Now Moses was faithful in all God's house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, but Christ is faithful over God's house as a son. And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.

Hebrews 3

Now Moses was faithful in all God's house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, but Christ is faithful over God's house as a son. And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope. Hebrews 3:5-6

I continue my study of Hebrews, assisted by the commentary Christ Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in Hebrews. My focus this morning is Hebrews 3:5-6, and how my commentary describes this text - with the heading "The Hope of God's House" - as the second of two divisions in Hebrews 3:1-6. The commentary starts by describing how Moses, although he is referred to as a servant, should be translated from the original Greek text therapo, which is used for those in "a position of nobility under the authority of the one who appointed him....[V]erse 5 highlights Moses’s place of rank and honor."  It then moves to look at how Moses pointed to Christ: "Moses faithfully discharged his service in the household of God by pointing to one greater than himself, Jesus Christ. Christ fulfilled all that Moses said in ways beyond Moses’s own understanding. Christ then is superior to Moses, just as Moses himself would affirm."  Next, as Jesus is compared to Moses, the commentary shares that "Moses was a servant. He was a faithful servant, but still just a servant. Jesus, however, is the Son. Jesus is not just a servant in the household; he is the One who inherits the house and functions as its Lord."  Finally, the commentary for this division examines v6 and how and it may trouble some "because it seems to suggest that our salvation is conditional."  This commentary addresses this by saying that our salvation is not conditional on works - Jesus did away with this: "[o]ur works neither save us nor keep us saved. Only Christ can save us. We must hold on to our “confidence” and retain our “boast” in the gospel and in the Lord." Persevere!

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My Prayer: Jesus, You are a great God...You sent Your Son and gave me my salvation, the Holy Spirit, Your Word, my family, my church, etc....all as a means to persevere in my faith!  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of these blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You. Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to Your Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.

Hebrews 3

For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God. Hebrews 3:4

I continue my study of Hebrews, assisted by the commentary Christ Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in Hebrews. My focus this morning is Hebrews 3:1-4, and how my commentary describes this text - with the heading "An Apostle and High Priest Better Than Moses" - as the first of two divisions in Hebrews 3:1-6.  Building on my observations from yesterday's post, where I describe how v1-6 contrasts Moses with Jesus, the commentary for v1-4 starts by pointing out the use of "Therefore" in v1 that connects this chapter to the previous chapter (chapter 2), and how this connector is an exhortation from the author of Hebrews to "consider Jesus": "[t]hus, because Jesus is the merciful and faithful high priest who has tasted death for everyone and is the source of our salvation, Jesus merits our full consideration." The exhortation to consider Jesus is more fully explored by first defining consider as "communicat[ing] the idea of meditation," and then by sharing how everyone has a worldview, and this worldview shapes our thoughts and actions.  Believers of course have a worldview also, but the commentary indicates that "[t]he author of Hebrews reminds us that the ultimate axiom for the intellectual thought life of the believer is Jesus Christ. He is not simply the author and finisher of our faith; he is the author and finisher of our thoughts as well. Considering Jesus should animate the intellectual patterns of all believers and recalibrate their biblical worldview." The commentary then wraps its examination of v1-4 by focusing on how and why the text compares Moses to Jesus: "[if Moses is worthy of glory as a servant, how much more worthy is Christ—the One who built the house?...Every house needs an architect. Christ functioned as the architect of God’s house—that is, God’s people. Thus, Christ is greater than Moses simply because he created Moses."  Worship the Creator, not man, nor creation!

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a great God, who is the author of creation and in all things - holding all things together, including my life.  Thank You Jesus for how You provide, give life, and for how You save!  I am not deserving of my salvation, nor any of the blessings You provide.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Christ is faithful over God's house as a son. And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.

Hebrews 3

Christ is faithful over God's house as a son. And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope. Hebrews 3:6

I continue my study of Hebrews, assisted by the commentary Christ Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in Hebrews. My focus this morning is initial observations of Hebrews 3:1-6. My bible refers to these verses with the heading "Jesus Greater Than Moses", as these verses contrast Moses to Jesus.  As a starting point, I went to Deuteronomy 34 where, upon Moses' death, scripture offers the following as an epitaph: 

And there has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, none like him for all the signs and the wonders that the Lord sent him to do in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land, and for all the mighty power and all the great deeds of terror that Moses did in the sight of all Israel. Deuteronomy 34:10-12

Hebrews' likely audience was Jewish believers, and this commentary indicates that this audience was "intimately familiar with the Old Testament, particularly The Pentateuch" (first five books of the Bible, including Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy) - where Moses of course plays a key role. So, while today's believers may wonder why they need to compare Moses to Jesus, an understanding of this book's original audience provides important context.  

For this morning, I zero in on v6 (and how v1-5 build up to this verse) where scripture indicates how Christ is faithful over God's house, which this verse defines as the church, if we remain confident and hopeful in Him.  Let us strive to maintain our confidence and hope in Him!

