Hebrews

Shows that Jesus is greater than all and the fulfillment of God’s promises.

The Letter to the Hebrews

​WHEN JESUS IS BETTER THAN EVERYTHING

​​

The Gospels show you who Jesus is. Acts shows you what His Spirit started doing. Romans shows you how a person is made right with God. 1 Corinthians shows you how to live together as the church. 2 Corinthians shows you how to keep walking when it gets hard. Galatians shows you that you are free. Ephesians shows you who you are now. Philippians shows you how joy can be real even when life is not. Colossians shows you that Jesus is enough. 1 Thessalonians shows you how to live with hope between Jesus' first coming and His return. 2 Thessalonians shows you how to stay steady when you are not sure where you are in the story. 1 Timothy shows you what the church is meant to guard, and how it is meant to live. 2 Timothy shows you how to finish well. Titus shows you what happens to people when the gospel is actually doing its work in them. Philemon shows you what the gospel looks like when it walks into one specific relationship.

Hebrews shows you that Jesus is better than everything you might be tempted to go back to.

The original audience was being pushed hard, and some of them were drifting. The letter is one long, beautiful, urgent answer to a question many believers carry quietly today. Is Jesus genuinely better than everything I left behind to follow Him, and is He worth staying for when the cost of staying is becoming more than I expected?

The author's answer takes thirteen chapters. The short version is yes. Yes, He is better than the religion you came out of. Yes, He is better than the system that protected you before. Yes, He is better than the relationships you left, the comforts you lost, the version of yourself you walked away from. Yes, He is worth staying for. He has not changed His mind about you. He is at the right hand of the Father, praying for you right now. Do not go back. Keep going. Fix your eyes on Him.

This guide will not replace your Bible. It is here to walk alongside you while you read it. Open Hebrews soon, and let what is said here send you back to the source. Hebrews is the longest book we have looked at so far. Take your time with it.

Who Wrote It

This is one of the few books in the New Testament where we genuinely do not know the author. The letter does not name itself. Various early Christians proposed Paul, Apollos, Barnabas, Priscilla, Luke, and others. The Greek is more polished than Paul usually wrote, and the letter does not open with his usual greeting. Most modern scholars are not sure who wrote it.

That is fine. The early church recognised this letter as Scripture regardless of which human hand held the pen. The Holy Spirit inspired it. The same God who spoke through Paul and Peter and John spoke through the unknown author of Hebrews. The letter has been treasured by the church for two thousand years for what is in it, not for who wrote it.

What we can say about the author is that this was someone who knew the Old Testament deeply. The letter quotes Psalms, Genesis, Exodus, Deuteronomy, Jeremiah, Habakkuk, and many other Hebrew Scriptures throughout. This was a teacher who had spent years thinking about how the whole Old Testament pointed to Jesus.

Who It Was Written For

Hebrews was written to Jewish believers in Jesus, probably in the late 60s AD, somewhere in the Roman world. The clue is in the name. They were Hebrews. Jewish people who had come to follow Jesus as the promised Messiah.

They were under pressure. Persecution had come. The author mentions in chapter 10 that they had endured a great conflict of sufferings, that they had been made a public spectacle, that some of their friends had been imprisoned, that they had even joyfully accepted the seizure of their property because they knew they had a better and lasting possession (Hebrews 10:32-34). They had stood firm in the first wave of persecution. They had paid a real cost.

But the pressure was continuing. Another wave was coming. Some of them were getting tired. Some had stopped meeting with other believers (Hebrews 10:25). Some were drifting from the faith itself.

And there was a particular pull on them. They had come out of Judaism, which was still a legally protected religion under Roman law. Following Jesus increasingly brought pressures. Going back to the synagogue, to the temple, to the old sacrificial system, would have been the safe choice. The familiar choice. The choice that meant their families would stop being angry with them.

The author writes to tell them, in the most loving and urgent way possible, do not go back. What you would be going back to was a shadow. What you have come to is the substance. Jesus is better than everything you left.

If you have come to Jesus from a different way of life, from a different version of yourself, and you are now paying a cost you did not expect, this letter speaks directly to you.

The Tone of the Letter

Hebrews is one of the most beautifully written books in the Bible. The Greek is elegant. The argument is structured. The imagery is rich. The author moves between high theology and direct pastoral appeal, sometimes within a single paragraph.

The tone is urgent without being panicked. The author is worried about his readers. He warns them. He encourages them. He reminds them of what is true. He keeps pulling them back to Jesus from whatever they are tempted to look at instead.

The word "better" appears more than a dozen times in the letter. Jesus is better than the angels. Better than Moses. Better than the high priests. His sacrifice is better than the animal sacrifices. The new covenant is better than the old. The hope is better. The promises are better. The home is better. The whole letter is one sustained argument that Jesus is the better and final everything His readers could have hoped for.

If you read Hebrews and feel the writer is trying very hard to convince you that Jesus is enough, you are reading it correctly. He is. Because some of his readers were not sure any more.

