which we hear. Two people can hear exactly the same message. One places no value on the message and ignores it. The other values what he heard, acts on it and, as … Continue reading
- Qualified To Be High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-5:10) - The writer of the inspired book of Hebrews, in the Bible, demonstrates how Jesus Christ is superior to the angels and all other prophets. Jesus is superior even to Moses who is the greatest of the Jewish prophets and through whom God gave the Law. Jesus is not only a prophet, but also our High … Continue reading
- Spiritual Maturity (Hebrews 5:11-6:3) - The book of Hebrews demonstrates that Jesus is the greatest of God’s messengers. He is greater than the angels. He is greater than Moses. He is our High Priest who has offered the ultimate sacrifice on our behalf. By means of His sacrifice, our sins are forgiven and our relationship with God is restored. Through … Continue reading
- Don’t Fall Away! (Hebrews 6:4-12) - We receive many blessings from following Christ. Among them are being included in God’s household, help in overcoming temptation and the promise of eternal rest. However, these blessings come with a condition. We must continue to follow Christ. There are many who wish for the blessings but also want to live their lives for themselves. … Continue reading
- A Solid Promise (Hebrews 6:13-20) - It is easy to become discouraged when it seems that there is no discernible return for our hard work. It is easy to lose heart when it takes a long time to receive what someone has promised us. God has made many promises to the followers of Christ. Among them are rest from the burdens … Continue reading
- The Greatness of Melchizedek (Hebrews 7:1-10) - God is holy and righteous. There is no evil in Him. How then can we, who are sinners, ever approach Him or come into His presence? In our own strength we cannot. We need someone to intercede for us. The Bible tells us that God appointed Jesus to be High Priest. In His role as … Continue reading
- A Better Hope (Hebrews 7:11-22) - Mankind’s greatest problem is not poverty or the unequal distribution of resources. It is not the prevalence of disease. It is not even the pursuit of peace which seems to elude each generation. No, mankind’s greatest problem is separation from God because of sin. God is holy and righteous. There is no evil in Him. … Continue reading
- He Meets Our Need (Hebrews 7:23-8:2) - Why does anyone need to follow Jesus? Didn’t God already give His Law to us through Moses? Didn’t God already establish priests by the Law to intercede for us and to offer sacrifices to atone for our sins? Since this is so, why did God find it necessary to establish a different priesthood? Why did … Continue reading
- Superior Ministry – Superior Covenant (Hebrews 8:3-13) - In the first seven chapters, the writer of the inspired book in the Bible called Hebrews demonstrates that Jesus is superior to angels and Moses. Jesus has a higher position than anyone else. He is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven. Jesus has also been appointed as our … Continue reading
- Two Tabernacles (Hebrews 9:1-15) - Some ideas and concepts are hard to understand. This is particularly true in regard to spiritual things. God is our Creator and is beyond our understanding. Nevertheless, it is important that we understand some things about Him. God wants us to know Him and He wants to restore the relationship which we have broken because … Continue reading
- Two Sacrifices (Hebrews 9:16-28) - Many people are offended by the teachings of Christianity. Perhaps the most objectionable teaching is that Jesus Christ sacrificed His life for ours. The Apostle Paul writes, “Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,” (1 Corinthians 1:22-23 NIV) Regardless of … Continue reading
- A Body You Prepared (Hebrews 10:1-10) - If a certain activity accomplishes its purpose or intent, there is no point in continuing it. The reason for the activity has been accomplished. For example, if we have succeeded in lifting an animal out of a hole by means of a rope, there is no reason to continue pulling on the rope. The rope … Continue reading
- By One Sacrifice (Hebrews 10:11-25) - The inspired book of Hebrews spends a great deal of time demonstrating that Jesus is superior to other prophets. He is superior even to angels. In fact, He is the exact representation of God. Because Jesus is superior to all others, He is also a superior priest and the sacrifice He made for sin is … Continue reading
- Do Not Throw Away Your Confidence (Hebrews 10:26-39) - We often do not understand the value of something we have until it is taken away and we no longer enjoy the benefits of it. For example, we might not appreciate our bicycle very much until it is stolen and we are forced to walk. Then we realize how great a blessing the bicycle was. … Continue reading
- Commended (Hebrews 11:1-7) - What enables us to believe things of which we have no direct experience? It is our confidence in the character of the person who tells us of them. The strength of our belief of what we have been told is in proportion to the trustworthiness of the person who told us. For example, the Apostle … Continue reading
- Abraham’s Example (Hebrews 11:8-19) - The followers of Christ to whom the inspired book of Hebrews was written, were experiencing difficulties and hardship because of their faith. As a result, they were discouraged and some were even thinking about leaving Christ. Hebrews points out that God will richly reward the faith and perseverance of those who remain true to their … Continue reading
- Living By Faith (Hebrews 11:20-31) - The Bible teaches us that it is impossible to please God without faith. Jesus often rebuked His disciples for their lack of faith. But what are the characteristics of faith? If a person were to live his life by faith, what would his life look like? After giving the example of Abraham, the inspired book … Continue reading
- The World Was Not Worthy (Hebrews 11:32-40) - Some people embrace a particular religion because they think that it will raise their social or economic status. Still others think that joining a particular religion will make God happy with them and their troubles will go away. Those who decide to follow Christ for these kinds of reasons are sure to be disappointed. Though … Continue reading
- For Our Good (Hebrews 12:1-13) - The book of Hebrews points out that many times people undergo suffering and persecution as a result of their faith. In chapter 11 there is an extensive list of the things people suffered in order to remain faithful to God. If the people of old had to suffer as a result of their faith, it … Continue reading
- Do Not Refuse (Hebrews 12:14-29) - It is easy to become discouraged when we face hardship or persecution for our faith. However the inspired book of Hebrews teaches us that God allows the followers of Christ to experience suffering as a form of discipline. There are some things which can only be learned through hardship. It is not God’s intent to … Continue reading
- Living In The Covenant (Hebrews 13:1-16) - Becoming a follower of Christ brings us into a covenant relationship with God. A covenant is a relationship of mutual caring where each party puts the interests of the other ahead of his own. However, our relationship with God also affects our relationship with other people who are in the Covenant. The book of Hebrews, … Continue reading
- Equipped With Everything Good (Hebrews 13:17-25) - The book of Hebrews was written to people who were suffering because of their faith in Jesus Christ. Some of them were wavering in their faith and were thinking of returning to the Law of Moses. Hebrews emphasizes the superiority of Christ, and reminds us of the example of the people of faith who have … Continue reading