Pastor's Bible Study

The big idea of chapter 8 is: "Because Jesus is better… everything He brings is better." So don’t drift. Don’t retreat. Stand firm in the better covenant.- So what does this mean for us? 1) You don’t have to live defeated 2) You can draw near to God3) You can live with assurance4) You can run to Him when you fail 

In the concluding verses of chapter 7, the author continues with this theme of Jesus being a better high priest, but he brings it from theology to implication. He tells us why it matters for us personally. Because Jesus is our perfect High Priest, He gives us what the Law never could—true access to God, lasting security, and complete salvation.Jesus, as our high priest, is exactly what we need. When we struggle, He gives grace.  When we fall, He advocates for us. When we come to God, He welcomes us. He is a better priest and offers us a better hope.

The Hebrew believers were being tempted to go back—to return to the old system, the Levitical priesthood, the familiar rituals of Judaism. And the author’s message is clear: Why go back to something inferior when you have something infinitely better? Why go back to shadows when the substance has come?The big Idea of the text is: Because Jesus is a better High Priest, we have a better hope and a better way to draw near to God.

The writer of Hebrews pauses here at a very important moment. He has just delivered one of the strongest warnings in all of Scripture—a warning about spiritual regression, dullness, and the danger of failing to grow. But now, he turns from warning to encouragement. Before he presses forward, he wants them to know: “I believe in you. I expect better from you.”Throughout this section, the message is clear: Because God’s promises are unchanging, our progress in faith should be unwavering.The call is simple: Don’t drift. Don’t stall. Press on

Hebrews 6:1 states the purpose of the book in terms of why the author is writing to these Jewish believers, “move on to spiritual maturity.” Leave the ABCs. Get to something deeper, higher. Move from the elementary. Build on the foundation of the cross of Jesus. Get to know Jesus as Savior and High Priest. The author is not calling them to leave the gospel behind, but to build upon it—moving from foundational truths into a deeper understanding of Christ’s ongoing ministry as our High Priest.

Jesus is better than Aaron—because He is our Great High Priest. And because He is our Great High Priest, we must hold fast our faith and draw near with confidence.

These verses referencing God's Word fit in the context of the bigger issue – entering into rest. The Word of God is the instrument God uses to keep us from falling short of His rest. You cannot experience God’s rest if something inside of you is spiritually unhealthy. So God does something loving—but uncomfortable. He performs spiritual surgery to restore our spiritual health.  

God offers us a spiritual rest of inner peace, joy, and hope that is for the here and now regardless of the giants of life we may face, but we only receive it if we hear and believe. That's the formula: Hearing + Believing = Resting.

The wilderness generation missed Canaan not because God failed—but because they refused to trust Him. The warning of Hebrews 3 is not about losing salvation. It is about missing the fullness of what Christ offers through persistent unbelief.Jesus is better. His rest is better. So: Don’t drift. Don’t doubt. Don’t delay. Don’t harden your heart. Today, if you hear His voice, respond.

The writer does not diminish Moses. Instead, he affirms Moses’ faithfulness (cf. Numbers 12:7). The argument is not that Moses failed, but that Jesus surpasses him. Jesus is superior to Moses in both person and ministry. For a Jewish audience, Moses was not merely a prophet—he was the deliverer of Israel, the mediator of the covenant, and the one through whom the Law was given. To demonstrate that Christ is better than Moses is to prove that the New Covenant is better than the Old.

Jesus is better than the angels not only because of His deity but also because of His humanity. His humanity enabled Him to regain man's lost dominion, to redeem lost mankind, to disarm Satan and deliver us from death, and it enables Him to be a sympathetic High Priest to His people.

Hebrews 2:1–4 is a loving warning and a hopeful invitation. It calls believers to anchor themselves firmly in the great salvation offered in Christ. The passage reminds us that the gospel is both a gift to treasure and a truth to guard. By paying close attention to what we have heard, we persevere in faith and experience the fullness of God’s redemptive work.

Jesus is better than the angels. He is superior in identity: Son of God, eternal, divine. He is superior in role: worshiped, mediator of salvation, ruler over angels. He is superior in authority: eternal throne, creator of all, sustainer of life. The author's message for Jewish believers tempted to revert to old practices,  place undue emphasis on angels, or return to Judaism is: look to Christ, not the servants. Trust the Son, not the intermediaries. Worship the eternal Savior, not His messengers

Jesus is better than the prophets. Though the words of the prophets were worthy of obedience, not a single prophet was worthy of worship. But Jesus is. He doesn’t just give out partial revelation through snippets, messages, etc. He is the full revelation of God. The final and complete message. He brings a better message. He is a better messenger. 

