Horizons Bible Study 2016-1027
Who is Jesus? What a Difference a Lens Makes
Lesson 6: Hebrews 4:14-16; 12:1-2
Have you ever had a moment when you felt like you just wanted to give up? There are times when family relationships, finances, illness, addiction or other trouble kicks us in the gut. Maybe you feel that way today or maybe it was long ago. Certainly that is how the early Christians to whom The Letter to the Hebrews (hereafter “Hebrews”) is written were feeling.
Society at large was suspicious of these early Christians, calling them depraved and disloyal to the government. If these Christians refused to give sacrifices to the Roman gods, they were denied promotions at work. Sometimes there were riots because the Christian message was seen as undermining the economic system (Acts 19:23-41). Christians were publicly abused and had their possessions plundered. Some were imprisoned (Hebrews 10:32-33). The Christians to whom Hebrews is addressed were tempted to throw in the towel. They were tired, overwhelmed and doubting their faith.
Hebrews is a sermon and its purpose is to encourage the Christians to persevere. The preacher assures us that in Jesus we have an advocate. Jesus understands our struggles. Jesus has compassion for our exhaustion and spiritual weariness. Jesus knows loss, grief, joy, laughter, betrayal, abandonment and the desire to run away when the going gets tough. Hebrews 4:14-16 says that Jesus, the Son of God, is able to sympathize with our weakness and is a person who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet is without the sin of turning away from God.
Think about the messiness of human life, the people who press in on us, the tawdry and terrific moments. Jesus identifies with high pressure at work with little support or incentives. Jesus knows about parents desperate for blessings for their children. Jesus comprehends suspicion and backbiting. Jesus knows how we feel.
The preacher proclaims Jesus’ unique value. As both fully human and the Son of God, Jesus intercedes for us. Jesus becomes the bridge between God and us. Jesus both takes our need up to God and brings God down to us. Therefore, we can “storm the gates of heaven with honest and heartfelt cries of human need.” In his commentary on Hebrews, Thomas Long says that Jesus is our “‘great high priest,’ who opens up the way to God, and even, he is our brother who gathers his sisters and brothers back into the very house hold of God.” The preacher urges us to approach Jesus’”throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).
Throughout Hebrews, the preacher gives hope and reassurance and also exhorts Christians to stay the course. You, who have” tasted the heavenly gift” of God’s love, do not fall away (Hebrews 6:4). Be diligent in love and faithful in following Christ. Hold fast to the “confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful” and provoke one another “to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another” (Hebrews 10:23-25). Pursue peace and holiness. Let no root of bitterness spring up. Continue in mutual love. Welcome the stranger. (Hebrews 12:14-15; 13:1)
Our lives are far different in circumstances than the Christians addressed in Hebrews. We are not persecuted, nor have we had our possessions taken from us. However we know about growing weary in our faith. We are lured to fall away from Jesus by our culture that values people by what they possess rather than as children of God. We are enticed to criticize, abuse and hate others, casting aside Jesus’ teaching to love one another and to pray for our enemies. We are seduced into believing that worship, Bible study, prayer and service don’t really matter as long as we are a good person.
In a stirring section in Hebrews 11, the preacher evokes the memories of those who have handed the faith down to us. The preacher reminds us of those people who have entrusted us with this precious gift of love of God for us, who have trusted God with their lives. The preacher’s voice grows stronger, “Imagine our ancestors in the faith as a great crowd in a Coliseum cheering us on in the great relay race of faith. They are there – your grandparents, your ancestors, the great pioneers of our faith.” The preacher shouts out, “Lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely. Run with perseverance the race set before us,” keeping your eyes on Jesus who has run the race ahead of us. Hear the crowds shouting for you, ‘Go for it! Go for it! Go for the prize of our heavenly call in Christ Jesus!’”
Rosalind Banbury is associate pastor for adult ministries at First Church in Richmond, Virginia.
