Hebrews 4:14-16-- Yet He Did Not Sin

Scripture: Hebrews 4:14-16

The imagery of the last section--the Bible as terrifying, double-edged sword--concludes the letter's tangent(s) about Jesus' message being more pressing than Moses' and the angels' because of His superiority to them. The author now returns to the point (s)he was making a few chapters earlier about Jesus' office as our high priest being one of the reasons for His humanity.

And while the tail end of chapter 4 could easily be grouped with what follows in chapter 5 about the superiority of Jesus' priesthood to Aaron's, this part is so good that I wanted to dwell on it separately today.

Hebrews 4:12-13-- Nothing is Hidden

Scripture: Hebrews 4:12-13

I grew up in a family with a spiritual situation like many others: we went to church regularly, but I didn't have any real dealings with God the other six days of the week. One episode, I think, particularly highlights this interesting tension.

I was in high school, and I had for the first time become really interested in Jesus and my faith. One day, I wanted to use a Bible for some reason-- whether to consult a particular passage or just to read, I don't remember. At any rate, I asked my mom if we had one and the search began. That search ended with me holding a dusty copy of a King James Bible. (Seek, and ye shall find... a stodgy, outdated, nigh unreadable translation of a book.)

Hebrews 4:1-11-- To Enter That Rest

Scripture: Hebrews 4:1-11

Have you ever created something?

Of course you have. We all make things all the time. I guess what I mean is, have you ever really created something? There are many different kinds of masterpieces: songs, stories, pictures, woodwork, math proofs (trust me), meals (I'll trust you)... 

Hebrews 3-- If Indeed We Hold

Scripture: Hebrews 3

Hebrews 3 continues the argument from Hebrews 1 and 2: Jesus is greater than the iconic figures of God's revelation in times past, and thus we must reckon all the more seriously with His word.

Now, if you're like me, your attention span lasts somewhere between "literally no time has elapsed" and "the time it takes for someone to jump in and correct a misuse of the word literally". In fact, for some of us, that joke was too long to hold our attention. So, it can be tough when the author of Hebrews starts his letter by drawing out an argument for three whole chapters (and counting).