In this warning passage, the author of Hebrews warns those who know the full truth of the gospel and are on the verge of receiving Christ to not reject Christ. Those who reject Christ after knowing the whole truth will receive a greater judgment from God. Those who know the truth know the promises in store for those who trust Christ. This is the hope we have, and we are able to endure through faith in Christ.

Christ has made a way for believers to confidently approach God. Because we can approach God, there are some things we are to do. We come to God with a clean heart. We are to hold fast to the confession of our hope. And we are to stir up one another in gospel community. Because Christ has given us access to God, let us commit ourselves to Him.

The author of Hebrews has compared the Old Covenant God made with Israel at Sinai to the New Covenant He has made in Jesus. One of the key differences between the two covenants is that the sacrifice Christ made was made only once and cannot nor does it need to be repeated. What makes Christ’s sacrifice so unique, and how was Jesus able to make His sacrifice once and for all? Hebrews 10 helps us to understand Christ’s sacrifice even more.

If you were to ask any Christian, they could probably give you a summary of what Christ has done for us — died for our sins, rose on the third day, gave us eternal life, etc. But do we truly understand the depths of what Jesus’ sacrifice means and has really done for us? Hebrews 9:11-28 helps us to understand what the blood of Christ has really done for us.

The temple (the worship of God) was the center of the life of Israel. God gave Israel instructions as to how they were to worship Him. Worship according to the old covenant, however, was incomplete. Everything about the temple, sacrificial system, etc. was a symbol pointing to our need for a Redeemer - Jesus Christ. God established a new covenant in Jesus, and we no longer focus on a place but a person for worship. Whereas access to God was extremely limited in the old covenant, Jesus has given us direct access to God through Him. Now all people are able to approach God through faith in Jesus Christ.

Most often when we think about Christmas, we immediately think of the birth narratives found in the Gospels, as we should. Have you ever thought of Hebrews 8 as a Christmas passage? You certainly should! Hebrews 8 tells us the reason Jesus came to earth — God established a new covenant with His people in Jesus Christ. As you think about Christmas, deepen your understanding of why we celebrate Christmas. We rejoice in the Savior’s birth because He has come and God has established a new covenant with His people so that we might be saved from our sins.

2 key characteristics make Jesus the superior priest to all others: His permanence and His perfection. Jesus is superior to all priests before Him because he continues forever. His sinlessness sets Him apart from those priests who had to first offer sacrifices for their own sins before doing so for the people. Because Jesus is the perfect and permanent priest, He is able to save us — and He saves us completely. Jesus is the superior priest, and He alone is worthy of all worship.

Perfect is a word we overuse in our world, and we have lessened the meaning of the word. The author of Hebrews uses the word in its true sense to describe the priesthood of Jesus. Jesus is a perfect priest who has a perfect priesthood. He came to replace the Levitical priesthood of Israel and to fulfill what was lacking in it. Because Jesus is a perfect priest of the order of a perfect priesthood, He has done what no other priest could ever do: give us access to God.

In order to understand more fully the salvation Jesus gives, we need to have an understanding of His priesthood. Jesus as our high priest has offered Himself as the sacrifice for our sins. For us to understand this better, we need to know who Melchizedek is. Without a grasp of Melchizedek, we cannot fully comprehend or appreciate the sacrifice Jesus made for us on the cross.

After a harsh warning to those on the fence, having received the full revelation of God, yet still not committing to Christ, the author of Hebrews provides assurance to those believers who have truly believed and trusted in Christ. Believers can be certain of God’s promises to us. God has proven Himself faithful, and He will keep every promise He has made.