HEBREWS

HEBREWS 1

THE NEWS OF JESUS IS GOD’S GREATEST MESSAGE 

Throughout history, God has spoken to the nation of Israel in many ways, including the messages of the prophets. Through Jesus, God spoke in the ultimate way. The author concludes that the good news of Jesus is greater than all previous messages and messengers from God. Previously, the greatest message from God was the law given to Moses (Exodus 20), but the message of Jesus is even more powerful than the law.

Not only was Jesus present for creation, He upholds all creation. He is both the creator and Sustainer of all things. Described as the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, Jesus, through His time on Earth, provided access to God for all believers.

Jesus is the Son of God, a title that holds more authority than all the angels. Jesus is both fully human and fully God, acting as both a man and a spiritual being. God and Jesus have the relationship of a father and son, a relationship more intimate than God’s relationship with the angels. When Jesus came to Earth, He gave up his status above the angels to become human and suffer to restore God with humanity.

Hebrews 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.

HEBREWS 2

GOD CAN BE TRUSTED FOR HELP + PROTECTION

The author encourages believers to pay close attention to what they have heard, focusing on God’s Word so they do not drift away from His teaching. God has revealed himself through many signs and wonders, the greatest of them being the resurrection of Jesus. Because God has proved to be reliable, His Word can be trusted.

Quoting Psalms 8:4-8, the author reflects on God’s mindfulness and care for humanity. Jesus left His throne of glory and honor to become a suffering servant for humanity. By the grace of God, Jesus experienced death so that all who believe in Him will have eternal life. Jesus was both the founder of faith and the perfecter of faith. Trusting in the message of the gospels, the author praises God for His willingness to suffer.

Knowing that there is an enemy on Earth influencing believers, the author emphasizes how the Holy Spirit has been sent to help spiritually protect God’s people. Because Jesus Himself was tempted (Matthew 4), He is able to help those who are being tempted.

Hebrews 2:1 - Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.

HEBREWS 3

JESUS REPRESENTS A GREATER MOSES

Referring to Jesus as the high priest of the faith, the author draws attention to Jesus’ authority and holiness. Similarly, the author compares Jesus to Moses. Although Moses was faithful to God’s will, Jesus was perfect in His faithfulness and accomplished God’s plan for salvation. Just as Moses established the tabernacle (Exodus 25-31), Jesus established God’s new dwelling place within believers (Acts 2).

For the Jewish people and Jewish-Christians, Moses was seen as one of the heroes of the faith. For the author to say that Jesus was superior to Moses was both a radical and controversial statement. Moses led the Israelite people out of Egyptian exile (Exodus 13), but Jesus saved all people from death and sin! Although Moses played an important role in the history of God’s people, his life and legacy ultimately pointed to the arrival of Jesus. He was the one that the Israelites were waiting for!

Referencing Psalm 95:7–11, the author reminds the readers to willingly enter the rest of God. Although they have experienced exile and oppression, God offers confidence and peace through faith in Jesus. The author urges the followers of Jesus not to let their hearts be hardened or deceived by sin. Instead, they are instructed to hold firm in their faith and remain confident.

Remembering how the Israelites rebelled against God, the letter encourages believers to remain faithful and resist sin. Because of his disobedience to God, Moses was ultimately unable to enter the Promised Land (Numbers 20). The author warns readers not to miss out on the Kingdom of Heaven because of their unbelief.

HEBREWS 4

THE WORD OF GOD IS LIVING AND ACTIVE

Continuing the letter to the Jewish believers, the author encourages the believers to listen to God and be united by their faith. Those who trust in God’s Word are invited into the rest that He provides. During creation, God rested on the seventh day (Genesis 2) and places a high value on rest for His people. Although earthly authorities do not always prioritize rest, God commands His people to rest on the sabbath day. By striving to enter that rest, believers are increasingly protected from disobedience. God provides rest as a gift to his people and as a means to glorify Himself.

