INTRODUCTION: This book has not easy to jump into. I found the first chapter beautifully written, but not unlike poetry, I wasn't sure of the direction the author was going. Or maybe I just needed to better understand who was writing and to whom? Or what is the overall point of this book? I found I had more questions than answers and that perhaps I needed to read the entire book first, find other books to read with this one before starting this process. But, we are in this together, learning, reading, studying... so I went back to the beginning of Hebrews in my bible and read the introduction and then reread the first chapter. I found it incredibly helpful so I would like you to first read this passage from the introduction in my study bible.
"Conscientious consumers shop for value, the best products for the money. Wise parents desire only the best for their children, nourishing their growing bodies, minds, and spirits. Individuals with integrity seek the best investment of time, talents, and treasures. In every area, to settle for less would be wasteful, foolish, and irresponsible. Yet it is a natural pull to move toward what is convenient and comfortable.
Judaism was not second-rate or easy. Divinely designed, it was the best religion, expressing true worship and devotion to God. The commandments, the rituals, and the prophets described God's promises and revealed the way to forgiveness and salvation. But Christ came, fulfilling the Law and the Prophets, conquering sin, shattering all barriers to God, freely providing eternal life.
The message was difficult for Jews to accept. Although they had sought the Messiah for centuries, they were entrenched in thinking and worshiping in traditional forms. Following Jesus seemed to repudiate their marvelous heritage and Scriptures. With caution and questions they listened to the gospel, but many rejected it and sought to eliminate this "heresy." Those who did accept Jesus as the Messiah often found themselves slipping back into familiar routines, trying to live a hybrid faith. The message of Hebrews is that Jesus is better, Christianity is superior, Christ is supreme and completely sufficient for salvation."
So the study of Hebrews is in essence an argument for Christianity. A book that shows us why Jesus is the answer. Perhaps a question is the best way to title this study. "Why am I a Christian? The book of Hebrews"
In preparation for this study one author said that many scholars agree that Hebrews is one of the most well written books in the bible. If you just look at the language, it is beautifully crafted and obviously written by an incredible writer. However, we do not know who the author is. There are lots of theories but no conclusive answers. So we will just leave it at- inspired by God.
I think the most important knowledge for me is that this book was written for a group of people who were having a difficult letting go of what they had always known and believed. This book was written for Christian Jews. They had already accepted the message, believed in Jesus Christ but were loosing site of Him. It was written for a group of people who were taking the easy route, the comfortable route, were unwilling to take a bold stand. This was written for a group of people who liked their traditions, liked their culture, and were often choosing it over truth. Perhaps I am a little bit that way too? Perhaps I am comfortable going through the motions, doing what I have always done, choosing culture over truth. Is this me?
As we start this study I want to encourage each of us to ask ourselves the question,
1. Am I willing to step forward and without fear follow Jesus?
2. Am I willing to make sure I keep Him front and center in my life?
3. Am I willing to stop relying on church culture to assure myself that I'm safe and make sure I'm daily going down a path of following Jesus, daily choosing HIM?
4. Am I willing?"
Thank you for taking this journey together! Let's get started!
Read Hebrews 1:1-2
1. In the past how did God speak to the Jews?
2. What changed?
3. In verse 2 the author establishes Him as God by referring to what event?
4. Why is this important or is it?
This short passage is stating a lot that perhaps makes them quite uncomfortable. First they were a people who had always know of God speaking through the prophets. They had memorized the passages from the moment they could speak and it was part of who they were. If it had just been said that Jesus was a prophet it wouldn't have been very difficult for them to grasp or accept. That was part of them. However for this man to be the long awaited Savior was a huge shift, a huge change and one hard to swallow.
Have you ever been more comfortable in the waiting or dreaming stage than the reality? This spring and summer is all about huge events in my life. Two weeks ago at Mount Pisgah Academy we celebrating 100 years! Five years ago I spoke with the principal and asked if we could form a committee to plan the event and get started right away. I was sure if we were going to put on a celebration deserving of 100 years we would need to start 5 years out. So he agreed and I became chair of the Centennial Celebration Committee. For five years I planned, dreamed, and worked toward the event. I had visions in my head of what the event would look like, sound like, feel like. I hoped for big and glorious things to take place. I wanted beautiful amazing music, beautiful surroundings, inspirational speakers. We planned and planned. Well I must confess when the event arrived I almost didn't recognize it. There was a let down afterward that I had a hard time understanding. I finally realized that I built it up to be something in my mind that could never happen. Something that was so magnificent it could only live there. Don't get me wrong, the weekend was spectacular! God blessed and what a weekend it was, but it just didn't match what had been in my head and heart for 5 long years. You might say it was even better than my dreams it just didn't match. We are also fast approaching my son's wedding. I'm excited, but the closer we get to the event, I am realizing it will also be nothing like what I have built up in my head. I will not be skinny all of a sudden, and I will not have it all together. It will be amazing but it will not be what I built it up to be.
I think the Jews and maybe even we are the same with Jesus. Everything they did, every part of being a Jew pointed them to the messiah coming. I'm sure they had a very clear picture as they dreamed of that day. They dreamed and KNEW what he would be like, look like, how he would talk, and what he would mean to their people. They didn't just dream for 5 years about this event, they had ALWAYS dreamed of this event. They liked dreaming of this event. They were comfortable with their vision of how it would come to pass. They loved the dreaming of meeting their Messiah, but reality didn't match their dreams and so he was questioned and not recognized. They also had to let go of the dream. I must confess the last couple weeks have been hard for me. I have had to let go of dreaming about the centennial celebration. It is over. No more dreaming. There is almost a let down. It is a bit uncomfortable. I have been used to having that in my thoughts for so long. Imagine if it had been my whole life. I'd be in a bad way right now! :)
Right off the bat the author is letting them know He is not just a prophet but the very one who created the universe. He is God. He might not have been what they expected but He IS God.
Read Hebrews 1:3-4
This passage speaks to the visual person in me. "the radiance of God's glory", "the exact representation of his being," these are visual phrases.
The Jews had their visual of who God was and who the Messiah would be. Jesus didn't fit. Here the author is saying, even the visual IS right. He IS God, he looks like him, works like him, IS HIM!
Has there ever been a point in your life when you questioned who God/Jesus is?
Have you ever been disillusioned by His representatives?
Have you ever been challenged to think about something in a new way?
How did you handle that?
Is it possible for the church to look "right", but miss completely?
Do you, do we really KNOW JESUS?
This week, I challenge you to SEEK JESUS! At the core of our church we yearned for HIM! Our desire to be with him was so strong, that we sat up all night waiting, facing ridicule, facing rejection, giving up everything, but so excited, because all we wanted was to be with JESUS. So now, generations later, are we still seeking HIM. Are we in danger of knowing what it will be like when he comes, knowing the prophesies, spreading the gospel and missing it, because our dream doesn't match with His reality. The prophesies the Jews knew and loved were right and they even had them right! Every part of their worship and culture pointed to the real Messiah, yet they still missed him. Is it possible that we have it all right but could still miss Jesus?
Seek Him.
List 5 verses about Jesus, and who he is.
Memorize one new verse this week. Don't choose John 3:16 to memorize, you already know it. It can be one of your 5 but choose a new verse to memorize about Jesus.
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