The word "better" is used 13 times in Hebrews. The book is a series of contrast between the good things of Judaism and the better things of Christ. Jesus is better in every way. He is better than the prophets as a messenger. He is better than the angels in His deity and humanity. He is better than Moses as a deliverer. He is better than Joshua as a conqueror. He better than Aaron as a high priest. He is a better sacrifice than bulls and goats. He establishes a better covenant. He ministers from a better sanctuary. And our relationship with Him operates by a better principle - faith.

The Feast of Tabernacles is a feast the looks back with joy and remembers how God graciously and miraculously provided for the Jews in the wilderness. So when they come to celebrate it in Jerusalem, the make little temporary shelters (booths) to live in for 7 days. The feast celebrated the fall harvest and the forgiveness of sin. But it also prophesies to the future millennial kingdom of Jesus.

The Day of Atonement in terms of a picture was fulfilled by Christ in His death on the cross. The Day of Atonement in terms of prophetic calendar may very well be fulfilled to the day in the time period following the tribulation and leading to the establishment of the Millennial Kingdom.

This feast is memorial of the blowing of trumpets. Trumpets were blown primarily to gather people for a journey, judgment, or battle. When we think about the fall feast pertaining the second advent the way the spring feast pertain to the first advent, then we can surmise that the tribulation could very possibly begin one year on the very day that celebrates the Feast of Trumpets - the 1st day of Tishrie (on the Jewish calendar).

Jesus fulfilled Passover to the in that He is our Passover Lamb that was sacrificed for us on the Passover. He fulfilled the Feast of Unleavened bread in that His holy body saw now decay or corruption. He fulfilled the Feast of Firstfruits in that he was raised from the dead on the very day of the feast. He is the firstfruits of those who will come forth from the grave. And on the day of Pentecost (first day of the Feast of Pentecost), the Holy Spirit descended and baptized the church. He permanently indwells believers. He brought believers into union with Jesus and one another.

The Passover Feast had two purposes: 1) it was to remember deliverance and redemption from Egyptian bondage, and 2) it was to look forward to the coming Messiah who would bring true redemption. Jesus fulfilled the Passover in that He is our true Passover lamb. By faith we apply His shed blood to our lives and God's judgment passes over us. Jesus transformed the Passover Meal into what is known as the Lord's Supper. The Lord's Supper looks back in remembrance to our redemption from the slavery of sin and death.

The High Priest pictured Jesus in his current heavenly ministry as a our Great High Priest. This is often the office of Jesus that we give the least attention to. We think of Him as Savior and King, but we often fail to emphasize and partake in His ministry as our Great High Priest. He is our representative before God the Father, and Jesus represents the Father before us. Because He lived life as man He is sympathetic to our needs. Because He arose from the dead He has the power to meet any and every need. Therefore, we can come to Him and find grace and mercy to help in time of need.

In the veil we see Jesus' incarnation. In the Ark we see Jesus as King, Savior, and High Priest. In the Mercy Seat we see Jesus' sacrifice to pay for our sin and satisfy the wrath and justice of God. How do we get to the most holy place? Through the veil of Jesus humanity and life as it was rent by death on the cross.

Scofield Reference Bible: Altar of Incense, type of Christ our intercessor (Jn 17:1-26; Heb 7:25), through whom our own prayers and praises ascend to God (Heb 13:15; Rev 8:3, 4), and of the believer-priest’s sacrifice of praise and worship (Heb 13:15). 

The showbread speaks of Jesus as the life sustainer. Eternal life is a gift from God that is received by a person when they receive the “true” manna of God, Jesus. However, eternal life requires a special food to sustain it in growth and strength. It is the showbread that sets forth Jesus as the food for those who have partaken of the manna of life.  

The door of the tabernacle was colored to blue, purple, and scarlet representing Jesus' deity, kingship, and humanity. t takes Jesus in his deity and humanity to make Him our Savior . He is the door of salvation, and He is the doorway to fellowship with, serve, or worship God.

The brazen laver primarily dealt with cleansing and that of the priests, and it pictures daily cleansing of believers for service and fellowship with the Lord. 

The brazen altar was the place of substitution for Israel. It was a figure of the cross of Christ. In the Old Testament economy, the sacrificer (one making the offering) had to identify himself with the sacrifice (animal) and be represented by a priest. Under the New Covenant, we must identify ourselves with Jesus in his death. He is our substitutionary lamb. His death was substitutionary. He died in our place. And He is our Great High Priest that represents us.

The fine white linen fence tabernacle revealed that God was encircled with righteousness, and when approached on His terms and conditions He could make humanity righteous as well.  God can only be approached on His own terms though His Son Jesus Christ. This truth is beautifully taught in a tangible way by the Gate.  The tabernacle had only one gate. There was only one entrance. It was wide to accommodate all who would enter, but it was singular, i.e. only one way and pointed to the the truth that Jesus is the one and only way to God. He is the way, the truth, and life. No man comes to God but by Jesus.

