My husband and I were walking back to our car after a recent event. We had parked two miles away on a hilltop because of the large number of people in attendance. As we returned to our vehicle we came by a small creek which meandered through the countryside. But because of recent heavy rainfall, the creek was now a fast torrent of high water. Many people were in the same boat as we were, our car was on the other side and it was necessary to cross over.
Some brave souls tried to jump the creek falling short and into the water. Some tried to climb down water carved earth to walk through the water and up the other side. Some refused to attempt anything waiting for someone to pick them up. And some, like us looked for the bridge that was built across the creek to safely get us to the other side.
The book of Hebrews is like this. It is the bridge that believers must understand in order to safely navigate life. This bridge is the connection piece between the Old Testament and the New. These covenants are completely different and yet many Christians try approaching God on the basis of Old Testament Law instead of New Testament faith. Unless you understand the role of Jesus and the better and more perfect covenant He offers, you will be like those people who tried to jump across the creek and wound up wet and frustrated.
To understand the Old in relation to the New we must look at it in light of who Jesus is and what Jesus did. This is because Christ changed everything! His short time on this earth changed the course of history forever. His entrance into humanity was the pinnacle of the ages. He came to show us God in a living and breathing way. A way we had not previously understood. God's true and entire nature was made manifest in the person of Jesus Christ.
The entire Old Testament spoke of and looked forward to the time of Christ. It has always been about Him. The sacrificial system was a symbol of Jesus. Every instruction and ritual was a type and shadow of Christ. And the Law is what Christ would fulfill in our stead. It is the story of Jesus. And now that He has come we can appreciate it in a new and wonderful way.
This is why understanding Hebrews will change your perspective in so many ways. It will solve some of the big questions about God that Christians ask. It will reconcile the differences in the covenants and give you a clear and true picture of God. Over the next year, I will be writing verse by verse through this book in hopes to gain a deeper revelation of Jesus. I hope to convey the awesomeness of our faithful high priest and show Jesus as our eternal king, Lord and savior.
Here's a small taste of some of the topics we will cover:
- Jesus' role in the Godhead
- Jesus' role in salvation
- Jesus' superiority to angels
- Jesus' superiority to Moses and the Law
- Jesus' role as our High Priest before God
- The differences between the Old and New Covenants
- The superiority of the New Covenant
- Dwelling in a constant state of Sabbath Rest
- The sufficiency of Christ's sacrifice
- Total forgiveness
- Approaching God with a clear conscience
- Entering into the Holy of Holies
- How faith pleases God
- The changelessness of Christ
- Much, Much More!
Please join me as I start this journey! It will be a wonderful, life changing adventure. God bless you as you seek Him and the truth of Jesus Christ!
