Hearing the Heart of Hebrews

Hebrews 1–13 – Jesus Is Better
Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time  – September 21st, 2025 (am)     

Hebrews is surely one of the most intimidating books of the Bible to teach, which may explain why this is the first time I’ve purposed to do so in all my ministry life! The message of Hebrews isn’t that hard to learn. Our title gives a pretty good summary: Jesus Is Better: Remain Faithful to Him. Our theme statement offers a bit more: Jesus is better than old covenant Judaism, as is every aspect of the new covenant He inaugurates; cling to Him. In the words of Philip Hughes on p.1 of his notable commentary: The comprehensive theme of the Epistle to the Hebrews is that of the absolute supremacy of Christ—a supremacy which allows no challenge, whether from human or angelic beings (Hughes 1). The book of Hebrews shows us Jesus within the context of the whole Bible, drawing in all the substance of the old covenant to display the glories of the new.

This morning we’re going to walk through the whole of the book as an overview. I really believe this will be helpful to us in our study over the next several months. Key reason: Hebrew is chock full of OT quotations and allusions, each and every one of which is worthy of consideration as we seek to understand what we’re being taught here. We won’t go into equal depth on each of them, but we’ll try not to ignore any either. And the net result is that we surely won’t be able to cover a whole thought unit at a time due simply to how many OT quotes each one includes. So, we’re going to need to know where we are in the progressive unfolding of this book as we handle each preaching passage. And having the flow of the book clearly in mind from the start will help with that. So, let’s get started: two headings today.

Understanding Hebrews – An Overview of Content

Hebrews is classified as an epistle, a letter, but it’s not really set up like one. It does have closing greetings in its final four verses, but at the opening it just comes right out of the blocks with biblical/theological content like a lecture or sermon (Hughes 35). And from beginning to end, as you heard in our brief reading, Jesus Christ is exalted above everything in all creation. He’s unrivaled as the ultimate expression, communication from God. In fact, He’s the exact imprint of [God’s] nature (1:3). Even though the eternal Son is embodied as a human man, He represents, displays, reveals God with unlimited accuracy, with unqualified perfection. Jesus is precisely what God wanted to say. And now He’s said It!

With these first three verses, then, we’ve learned that Jesus is better than any other mouthpiece of God, than any OT prophet. And there’s the first broad category the writer introduces that establishes our title: Jesus Is Better. Here, He’s better than the prophets (1:1-3).

In the remainder of c.1 and c.2, Jesus is better than the angels (1:4-2:18), those ministering spirits of God sent out to (1:14) do His bidding in this world.

In cc.3 and most of 4 (3:1-4:13), Jesus is better than Moses (3:2ff.) and Joshua (4:8) and the rest (3:11ff.) Israel would find in the land of promise. That’s why the writer says 4:9 … there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. The rest they will find in Jesus will be immeasurably better and surely longer lasting than their life in the land.

In the remainder of c.4 through c.7 (4:14-7:28), Jesus is better than the OT priesthood. For, in Him, 4:15 … we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. All the old covenants priests were beset with weakness (5:2), just like the people they served. But not Jesus. He 7:16 … [become] a priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning [family] descent, but by the power of an indestructible life. … 23 The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, 24 but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he [lives on] forever.

In cc.8 through half of 10 (8:1-10:18), Jesus is better than the old covenant with its sacrifices because 8:6 … it is enacted on better promises. Most simply put, 7 … if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no [reason] to look for a second. But Jeremiah promised one! 8:8 … Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, 9 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers… 10 … I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. … 13 In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. … 9:15 Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.

Based on all this, the writer calls his readers to live in light of who Jesus is and all He’s done to establish us in relationship with God. He comes out of the blocks hard once again in this response section. 10:19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. Follow Jesus in faithfulness and endurance (France 36). And urge one another to do the same. Our endurance is a community project in Hebrews. We help one another to get across the finish line in good standing with God.

The writer finishes his letter (c.13) [with] some specific points of application for the community (1-19), he invokes a word of blessing (20-21), [then he] greets the community (22-25) (Chapman), giving the impression that this is indeed a letter. However, he begins this conclusion with an interesting statement: 13:22 I appeal to you, brothers [and sisters], bear with my word of exhortation, for I have written to you briefly (esv). 22 Brothers and sisters, I urge you to bear with my word of exhortation, for in fact I have written to you quite briefly (tniv). Word of exhortation makes it seem like he may view his writing as a sermon more than a letter. And then, in effect, he apologizes for his brevity, suggesting that he may think his sermon is too short to be truly helpful given the subject matter! Wow.

One additional element before we move from overview to assessment, each of these sections that proclaims Jesus as better includes a warning against resisting or rejecting Him. For example, 2:1 Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. 2 For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, 3 how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? … In other words, there is no salvation apart from trusting Christ, no deliverance from sin and its consequences.

4:1 Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it. 2 For good news came to us just as to them (Israel in the wilderness [3:16-19]), but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened. 3 For we who have believed enter that rest…, and that’s the only way it happens. We miss this truth only to our own peril.

Thus, the next couple of warnings are truly chilling. Collapsing this one a bit just for clarity: 6:1 Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity…. 4 For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, … 6 and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance…. Bottom line: 11 Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. Let’s make sure we don’t turn away.

Finally, even as the author is turning his attention to the closing exhortations, he issues the final warning: 10:26 … if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a fearful expectation of judgment…. 28 Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. 29 How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God…?—a sobering question.

