Hebrews: The Daily Discipline of a Devoted LifeSample

It would be a bit of an anticlimax to end our thoughts on this wonderful letter to the Hebrews on the rather abrupt thought of ‘obey your leaders’. So let’s go back to the beginning and these wonderful verses about the supremacy of Christ, and remind ourselves what this letter has been all about. 

Jesus is the culmination of God’s plan to save us. All the prophets of the Old Testament were preparing the way for God’s Son to come into the world to achieve what no Old Testament hero or institution could achieve in itself. God has become fully human in Jesus, so that he could die for our sin on the cross, and live such an authentic human life that he can sympathise with us, and help us cope with the temptations and suffering we face today. 

The Son of God, who upholds the entire universe by his powerful word, has now gotten so close to us by becoming fully human that he can be our great High Priest, greater than any Old Testament priest. As a priest he has offered a ‘once for all’ sacrifice by shedding his blood on the cross, a sacrifice that is better than all the Old Testament ones because it cleanses us from all sin in a real way, not a symbolic way, and because since it is the blood of God, it can deal with our sin forever, not temporarily like Old Testament animal sacrifices. 

So as forgiven sons and daughters of God, we come into God’s presence not like those who trembled at Mount Sinai but with joy, knowing that our sins are covered, that Jesus understands our weaknesses and prays for us before God’s throne, and that we receive a welcome from a holy God who has now become our Father through Jesus. We pray to him and live for him as children of grace. 

And we are now called to ‘fix our eyes’ (12:2) on Jesus, being content to follow his example and to live for his glory even though we cannot see him. Our obedience to God will involve suffering, as it did for Jesus. But just as his suffering gave way to glory, so will ours. So let’s keep following him with all our hearts, knowing that there is an eternal city built by God, a city of joy, which is waiting for all those who follow Jesus and are prepared to shun the attractions of this life to take their place in the heavenly Jerusalem that is coming! 

Reflection

How is your life and your thinking going to change as a result of studying Hebrews?