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a great God who loves me and who is full of grace for me, and You are faithful - I know You will never leave or forsake me.  Thank You Jesus for Your faithfulness.  I am not deserving of such faithfulness.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind, and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

Hebrews 2

For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. Hebrews 2:16-18

I continue my study of Hebrews, assisted by the commentary Christ Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in Hebrews. My focus this morning is a look specifically at Hebrews 2:16-18, the third of three divisions from Hebrews 2:10-18, and this division is entitled "Priesthood and Propitiation" by the commentary. The commentary starts by looking at a fundamental question - could God's justice for humanity's sin and believers salvation be secured without Jesus' incarnation and death on the cross?  The commentary points out how the language of the text is clear: "[t]his text indicates that the answer to that question is no. God only acts in the way that corresponds with his character and most displays his glory. Thus, in order to both satisfy his justice and display his mercy, God put Christ forward as a propitiatory sacrifice." The commentary then explores how Christ's incarnation also made Him a Great High Priest who perfectly intercedes for believers to God the Father on our behalf. It outlines theological terms expiation and propitiation, describing expiation as "washing away of sin" and propitiation as "satisfaction of God’s justice", and further elaborates on propitiation (referring to Romans 3:21-26) by saying: "[p]ropitiation enables God to be both just and justifier. Without the satisfaction of God’s righteousness in the punishment of sin, he could not justly declare sinners righteous. Thus, propitiation stands at the very heart of the gospel. The logic of propitiation makes the good news good. Without propitiation, there is no gospel." 

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My Prayer: Thank you Jesus for both washing away my sins and for taking my place on the cross as the perfect sacrifice for not just my sin but the sin of all of humanity.  I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham.

Hebrews 2

Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. Hebrews 2:14-16

I continue my study of Hebrews, assisted by the commentary Christ Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in Hebrews. My focus this morning is a look specifically at Hebrews 2:14-16, the second of three divisions from Hebrews 2:10-18, and this division is entitled "The Incursion by the Incarnate Son" by the commentary.  The commentary first shares how these verses "show us how Christ brings sinners into a position of sonship with the Creator." It then highlights how in v14 Christ "partook of the same things": "Though he was the Creator of all, he became hungry. He grew tired. He ate, drank, slept, ached, and “shared in these” things that all humanity knows and experiences. This is the first and one of the most fundamental truths of the gospel story. God became a man. He became like us."  Yet incarnation alone is described as being insufficient to "secure our redemption" as Christ came to defeat both death (which He did through the resurrection) and the devil.  We are encouraged to see how Satan is real and referred to text such as 1 Peter 5:8, John 8:44, 2 Corinthians 2:10-11, 11:14, John 10:10, Matthew 4:1-11, and 1 Corinthians 7:5.  The commentary shares that while Satan is not ultimately defeated and destroyed until end times, "Christ’s penal and substitutionary atonement completely exhausts Satan’s powers of accusation. Thus, while the devil may continue to prowl about, he prowls with a limp. He has been stripped of his most destructive weapons. His accusations against God’s people do not stick." Be encouraged how Jesus gives us victory over the sting of death and sin!

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a great God - thank You for freeing me from the slavery of death and sin!  The greatest gift of all time!  I am not deserving of such a gift.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source.

Hebrews 2

 For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. Hebrews 2:10-11

I continue my study of Hebrews, assisted by the commentary Christ Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in Hebrews. My focus this morning is an overview of the commentary for Hebrews 2:10-18, and a look at specifically at Hebrews 2:10-13, the first of three divisions from Hebrews 2:10-18 as outlined by the commentary. The overview indicates how Hebrews 2:10-18 "further explains what it means (from v9 - see post from a couple of days ago) for Christ to “taste death for everyone...” [and it addresses key questions such as]: Exactly how does Christ accomplish this feat? What are the results? How do God’s people benefit?"  In looking specifically at Hebrews 2:10-13, the commentary then stresses the following key points:

• Christ came into the world to adopt us as sons and daughters to glory.  "These words provide a gospel summary that focuses on the relational and familial aspects of the gospel. The gospel transforms believers into children of God and siblings of the Lord Jesus. Our purpose is to bring the glory of God into greater visibility—to be the public display of the glory of God both now and for all eternity. Thus, we become “sons and daughters to glory” in order to magnify the glory of God for all to see." We exist to glorify God!
  
•  The fittingness of God the Father's plan to send His Son to "redeem humanity through a perfect and suffering Savior. The justice of God demanded a substitutionary atonement for the forgiveness of sins....Because of Christ’s perfect obedience to the Father, Jesus has become the “source” of salvation.
• The Old Testament citations in this text (Psalm 22:22 and Isaiah 8:17-18) referring to "brothers and sisters" are "rooted in the reality because believers are Christ’s “brothers and sisters,” we are also “children” of God." The commentary also argues that believers should see how "[t]he Law and the Prophets bear witness to Christ. He is their telos....[and] that the message of the Old Testament is fundamentally messianic. The Old Testament must be read in light of its fulfillment in Christ."

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a great God, who died for me as a perfect, substitutionary atonement for my sins - thank You Jesus for bearing my punishment that I deserved.  I am not deserving of the grace You poured out for me and continue to pour out for me.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

Hebrews 2

For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. Hebrews 2:18

I continue my study of Hebrews, assisted by the commentary Christ Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in Hebrews. My focus this morning is on initial observations of Hebrews 2:10-18. This text builds on previous text (see post yesterday) in Hebrews where it establishes that the Last Adam accomplished what the first Adam did not. It describes how "it is fitting" (v10) that God came into the world as flesh and blood, partaking of the same things all of humanity experiences, including temptation, pain, suffering, and ultimately death - for a purpose: redemption and salvation of humanity.

[T]hrough death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. Hebrews 2:14-17.

It is not just fitting but amazing - amazing grace!

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a great, amazing God and I am grateful for the amazing grace You have already poured out for me and for the mercies that are new every morning...thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such grace and mercy.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.