Join us, as we continue to walk through the book of Hebrews. Week by week, chapter by chapter verse by verse. 

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Made for So Much MoreHebrews 9:15-28

“And so he is the mediator of a new covenant…” 

(Hebrews 9:15)

Every Jewish Christian was familiar with the role of the high priest in Judaism. The high priest represented the people before God. What they had not thought through was the role of Jesus Christ as the ultimate high priest to represent his people before God. Since many were forsaking Christianity for Judaism, the writer of Hebrews wants them to know that they are forsaking their far superior high priest—the Son of God, for a far inferior high priest—the Aaronic high priest.

More than that, the current high priests in Jerusalem weren’t even of the tribe of Levi, as God had prescribed. Instead, the office had become a political position gained by ambition and positioning. The high priests of the 1st Century were more about power and prestige than about serving God’s people. They lived outside of the requirements of the Law. 

God meant the high priest to be a faithful and merciful mediator between Him and His people. The writer of Hebrews has already established that Jesus is a faithful (3:1-4:14) and merciful (5:1-10) high priest. In 7:1-9:15 he develops the truth that Jesus is a greater high priest because he has a superior ministry.

Jesus mediates a greater covenant because he has secured eternal redemption by offering himself to God as a superior sacrifice for sin. In Hebrews 9 the writer of Hebrews develops the theology of salvation from a unique and glorious perspective. Contrasting the rituals of the Old Covenant to Jesus’ offering of his blood at the eternal throne, the author describes Jesus’ rescue of his people as “a forward movement into the presence of God” (Lane, Hebrews, Vol 2, p 251). 

You were made for more than religious performance.

Jesus has removed every barrier between believers and God. 

The message of Hebrews 9 applies to every follower of Christ. We need to stop trying to measure up to the expectations of religious systems and start pursuing all that we have been offered in Christ Jesus.

I. Jesus Christ, our High Priest, set us free from guilt and shame when he secured our eternal salvation by offering his superior sacrifice at a superior sanctuary (Hebrews 9:15-28).

A.Jesus mediated the new covenant by dying to set his people free from the violations of the Old Covenant (9:15).

B.Jesus’ sacrifice was necessary and immeasurably superior to any that came before (9:16-28). 

1.The death of Christ was necessary because God required sacrifice by blood in the Old Covenant (9:16-22).

2.The sacrifice of Christ was superior because it was more costly, fulfilled God’s eternal purpose for sacrifices, and is final and complete (9:23-28).

Dr. Tom Constable sums up the message of Hebrews 9: “The readers should not feel guilty about abstaining from the rituals of the Old Covenant. Instead they should appreciate the accomplishments of Jesus Christ’s death. They should also turn their attention to obtaining what God has promised them as a future inheritance and continue to follow the Lord faithfully and patiently (6:12).

II. Christ, Our Mediator, and You! Everything changed when Jesus Christ ascended to heaven after offering himself as a sacrifice for sin. Stop living as if it didn’t happen! 

A.Have you trusted in Christ as the one who made payment for your sin?

1.He secured your eternal redemption.

2.He’s inviting you into the presence of the Living God. 

B.Have you settled it that you no longer need to perform for God?

1.Every barrier between you and God was permanently and finally removed by Jesus’ sacrifice for your sin.

2.He’s inviting you into the peace of knowing you are completely and totally forgiven, loved, and cherished. 

C.Have you realized the awesome reality of who you are in Christ and what you were reborn in Christ to do?

1.You can either live to please religious culture or you can live for Christ, but you can’t do both.

2.Jesus is inviting you into the most awesome experience of life possible for a human being—both today and the world to come. 

Question: Why do you feel our hearts cling to what is comfortable and safe instead of pursuing the awesome possibilities of intimacy with the Living God?

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Guest Preacher: David Schaller

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Hebrews

Warning: Do Not be Disloyal to Your High Priest

(Hebrews 10:26-31)

“The Lord will judge His people” (Hebrews 10:30).

We come to a great transition in the Book of Hebrews as the writer moves from teaching to application. He has masterfully presented Jesus Christ’s superior ministry (6:13-10:18). Proving that Jesus is better than every and any alternative and cautioned them against forsaking him and his followers, the writer now offers the most stern warning: Do not sin willingly and persistently because God severely judges his New Covenant people! 

The admonition is bracketed by the key Greek term parresia, confidence (vv 19, 35). The message being that though true believers should live with a healthy expectation of judgment for contemptuous lifestyles that dishonor God and insult the Spirit of grace (v 29)—all who truly believe should desire the confidence that faith in Christ brings to our lives.

These paragraphs have a greater purpose than simply warning those who are tempted to walk away from Jesus. They’re designed to encourage all of us to draw near to God in enduring faith. We’ve already studied the first paragraph (19-25) that teaches us to draw near to God in community by resourcing our New Covenant blessings in Christ.