The author acknowledges God’s Word as living and active. Despite its ancient history, Scripture is alive and relevant today. God’s word is both timeless and timely! The letter describes God’s Word as a double-edged sword, an image consistent with the armor of God depicted in Ephesians 6. God’s Word is able to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Reading Scripture can result in both comfort and conviction.

Continuing the idea of Jesus as the high priest of the faith, the author emphasizes how Jesus is able to sympathize with humanity. Because He is both fully human and fully God, He is not without understanding or empathy for the human experience. Despite facing temptations, Jesus was fully without sin. Because of this, He can be trusted with confidence as a provider of mercy and grace.

Hebrews 4:12 - 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.

HEBREWS 5

JESUS AS THE ULTIMATE HIGH PRIEST 

The author elaborates on Jesus’ role of the high priest. Traditionally, the role of high priest was fulfilled by appointed men who were righteous and faithful. These men would serve as the intercessor between God and humanity. One of their primary responsibilities was providing sacrifices both for the Israelite people and for themselves. Jesus served as both the ultimate intermediary and sacrifice, dying for the sins of believers and making them right before God.

This role could only be fulfilled by those who were descendants of Aaron from the tribe of Levi, known as the priestly line. Jesus did not exalt Himself as high priest, but was appointed by God.

The author mentions Psalm 110, which says that the Savior would follow the order of Melchizedek. First mentioned in Genesis 14, Melchizedek is an example of Christ as both a king and a priest. The name Melchizedek means King of Righteousness, and he was also called King of Salem, which means peace. Jesus is also considered to be the Righteous King and the Prince of Peace.

Providing a warning for believers not to abandon their faith, the author explains that rejecting Jesus as the Savior is rejecting reconciliation with God. Instead of becoming teachers, the believers need to be taught and continue developing their faith. Once they mature in their beliefs, they will be able to practice discernment and distinguish between good and evil.

HEBREWS 6

JESUS PERSONIFIED GOD’S UNCHANGING FAITHFULNESS

Encouraging the reader to mature in the faith, the author urges them to leave behind their elementary beliefs and abandon works without faith. God is able to restore believers who have fallen away. Through repentance, God cultivates and blesses His people.​ The author places emphasis on God’s just nature and urges readers to have assurance and hope in Jesus. Believers are instructed not to have lazy or sluggish faith, but instead imitate Christ with faithfulness and patience.

Just as Abraham waited patiently and trusted God, God has shown He is patient and trustworthy because of his unchangeable nature. God made great promises to Abraham and was faithful in fulfilling those promises. Although Abraham is a great example of God’s steadfast nature, he cannot compare to Jesus who is perfect in faithfulness and obedience. The author highlights that Jesus has gone as a forerunner on behalf of believers, dying in their place and reconciling them to God.

HEBREWS 7

JESUS ACCOMPLISHED WHAT THE LAW COULD NOT

The author recalls the account of Genesis 14, where the priest Melchizedek blesses Abraham. Melchizedek serves as an image of Jesus, breaking bread, serving wine, and living as both a priest and a king. Pointing out that Jesus is not a descendant of the priestly line, the author notes how Jesus is not what the Israelites expected as the Savior. Jesus was a descendant of the line of Judah, a tribe that had never before appointed priests.

Recognizing the necessity of a Savior, the author reminds believers that they were unable to atone for their sins on their own. Sacrifices were offered in response to sin, but they were continually required. Because Jesus was sinless and perfect, He was not required to make sacrifices for Himself. Instead, He served as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of humanity. Because He was without guilt, His blood covered the guilt of others, reconciling believers to God.

Comparing the hope of Jesus to the law, the author shows how Jesus’ sacrifice was permanent and final. Through His perfect sacrifice, Jesus accomplished what the law could not. Fulfilling the law perfectly, Jesus is the guarantor of a new, better covenant.

HEBREWS 8

NOT ON STONE, BUT IN THE HEARTS + MINDS OF BELIEVERS

The author describes the priests as shadows and copies of heavenly things. The men who served as high priests were faithful examples of Jesus, providing hope and anticipation that God would send a perfect, sinless priest.

