Reinforcing Foundations: Fellowship (Hebrews 10:1-25)
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The Supremacy of Christ
God has spoken to us in the clearest and best way imaginable, through His Son. The writer of Hebrews makes every effort to show that Jesus Christ is the best communication of God to us, demonstrating through comparisons and contrasts that He is unquestionably supreme. In the first chapter alone the letter to the Hebrews reveals that He has a limitless inheritance as God’s appointed heir and the power to create with a word (Hebrews 1:2). We read that he is the displayer of divine glory, the representer of God’s nature, the sustainer of all things, the redeemer of His people, and the exalted victor at God’s right hand (Hebrews 1:3). The original recipients of this letter were in grave danger of giving in to the culturally acceptable religion of their day, putting something other than Christ at the core of their religion. Hebrews reminds them, and us, that at the core of all that we do there must be nothing other than the glorious person of Christ and His saving work. By showing the greatness and supremacy of Christ, the writer of Hebrews gives us a wonderful argument against replacing Christ with anything, such as morality and piety, religious zeal, trendy approaches, social concerns, etc. If He is not the focus of our Christianity and our life, it is not Christianity!
– Is there anything other than Christ and His Gospel at the core of your religion or your life? What are those things? Based on the argument of the writer of Hebrews, why is far better to replace them with Christ?
The Old vs. the New (Hebrews 10:1-18)
Chapter 10 lays out for us a concise comparison between the Old and the New, making the distinction between the shadow and the reality. Just as the shadow points to and gives evidence of the substance, so also the old way of the sacrificial system pointed to and assured us of the reality that was to come in Christ. The Law and the blood of animals which served as a reminder of sins were a shadow of the blood of Christ, whose sacrifice offers the removal of sins. Christ is far better than all the priests of old, who offered sacrifices continually, because He has become a perpetual Priest having offered Himself! The substance is far better than the shadow, though it is not separate from it. Christ and His Gospel are not plan ‘B’ to a failed initial attempt. Instead, from the very beginning (even prior to the beginning) Christ’s saving work has been the will of God (verse 7).
– Why is Jesus a better Priest than the priests of old? Why is His sacrifice better than the old sacrifices? What is it about the blood of Jesus that makes it so effective for the removal of sin, rather than a mere reminder of it?
Huge Incentive (Hebrews 10:19-25)
These truths should serve as a huge motivation for us. While it might not seem like much to us, to a first century Jew it was an absolute impossibility that anyone other than the high priest would ever enter into the holy place. Perhaps if we held better and more lofty views of God, we too would be mesmerized by this reality: His holiness versus our sinfulness; His righteousness versus our wickedness; His purity versus our deceitfulness; His faithfulness versus our faithlessness. How do we prevent timidity and uncertainty in our approach to Him? We can only have such boldness and confidence by the awareness that our acceptances is not based on our performance, but on Christ’s blood! A right understanding of the access we have to God through the new and living way will have certain effects in the lives of believers. Due to the absolute superiority of Jesus Christ and based on His finished work as our great High Priest, the writer of Hebrews tells us that we should draw near in faith (prayer), hold fast the confession (the Word), and provoke love in one another (fellowship).
– Do you find it amazing that we have access to the throne of grace? Are you taking full advantage of our great High Priest and His saving work for us as incentive to draw near in faith, hold fast to our confession, and be intentional about fellowship?
Fellowship (Hebrews 10:24-25)
This consideration of how to provoke one another to love and good deeds is an ongoing, compassionate, caring and loving consideration for each fellow member of the body of Christ. While it is not limited to the sphere of the local body, it is in the context of the local church that it will be most actively practiced. The writer clarifies what it means to stimulate one another to love and good deeds by stating that we are not to forsake our assembling together. He is reinforcing the foundational aspect of fellowship, which involves the rejecting of individualistic, isolationist ideology. If we profess Christ, then we must be engaging with other believers. The Bible knows nothing of church-less Christianity. Because of who Christ is and what He has accomplished for us in the Gospel, we must consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds and encourage one another, with Christ and His cross always in the forefront of our view.
– What are some of the commands given the Scriptures that give us greater clarity as to what it means to stimulate one another to love and good deeds? In past weeks, how have you done this? What are some specific ways that you could do so this week?