Hebrews –

The Covenant Fulfilled in Christ Jesus

In this book . . . we have an extended sermon. This would be a great book to read aloud – just as sermons are delivered! I find that so many of the passages of this book benefit from being said out loud. Remember, until the 1500’s, this was the only way Christians received the Word – through hearing it read!


God’s Grace in Hebrews

By detailing the work of Jesus as the Christ – Prophet, Priest and King, the grace of God shines through in Hebrews. God made His supreme and final revelation to human beings through Jesus, who is far above the prophets of the OT and above angels. He suffered, died and arose for all people and won salvation for believers. Through the work of our great High Priest we have the “New Testament” with God; the new covenant, far superior to the animal sacrifices in the OT.

From the Lutheran Study Bible:

Blessings for readers:

·  In the letter to the Hebrews, you will learn how to appreciate the OT most deeply and apply it to your life. As you read Hebrews, reflect on the great changes Jesus brought about when He fulfilled the laws and the promises of the old covenant. Take note of how all of Holy Scripture bears witness to this great work (see also pages xlv-xlvii in The Lutheran Study Bible), which Jesus accomplished on the cross for your salvation. Because He stands now in heaven, interceding for you, pray for God’s help and blessings with all boldness.

Challenges for readers:

·  The writer – The Epistle to the Hebrews is actually a sermon (“word of exhortation” – 3:22) with a brief letter attached (13:20-25). The writing describes the temple sacrifices as though they were still in use and describes a persecution, which may be Emperor Nero’s persecution of Christians at Rome. The sermon-writer’s name was not provided, nor was his name recorded by early Christian historians. Despite this, churches of the Easter Roman Empire (Greek and Syriac-speaking) have always welcomed the book as part of the NT. However, the anonymity of the sermon and some challenging content limited its approval for public reading in churches of the Western Roman Empire. Yet, Hebrews was highly regarded (cited by Clement of Rome, c. AD 96), and by the fourth century, it became part of the Western canon of Scripture. The apostolic content of the sermon is attested in 2:3. Over the centuries, many different authors have been proposed, but none of these proposals are fully convincing. The earliest known copy containing much of the Pauline Epistles, (Papyrus 46 – c. AD 200) includes Hebrews just after Romans, attesting to the value of the book and bearing witness to the early tradition that Paul might be its author. Modern interest in feminism has encouraged some commentators to propose that the sermon was written by Priscilla / Prisca, a learned woman described in Acts 18, 1 Corinthians 16:19, 2 Timothy 4:19. However, the writer of Hebrews clearly refers to himself as a man (e.g., the participle for “tell” in 11:32 is masculine). The authorship of the letter remains a mystery.

·  Christ’s Death and Atonement – Hebrews argues forcefully that the crucifixion of Jesus is the one and only sacrifice for sins, which is not repeated or honored by further sacrifices. His death was a necessary payment and ransom for the sins of all people (see ch. 9). Christ is our sympathetic High Priest and one Mediator for salvation.

·  Melchizedek – Following the example of Psalm 110, the writer of Hebrews provides an extensive comparison between this ancient priest of Salem (Jerusalem) and Jesus. The Dead Sea Scrolls and other early Jewish literature show a similar interest in the priesthood of Melchizedek, who was viewed as the first to establish priestly services at or near the site where the temple was built. Using Melchizedek as an illustration is one reason why the audience for Hebrews is considered to be a Jewish-Christian congregation.

·  Sabbath Rest – Hebrews wonderfully explains how the OT Sabbath (Saturday) foreshadowed the rest and peace of Christian faith and of heaven. In contrast with modern Adventism, which scares people with warnings that God will judge them for worshiping on Sunday rather than Saturday, Hebrews properly focuses on receiving the benefits of God’s Word based on repentance and faith, not on observance of a calendar. (Also see The Lutheran Study Bible notes on Hebrews 10:1, Colossians 2:16-17 and pages 200-201, 1764.)

In Eleven Words or Less:

Jesus Christ is the “real deal;” the High Priest we need.

Total time to read the book aloud: 42 minutes.
Reading Plan for Hebrews

We are presenting this book for reading during Holy Week. There’s a lot of reading to do. If you can, read the book today or in two sittings.

If you can’t read it all, read what you can, as much as you can. And God bless you as you continue to read His Word and grow in it.

As always, think of listening to the book. We suggested at the head of this article to read the book aloud. Another way to accomplish the same goal is to go online, we suggest Biblegateway.com, go to the bottom of the home page and click “Listen to the Bible.” You will have a choice of translations and a choice of platforms.

Keep reading! A leading Christian is a reading Christian.

A word about faith . . .

Chapter 11:1 – Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, and certain of what we do not see.

Faith is confident reliance on the word of God’s grace and certainty about future unseen realities, as numerous examples in the OT testify. These great heroes of faith are a great encouragement to us to persevere, rejoicing in the salvation won by Jesus Christ through the grace of God.