Category: Hebrews - Wittenberg Door Campus Ministry

Hebrews 3:1-6 - Lectionary for Transfiguration C

2/27/2019

2/27/19
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

Hebrews 3:1-6 reminds God’s people to remember Jesus. This should be a surprising statement. Then again, when we consider much of modern American Christianity, Jesus is pretty hard to find. I’m constantly seeing articles about how to make Christianity relevant to our larger culture. Sadly, these methods rarely seem to focus on discovering Him in Scripture, considering His claims, reviewing how He fulfilled many detailed prophecies, or gathering together purposely around Word and Sacrament. Want to be more relevant? Talk about social issues in church. Want to be more welcoming? Don’t throw anything difficult at people. Want to be more inclusive? Try purposely celebrating people’s different cultural, sexual, or religious backgrounds. Anything but Christ crucified for sinners, and every last human being bound by sin, needing rescue by Jesus’ death in our place.

It’s time to get back to the Scripture. In Hebrews 1-2, Jesus is described as the great and mighty Lord of all, spoken of in advance throughout the Bible. He is the one irreplaceable in all our theology and, therefore, in all our life. We neglect him at our great peril. Remember Jesus, the apostle and high priest. He is the one sent from above (apostle) to work forgiveness and reconciliation with God (priest). He was faithful in all that he came to do. He deserves all our honor and respect.

Maybe this makes us uncomfortable. We are used to being the center of our universe, or at least being encouraged and rewarded when we decide to do what’s right in caring for others. We like that role. But it isn’t the one the Bible gives us. If all our service to others, all our care, all our concern is driven by our own concept of what the world is like, we have forgotten what it means to be Christian. Above all, to be Christian is to remember Christ, who has redeemed the world and uses us as his instruments to call others to his grace. If we want to call ourselves Christian, let us remember Christ.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

Hebrews 10:5-10 - Lectionary for Advent 4C

12/19/2018

12/19/18
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

Our Epistle reading from Hebrews chapter ten serves as a commentary on Psalm 40:6-8, where the Lord is said not to desire sacrifices, but to delight in the one who has come to do his will. What is God’s will? What is God’s desire? He wants to gather his people in a body which does his will. The problem is that we, in our nature, even at the best of times, aren’t that interested in doing God’s will wholeheartedly, especially without getting something for ourselves out of the deal.

The idea of sacrifice is central to this passage, as it is central to the entire Bible. In a nutshell, as God has designed it, sin requires death. It is, thankfully, possible that there can be a death of a substitute. That isn’t too comforting to the substitute. However, to take care of sin entirely, the substitute must be perfect. We’re not going to find a perfect person. Or are we? Here in Hebrews, the sacrifice of animals is taken away and replaced by the death of Christ (v. 10). He is the perfect one, being God the Son. He is also born with a human, though not sinful, nature. The implication here is tremendous. It is through the death of Jesus on behalf of all sinful humanity, that all sinners can die at the same time. As people believe that Jesus has given himself for them, his death is applied to them. This is the second sacrifice of Hebrews 10:10. It’s effective. It’s the one that is pleasing to God, because it allows him to gather his people into that body that does God’s will.

During this season of Advent, may we have grace to see that through the coming of Christ we too can be partakers of eternal life. We too can be pleasing to God by faith in Jesus. That’s what Christianity is all about. Reconciliation.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

Hebrews 10:11-25 - Lectionary for Pentecost 26B

11/14/2018

11/14/18
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

Our Epistle this week, from Hebrews 10:11-25, takes us in a direction that makes many uncomfortable. Because Jesus has given himself as the truly adequate sacrifice for sin, there’s no need to make any more offerings for sin (v. 18). For this reason, we are bold to approch the Lord, not on our own recognizance, but through Jesus. Why would this make us uncomfortable? There are two basic ways it can be a problem. Having a certain forgiveness we may neglect to live a holy life. With freedom to approach the Lord, we may neglect the need for Jesus as a mediator.

