SERMON: New Testament Overview, Part 8: Hebrews
New Testament Overview
Part 8: Hebrews
- I. Introduction
- This Session: Hebrews
- Since we took a lightning tour through the rest of Pauline epistles, we’re slowing down.
- This book is one of doctrine, just like Romans
- Overview of Hebrews
- One unit of thought? (13:22; Acts 13:15)
- Hebrews is a book full of the Old Testament. There are:
- 12 direct quotes from the Torah
- 11 direct quotes from the Psalms
- 4 direct quotes from the Prophets
- 2 direct quotes from the “Writings” or Historical Prophets
- II. Hebrews Introduction
- AUDIENCE: Jewish Christians in Rome
- DATE: ad 60s
- AUTHOR: Unknown
- Member of Paul’s Team (13:23)
- Definitely Pauline in content but not writing
- Author received confirmation of Gospel through others (2:3), which seems to rule out Paul (Gal. 1:12).
- THEME: Superiority of Christ
- OUTLINE
- I. The Living Word (1 – 4:13)
- II. The High Priest (4:14 – 8)
- III. The Perfect Sacrifice (9 – 10)
- IV. The Sanctification (11 – 13)
- III. Hebrews Overview
- Hebrews 1
- Who is this Jesus?
- Deity (v. 3 — translated “the exact imprint” [ESV], a tool for engraving, but it is also where the English word “character” is derived.)
- Greater than angels
- Covenants: The importance of Old Testament citations
- Review: The Davidic Covenant ( 2 Sam 7:14; Psa. 2)
- Whose Son is He?
- Hebrews 2
- The first warning passage
- MSB on 2:1 — ships drift when not moored
- The Essenes believed Michael to be above the Messiah
- The eschatological hope
- End time focus; Heb. 1:6 & 2:5
- The “end of the age,” Dan 12:3 and a review of Dispensationalism
- Hebrews 3
- Jesus our High Priest (greater than Moses)
- Second warning passage
- Cf. Matt. 13:24–30, parable of the wheat & tares (2 kinds of seed)
- A review of Exodus 17 and Numbers 20
- The heart of man and the temptation to go astray
- The comparison between Old and New Testament regeneration
- The importance of “today”
- The Words of the Holy Spirit are always current!
- Good works and obedience from the heart
- Hebrews 4
- The Sabbath Rest
- A discussion of the relationship between the Law and the Christian
- Vv. 8–10 — Joshua did not give them a Sabbath rest; “there remains” a promised rest.
- Rest in Christ, both in His kingdom and at the end of the age
- The inner man and the administration of Christ
- Hebrews 5
- Perfect High Priest
- The Law doesn’t allow for two high priests!
- Jesus must be a different kind of high priest, of a different lineage.
- Who the heck was Melchizedek?
- “King of Righteousness”
- Otherwise obscure figure, but both king and priest of Salem.
- Melchizedek has no recorded lineage, and Jesus has a divine lineage.
- Hebrews 5:6 quotes Psalm 110:4; Christ’s reign is Davidic, inadmissible for priestly service under Moses.
- Hebrews 6
- The next warning passage (one of six in this book)
- Can a Christian lose salvation? No!
- This is a mixed congregation & some fall away (1 Tim 4:1)
- “Once enlightened” does not apply to all with genuine faith. Balaam was enlightened but he is also listed among the damned in 2 Pt 2:20–22 and in Jude.
- “Partakers” also need not apply. In Luke 5:7, we see that it can mean a loose association.
- The greater context — will they go back to Judaism, or will they trust in the finished work of Christ?
- Hebrews 7
- Melchizedek
- Review of the Aaronic priesthood, why it was inferior
- V. 4 — Tithing was a practice common to the ancient world
- Vv. 5–6 — Levi was “in” Abraham at the time
- Discussion on soul creation in this text
- Creationism
- Traducanism
- Seminal Headship
- Hebrews 8
- Cutting to the chase
- The New Covenant and its replacement of the Old in Christ
- The change of the priest system
- The provisions of the New Covenant
- The inadequacies of the Old
- The special abilities of the New and the once-for-all forgivingness of sins (v. 12)!
- The OC is “obsolete” (v. 13).
- Hebrews 9
- Comparing the NC to the Old
- The priest and temple worship (vv. 1–10)
- The high priest appeared
- He went into the presence of God
- He then appeared to the people again (a dead priest served no purpose)
- Christ and worship in the NC (vv. 11–28)
- Christ appeared (v. 11)
- Christ entered (v. 24)
- Christ will appear again (v. 28)
- Hebrews 10
- He is our Great High Priest
- His sacrifice is greater than animal blood!
- He entered “once for all” (9:12)
- So, there is forgiveness, no longer a need for sacrifice (10:18).
- Christian love and works — begin with His love and works
- Another warning
- Some who “professed Christ” who do not have a saving belief in Him; they are God’s adversaries (v. 27).
- Hebrews 11
- A discussion on faith
- Misunderstanding: Faith isn’t what isn’t seen; faith informs our lives, giving us assurance and confidence, even when we don’t see the results today.
- Direct object of faith: Christ
- The connection between faith and works (James 2)
- How Christ’s work and love motivate our faith
- Hebrews 12
- “Therefore”
- A review of what has come before in the previous couple of chapters
- Looking to and considering Christ’s sacrifice and obedience
- Considering the two “mountains” of Scripture: Sinai and Zion
- Love
- The loving discipline of the Father
- The drive toward peacemaking and holy living among the saints
- Hebrews 13
- The practical aspects of love
- Love for one another
- Love for strangers
- Love for our leaders
- Sanctification in Christ, being strengthened in Him for holy living
- IV. Conclusion
- Major themes
- Warning passages
- Words of Exhortation
- Next Time: The Rest of the Epistles