Hebrews: Christ Is Greater and Better预览

Something Better Read Hebrews 1:1-14 Jews, even Christian Jews, felt a very strong bond to the Law and the Prophets, the Old Testament as they knew it. Over generations they had become deeply convinced about God’s message to them. God had called Abraham, who, because he was faithful, was blessed abundantly. In the same way, the Jews or Hebrews as a people, were called to be faithful to the Law through Moses. They proved unfaithful and as a nation were exiled 600–800 years after Moses. In exile, they learned repentance and developed a will never to forsake the Law again. Now God had revealed something new. He had spoken through His Son. God's promises through His prophets of a Messiah had been fulfilled. But it was not what the Hebrews expected. The message did not contradict God’s nature but it did change very deeply things the Jews held closely in the practice of their religion. How could they put aside these familiar and precious things? The letter of Hebrews sets the stage for this by telling them they could change when they have something better. 'You have the Son of God' and that is surely something better than whatever they had before. Scripture shows us that Jesus is the Son (v 5), above all else (vs 6,13), equal to God (v 8) and everlasting (vs 10-12). As Asians coming to Jesus, we too must leave behind all ties with Asian deities, all idolatrous religious practices and ingrained superstitious beliefs. We must put aside any necromancy (consulting dead spirits) and geomancy (feng shui).