Keeping people from apostatizing is the goal of the entire Hebrew epistle. Chapter 12 reinforces this goal, specifically exhorting the believing people to hold firm to the promises of God, even having not yet received His promises. Christians are called to be faithful to the end, running the race set before us with endurance, following in the path of Christ, and sharing in His suffering and shame. These sufferings and trials cannot be compared to the glory which we will receive. Knowing that Christ endured it, gives us encouragement.

God has promised eternal salvation to all who steadfastly confess Christ. Our scripture today exhorts all Christians to patiently navigate through their many sorrows, as we respond to God's call for us to do His will. He equips us with His Word and Holy Spirit to endure and hold to the faith in this life. Examples of Abel, Enoch, and Abraham are given. Take away verse: "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." - Hebrews 10:31.

The author of Hebrews continues to make the point that Christ is superior to the old Jewish practices of the Law and Sacrificial system. Christ makes perfect what these old practices could not. The "treadmill" of sacrifices has been removed by Christ. Baptism saves only because it connects us with Christ. Outside of Christ there is no salvation. Jesus has come to perfectly fulfill the will of God that the Law required. Through Christ we can draw near to God because our sins have been forgiven. Christ fulfills the perfect will of the Father for us. Join us for this clear discussion as to why the New Covenant instituted by Christ is superior to the Old Covenant.

The old covenant, because it could not permanently address the problem of sin and cleanse the conscience, would "vanish away." Christ, as our High Priest, came to establish an everlasting, new covenant for the forgiveness of sins, that will never pass away. Now, in the Holy Places in heaven, Christ intercedes for us, doing a much more excellent ministry than what the Sinaitic Covenant provided. Jesus Christ opened heaven, making a way for us to enter.

The writer to the Hebrews continues with the main theme of this book, "How Jesus is better than anything." Jesus is a better priest in every way. Jesus is the guarantor of a better covenant that is instantiated in the Cup. Jesus sacrificed once for all, not like the Old Testament priests who sacrificed daily. Jesus does not need to sacrifice for Himself. He is the High Priest and He is the sacrifice, the unblemished, holy, and unstained Lamb. Now, Jesus is ministering for us in the real Tabernacle in heaven. This had to be earned/won by Him as a man, God incarnate.

The priestly order of Melchizedek is compared to the Levitical priesthood. The former is forever and the latter was temporary.

The author of does not want his hearers to turn away from the faith. This is the main theme of this book. Doing so rejects who Christ is. He argues we now have a Great High Priest who has passed through the real Holy of Holies in heaven that allows us to draw near to the Throne of Grace. Christ has made the perfect sacrifice for us.