The importance of the tabernacle cannot be missed since more than 40 chapters of God’s Word is devoted to its construction, its meaning, the priesthood, and the worship services conducted daily at it. The tabernacle is ultimately a picture of Jesus and His redemptive work on the cross.

The King is coming, and He will rule and reign from the throne of David for 1000 years. This lesson focuses on the what the kingdom will be like and who will be there.

Jesus death is perhaps the single greatest aspect of His ministry on earth. He died as our substitutionary sin atoning sacrifice so that we could be saved, set free, made alive, reconciled, redeemed, etc. Without the death of Jesus there could be no resurrection.

Jesus fulfilled, is fulfilling, and will fulfil the offices of prophet, priest, and king. He represented His heavenly Father to us as prophet. He represents us to His Father as our great high priest. And He rules and will rule as King.

Philippians 2 describes the great humiliation of Jesus, His becoming a servant to serve our greatest need - salvation. Theologically, Paul describes Jesus' kenosis. The word kenosis speaks of the emptying of Jesus of his glory and majesty. Jesus was not, however, emptied of His deity. His kenosis is revealed in His coming from the infinite heights of glory to the infinite depths of hell so that we could be saved, delivered from sin and death, and reconciled unto God the Father.

Jesus is deity. He is God robed in flesh. His' titles, works, and the life He lived all declare that He is God.

Jesus is the incarnate God robed in flesh. He is 100% God and 100% man. This lesson focuses on the humanity of Jesus. It is vitally important that we understand that Jesus lived His life in total victory by depending upon the same resources available to us today as the children of God., It is this reality (i.e. that He lived His life as a man depending upon the Holy Spirit) that lays out an example that we can follow as disciples.

The importance of virgin birth of the incarnate Jesus Christ cannot be overstated. If Jesus was not born of a virgin, then Jesus was a man like you or me. He had a sin nature like you or me. If Jesus was not born of a virgin, then he could not be the Son of God. He could not be sinless. He could not be a substitutionary sacrifice. And He could not be the Savior of mankind. The virgin birth of Jesus is often the first truth about Jesus to be attacked. The virgin birth fulfilled prophecy, declares Jesus' purity, and reveals God's purposes.

In this introductory lesson we are faced with the critical question: who is Jesus? Jesus asked his disciples, 'Who do men say that I am?" Then he asked, "Who do you say that I am?" Who we think and believe Jesus to be in our lives is the single most important thing we can believe. As Peter said, "Thou art the Christ, the son of the living God." Because Jesus is deity, he was preexistent to his incarnation and not only preexistent but also eternal.

Gen 22 is the climax of Abraham’s journey of faith to his bold obedience. But, there is something much larger and grander than the sacrifice of Isaac on Mount Moriah. In this chapter, there is a foreshadowing of the sacrifice of God’s Son on this exact same mountain that we today call Calvary. Abraham told Isaac that God would provide Himself a lamb, and He did - Jesus. John the Baptist said, "Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world." Jesus and His substitutionary sacrifice are seen in Gen 22. This is how Abraham saw Jesus in his day, i.e. through the foreshadowing of Christ's substitutionary atonement.

The bible references Abraham as the friend of God, but that does not mean that Abraham was perfect. He is on a journey to bold obedience, but along the way he does have lapses of faith and commits sin. We are reminded that salvation is instantaneous, but spiritual growth takes time. Abraham sins by lying once again about Sarah being his sister. His sin not only hurt him but others around him. He damaged his character, lost his testimony, lost his dignity, hurt his ability to minister, and he almost lost Sarah and the promised son to come, Isaac. Abimilech forgave Abraham. His forgiveness is an illustration of how God forgives his children and restores them.

Chapter 19 tells the sad story of both the destruction of Sodom and the demise of Lot. What led to the destruction of Sodom and the demise of Lot? Choices. Every decision we make either leads us toward the light or deeper into darkness. There is no such thing a meaningless choice.

One of the great things that happened to Abraham as a result of journeying to a bold obedience is that God’s Word describes Abraham as the friend of God. (2 Chron. 20:7; Isaiah 41:8; and James 2:23) In Genesis 18 we see Abraham and God's friendships on display. Abraham fellowships with God as he entertains heavenly company. Then we see God treat Abraham as a close friend when He communicates and shares His plan with Abraham regarding the timing of the birth of Isaac and the judgment to be poured out upon Sodom and Gomorrah.

God’s blessing on Abraham spills over into the lives of Abraham’s family members: his wife (barren/bearing son), his two sons (Ishmael - prince over 12 tribes / Isaac the father of Israel, the lineage of Messiah), and all their offspring. The blessings of God in our lives can spill over into the lives of our family members (and others).  They are designed to do so, but you have to obey God and walk before God blamelessly in order to get the blessing.