Feel the ground shake as morning breaks // On that third day, stone rolls away // Up from the grave, Jesus has raised // Loosed the chains, death is now slain // Let all the earth proclaim, “King Jesus reigns!”

Jesus rides into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, but it's not how anyone would have imagined. Instead of riding on a warhorse, He's mounted on a donkey. Instead of celebrating with His friends, He's weeping for His enemies. But this is the path to peace, fulfilling promises made long ago of the One who would come and save the world.

Melchizedek is a mysterious priest-king only mentioned in the Scriptures twice. Yet, he points us to an even greater mystery - that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.

"It is impossible for God to lie. So, we who have fled for refuge can have strong encouragement to seize the hope set before us. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain. Jesus has entered there on our behalf as a forerunner."

The preacher warns his listeners of becoming bored of Jesus, which will lead to spiritual immaturity. To spur the church on, he encourages them to dive deep and remain steadfast in the gospel, which will guide them to maturity and a patient faith in Christ's return.

Before God, all hearts are exposed and naked. But the preacher of Hebrews reminds us that this is not cause for us to cower in fear. Rather, because of Christ's finished work, we are exhorted to run boldly to the throne of grace, where the true and faithful High Priest ever intercedes for us. 

The warning from Hebrew's preacher continues, exhorting his listeners to make every effort to enter God's rest. But how do we work to stop striving? And what do we do when we find ourselves restless?

Watch out. Pay attention. Take notice. The warning is given, exhorting the church to beware of sin's deception leading to a rejection of Christ's work. But what is the root cause behind that rejection and disobedience? And how do we respond when we find ourselves staring it in the face?

The preacher of Hebrews continues his exposition by pointing our focus on Jesus as better than Moses. Moses served as one of the members of God's household, but Jesus is the architect, the planner, the builder, and the completer of the entire thing. 

Death is undefeated. And because of sin, every human is impacted by death and is powerless to stop it. But Jesus did not leave us alone in our battle against death and sin. In fact, He came to do the entire work of destroying death and sending it back to the grave where it belongs.