Introduction

 INTRODUCTION  TO HEBREWS

Introduction

The book of Hebrews gives us an extraordinary sense of clarity and wonder about Jesus. As you read, you will very quickly become aware that this author just loves Jesus Christ. He thinks he is amazing, magnificent, extraordinary. He is wonderful. He is all in all.

You might respond by saying, “I felt like that once!” It may feel like a while since you have really been gripped by the magnificence of Christ. We all experience times when we just have our nose to the grindstone, following Jesus out of duty and obligation instead of delight in how wonderful he is. At those times it is easy to look over at something else—some other person or situation or community or way of living—and think, “That looks better.”

If that feeling is familiar, then the book of Hebrews is for you. It will remind you of Jesus’ superiority over all things, and it will do so right from the very first verses.

As we will see, the book can be summed up in one simple phrase: Jesus is better.

Curiously, we don’t know who wrote the book of Hebrews. It was likely written in the middle of the first century, probably in the early 60s AD, but no specific author is named. This uncertainty does not affect our confidence in the authority of the book. The author tells us that his message “was declared first by the Lord, and ... attested to us by those who heard” (2:3). Thus, while the author does not appear to have been an apostle,[1] the information he has given us in this book comes from the apostles themselves.

But it is the audience that really helps us to understand the book. “Hebrews” is just another name for the Jewish people. The audience appears to be primarily Jewish Christians who grew up in Judaism but have believed in Jesus. They have embraced him as the Messiah. Yet they have hit a snag. For whatever reason—perhaps the pressure of persecution and opposition—they are thinking about going back to Judaism. They are considering leaving this new-found faith and going back to the old ways: animal sacrifices, worship at the temple—the old paths, if you will, that Jews had trusted in for generations. In other words, these people are starting to doubt whether this Jesus thing is all it first promised to be.

Our author responds to this by showing, all through the book, how Jesus is superior to every possible thing that you could put in his place. He’s superior to the angels. He’s superior to the prophets. He’s superior to Moses, Aaron, and Joshua. His covenant is superior to the old covenant. This is the major theme of the book: Jesus is better. There is nothing grander, greater, more beautiful, more wonderful, more satisfying, or more extraordinary than him.

Of course, there are probably not many readers of this expository guide who are thinking about giving up on Jesus and going back to animal sacrifices. But we are all tempted to look to other things which we suspect may be better than Jesus—whether those be work, relationships, money, or anything else. That is why the message of the book of Hebrews applies to all of us. What God gives us in the book of Hebrews is a doctrinal anchor: a clear and detailed understanding of exactly how and why Jesus is better than anything else. This will prevent us from drifting away from our faith.

Before embarking on this journey, you should know that the book of Hebrews is not a light appetizer. It is more like a porterhouse steak. The author talks a lot about how Jesus’ sacrifice is superior to the sacrifices made in the Old Testament—requiring us to think hard about the structure and complexity of the old-covenant system. It is heavy, meaty stuff. But it’s wonderful stuff.

Many of us struggle to understand the relationship between the Old Testament and the New Testament. What is the relevance of the Old Testament? What still applies and what doesn’t? How do the two Testaments link together? Did people know Jesus was coming? These are monumental questions. And the book of Hebrews answers many of those questions. It helps us to understand the overall story of the whole Bible: the entire scope of redemptive history. It ranges across the Old Testament and shows us how Christ fulfilled it all. He is the crescendo of God’s work on earth.

In the outline of the book below, you will immediately be able to see that Christ’s superiority is the key point. You can also see that, punctuating the main flow of the author’s argument, there are six warnings. All of these follow the same simple theme: don’t turn away from Jesus. These warnings are there to keep us walking with him on the right path—the path to life.

The word of God is a powerful thing. The book of Hebrews tells us it is “living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword” (4:12). It can penetrate your heart and your life in ways that you never knew or thought of. It can change you, encourage you, convict you, mold you, and empower you to share the gospel with those around you.

The book of Hebrews is one we don’t tend to study often in our churches. But it is in our Bible for a reason. What would we do without a book that so clearly, grandly, and magnificently proclaims the wonders of Jesus? My prayer for you as you read the book of Hebrews is that the Lord will help you to see those wonders, and most importantly, to be changed by them. I hope that, in a fresh and new way, you will fall in love with Christ all over again.

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