Summary of Hebrews 1-2: Jesus is greater than the


Summary of Hebrews 1-2: Jesus is greater than the...

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Summary of Hebrews 1-2: Jesus is greater than the angels. Also, Jesus, being fully God and fully man, is the only One who can represent us, atone for us, identify with us, save us, and lead us to the glory that God intends for us. Hebrews 3:1—Therefore, fix your thoughts on Jesus. The author is encouraging fellow Christians (he calls them “holy brothers”) to constantly think of Jesus, to be defined by Jesus. Then, he gives us two reasons to fix our thoughts on Jesus: 1.

Jesus is our apostle and high priest (3:1). Jesus meets our two greatest needs: We need to hear from God (revelation). As our apostle, Jesus reveals God to us. Remember Hebrews 1:1-2: Jesus is greater than all the prophets, because He is the full revelation of God. We need to go to God (reconciliation). As our high priest, Jesus atones for our sins and provides a way back to God. So, in one verse, Jesus is greater than all the OT prophets and Jesus is greater than all the OT priests! That’s one reason why we should fix our thoughts on Jesus.

2. Jesus is worthy of greater honor than Moses (3:3). This is not a slam on Moses. In fact, 3:2 says that Moses was faithful in all God’s house. The important thing is to notice why Jesus is greater than Moses. There are 3 reasons: While Moses was faithful in the house, Jesus is the builder of the house (3:3). Moses was faithful as a servant, but Jesus is faithful as a Son (3:5-6). Remembering that Jesus is the builder of the house, look at 3:4: “God is the builder of everything.” Conclusion: Jesus is God. Therefore, as great as Moses was—and to the Jews, he was the greatest in the OT (Numbers 12:6-8 says that even when you consider all the OT prophets, Moses is the only of the Jews to whom God was willing to speak directly)—Jesus is even greater! Hebrews 3:6a—And we are Jesus’ house This is immediate application. It goes like this: 1.

Moses was faithful in God’s house, but Jesus actually built the house.

2. Therefore, Jesus is greater than Moses. 3. As the church, the people of God, we are part of the same house as Moses. 4. Therefore, we should be reminded that Jesus is greater than us. He is our Builder, our Maker, our Provider, our Sustainer, our Ruler. 3:6b—If we hold on to Jesus The author actually answers a really tough question for us here: How do we know that we are truly saved, that we are really part of God’s house? We know our salvation is genuine when we keep on keeping on. Becoming a Christian and being a Christian happen in the same way: By trusting and hoping in Jesus Christ, by holding on to the courage and hope we have in Him alone. This is huge for helping us understand the rest of chapter 3 (and really all the warnings in Hebrews.)

Some practical questions to help us apply this to our lives: 1.

How much time do I really spend fixing my thoughts on Jesus?

2. Am I teaching my children to fix their thoughts on Jesus? How can I do this? 3. Do I really believe my two greatest needs are to hear from God and to go to God? 4. Based on the way I live my daily life, the way I spend my time, the way I use my money, the things that excite me, the things I care about and worry about, the things that consume my thoughts, what are some things that seem to be more important to me than hearing from God and going to God?

5. Do I acknowledge, welcome, and embrace Jesus Christ’s rightful Lordship over me? Am I glad to praise Him for being greater than me? Do I willingly submit to Him? 6. OR—Deep down inside, do I think Jesus’ most important role is to take care of me? For me, is following Jesus really about Jesus or is it about what Jesus can do for me? 7. To borrow from someone else and put it one other way: Do I live like Christianity is about Jesus Christ making much of me, or do I realize that Christianity is about me making much of Jesus Christ?