Our vision for community is clear – to be places of radical welcome, of openness, of generosity. However, we know we only get there through a transformation of our own hearts. This vision that we have is one that stems right from the birth of the church and it’s a corporate journey we take together but it’s also something that each of us is invited to play a part in. Let’s reset and revive our vision for communities as we begin the year.

Our vision for rebuilding the walls requires us to see the reality of the pain in our city just like Nehemiah did, scaling the ruined walls by night. Also like Nehemiah we hold in our heart the dream we feel God has given us (v12) and after, we gather the people, the church and say, let’s do this together. Let’s begin this year with a commitment to God, a commitment to one another and a commitment to our city to see God’s Kingdom come.

Christmas message in the Carols by Candlelight gathering

Christmas message in the Christmas Special gathering.

The final instructions as we close this book remind us to seek the good, to be open handed with what we have and to let our leaders lead us joyfully, demonstrating to us again that it does matter how we live and act. But, these instructions, this whole journey of Hebrews is sealed by something incredibly powerful – a benediction. The benediction is not just a perfunctory end to a letter. Benediction means, ‘good word’ – it is the writer's way of bestowing the blessing of God on us, God’s ‘good word’ coming to fruit in our lives. The benediction, the blessing here is to know that our God is one of peace, who has resurrected us in his Son and that in him we have everything we need to live as we should regardless of changing times and shifting circumstances. We end as we began three months ago: it was, is and always will be – Jesus.

Once more, our instructions continue – show hospitality, you never know who you’re entertaining, remember those in prison as if you were there with them, that’s how much you should be moved by oppression, honour marriage, be careful of money, remember your leaders, don’t be led astray. It could seem like a list of do’s and don’ts, but again the encouragement is to remember Jesus in it all, to look to him and to remember the lasting joy we can know and will know through him – that’s why we strive to live like this, out of the overflow of what Jesus has done for us.

As we make our descent, we get a list of instructions, the writer is packing as many things in as possible here – live at peace with each other, don’t let bitterness grow amongst you, keep yourself pure, don’t sell out. The writer reminds us again of the glory of God through Jesus, that his blood has spoken a better word to us. As we’ve become accustomed to, there’s another caution to us; given all that you know, what makes you think refusal is a good option? In the midst of great shaking, we are those receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, so we look to the one who is a Rock.

Endurance for the Christian is not produced through what we do, endurance for the believer can only be sustained by looking to Jesus. The writer urges us again here to keep going, to throw off all that hinders and to ‘consider Jesus’. We’re reminded that God wants to be involved in our lives, salvation is not a tick-box exercise, it’s ongoing. Sometimes it comes through discipline and that can be hard but we’re reminded that God’s discipline is good and is for our good. We don’t fear the discipline of God because we know that we receive it through the love of the Father revealed through Jesus, upon whom our eyes are fixed.

When reading a book like Hebrews, we could easily heave a sigh of relief when we get to Chapter 11 – finally a bit we understand! And sure, it’s a passage of deep encouragement. But it can only be fully understood when we read it in the light of all that has gone before. This roll call of heroes of the faith is not isolated. These ‘by faith’ heralds only came from a deep assurance of hope in God. We stand on their shoulders, always in the light of the hope won by Jesus and looking towards the hope to come. What does it mean for us to be people who live ‘by faith’?