Kingdom Disciples

A key point of the Letter to Hebrews is the victory of the Son on behalf of his people, and his exalted position at the “ right hand ” of God as their High Priest “ after the order of Melchizedek .” He alone secured what none of his predecessors did or could. Through his self-sacrificial death, he “ achieved the purification of sins ,” then he “ sat down ” in the “ true and greater Tabernacle ” in God’s very presence where now he intercedes for his saints.

The Letter to the Hebrews exhorts believers not to abandon Jesus when difficult times come by emphasizing the superiority and finality of what God has accomplished in His “ Son .” The word “ spoken ” in Jesus is superior to the earlier and preparatory revelations provided “ in the prophets .” The Letter does this by comparing the Levitical system with its incomplete provisions and repeated sacrifices to the “ better ” priesthood and “ once for all ” sacrifice of the “ Son .”

The Letter to the Hebrews is structured around a series of comparisons that demonstrate the superiority of the “ word spoken in the Son ” over every past revelation “ spoken in the prophets ,” including Moses. Jesus surpasses even the Great Lawgiver. The previous prophetic words provided by the Hebrew prophets were true but partial, promissory, and preparatory. But now, “ upon the last of these days ,” God has “ spoken ” with great finality in one who is a “ Son .”

In John’s Gospel, Jesus is presented as the true Tabernacle where God dwells and His glory is seen. Unlike the ancient structure with its inner sanctuary that only the high priest could enter, His glory is manifested for all men to see. No longer is His presence limited by physical walls and geographic boundaries. And in Jesus of Nazareth, the Father and the Creator of all things is worshipped anywhere and anytime “ in spirit and truth .”

After urging believers to enter God’s “ rest ,” the Letter to the Hebrews presents a description of the powerful word of God. It then returns to the subject of the Son’s priesthood “ after the order of Melchizedek .” Believers must strive to enter His “ rest ” while the opportunity remains - “ TODAY, hearken to His voice .” In contrast, Israel refused to believe the words of Yahweh, therefore, Joshua could not lead the generation that came out of Egypt into the Promised Land.

The Letter continues with its analogy to Israel’s rebellion in the wilderness, thereby summoning believers not to make the same error of unbelief and fail to enter God’s “ rest .” In the desert, Yahweh decreed that the generation of Israelites that fled from Egypt would not enter the Promised Land. And so, disciples of Jesus who fail to “ hold fast the beginning of their confidence firm unto the end ” will face a similar fate. They will not inherit the promises of God.

After expounding on the “ household of God ” and demonstrating the superiority of the Son  over Moses ,  Hebrews  continues with a lesson drawn from the history of Israel. During its sojourn in the wilderness, the Israelites complained bitterly against the “ servant of God ,” for leading them to a place with insufficient water supplies. Consequently, God decreed that the generation of Israelites freed from Egyptian bondage would not enter the Promised Land.

The priesthood of Jesus is a key subject in the  Letter to the Hebrews . He became the “ merciful and faithful High Priest ” who now intercedes for “ his brethren ” from the presence of God. This subject was anticipated in the Letter’s opening paragraph, including the uniqueness of his priesthood, when the Author declared that he “ achieved the purification of sins ,” and then afterward, he “ sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on High .”

The first literary section of the  Letter to the Hebrews  concludes with an exhortation and an ominous warning. Any believer who fails to heed the far “ better word ” that God is now speaking in His Son will suffer an even “ sorer punishment ” than the rebellious Israelites received when they disobeyed the Mosaic Law. At Mount Sinai, the  Torah  was mediated to Moses by angels. Nevertheless, it was God’s word – He was its source – and therefore lawbreakers were punished severely.

The first chapter of  Hebrews  emphasizes the supremacy of the High Priest who sits at the “ right hand of the Majesty on high .” First, the eternal sovereignty of God is described (“ Your throne, O God, is to times everlasting ”). Next, the qualifications of the Son for the priesthood are stated (“ You loved righteousness and hated lawlessness ”). This leads to the Letter’s first exhortation at the beginning of Chapter 2. Considering the excellency of the Son’s name and status, any failure to heed the “ word spoken ” in him will result in horrific consequences.

The definitive “ word ” that God now speaks “ in the Son ” surpasses all the past revelations made in “ the prophets ,” including Moses. Jesus went beyond them, “ having achieved the purification of sins .” Consequently, he “ sat down ” at the right hand of God and inherited “ all things .” And among other things, his exaltation signaled the commencement of the promised “ New Covenant .”

The Son achieved the “ purification of sins ,” and therefore, he qualified to “ sit down at the right hand of the majesty on high .” In this exalted position as the High Priest “ after the order of Melchizedek ,” he intercedes for his people. And he inherited a “ more distinguished name ,” namely, that of “ Son .” And in Chapter 1, the  Letter to the Hebrews  demonstrates that this “ Son ” and High Priest is vastly superior to even creatures as mighty and glorious as angels.

The  Letter to the Hebrews  next demonstrates the superiority of the  sonly word  by comparing it to Moses, Israel’s Great Lawgiver. Implicit in its argument is the priority of the “ word spoken in the Son ” over even the Mosaic legislation, and at this point in the Letter, the comparison is most appropriate. Moses certainly did mediate God’s law to Israel and was the greatest of the prophets. Nevertheless, the “ Son ” surpasses even him in status and glory.

Having established his priestly qualifications, the  Letter to the Hebrews  proceeds to present Jesus as the High Priest who intercedes faithfully and sympathetically for his people. He participated fully in the nature and sufferings common to all men, therefore, his priestly intercession for his “ brethren ” is marked by his compassion for them. The “ Son ” experienced the same death that is common to all men and women, and in doing so, he qualified for the priesthood “ after the order of Melchizedek .” But what set him apart from other men was his sinlessness.

According to  Hebrews , God has spoken His decisive and superior “ word ” in His son. Moreover, He did so “ upon the last of these days .” This clause refers to the end of the period epitomized by the Levitical code with its priesthood and repeated animal sacrifices, a system of worship that was centered in the Tabernacle, and later, in the Temple in Jerusalem. With the exaltation of the Son to the “ right hand of the Majesty on High ,” a new and final era of salvation has commenced.