Sunday 21st (February)
Hebrews 1
We move this week into the book of Hebrews. This is the one book in the Bible of which we do not know who the author is. But that matters not, as it is the content of the book which is important. As I read through this book, if I was to draw a short and simple conclusion it would be that it is a book about Jesus, who he is, 1:1-2 ‘Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 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.’ what he has done, 9:12 ‘. . . he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.’ what he is doing, 9:24 ‘For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.’ and what he will do. 9:28 ‘. . . so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.’
Toward the end of the book, in the final chapter, the author writes, ‘Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.’ (13:8) He has commenced the book by telling us that the Son is the one through whom God is speaking to the world in the last days, he reminds us that Jesus is greater than the angels and greater than Moses, he talks of Jesus as being the one who has suffered for our sins, and he is the one who is seated as our great high priest in the presence of God interceding for us, and that he will come again.
There are of course, some verses in this book that we probably are very familiar with, for example Hebrews 4:12, concerning the word of God, ‘For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.’ Then almost straight after we have verse 16 that reminds us of the throne of grace, ‘Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.’ In chapter 11 we have verse 1 ‘Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen’, which continues with the list of men and women who we call the heroes of faith, and then in chapter 12 verses 1-2, ‘Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
I trust that as we go through this book we will be encouraged further in our Christian walk and that our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ of whom it is all about and that we will be enriched further. I will make the verse in Hebrews 12 our key verse as we go through this book, ‘. . . looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (v2) May we always keep our focus on Jesus, looking to him as our Saviour and looking for him as our coming King.