WHAT JESUS IS IN THE BOOK OF HEBREWS

Heb 1:1-3

Morning Meditation 4/23/2013

"God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;"

JESUS IS IDENTIFIED AS GOD'S SON

Jesus is identified as God's Son in our text. "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son." The Son of God is God's means of communication in this world. He is called the express image of God. He retains the power of God to uphold all things. We are told that He does this by the word of His power. Only God can make a decree and things happen that staggers the imagination. The world today is held together and held in orbit by the word of His power.

It is also said of Jesus, "when he had by himself purged our sins." He took this responsibility to Himself in the counsel halls of eternity past and did in time makes His showing in a manger in Bethlehem. He lived life as God His Father would have it and then offered Himself on the cross to pay the penalty of our sins. What happened when He did this? He by himself purged our sins. No one helped Him. No one could. If you are crediting you salvation to anyone except Jesus alone, you have bought into a false gospel and you stand condemned before the bar of God. Hebrews 10:14, "For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified." He did it by one offering.

Then our text says, "when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high." The words "sat down" are something a high priest in the Old Testament system of worship never did. There was no seat in the tabernacle or temple. The priest's service was done standing up. The reason being his work was never finished. When he was replaced by another, he left the priest who took his shift to do his work standing. When Jesus became our priest He took His own blood and offered it on the altar in heaven and then sat down. His sacrifice fulfilled all the sacrifices of the Old Testament so that there was nothing left to do. His work was finished. He is now seated in the holy of holies in heaven in the true holy of holies where God's throne is.

Our salvation is dependent upon Him alone. He saves forever when He saves. Hebrews 7:25, "Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them."

JESUS IS IDENTIFIED AS THE SON OF MAN

Hebrews 2:6, "But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him?"

Barnes says of this phrase, "Or the son of man. This phrase means the same as man, and is used merely to give variety to the mode of expression. Such a change or variety in words and phrases, when the same thing is intended, occurs constantly in Hebrew poetry. The name "son of man" is often given to Christ, to denote his intimate connection with our race, and the interest which he felt in us, and is the common term which the Saviour uses when speaking of himself. Here it means man, and may be applied to human nature everywhere--and therefore to human nature in the person of the Messiah."

Jesus in order to provide salvation for us had to become a man. Hebrews 2:14-16, "Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham."

In Luke's Gospel he traces the genealogy all the way back to Adam. Jesus in not just the Messiah of the Jews, He is the Saviour of the World. This is the reason He is called the Son of Man. He identified with the human race because it took this to be man's Saviour. Hebrews 2:17, "Wherefore in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people." Next,

JESUS IS OUR HIGH PRIEST

Hebrews 4:14-15, "Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin."

The high priest was the only one who entered the holy of holies with the blood of the sin offering. He did this once a year. He offered the blood for himself and the sins of the people. There was a forbidding veil that separated between the holy place and the holy of holies. Jesus removed that vial of separation when He died on the cross. Hebrews 10:19-20, "Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;"

This happened when Jesus died. Mark 15:38 says, "And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom."

Jesus is the way in to the holiest now. When we pray, we are in the presence of God in the holiest in the throne room. Amen!!!

JESUS IS CALLED OUR SURETY

Hebrews 7:22, "By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament."

The words "was made" translates "ginomai." This word means, "to become, i.e. to come into existence, begin to be." This is a perfect active indicative verb. The perfect tense means it was completed in the past and that completed action remains perfect and will forever remain that way. The word surety means, "against loss or damage or for the fulfillment of an obligation, the payment of a debt, etc.; a pledge, guaranty, or bond.

A person who has made himself or herself responsible for another, as a sponsor."

Jesus has agreed to be our security and the power that makes us safe from the assaults of Satan.

JESUS IS SEEN AS THE WAY

Hebrews 10:19, "Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,"

Jesus is the ONLY way to heaven. He has in His hand the keys of death and of hell (Rev. 1:18).

Jesus said in John 10:9, "I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture." If you were a traveler, and you came to a wall so high there was no possibility of climbing over it, and it is too wide to go around, and there is just one door that is accessible to all, and it offers you free entrance; what would you do in a case like this? Say for instance, you rebelled at this point. Rebellion describes a man who refuses to be coaxed to use the door provided by the Lord to get you on the other side of the wall. There is no way over, there is no way under, and there is no way around. However, you can see people going through the door. You can see that it is not difficult for one to enter. There is no paper work. The man who is keeping the door is not collecting money for entrance. But you refuse to go through the door because it seems like someone is saying that there is no other way. And the way is through that door. The rebel refuses to be told what he has to do. So you refuse to enter that way.

This describes the way man is by nature. God wants you to see and experience what is on the other side of that wall. But there is no way for one to get there except going through the door. Acts 4:12, "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Man is not wise to resist God's gift of free grace, when you consider the alternative. The alternative to God's gift of salvation is to perish for ever in a place called hell. And let me assure you that hell is a place of punishment. It is a place completely out of the reach of grace. It is eternal with no way out.

JESUS IS CALLED THE MEDIATOR

Hebrews 12:24, "And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel."

The word "mediator" translates "mesites" and means, "one who intervenes between two, either in order to make or restore peace and friendship, or form a compact, or for ratifying a covenant."

Jesus intercedes for us as He occupies the office of the High Priest. Hebrews 7:25, "Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them."

This is just a brief look at what Jesus is called in the Book of Hebrews. May the Lord bless and use these words to encourage our hearts.

In Christ

Bro. White