What of the constant demands of Scripture that Christ’s people must live a holy life? Doesn’t that negate the statements that our sin is completely taken care of? not at all. Why would we live a life of good works? Simply because they are good works. God has created some things so that they work toward the good of the world, of society, of our neighbor. We live those out because they are good, they are pleasing to God, and they are of great assistance to our neighbor. While we confess of ourselves that we have failed to do good in ways that would be pleaseing to God, at the same time we realize that those works are the fruit of salvation, not the cause of salvation. We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus. We don’t earn or maintain that salvation by any of our works. We simply live a life of good works because they are pleasing to God.

What of the neglect of Jesus as mediator? People in pop Christianity seem obsessed with seeing the Lord face to face, receiving directly from God, having no mediator, just going into the bare presence of God. This is not a biblical good. When we approach God without a mediator, we are confronting a consuming fire. If we were to see God in His glory without a mediator like Jesus, we would be consumed, or at least so terrified and grief-stricken at our own unrighteousness we could live no more. Why do we want to approach God without a mediator? Why are we not content to find God where He has promised to be in His mercy, through the Word which creates faith in us, through the Sacraments which are enactments of His Word.

Jesus is the mediator. He is the one who has made an approach to God for us, through His blood. He is the one who makes us able to see God in his mercy and grace. Thanks be to the Lord. We are made partakers of His glory so we can live a life which is compatible with his promises and his way of blessing the world.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

Hebrews 9:24-28 - Lectionary for Pentecost 25B

11/7/2018

11/7/18
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

The heart of our Episthe this week, from Hebrews 9:24-28, is that Jesus is the one special high priest who makes an offering good forever. All else points to Jesus as the reality. This takes us who have always lived around materialism some effort to deal with.

We are used to having a sharp distinction between what we think is real and what is abstract. Please read that last sentence again. Now let’s unpack it a little bit. We will easily admit the reality of some abstract things. Just because they are immaterial doesn’t make them unreal. A memory, the concept of intelligence, love, courage, and loyalty are all things we quickly admit are not only real, but good.

What about that concept of good? We may be more troubled by it. Is it real? Is it imaginary? How do we define it? Likewise we have trouble with admitting a firm identification of evil, sin, cowardice, and the like. This becomes a problem when we try to identify what good Jesus is. We want to substitute easy alternatives for some of those more abstract things Jesus takes care of. Sin, shame, guilt, and fear are presented as problems, real problems, in the Bible. Jesus’ death as our substitute is presented as the solution. He took our sin upon himself and made it die when he died.

It would be so easy to create substitutes which we think of as real. But this is not the way God did it. The visible temple points to the invisible gathering of Christians in every age. The preached Word of God points to the invisible confidence we have. The visible elements of Christian worship point to the now invisible Jesus, who depart frm earth afte his resurrection. The pastor’s words are powerful only as they are used to do the work of Jesus’ words.

Jesus is the real one, and He has accomplished all that is needed to rescue from sin and death. This is ultimate reality.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

Hebrews 9:11-22 - Lectionary for Pentecost 24B

10/31/2018

10/31/18
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

God’s ways are not our ways. This is made crystal clear to us when we consider God’s commands regarding sin and redemption. While we might be quite satisfied asking that people do what they can in their desire for reform and holiness, God requires perfection. While we like to decide what sins are serious and what could be overlooked, God says that all human sin condemns. While we might devise intricate and visible means of atoning for our own sin, God has something quite different in mind.

God has clearly revealed that sin, all sin, is deadly. He requires a perfect sacrifice to atone for sin. In the simplest terms, we can die of our sins and the sin which is common to humans. Otherwise, we can recognize that someone else, someone perfect, has died in our place. Nothing we could do, nothing we would ever devise, will bring help for sin.

Our Epistle from Hebrews 9:11-22 shows that Jesus, the perfect high priest, is the one able to atone by his perfect death for all the sin humans have ever or ever will commit. He is the one without sin who could offer himself up once for all (v. 12). This work cleanses our conscience (v. 14). This negates the elaborate schemes we could devise, what the author calls “dead works” (v. 14). Jesus accomplished this redemption by dying in the place of his people. This death is the work of both a sacrifice and a priest. The forgiveness is accomplished through shedding blood (v. 22) done by Jesus.