The next paragraph (26-31) contains the warning itself. “Do not be disloyal to Christ because God sternly disciplines His New Covenant people.” Of all the volumes I’ve read over the years, the best summary of this paragraph comes from one of my favorite professors at Dallas Theological Seminary, Dr. Thomas Constable:

“Willful sin in the context of Hebrews is deliberate apostasy, turning away from God (2:1; 3:12; 6:4-8). If an apostate rejects Jesus Christ's sacrifice, there is nothing else that can protect him or her from God's judgment (cf. 6:6). The judgment in view will take place at the judgment seat of Christ, not the great white throne. It is the judgment of Christians (cf. 2 Cor. 5:10), not of unbelievers (cf. Rev. 20:11-15). It will result in loss of reward, not loss of salvation. The same fire that will test believers will also consume unbelievers. Fire is a frequent symbol of God and His work in Scripture (Exod. 3:2; 19:18; Deut. 4:24; Ps. 18:8-14; Isa. 33:14; Ezek. 1:4; Mal. 3:2), and it often indicates His judgment (Mal. 3:2; Matt. 3:11; Luke 3:16).”

Warning: God harshly disciplines His New Covenant people who are disloyal to His Son!

The warning paragraph 1st describes the one being warned, and then cautions us from departing from the Lord.

I. Warning: Believers who walk away from the Lord will be severely disciplined. 

(Hebrews 10:26-31)

A.Should This Warning Scare Me? In a word, yes. However, though this is a warning to all Christians not to walk away from Christ, it’s specifically timely for any who have walked away or who are even considering that choice. 

1.Therefore, brothers and sisters (v. 19) sums up the entire epistle to this point and objectively identifies the intended audience of the warning as Christians. The warning reminds the reader that the Lord has always been a Lord who “will judge his people” (v. 30). His consistent use of we and us refers to the author and his redeemed community. 

"The word 'we' cannot refer to any other group of people than his readers and himself [cf. 2:1]." (I.H. Marshall, Kept by the Power of the Spirit, pp.141-142)

2. This is a Christian who deliberately and persistently sins after receiving the full knowledge (epignosis, intimate or relational knowledge) of the truth (v. 26). More than that, they have shown contempt for the Son of God (trampled under foot), profaned (treated as common) the very blood of the covenant that made them holy, and insulted (treat with arrogant contempt, arrogantly insulted) the Spirit of Grace (v. 29). This is the ultimate rebel child who is trying to walk away from the family of God in ways that disgrace the family’s reputation and dishonor Him.  

B. Why Should I Be Afraid?  God is warning you against a terrifying discipline because you have spurned His most precious gift—your New Covenant blessings secured by the work of His Son! 

1. Unlike the Israelite whose sins had not been completely and totally forgiven we cannot come to God with “another offering” to somehow make up for our rebellion. Our sins have already been forgiven; our conscience has already been cleansed. (26)

2. We move right past that to a fearful expectation of God’s consuming and cleansing judgment of those who oppose His covenant because we have suppressed so much blessing, power, and privilege (vv 19-26) so that we deserve an even more severe discipline. (27-29)

The author does not use the normal word for enemy (echthros), because believers are former enemies (echthroi) who have been reconciled to God (see Romans 5:10). He uses the rare word hupenantios, opponent, adversary, contrarian. The only other place this word is used in the New Testament is in Colossians 2:14. In the same way the Law was against us in such a way that it turned us to Christ (Galatians 3:24), the Lord is against His child who rebels in such a way to turn us back to Christ. 

3. And, as every recording of this severe discipline of God’s people proves (followers of Korah, Numbers 16:35; 26:10), to fall into the hands of God in this way is terrifying. (30-31)

Stubborn rebels against the Old Covenant merely lost their physical lives (Deuteronomy 17:2-7). Stubborn rebels who walk away from the New Covenant lose eternal reward in the coming Kingdom (2 Corinthians 5:10) and invite harsh discipline now (Hebrews 6:4-9; 12:1-13), even to the point of the physical sickness and, in extreme cases, physical death              (1 Corinthians 11:30).  

II. This Warning Paragraph, and You! This is a warning you want to heed!

A. If you, or someone you love is flirting with the idea of walking away from the Lord as an arrogant and embarrassing rebel, God will not put up with that.

B. If you’re already there, repent. Turn to God with abandoned trust and let us help you on your way back to intimacy with His Son.

C. This passage firmly answers these What Grace Means questions: 

• Does grace mean that since I’m going to heaven when I die God doesn’t care about how I live on earth?

• Does grace mean that if I decide to be unfaithful to Christ there are no consequences?

• Does grace mean that holiness isn’t important to God?