Westside Bible Studies

Jesus is fully God; Jesus is fully man. He has great power and can sympathize with us. The Hebrews author would have Christians hold firm to their faith and trust in Him.

The New and Living Way | Episode 10 | Hebrews 4:14-5:4

Having then a great high priest, who hath passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we have not a high priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but one that hath been in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore draw near with boldness unto the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace to help us in time of need.

For every high priest, being taken from among men, is appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins: who can bear gently with the ignorant and erring, for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity; and by reason thereof is bound, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins. And no man taketh the honor unto himself, but when he is called of God, even as was Aaron.

The Hebrews author had demonstrated the importance of remaining faithful to the end from Psalm 95. Now he turned to the other emphasis in the psalm: entering God's rest.

The New and Living Way | Episode 9 | Hebrews 4:1-13

Let us fear therefore, lest haply, a promise being left of entering into his rest, any one of you should seem to have come short of it. For indeed we have had good tidings preached unto us, even as also they: but the word of hearing did not profit them, because it was not united by faith with them that heard.

Let us therefore give diligence to enter into that rest, that no man fall after the same example of disobedience. For the word of God is living, and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and quick to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and laid open before the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

The Hebrews audience was growing weary. And yet they were so close. The Hebrews author knew just the reference to explore: Psalm 95.

The New and Living Way | Episode 8 | Hebrews 3:7-19

Wherefore, even as the Holy Spirit saith,

For who, when they heard, did provoke? nay, did not all they that came out of Egypt by Moses? And with whom was he displeased forty years? was it not with them that sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that were disobedient? And we see that they were not able to enter in because of unbelief.

God has built His house; Jesus is a faithful Son in God's house, and Moses had been a faithful servant in it. The Hebrews author exhorted his audience to remain part of that house, holding firm their boldness and confidence to the end.

The New and Living Way | Episode 7 | Hebrews 3:1-6

The Hebrews author affirmed the great power and majesty of the Son of God. Then he declared how fitting it was for the Son of God to take on flesh and fully experience the life of flesh and blood to become the perfect High Priest. Jesus, fully God, fully man.

The New and Living Way | Episode 6 | Hebrews 2:10-18

For it became him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the author of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying,

Jesus had accomplished a powerful salvation, well beyond anything anyone had expected. What was unthinkable before was now to be seen as becoming and fitting. For those who believed in Jesus the world could never look the same again; all must be viewed by the way of the cross.

The New and Living Way | Episode 5 | Hebrews 2:5-10

For not unto angels did he subject the world to come, whereof we speak. But one hath somewhere testified, saying,

What is man, that thou art mindful of him? Or the son of man, that thou visitest him? Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; Thou crownedst him with glory and honor, And didst set him over the works of thy hands: Thou didst put all things in subjection under his feet.

For in that he subjected all things unto him, he left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we see not yet all things subjected to him. But we behold him who hath been made a little lower than the angels, even Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that by the grace of God he should taste of death for every man.

For it became him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the author of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

The Hebrews author brings home a forceful, powerful exhortation: since Jesus is the Son of God, greater than the angels, and God Himself, and if the consequences of a Law delivered by lesser beings remained firm, how much more then will Christians escape if they neglect such a great salvation in Jesus?

The New and Living Way | Episode 4 | Hebrews 2:1-4

Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things that were heard, lest haply we drift away from them. For if the word spoken through angels proved stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward; how shall we escape, if we neglect so great a salvation? which having at the first been spoken through the Lord, was confirmed unto us by them that heard; God also bearing witness with them, both by signs and wonders, and by manifold powers, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to his own will.

The Hebrews author provides a litany of Scriptural quotations to show the superiority of the Son over the angels. Yet what else is he accomplishing through what he quotes and how?

The New and Living Way | Episode 3 | Hebrews 1:4-14

The Hebrews sermon-letter begins with a strong exordium, a powerful and beautifully composed "thesis statement" for the whole message. God is speaking in Jesus; in Jesus we find the character, glory, and power of God, and thus God Himself.

The New and Living Way | Episode 2 | Hebrews 1:1-4

God, having of old time spoken unto the fathers in the prophets by divers portions and in divers manners, hath at the end of these days spoken unto us in his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the worlds; who being the effulgence of his glory, and the very image of his substance, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had made purification of sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; having become by so much better than the angels, as he hath inherited a more excellent name than they.

A Jewish Christian in the first century provided a word of exhortation to his fellow Christians to hold firm to their faith in Jesus according to His new and living Way; we call the record of his sermon-letter the Letter to the Hebrews.

As we begin exploring Hebrews we do well to consider the text in its context.  Of all the books of the New Testament Hebrews is the most challenging in this regard.  Today we consider what we can know about the context of the letter and many of the various theories regarding authorship, audience, destination, and purpose.

The New and Living Way | Episode 1