Persevere in Jesus LESSON IX

REVIEW Let Us Persevere in Christ – Three main questions 1.Christ – Who is He? – Who is He not? 2.Us – What is our relation to Christ and God? – What should we do? 3.Persevere! – What does that look like?

REVIEW God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; 3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. (Hebrews 1:1-4 NKJ)

REVIEW God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, As early as the first verse, we see how neatly the concepts are braided together Who is Christ here? Holds a Prophet’s Office The Son of God Who are we here? Like the fathers, hearing from God Not JUST from a prophet

REVIEW

God [... the] Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; 3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, [...] 4 having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. (Hebrews 1:2-3a, 4 NKJ)

God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, The Writer turns to US: – Angels (Chapter 2:1-4) We need to listen MORE – to what WE have heard –...spoken to us by His Son » A more athoritative Word » Tells us how to understand all the rest of Revelation. They minister to us, and the world to come is subject to us, not them. (2:5-8) – 1 Cor. 6:3 We will judge angels REVIEW

God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, Jesus as the Son of Man – A little lower than the Angels (Chapter 2 cont.) – took on our flesh – took on our sufferings – took on our sins creates the deepest family connection » Ps. 22 (my brethren) » Brings Children (us) for God does this to destroy the ultimate angel: the devil – Since He is made like us, He qualifies for High Priest—He understands.

REVIEW...when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. (Hebrews 1:3b-4 NKJ)

REVIEW God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, Moses has spoken (Chapter 3:1-6) – Mediates the Law – Oversees the » tabernacle’s construction » institution of the priesthood – Intercedes for Israel (Exodus, Numbers) Jesus is the New Moses – Empasizes the Law on the heart level (thoughts and attitudes) – A better tabernacle/temple/priesthood (HIS own) – Inaugurates a new form of nation for God’s people.

REVIEW God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, So who are WE (Chapters 3:7-19; 4:1-11)? – Since Jesus is the New Moses We are the latest Israel – being led away from the slavery to sin in which we were born – being led toward » the Promised Land » the Sabbath Rest » the Inheritance of salvation But to the faithful, this world is an inhospitable desert.

REVIEW...when He had by Himself purged our sins (Hebrews 1:3b NKJ)

REVIEW God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son,...when He had by Himself purged our sins... We are those whose sins NEED purging. – Disobedience comes from unbelief – Sin, like the Devil to Eve, will lie to us and harden our hearts. – The Author is calling like God to Cain for us to master our sin—to persevere in belief, in obedience until the end. – The opposite of unbelief and disobedience, is to work to enter God’s rest.

REVIEW God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son,...when He had by Himself purged our sins... Lastly, the Son is the Word of God (4:12-14) If He is our enemy, He is the ultimate weapon If He is our Lord, He is the ultimate surgeon – The Bible is also called the Word of God: It is Christ-shaped—He tells His disciples that it is all about Him. And the Author to the Hebrews demonstrates this analogy (between Bible and Son of God) by usage. – We need to persevere. Hold fast our profession.

Homework Read Chapters 5 THREE times. Check a couple different translations if you can