Who Jesus Is

The letter opens with one of the most beautiful descriptions of Jesus in the entire Bible.

God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom He also made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

Hebrews 1:1-3

Read this slowly. Each line is doing real work.

God spoke long ago through prophets in many portions and many ways. The Old Testament was God speaking. Real speech. Real words. Real revelation.

In these last days He has spoken to us in His Son. The Son is God's fullest and final revelation of Himself. In His Son, God has spoken most fully, most clearly, and finally. Everything before was leading to this. And nothing after Him can replace Him.

Whom He appointed heir of all things. The Son inherits everything that exists.

Through whom He also made the world. The Son was the agent of creation. The same Son who was born in Bethlehem made the universe.

He is the radiance of His glory. The Son shines with the same brightness as the Father. Not a reflection. The same radiance.

And the exact representation of His nature. Read that again. Exact. If you want to know what God is like, look at Jesus.

Upholds all things by the word of His power. The universe is being held in existence by the Son's word, right now.

Jesus Himself endured the road of suffering before us. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. He did the work the priests of the old system could never finish. He cleansed sin. Then He sat down. Sitting is the posture of finished work. He is at the right hand of the Father now, having completed what only He could do.

Sit with that opening. If this is who Jesus is, what could possibly be better to go back to?

Why He Became Human 

In chapter 2 the author makes a turn that is the heart of why this letter can be honest about the cost of following Jesus. The Son who made the world, who upholds the universe, who sat down at the right hand of God, was also made fully human for our sake.

The author writes that since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself partook of the same, so that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil (Hebrews 2:14-15). He had to be made like His brothers in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God (Hebrews 2:17). Because He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted (Hebrews 2:18).

Read these verses slowly. The Son became one of us. Fully human. Tempted. Tested. Walking through what we walk through. Your high priest is not far away. He has been here Himself. He understands.

Drawing Near

This is why one of the most comforting passages in the entire New Testament sits at the centre of Hebrews.

Therefore, since we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathise with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things just as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace for help at the time of our need.

Hebrews 4:14-16

Read this slowly.

We have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens. Jesus has gone all the way up to the Father, opening the way for us to follow.

Let us hold firmly to our confession. Hold on to what you have already confessed about Jesus. Do not let it slip.

We do not have a high priest who cannot sympathise with our weaknesses. Read this twice. The Greek word for sympathise means to feel with. Jesus does not just know about your weakness. He feels with you in it.

But One who has been tempted in all things just as we are. He has been in your seat. He has felt the pull of the same temptations. He knows what it costs to resist.

Yet without sin. He resisted. He did not give in. He went through it without breaking.

Therefore let us approach the throne of grace with confidence. Confidence. Not anxiety. Not shame. Not "I'll come back when I am cleaner." Confidence. Right now.

So that we may receive mercy and find grace for help at the time of our need.

If you have ever felt unworthy to come to God, this verse is for you. The throne is a throne of grace, not condemnation. The high priest is one who has felt what you feel. The invitation is to come. Right now. With confidence. The cost of staying with Jesus is real, but you do not pay it alone. He is there. He understands. Draw near.

A Better Sacrifice

The middle chapters of Hebrews (5 to 10) walk through how Jesus is the great high priest who fulfils the entire Old Testament sacrificial system. The author shows that Jesus' priesthood is not in the order of Aaron but in the order of Melchizedek (a mysterious figure from Genesis 14 who blessed Abraham). He shows that Jesus' sacrifice is better than the animal sacrifices, because His was offered once for all time and did what theirs could never do. He shows that the new covenant is better than the old, because it writes God's law on one's heart rather than on stone.

The old religious system was a shadow. Jesus is the substance. The blood of animals could not actually take sin away. Only the blood of Jesus can. He offered Himself once. He did what nothing and no one else could do.

This matters to everyone. Many people have come from traditions that involved repeated rituals to feel acceptable, repeated sacrifices to feel forgiven, repeated effort to feel close enough to God. Hebrews says no. Jesus has done it. Once. For all time. You do not need to keep paying for what He has already paid for. The work is finished.

The Warnings

Hebrews contains some of the sharpest warning passages in the New Testament. The author tells his readers not to drift, not to fall away, not to neglect such a great salvation. The two strongest passages are Hebrews 6:4-6 and Hebrews 10:26-31. Both passages are serious. Both have been read in different ways by faithful Christians for two thousand years.

A note about how to handle these passages. Some Christians read them as describing people who had truly been believers and could fall away. Others read them as describing people who had been close to the truth, had even tasted it, but had never actually trusted Jesus. Faithful believers have disagreed about the details. This page is not the place to settle which view is right.

What is clear is the author's purpose. He is not trying to terrify his readers. He is trying to keep them. He warns them because he loves them and does not want them to lose what they have. The warnings are written the way a parent warns a child who is about to walk into traffic. With urgency. With love. With the hope that the warning will be heard and the child will stay safe.

