only Jesus: way to God’s coming city

Posted on August 4, 2011 by Jefferson Vann

new_jerusalemHebrews 13:1-19.  Jesus is the only one who has finished the race.  He now stands at the finish line, encouraging us to endure the race, so that we can get to the goal: the city that is to come (14).  The author of Hebrews encourages his readers to stay in the race – not to change the things they are doing as witnesses to Christ:

  1. brotherly love (1),
  2. hospitality to strangers (2),
  3. remembering those in prison (3),
  4. remaining sexually pure (4),
  5. being content financially (5-6),
  6. staying true doctrinally (7-17),
  7. praying for his team (18-19).

In this context, he mentions that Jesus is “the same yesterday and today and forever” (8.). Believers should not seek innovation and change.  We should strive to continue the race – no matter what.

LORD, we see you at the finish line, cheering us on.  Help us not to be sidetracked by unnecessary change.

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only Jesus: mediator of God’s new covenant

Posted on August 3, 2011 by Jefferson Vann

250px-MountSinaiViewHebrews 12:3-29.  The author of Hebrews had encouraged his readers to look to Jesus,  the only one who has finished the race and is now in resurrection glory.  He now reveals what our race is going to entail.

 

  1. Living under the new covenant is not going to be easy.  The Father will need to discipline us, just as earthly fathers do.  Some who aspire to live the Christian life will not “obtain the grace.”  They will be sidetracked by distraction, weakness, strife, unholiness, and immorality (3-17).
  2. When the old covenant was inaugurated at Sinai, the people feared the wrath of God who gave order that anyone touching the mountain should be stoned.  How much more should we revere and obey under this new covenant, put into effect by the death of Christ himself?  Those who treat this covenant lightly will be consumed by the fire God’s hell (18-29).

LORD, we accept your covenant of love and grace. May we not treat it lightly, knowing it comes from a God of justice who will destroy all his enemies by fire.

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only Jesus: first to finish God’s race

Posted on August 2, 2011 by Jefferson Vann

59664239-mumbai-marathonHebrews 11:1-12:2.  The hall of faith contains a great cloud of witnesses.  The typical understanding of this idea – mentioned in 12:1 – is that these witnesses are now in heaven looking down at the rest of us as we run the race.  But that is not what the author of Hebrews is saying.  Only Jesus has finished the race.  A witness (in Greek thought) is not someone who sees something, but someone who says something: one who testifies. Those witnesses testified of a faith in a future glory that they had not yet received  “since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect (11:40). When we die, we do not receive our reward. We sleep until our reward comes for us. Only one has finished the race and received the crown.  Looking to him gives us courage to lay aside every weight and sin, and run our own race with endurance (12:1-2).

LORD, you have set the standard.  Looking to you, we now pick up our crosses and run our own race: help us to persevere to the end.

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only Jesus: rewarder of God’s faithful

Posted on August 1, 2011 by Jefferson Vann

sunrise

 

Hebrews 10:19-39.  Jesus is Lord of our future.  What he has done for us only makes sense in the light of what he will do.

 

 

  1. As we see the day of his coming drawing near, it only makes sense that our devotion to Christ will be deeper, our confession of him stronger, and our encouragement of each other more consistent (19-25).
  2. Knowing that the day of his coming will bring judgment and destruction on his enemies, it only makes sense that we stay true to him (26-31).
  3. Remembering our investment in the Lord and the better and abiding possession that he promises on the day of his coming, it only makes sense that we endure in doing God’s will until our rewarder appears (32-39).

LORD, the day of your coming is dawning.  Help us to live in the light of your appearing by enduring what we must suffer, preparing for life in your kingdom, and leading others to it.

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only Jesus: securer of God’s redemption

Posted on July 31, 2011 by Jefferson Vann

the-broken-chain1Hebrews 9:11-10:18.  Jesus has done for us what no other could do.  He recognized that he was born to die on that cross, and that his death could do what all the prayers, ceremonies and sacrifices could never do.  By his death, he secured eternal redemption (permanent deliverance from slavery to sin) for us.  Our sins are atoned for.  Never again will they stand between us and our holy God.

