Hebrews, Why It Is An Important Epistle To Study

[HKHaugan]

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Hebrews, Why It Such An Important Epistle To Study

One of the great contributions of the Epistle to the Hebrews is its message to believers in every century. That message is simple. Jesus is the ever-present eternal reality and hope for every mind, heart and spirit and therefore the underlying reality to which every theme in the epistle points. Whatever you do, if you value your true life, don’t lose it by giving Him up.
The message has three parts. First, Jesus Christ is the essence of reality. Salvation is in Him alone. Secondly, faith in Jesus Christ masters worldly pressure regardless of its source whether it be religious, social, economic, political, familial or friends. Third, Jesus Christ is the one, the only eternal high priest who

can enable us to function as God designed. No institution, tradition, or good intention can replace or substitute for His personal presence in our lives.

Somewhere before 70AD the Body of Christ had grown significantly in Palestine and was spreading into the surrounding world. It was drawing severe persecution from Jewish authorities and from Roman occupiers who feared it might start a political uprising. The appeal of the writer of this epistle is concerned that some of the Jews who accepted Jesus as the Messiah have fallen away from Jesus and are rejecting their new faith. One can only surmise the pressures they were facing. Because of their new faith

could it be the threat of losing a job, family conflict, social harassment, souring friendships and religious authorities?

The writer doesn’t speak to those issues. He knows them well. They are standard fare for believers. He speaks to something far deeper, the core of spiritual reality. It is Jesus they are rejecting and to do so would mean their salvation was at stake. The temptation to give in to pressure for momentary worldly security faces everyone. But to give up life itself, which is the person of Jesus, is spiritual suicide. And that is the bottom line choice in every next moment.

As you read, the urgent appeal to the readers becomes apparent. The choice between Jesus and compromising our eternity faces us every next moment. That is the reason for the epistle and the way it is
written. Its foundation is established quickly in the first chapter and then proceeds into a well thought-out
progression of ideas as each chapter moves forward on the basis of each preceding chapter.

In Chapter 1 the emphasis is on Jesus as God the Son, the One through whom the universe came into being and how He is the exact likeness of God. He is the God of historic Judaism and Hebrew Scripture verifies it. In Chapter 2 we are called to maintain focus on Jesus who was revealed through signs, wonders, miracles and spiritual gifts. He is the author of salvation, the One who makes men holy. He did this by becoming

a man whose perfect priesthood was realized when He chose in faith to sacrifice His life to make atonement for the sins of all people.

In Chapter 3 the shift is made from Moses as the historic central servant of God to Jesus as the only Son of God. As such He is the only one qualified to exercise what the priesthood is all about and that is faith and that faith is always a perfect present faith. He exemplifies what real contact with God is all about and that is faith. In essence what the progression of themes here shows us is that Jesus is the only priest who can minister the heart of spiritual reality and that is faith. The subtlety of sin becomes apparent. It causes us to rely on structure, tradition and form as a substitute for every-next-moment faith. This is the temptation when times get rough emotionally, physically, intellectually and spiritually.

In Chapter 4 the theme of faith is carried forward again and will be a constant one throughout the epistle. Without faith we can’t enter God’s rest. You can’t substitute the form of Sabbath worship and legal
obedience for personal rest in Jesus. The nub of faith is Jesus having been our personal Savior and securing us to Him as He traveled through the heavenly realms unscathed and with Holy perfection. From Oneness in God to oneness with man to Oneness over death in our place and Oneness in return to
the Father through the Spirit and all done in faith. Thus we can approach the throne of grace with assurance and confidence every next moment.

In Chapters 5-10 the writer zeroes in on the absolute core of individual truth and experience as he exposes not only his heart and mind but his personal spirit as well. His emphatic plea is to consider, remember, return and be absorbed every next moment in the functional reality of Jesus as priest, high priest, The High

Priest of eternity. He has been, is and always will be that personal go-between for each of us. He always stands as our Mediator. He stands in the gap between good and evil, the devil and our sin, the Father and us and all through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit He has secured for us through His death and
resurrection.

It is the priesthood of Jesus that is so eloquently presented in this epistle. Nowhere else in the Bible do we get as clear a picture of what Revelation teaches as Jesus being the Temple, the One who rides His steed victoriously across the pages of history, His garments carrying the elegant color of His shed blood becoming the glorious cover for our sins for all eternity. His Word, His teachings, miracles, wonders, blessings and spiritual gifts are spread before us like a banquet table as He presides at the head as

we bring our minds, hearts and spirits as the place mats laid out ready before Him. This epistle is that
significant and that important. Like every document in the Bible having its unique offering, Hebrews is special in its image of Jesus as High Priest presiding in our personal temple. The why will be dealt with in our next writing. Hint---1Peter 2:9.