What does this men for us? It means that all our plans for holy living, all our attempts at reform, all the pledges we make to bargain with God, all are meaningless. The Christian walk is one of faithful reception, accepting that Jsus is the redeemer he promised to be.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

Hebrews 7:23-28 - Lectionary for Pentecost 23B

10/24/2018

10/24/18
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

October is sometimes designated as “Pastor Appreciation Month.” It’s good to take some time and recognize these often unsung heroes. I say this not because I am a pastor. In fact, it normally makes me uncomfortable when I receive recognition. I’d rather work quietly in the background, be cared for, and not have a lot of fanfare. But the fact is, pastors have a difficult calling. They are working, day by day, as representatives of Jesus. They are stand-ins, if you will, for Jesus, the perfect priest described in Hebrews 7:23-28.

What kind of a priest is Jesus? He’s the one we really need. He does his priestly work forever, as the risen Lord. He is always praying for the people who come to God. He is holy, innocent, without sin himsef, unhurt by the sin of others, and exalted, raised up above even the heavens (v. 26). He never needs forgiveness for himself (v. 27). What’s more, he obtained forgiveness for our sins once and it is effective forever. Unlike our efforts to purge sins, his will never stop working. This is truly a different kind of priest.

As a pastor, my job includes delivering the words of promise that Jesus made. My job is to pray for people and remind all who believe that Jesus is also praing for them. My job is to show Jesus as the one who is holy and undefiled. My job is to point past my weakness and failings to Jesus’ perfection. He is the true priest.

Does your pastor point you to Jesus? Then he is a good pastor, worthy of thanks and praise. But let’s make sure he points to Jesus, not to himself.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

Hebrews 4:1-16 - Lectionary for Pentecost 22B

10/17/2018

10/17/18
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

Our Epistle this week, Hebrews 4:1-16, continues in the theme of warnings. What of those people who have heard the Gospel and have not believed?

God’s Word is powerful. Verses 12-13 proclaim the power of God working through the Word. So why does it not save all who hear? Those who harden their hearts (v. 7) rather than believing (v. 3) will not enter the rest of God. Those who treat God’s words of grace and salvation as if they are cursing and condemnation do not receive grace. God’s Word, which can penetrate our hearts and minds, delivers judgment against those who have rejected the Gospel.

The conclusion of our passage? We find it in verses 14-16. Since Jesus understands our weakness and gives us powerful words of life, we should hold fast to those words, finding God’s grace. It is exactly what we need.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

Hebrews 3:12-19 - Lectionary for Pentecost 21B

10/10/2018

10/10/18
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

Our reading in Hebrews 3 this week warns us against having an unbelieving heart. Most Christians would like to agree wholeheartedly, then to add that they are glad they don’t have that fight. After all, they are Christians.

There’s a reason that God warns against unbelief. There’s a reason that we find this particular warning in a text written to people who are identified as Christians who have all the benefits of a Hebrew background. They have known all their lives that God calls them heirs of His promise. So why the warning against unbelief? These people should have confidence.

What do we see in the real world? The people with reason for confidence are exactly those whose faith can be shaken. They know their identity. They know the history. They know God doesn’t change. And they find within themselves a hard heart, like those who rebelled against God in the Exodus. When we start deciding we know best and God’s Word doesn’t matter so much, we are doomed to failure. Like the Israelites, we cannot expect to enter into rest.

Despite these strict words, I’d like to show how this passage brings hope. God would not warn his people against unbelief if He hadn’t made his gifts of forgiveness, life, and salvation available in Word and Sacrament. Are you afraid you will have an unbelieving heart? It is a valid fear. So turn to God’s Word. Surround yourself with believers who will encourage you. Believe and live.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

Hebrews 2:1-13 - Lectionary for Pentecost 20B

10/3/2018

10/3/18
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

Hebrews chapter two reminds us that the greatness of our salvation is the motivation to give our attention to the teaching of Scripture. In some ways the passage may seem threatening. The message is binding and there are penalties for those who disobey. It would be easy to get the message that we’d better get with the program or God will come down and smite us.

We are all tuned in to the idea that our obedience to God’s Law will rescue us. And there is a sense in which we really do need to work, and work hard, at faithfulness to God. But our motiviation is quite different from the motivation our Lord gives. The author of Hebrews turns our attention to Psalm 8, where we see that God has visited humanity out of His loving care. He has worked salvation for humanity through a man, Jesus, to whom all is subject. It is Jesus’ perfect obedience to God’s Law which has been applied to all who trust him as the savior.