Appreciating Hebrews – An Assessment of Meaning

So, there’s the overview. And it’s helpful to see the flow of thought that’s here, and even to get swept up into it. But if you’ve listened carefully, there’s a key question you’re likely asking. How is this book helpful to me today, to us? Not being from that time and place in history, not being Jews who’ve come out of old covenant worship patterns—going to the temple and offering animal sacrifices for our sin—surely we’re not struggling to appreciate that Jesus Is Better than Moses and the land, or the priests and sacrifices and old covenant system of worship and relationship with God! So, what am I supposed to learn from Hebrews?

In order to appreciate that, we need to know a bit more about why the original recipients of this brief exhortation were tempted to turn away from Jesus. If they understood Who He is to the point of receiving Him as their Messiah and Savior, the One to Whom their Scripture and Temple worship had been pointing all along, surely they wouldn’t have been tempted to turn away from Him either, right? But they were tempted so; that point is made clear throughout the author’s exhortation. So, what was happening?

We don’t know precisely who the audience was, but we do know they were facing persecution of a rather profound sort—10:32 …[they] endured a hard struggle with sufferings, 33 sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated; 34 … and [they] joyfully accepted the plundering of [their] property… because of their faith in Jesus. And apparently for some of them this was just too much. They were starting to crumble. The rigor and shadows of old covenant worship were looking a more and more desirable to them, less and less troubling, perhaps even good enough in light of all. Judaism was a protected religion in the Roman Empire; Christianity wasn’t. What harm could come if they were to shrink back (10:39) from their confession of faith? Who would even know, or struggle to understand even if they did know?

So, there’s the problem. And there is where we start to see a lesson forming for us. What are we tempted to retreat into when the backlash against our courageous faith begins to become burdensome to us? What disposition do we favor when, say, loving our enemies really starts to cost us something? How often have we been lured into critical comments about some colleague as we’re standing by the office water cooler, just not feeling up to modeling the great commandments? How often have we remained silent as the nature of Jesus is being mocked, or His resurrection doubted, as God’s Word is being dismissed as outdated or out-of-touch with 21st century insights? How often have we willingly entered political conversations about how ignorant and evil the other guys are when something inside us wanted to point out that we all suffer with an evil nature and stand equally in need of far more help than any political party can provide? How often have we [shrunk] back (10:39) into some form of hiding so as not to receive whatever kind of backlash our Christian faith might draw? There it is.

Conclusion

There’s a small taste of what we’ll be learning in Hebrews, of what it has to teach us. And we’ll not just be learning that such a response/retreat is wrong, or that it signals potentially dangerous spiritual deficiencies, questionable convictions, in us. We’ll be learning what to do about such tendencies, how to recognize them and battle them, how to fight them off, as we see and study and ponder just Who Jesus is, what He really has done for us, and how the whole story of the Bible, Old and New Testament, come together in Him, find their fulfillment in Him, and what that all means for us. Just as the writer says as he finishes his brief exhortation (13:22), we’ll be learning how God, in Christ, has purposed to 13:21 equip [us] with everything good that [we] may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. … What a blessed lesson!

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Resources

Anders, Max, gen. ed. 1999. Holman New Testament Commentary. Hebrews & James, by Thomas D. Lea. Nashville: Broadman & Holman.

Arnold, Clinton E., gen. ed. 2002. Zondervan Illustrated Bible Background Commentary. Vol. 4, Hebrews to Revelation. Hebrews, by George H. Guthrie, 2-82. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Barclay, William. 1976. The Daily Study Bible Series. The Letter to the Hebrews, Revised Edition. Louisville: Westminster John Knox.

Beale, G. K., & D. A. Carson, eds. 2007. Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament. Hebrews, by George H. Guthrie, 919-995. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic.

Bruce, F. F. 1990. New International Commentary on the New Testament. Hebrews. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.

Calvin, John. 1553. Commentary on the Epistle of Paul to the Hebrews, trans. by, John Owen. Logos.

Carson, D. A., R. T. France, J. A. Motyer, & G. J. Wenham, eds. 1994. New Bible Commentary 21st Century Edition. Hebrews, by David Peterson, 1321-1353. Leicester, Eng.: InterVarsity.

Clendenen, Ray E., gen. ed., David S. Dockery, NT ed. 2010. The New American Commentary. Vol. 35, Hebrews, by David L. Allen. Nashville: Broadman & Holman.

Dever, Mark. 2005. The Message of the New Testament. Ch. 19, The Message of Hebrews: Sticking with the Best, 413-425. Wheaton: Crossway.

Fee, Gordon D., gen. ed. 1990. The New International Commentary on the New Testament. The Epistle to the Hebrews, Revised Edition, by F. F. Bruce. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.

Grudem, Wayne, ed. 2008. ESV Study Bible. Study notes on Hebrews, by David W. Chapman. Wheaton: Crossway.

Guthrie, George. 1998. The NIV Application Commentary. Hebrews. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Hubbard, David A., & Glenn W. Barker, gen. eds. Ralph P. Martin, NT ed. 1991. Word Biblical Commentary. Vols. 47a, Hebrews 1-8; Vol.47b, Hebrews 9-13, by William L. Lane. Dallas: Word.

Hughes, Philip Edgcumbe. 1979. A Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.

Longman III, Tremper, & David E. Garland, eds. 2006. Revised Expositor’s Bible Commentary. Vol. 13, Hebrews-Revelation. Hebrews, by R. T. France, 17-195. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Morris, Leon, gen. ed. 1983. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries. Vol. 15, Hebrews, by Donald Guthrie. Downers Grove: InterVarsity.

NEXT SUNDAY: The Radiance of the Glory of God, Hebrews 1:1–4