We are going to continue with our study of Hebrews next week. Considering that we are wrapping up the holiest week of the year with Easter this Sunday, we thought it would be fitting to write a devotion about the sufficiency of Jesus Christ.
The writer of Hebrews was reassuring troubled and persecuted Jewish Christians that Christ, not the Old Testament Law, was/is the true path for to salvation. At that time, they were still more comfortable with their Old Testament rituals and sacrifices for their salvation than they were with the promises from the blood of Jesus.
Despite our greed, envy, selfishness, and brokenness, thanks to Jesus our middleman, God looks at us in the present, forgives us, and wipes the board clean. Seated at the right hand of God, Jesus is the better priest who fulfills a better covenant. This new covenant involves a closer relationship between God and His people than any laws or human can deliver.
Since the outbreak of Covid-19 (Coronaviurs), life has been deeply troubling and challenging for all of us. Especially troubling, is that no knows WHEN things will return to normal. No one knows IF things will return to normal as we know it. The more news and experts I listen to, the more confused and anxious I get. So, I stay informed and I also rely on a greater expert to rest all my fears on.
Hebrews 6 begins with the writer teaching his followers to recognize their level of spiritual maturity. He stressed that we can not reach perfection in our earthly lives, but that we can reach a place of maturity in our faith and love of Jesus.
In order to be in the high priesthood, you must be called by God and God alone. The writer of Hebrews asked if is Jesus qualified for the office of high priest? You might be wondering why are we so focused on this since we already know Jesus is holy?
God has made a place for us to rest — no more work, no more sin, no more greed, jealousy, or anger. The writer of Hebrews was using the concept of God’s rest with different meanings. This could include, rest in the peace of God, rest in the promised Land, and a mirrored rest of God after the 6th day of Creation. The promise of the rest of God for his people still abides; the danger is that we fail to reach it.
When we read the Bible, do we really stop and really pour over the meaning behind the words of scripture? It’s tempting to scan it like a text book in school. Hebrews 3 warned the Jewish Christians at that time (and us) how perilous it is to stray from our belief. As believers, we are Christ’s church and body. Once we have this status, it’s an attack on God to abandon our faith.
Active faith, like most things in life, requires constant work. When you don’t have a firm grasp on something is when things tend to slip away. Hebrews 2 emphasized the importance of staying close to the truth of the message of Jesus Christ. The message first spoken through angels, then Christ, then signs, miracles, and declarations from Christ’s disciples, represents total truth and is binding.
This month, we will be focusing on the encouraging text of the book of Hebrews. There is a lot of speculation as to who wrote this letter, but there is a consensus about the purpose. The letter was primarily written to Jewish believers of Christ, who placed great importance on the prophets of the Old Testament.