The law served the purpose of exposing sin. Because the Israelites could not keep the law, they were able to acknowledge their need for a Savior. When Jesus arrived, He established a better covenant, one that was a solution for sin. The law highlighted the need for salvation, which Jesus ultimately provided.

Remembering God’s promises to redeem the people of Israel and send a Savior, the author emphasizes how Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promises. Because God has responded to humanity’s need for a Savior, the new covenant is able to replace the old covenant. Jesus’s commands to love God and love one another have replaced the many Jewish laws. Quoting Jeremiah 31:31–33, the author recalls God’s promise to bring a new, better covenant to His people. Instead of writing the law on tablets, like the ten commandments written in stone, God will write His law on the hearts and minds of believers. Through Jesus, God will be merciful to believers and no longer count their sins against them.

Hebrews 8:12 - For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.

HEBREWS 9

THE SACRIFICE OF JESUS GRANTS BELIEVERS ACCESS TO GOD

The author describes the tabernacle, a place of worship built by Moses in Exodus 25-31. Inside the tabernacle was the Most Holy Place, the innermost room. In this space was the law written on the tablets of the ten commandments within the ark of the covenant. Above the ark was a space known as the Holy Seat, where God’s presence dwelled. The priests were the only people allowed into this area, which was separated by a large curtain.

When Jesus appeared as the ultimate high priest, He granted all believers access to God’s presence. When Jesus died, the veil in the temple was torn, representing believers unlimited access to God (Matthew 27:51). Normally, the blood of an animal was required as a sacrifice for sin. Because Jesus was without sin, compared to a spotless lamb, His sacrifice covered the sins of humanity. The blood of Jesus is far more powerful than even the most spotless animal.

Through His sacrifice, Jesus has become the mediator of the new covenant. Jesus appeared before God and paid for the sins of believers. Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, all who believe in Christ are given the inheritance of eternal life. The author encourages believers to eagerly await the return of Jesus, who will arrive again and bring believers into eternity with God.

Hebrews 9:15 - Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.

HEBREWS 10

RESPOND TO GOD’S PERFECT SACRIFICE WITH RIGHTEOUSNESS 

Focusing on the contrast of the old and new covenant, the author writes that the law was only a shadow of what was to come. Jesus was the perfect fulfillment of the law, living without sin. The author recalls the words of God and the obedience of Jesus, remembering that God desires faithfulness over sacrifices (Matthew 9:13, Hosea 6:6).

Through the perfect sacrifice of Jesus, God’s people have been sanctified once and for all. Through Jesus, God has replaced the old covenant with the new. The law required sacrifices to be made regularly, but Jesus’ death atoned for sins with a single sacrifice. Because of this perfect offering, there is no longer any need for sacrifices for sin.

The author encourages believers to draw near to God and have confidence in the blood of Jesus. God’s people are called to trust in the finished work of Jesus on the cross. Because God has kept His promise to send a Savior, believers can have assurance in their faith. The author reminds believers to regularly meet together and stir one another up in love and good works.

The believers are encouraged to persevere in the faith and not lose heart. Because they now have the knowledge of Jesus, they are warned to continue deliberately living in sin. God is merciful and gracious, but still desires holiness and righteousness from His people. The gift of salvation is not an excuse to live in sin, but a calling to pursue goodness. Followers of Jesus are instructed not to shrink back, but to endure in doing good.

HEBREWS 11

STRONG EXAMPLES OF FAITHFULNESS

Before describing many great actions of faith throughout Scripture, the author defines faith as “the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not yet seen” (11:1). The author clarifies that faith brings understanding to God’s universe. Faith in the Creator sheds light on His creation!

The author continues by sharing many occurrences of faith modeled throughout the Old Testament. Each of these actions begin with the statement “by faith,” emphasizing the value of belief in God over their own works or actions.

First, the author recalls Abel, who faithfully offered God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain. After remembering Abel’s faithfulness, the author mentions Abel’s nephew Enoch, who also pleased God (Genesis 4). Without faith it is impossible to please God, but whoever draws near to God will be rewarded.

