Jesus: Our High Priest and Revealer of God

 

The Book of Hebrews

The Theme of HebrewsThe sufficiency of Jesus as our high priest and

revealer of GodThe Purpose of Hebrews:

To establish that the covenant God gives us through Jesus is better than the one God gave to Israel through Moses.

And because of this New Covenant we can:a) Live in relationship with Jesus rather than

in a frustrated life of trying to obey lawsb) Have faith that God is with us nowc) Have the sure hope that God will be with

us eternallyThe New Covenant is better, relational, and

imparts faith and hope

Preface to the Book of HebrewsThe Nation of Israel and the Church

Christians and Jews have a “history” with each otherSome goodSome very, very bad

People claiming to Christians have been involved in historical anti-SemitismEx: the Crusades; the Inquisition; the Holocaust

Jewish people throughout time have been stigmatized as: “The people who killed Jesus”

The conflict between Islam and Judaism has gone on for centuries—more severe today

On the positive side: the Righteous Gentiles:Oskar SchindlerNicholas WintonCorrie ten Boom

There was a transition in Acts from the early Christians being all Jewish converts, and continuing to keep the Law of Moses for a number of years…

To most Christians being Gentile converts who had never known Law-keeping and circumcision

Recall the Acts 15 counsel where some Jewish believers insisted that the new Gentile believers be circumcised and keep the LawPaul and Barnabas stood against thisJames and Peter agreed with the two and the

counsel drafted a compromise where the Gentiles did not have to keep the Law of Moses, but were to respect the traditions of their Jewish brothers and try not to offend them as wild, unruly Gentiles

Acts 15:19Therefore my judgment is that we should not

trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood. 

Why has the church throughout history been predominantly Gentile?

Although individuals from the Jewish nation and culture have become Christian, Israel as a nation rejected their Messiah They crucified Him and did not accept Him as the

sacrificial Lamb of God

Jesus predicted His rejection by the Israeli nation in many of His parables The vineyard owner The man who invites wedding guests

Luke 9:22“The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be

rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.”

Even more tragic than Israel crucifying their Messiah:Israel rejected the Holy Spirit offered

through the apostles after Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection

In the book of Acts Stephan is stoned and Jesus, now in heaven, stands in judgment over the nation of Israel

Acts 7:55-56But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed

into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”

Jesus warned that his audience (exclusively Jewish) could blaspheme Him, but not the Holy Spirit in His followers

Matt 12:31“Therefore I say to you, every sin

and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.”

Three times in the book of Acts Paul, who always went first to the synagogue in every town he visited, stated that he was finished with teaching Israelites, and that he will now only go to Gentiles (out of frustration)

Acts 13:46Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, “It was

necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles.”

Acts 18:6But when (the Jews) opposed him and blasphemed, (Paul)

shook his garments and said to them, “Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”

Acts 28:28“Therefore let it be known to you that the salvation of God

has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will hear it!”

Could Israel have known that Jesus was their Messiah?

There are many subtle Old Testament Messianic references:

Gen 3:25“And I will put enmity between you and the woman,

and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel.”

The prophesy of Balaam:

Num 24:17“I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but

not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.”

The promise to AbrahamGen 17:5“No longer will you be called Abram;

your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations.”

The Messianic PsalmsPs 2:12Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you

perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

Is. 53:3-5He was despised and forsaken of men, a

man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed…

Israel as a nation rejected its Messiah and was then rejected as a nation, as the people of GodIsraelites by birth can become the

people of God today by accepting Jesus as their personal Savior (a remnant of believers during the “times of the Gentiles.”)

“Messianic Jews.’

And, Israel will yet be accepted as a nation at the end of the age

Rom 11:25-27I do not want you to be ignorant of this

mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, and in this way all Israel will be saved. As it is written:“The deliverer will come from Zion;He will turn godlessness away from Jacob.And this is my covenant with them when I

take away their sins.”

Most of the “hard-to-understand” parts of Old Testament prophesy are devoted to describing the hardship that will befall the nation of Israel due to their rejection of the Messiah, followed by a national repentance and a national restoration in the Millennium

Zech 12:10-14“And I will pour out on the house of David and the

inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son. On that day the weeping in Jerusalem will be as great as the weeping of Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. The land will mourn, each clan by itself, with their wives by themselves: the clan of the house of David and their wives... and all the rest of the clans and their wives.”

 How can “all” Israel be saved at the end of the age?1. By the Lord calling Jews from all

over the world to return to Israel

Ezek 36:24-28I will take you from the nations and

gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land...And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God. 

2. By the Lord rising from “sleep” Jews who have died?

Ezek 37: 11-14They say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our

hope is lost; we are indeed cut off.’ Therefore prophesy, and say to them, ‘thus says the Lord GOD: behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land.’

Another hidden clue about the order of events in the end times:The times of the GentilesThe tribulation (the time of Jacob’s trouble)The Millennial ReignThe new heaven and earth

Is 66:7-8“Before she goes into labor, she gives birth;

before the pains come upon her, she delivers a son. Who has ever heard of such things? Who has ever seen things like this? Can a country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment? Yet no sooner is Zion in labor than she gives birth to her children.”

Rev 12:1-9A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed

with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born. She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.” And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days… (continued)

…Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.

At present, the only way to become a son of God, a member of the Faith, a person of God, is through Jesus, whether we are Jewish, American, Chinese, Indian, etc.

Luke 13:34-35“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills

the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! Behold, your house is left to you desolate; and I say to you, you will not see Me until the time comes when you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”

John 1:11-13He came to that which was his own, but

his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

John 6:63"It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh

profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.”

Becoming a Christian is a spiritual transaction: a supernatural event--not culture-bound

What about Messianic Jews honoring their culture?No problemWe are allowed to keep and respect our

cultures, be it Jewish, Southern, or tribal

But if Messianic Jews’ respecting their culture includes law keeping apart from the grace of God revealed in Paul’s teaching…

They develop a self-righteousness that comes from works rather than resting in the righteousness of Christ that comes from works

And they commit the error of their fathers:

Acts 28:26-27“The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your

ancestors when he said through Isaiah the prophet:“Go to this people and say,“You will be ever hearing but never

understanding;“ You will be ever seeing but never

perceiving.” For this people’s heart has become

calloused;They hardly hear with their ears,And they have closed their eyes.”

Rom. 9:30-33What then shall we say? That the Gentiles,

who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; but the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness, have not attained their goal. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone. As it is written: “See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who believes in him will never be put to shame.”