  1. His death need never be repeated.  Unlike the sacrifices under the old covenant, the redemption he bought us was “once for all” (9:12,26; 10:11),
  2. His redemption is timeless.  Acting on the prompting of the eternal Spirit, he secured an eternal redemption, so that believers might have an eternal inheritance (9:12,14,15),
  3. He has dealt definitively with the sin problem, granting us forgiveness, purification, and renewal of our minds (9:22,28; 10:2,3,4,12,13,16,17,18).

LORD, thank you that you have taken away our sins by your sacrifice – once for all.

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only Jesus: access to God’s presence

Posted on July 30, 2011 by Jefferson Vann

accessHebrews 8:1-9:10.  God had revealed a pattern in the old Jerusalem temple that predicted what Jesus has now accomplished for us in the heavenly temple.  Under the old covenant, access to the presence of God was restricted.  Only the priests could enter the holy place, and only the high priest could enter the most holy place.  After Jesus ascended, he entered into the heavenly most holy place, and into the very presence of the Father.  He offered his own blood (his death) as eternal atonement for our sins, and the Father accepted it.  Our great high priest has gained access to the presence of God for us.  We can now come boldly to the throne of grace.

LORD, thank you for doing what only you could do.  Since we now have such a great high priest, we will come boldly to your throne of grace and celebrate that access in our worship.

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only Jesus: guarantor of God’s better covenant

Posted on July 29, 2011 by Jefferson Vann

ex-14-rubens-melchizedekHebrews 7.  The new covenant put into effect by Jesus is so much better than the old instituted by Moses.  The author of Hebrews proves this by showing why Jesus has “become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek” (6:20).

 

 

  1. Jesus offers true righteousness and peace with God (1-3).
  2. Abraham recognized the supremacy of Melchizedek’s priesthood by tithing to him (4-10).
  3. The Mosaic law could not make us perfect or allow us to draw near to God.  Christ’s sacrifice does both (11-19).
  4. Jesus offers permanent atonement because he lives forever to make intercession (20-25).
  5. Jesus need not sacrifice daily because he has no personal sins to receive forgiveness for (26-28).

LORD,  thank you for our great high priest who has interceded for us once for all.  We cling to him, forsaking all others. He alone is the way.

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only Jesus: assurance of God’s hope

Posted on July 28, 2011 by Jefferson Vann

anchorHebrews 5:11-6:20.   The author of Hebrews challenged his readers to live up to their profession.  To him, it was not enough for a person to claim to be a Christian, then live a life of arrested development.  The Christian life is one of growth, faith and patience.  It is a process that God brings us through.  It involves constant change.  Through it all, Christ and the destiny he offers abides in the true believer as an anchor, keeping the ship from drifting off.  He is our high priest, taking us through the process of salvation that begins (on our part) with repentance, and concludes at the throne of eternal judgment.  As we go through the process, he wants us to become skilled in the word of righteousness, so that we can assist others to trust him.

LORD, forgive our immaturity.  Help us to grow in your word as we remain solidly fixed to Christ, our hope.

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only Jesus: source of God’s grace

Posted on July 27, 2011 by Jefferson Vann

jesus-priest-foreverHebrews 4:14-5:10.  Jesus is one of us.  He understands us.  He knows what makes us tick.  When we fail, he knows why.  We can come to him, pleading for mercy and grace again,  because he is able to sympathize with our weaknesses.  He does not tolerate or condone sin, but he can forgive and restore.  He is our great high priest.  He was called by his Father for that very purpose.  Only he was given that priesthood for eternity.  He “became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him” (9).

LORD, thank you that you have provided a source of eternal grace for us.

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only Jesus: provider of God’s rest

Posted on July 26, 2011 by Jefferson Vann

restingHebrews 3:7-4:13.  Moses offered a promised land and took his people to a place of rest, but they were not able to enter God’s rest because of their disobedience.  Now Jesus offers God’s Sabbath rest.  This is the rest of grace, which will lead to eternal life. But some are tempted to turn back to Moses, forsaking the hope of this rest.  We are encouraged to “strive to enter” Christ’s rest, “so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.” Forsaking Christianity for a works based righteousness is abandoning the hope of eternal life. 

LORD, we trust in Jesus, who has made it possible for us to enter your Sabbath rest. We praise you for your grace.

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