Read the warning passages carefully in your own Bible. Read them alongside the comfort passages that are also in this letter. Bring questions to a wise believer you trust. Do not let one passage in isolation overshadow the whole. The same author who writes the warnings also writes that God will never leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5).

Faith Looks Like This

Chapter 11 is the famous chapter on faith. It is one of the most beautiful passages in the Bible. The author walks through Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Moses, Rahab, and a long list of Old Testament believers who lived by faith.

These were not perfect people. Many of them failed. Many of them doubted. Many of them died without seeing what they had been promised. But they kept trusting. They kept walking. They were sure of what they hoped for and certain of what they did not see (Hebrews 11:1).

The chapter ends with a striking line. The author says that all these believers were commended for their faith, but they did not receive what was promised, because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect (Hebrews 11:39-40).

Read that twice. The Old Testament believers and the New Testament believers are part of one family, waiting for the same thing. You are connected to them. Their faith was real. Yours is too. And what is coming is for all of us together.

Fix Your Eyes

After the long argument and the long list of faithful believers, the author finally tells his readers what to do. This is one of the most encouraging passages in the New Testament for any believer who is tired and considering giving up.

Therefore, since we also have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us rid ourselves of every obstacle and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking only at Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:1-2

Read this slowly.

A great cloud of witnesses surrounding us. All the faithful believers of chapter 11 now stand as witnesses that the race can be finished. Their lives testify to the faithfulness of God.

Let us rid ourselves of every obstacle. Things that are not necessarily sin but are slowing you down. Set them aside.

And the sin which so easily entangles us. Name it. The thing that keeps tripping you. Lay it down.

Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. Run. Not stop. Endurance. Not sprint. The race has been set before you. It is yours to run.

Looking only at Jesus. Read this twice. Looking only at Jesus. Not at the cost. Not at the people who have walked away. Not at the persecution. Not at the comparison with others. At Him.

The originator and perfecter of the faith. He started your faith. He will finish it. The whole arc is His.

Who for the joy set before Him endured the cross. Jesus endured something costly because there was joy on the other side. He kept His eyes on what was coming. He went through the cross, despising the shame, because of what was on the other side.

And has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Sit with this. Jesus did the same thing the author is asking you to do. He endured. He kept His eyes on the joy. He finished the race. He is now seated. And He is asking you to run the same way He ran, with His help, with His example, with His Spirit, with the witnesses of chapter 11 standing as proof that the race can be finished.

That is the answer to your question. Yes, He is worth staying for. He stayed for you.

How to Read Hebrews

It is thirteen chapters. Longer than the other letters you have read. There is no need to read it all in one sitting. Take your time.

If you are not sure where to begin, here is something gentle to try. Read chapter 1, slowly, paying attention to who the author says Jesus is. Then sit with chapter 4 verses 14 to 16, the great high priest passage, and stop and pray it back to God. Then chapter 11, the faith chapter, as a reminder of who has gone before you. Then chapter 12 verses 1 and 2, the running passage. After that, go back and read the whole letter through from the beginning.

Hebrews quotes the Old Testament more than any other New Testament book. If you do not know the Old Testament well, do not let this intimidate you. The author is doing the connections for you. Just follow his argument. Over time, as you read more of the Bible, the connections will become clearer.

Keep coming back to Hebrews 4:14-16 and Hebrews 12:1-2 throughout your life. Both passages are worth memorising.

What Hebrews Means for Your Life Now

If you came to Jesus and are paying a cost you did not expect, this letter is for you. Hebrews was written for people in exactly that situation. The cost is real. The temptation to go back is real. The answer of the whole letter is that Jesus is better. Better than what you left. Better than what you might go back to. Better than anything else you could fix your eyes on.

If you are tired, return to chapter 12. Look at Jesus. He endured the cross for the joy set before Him. He is asking you to endure too, with His help, looking at Him. The cloud of witnesses is around you. The race is set before you. Run.

If you feel unworthy to come to God, return to chapter 4 verses 14 to 16. The throne is a throne of grace, not condemnation. The high priest is one who has felt what you feel. Approach with confidence. He understands. He is praying for you right now.

If you are tempted to think there is something greater to return to apart from Christ, return to chapter 1. He is the radiance of God's glory. The exact representation of His nature. Upholding all things by the word of His power. There is nothing greater to go back to. There never has been.

If you are wondering whether your faith is real because it feels small, return to chapter 11. The faith of the great believers of the Old Testament was sometimes very small. Many of them failed. Many of them doubted. Many of them died without seeing what they were promised. And God commended them as faithful. He is patient with your faith too.

There is nothing behind you greater than Christ. Everything that came before was pointing to Him. He is worth staying for. Right now He is at the right hand of the Father praying for you. He has walked this road Himself. He understands.

Keep going. Fix your eyes on Him.

The One who called you will carry you through.