Henry: Welcome To Immerse: The Daily Bible Reading Experience.
Day 61
Immersed in Hebrews.
Think back on those early days when you first learned about Christ.
Remember how you remained faithful even though it meant terrible suffering.
Remember those in prison as if you were there yourself.
Remember also those being mistreated as if you felt their pain in your own bodies.
The book of Hebrews was sent to Jewish believers who were facing
persecution for their faith in Jesus.
Some were tempted to leave the believing community and return to Judaism in order
to escape their mistreatment and pain.
It's likely that the recipients of this letter lived in Italy, perhaps even Rome.
The author whose name is not given, sends greetings to them
from the believers from Italy.
That is people they would likely have known, but who were now
living abroad, probably displaced from Rome by persecution.
This also makes it likely that the terrible suffering they had experienced
earlier was instigated by Emperor Nero, who was known for persecuting
Christians, especially in and around Rome.
It was probably Nero who ordered the executions of
the apostles, Paul and Peter.
Since these Jewish believers may have lived near the center of power in the
Roman Empire, they would have been prime targets for the next wave of persecution.
But in this new wave of persecution, Christians who were also Jews
seemed to have an easy way out.
The Roman authorities had recently begun to make a distinction between
followers of Jesus and Jews.
Judaism was a legal and protected religion in the Roman Empire.
Jews who had come to believe in Jesus could return to that protective umbrella
if they identified themselves as Jews only walking away from their faith in Jesus.
In response to this situation, the author of Hebrews argues
that there's no going back.
All of Israel's history was leading up to the great salvation that
had now finally appeared in Jesus.
The author insists the old system under the law of Moses was only
a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come through.
Jesus believers could participate in a far better covenant with
God based on better promises.
In fact, the Lord Jesus himself announced this great salvation of the new covenant,
and the old covenant was now out of date.
So believers need to stand firm in their faith hanging onto everything
that had come to them through Jesus.
The author makes the case for all this by using a specific literary form.
The book of Hebrews consists of four messages, much like ones
given in a Jewish synagogue.
In fact, the author calls the book an exhortation, the same Greek term,
used for the word of encouragement given by Paul Ann Barnabas in the
synagogue of Antioch, of Pisidia.
In this form, the speaker would first bring a teaching from the scriptures
and then apply it to the present day situation of the listeners.
So Hebrews alternates back and forth four times between teaching and application.
First, explaining truths about Jesus from the scriptures, and then urging
the people to respond to these truths.
Since the recipients were familiar with the scriptures and traditions of Israel,
the author's message presents four key themes each built on a Jewish tradition.
God's son is greater than the angels and the messages they delivered
the laws of the old covenant.
Jesus is God's greatest messenger, superior even to Moses and Joshua,
and he offers an even greater rest and peace than they offered.
Jesus is our true high priest superior, even to Aaron and his priestly family.
The followers of Jesus must be faithful just as God's people of old were
faithful, even in the face of suffering.
These messages were collected and then sent out like a letter.
So Hebrews ends the way any ancient letter would with personal news, greetings,
and information about when the sender next hopes to see the recipients.
Of course, the sender also hopes that when that time arrives, the recipients will
all still be following Jesus together, proclaiming our allegiance to his name,
the book of Hebrews.
Long ago, God spoke many times and in many ways, to our
ancestors, through the prophets.
And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his son.
God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through
the Son he created the universe.
The son radiates God's own glory and expresses the very character
of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command.
When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the
right hand of the majestic God in heaven.
This shows that the son is far greater than the angels, just as
the name God gave him is greater than their names for God never said
to any angel what he said to Jesus.
You are my son today.
I have become your father.
God also said, I will be his father and he will be my son.
And when he brought his supreme son into the world, God said, let
all of God's angels worship him.
Regarding the angels, he says he sends his angels like the winds, his
servants like flames of fire, but to the sun, he says, your throne,
oh God, endures forever and ever.
You rule with a scepter of justice.
You love justice and hate evil.
Therefore, oh God, your God has anointed you, pouring out the oil of
joy on you more than on anyone else.
He also says to the son in the beginning, Lord, you lay the foundation of the earth
and made the heavens with your hands.
They will perish, but you remain forever.
They will wear out like old clothing.
You will fold them up like a cloak and discard them like old clothing.
But you are always the same.
You will live forever.
And God never said to any of the angels sit in the place of honor at my right
hand until I humble your enemies, making them a footstool under your feet.
Therefore, angels are only servants spirits sent to care for people
who will inherit salvation.
So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard,
or we may drift away from it.
For the message God delivered through angels has always stood firm, and
every violation of the law and every act of disobedience was punished.
So what makes us think we can escape if we ignore this great salvation
that was first announced by the Lord Jesus himself, and then delivered
to us by those who heard him speak?
And God confirmed the message by giving signs and wonders and
various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit whenever he chose.
And furthermore, it is not angels who will control the future
world we are talking about.
For in one place the scriptures say, what are mere mortals that you
should think about them, or a son of man that you should care for him
Yet for a little while, you made them a little lower than the angels
and crown them with glory and honor.
You gave them authority over all things.
Now, when it says all things, it means nothing is left out.
But we have not yet seen all things put under their authority.
What we do see is Jesus, who for a little while was given a position
a little lower than the angels.
And because he suffered death for us, he is now crowned with glory and honor.
Yes, by God's grace, Jesus tasted death for everyone, God for whom, and
through whom everything was made chose to bring many children into glory.
And it was only right that he should make Jesus through his
suffering, a perfect leader fit to bring them into their salvation.
So now Jesus and the ones he makes holy have the same father.
That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters
for he said to God, I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters.
I will praise you among your assembled people.
He also said, I will put my trust in him.
That is I and the children God has given me.
Because God's children are human beings made of flesh and blood.
The son also became flesh and blood for only as a human being could he die.
And only by dying could he break the power of the devil who had the power of death.
Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives
as slaves to the fear of dying.
We also know that the son did not come to help Angels.
He came to help the descendants of Abraham.
Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like
us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and
faithful high priest before God.
Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people.
Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able
to help us when we are being tested.
This concludes today's Immer Reading experience.
Thank you for joining us.