Continuing to recall notable faithful figures, the author mentions Noah, who was reverent in building the ark without any sign of rain. Through this display of trust in God, he was able to save his family while the world was condemned (Genesis 7).

Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob believed God’s promise to make them a great nation. Abraham’s wife Sarah conceived in old age, fulfilling God’s promise to give her and Abraham as many descendants as stars in the sky (Genesis 12, 18, 21).

By faith, Abraham offered up Isaac, trusting God to provide the lamb (Genesis 22). Continuing the lineage of faith, Isaac invoked future blessings upon his sons, Jacob and Esua (Genesis 25) as well as Ephriam and Manassah the sons of Joseph (Genesis 48-49).

Through faith, Moses was hidden for three months and protected by his mother. As he grew up, Moses was faithful to the Israelites despite being raised by the Egyptian ruler (Exodus 2). In his adulthood, Moses faithfully kept the Passover, where God spared the Israelites. Following this act of faithfulness, Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt through the Red Sea, where the Egyptians drowned (Exodus 12-13).

While the Israelites were in the wilderness, Rahab was faithful and welcomed the Israelite spies. By faith, the walls of Jericho fell down after Joshua led them around the walls for seven days (Joshua 2, 6).

The chapter continues by referencing many other figures who displayed unwavering faith despite facing trials, persecutions, and challenges. These individuals endured suffering, oppression, and persecution for their faith. Although they did not all see the fulfillment of God’s promises, God ultimately provided something far better through Christ.

Hebrews 11:1 - Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

HEBREWS 12

RUN THE RACE OF FAITH WITH ENDURANCE 

The author instructs believers to throw off the sin that easily entangles them so that they can run the race of faith. Believers are called to persevere with endurance what God has set out before them. Because Jesus is the founder and perfecter of the faith, He endured the cross to bring joy and everlasting life to believers.

Reassuring believers, the author urges them not to grow weary in their faith. Instead, they are to resist sin and remember those who have endured before them. The author teaches that God corrects His people in love. God’s reparation may be more painful than pleasant in the present moment, but it later yields peace and righteousness.

Followers of Jesus are challenged to respond to God’s correction with prayer. Instead of resisting God, they are to redirect themselves on a new path. Believers are challenged to strive for peace with others and avoid bitterness.

Remembering the mistakes as Esau, who traded his inheritance for a single meal, the author encourages believers not to trade what they ultimately want for what they immediately want (Genesis 25). Faithfulness and persistence will always yield greater results than instant gratification.

The author describes Jesus as the righteous judge who makes all things perfect. Jesus is the mediator of the new covenant and the arbitrator between God and humanity. The author compares Jesus to Abel. Abel offered a sacrifice that was pleasing to God, but was unjustly murdered (Genesis 4). Although Jesus was also unjustly killed, His blood was completely without sin and greater than that of Abel’s.

The chapter ends with a warning against rejecting Jesus. Those who reject Christ also reject God’s unshakable kingdom. The author warns believers to respond to God with worship, reverence, and awe.

Hebrews 12:1-2 - 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.

HEBREWS 13

GOD WILL HELP BELIEVERS DO WHAT IS PLEASING + HONORABLE 

Because animal sacrifices are no longer necessary, the author of Hebrews outlines what is now pleasing to God, including brotherly love and hospitality. The author urges believers to remember those who are imprisoned and mistreated, many of whom had been arrested for their faith. Honoring marriage and remaining faithful in your relationships honors God as well as avoiding the love of money and material possessions.

Because God will never leave or forsake His people, believers can confidently trust God as their helper and live without fear of man. Followers of Jesus are instructed to imitate the lives of their ancestors and of leaders who spoke God’s Word. Although they will face opposition, they are taught not to be led away by false teachers or strange beliefs.

The blood of Jesus has reconciled the need for sacrifice! Instead of offering animals, believers are to do good, share with others, and maintain their faith. Ending the letter, the author refers to Jesus as the great shepherd and the eternal covenant. Whatever good deeds the believers are tasked with, Jesus will equip them with everything good.

Hebrews 13:8 - Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.