Does this mean that our obedience doesn’t matter? That isn’t quite the best way to discuss it. Our obedience matters, but simply because it reflects God’s goodness and the positive ways He has made the world to work. Our obedience is good for us and our neighbor. But it is Christ’s obedience which saves us. This is how he presents himself wih all the people God gave him.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

Hebrews

7/26/2018

Thursdays are for the New Testament
7/26/18
Carson, D.A., and Douglas Moo An Introduction to the New Testament - Second Edition. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005. "New Testament Letters" Carson & Moo pp. 331-353
“Hebrews” Carson & Moo pp. 596-618

Hebrews, though on the surface it might appear to be a rather general epistle, seems directed to specific readers dealing with specific problems. The absence of a typical salutation and writer’s name draws attention to the anonymity, yet the familiarity of address suggests that the specific audience who received the letter knew the author. The richness of rhetorical devices has led many to believe the letter is a homily which was adapted into a letter. The theme? Jesus, God’s Son, the supreme master of all. The earliest Christian tradition, particularly in the East, held to Pauline authorship, and the West generally embraced that tradition in the fourth century. However, Hebrews has many features which suggest an author other than Paul. In the time of the Reformation scholars started focusing on those factors and suggesting other authors. Carson and Moo weigh some of the suggestions and finally assert that we do not know who wrote the book.

In the absence of an author, the date, provenance, and destination are difficult to assess. The author does confirm not being an eyewitness of Jesus, which suggests a second generation. The author also writes as if the ceremonies around the temple in Jerusalem are perfectly operational, which suggests a date before about 66. We have no significant information about where the letter was written. While people have suggested numerous destinations, all we really know is that it was addressed to a place where there were many Jewish converts to Christ. Carson and Moo suggest Rome as a likely destination. Yet there are many unknowns.

The text of Hebrews is well established. It seems to be accepted as canonical earlier in the East than in the West, where it was not recognized as part of the canon until at least near the end of the second century.

Major topics of study in Hebrews recently have been the high Christology, the way the author uses the Old Testament, the treatment of the sabbath, and the nature of a covenant. Hebrews also sheds light on the way first century Christians interpreted Scripture. This all combines to make the letter a very fruitful ground for study.

Hebrews 5:1-10 - Lectionary for Lent 5B

3/14/2018

3/14/18
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

Our passage this week from Hebrews 5:1-10 is a very full reading. It talks about many different concepts. At the center of the passage we find that Jesus is the high priest appointed by God for us.

I’d like to make a few observations about the work of a priest. In general, priests in a wide variety of religions have two jobs. They almost always offer some sort of sacrifice to a deity. This offering is normally intended to please the deity or at least ward off anger, thus providing some safe access to the deity, or at least to life in this world, for the worshiper.

The Bible describes priests from the early days of Israel’s history. In the opening parts of the Bible, the head of a household seems to serve as the priest. That’s the person who we find making offerings. At a point a bit later, the leader of a larger group of people ends up making offerings and, still later, the work of the priesthood is assigned to the descendants of Aaron, the brother of Moses.

These priests received their appointment because of their lineage. Because they were descendants of Aaron, they were priests. What is special about Jesus is that he was not a descendant of Aaron. He was appointed as a priest by God, not by law. The author of Hebrews makes it clear that Jesus’ appointment is from God, not of any human lineage or merit, but because of his position as God the Son.

What did Jesus do as a priest? Hebrews 5:1 speaks of the work of the priest to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. In Israel people would sometimes bring offerings indicating their willingness to be in fellowship with God and His people. These were received and distributed as appropriate by the priests. Some of the offerings were grain offerings, of which a portion might be burned as an offering and the rest eaten. The priest was at the center of this work. Without the work of the priest, the worshiper would not be able to approach God in accord with the Law of Moses.

The other job of the priest is to offer sacrifices. This is the means appointed by God to work forgiveness of sins. Since all humans are shown as guilty of sin, everyone needs to make the offerings appointed by God. Without the work of the priest, nobody can be released from sin.

What’s so significant about Jesus’ work in this? When Jesus offers a gift, he offers himself as the redeemer of the world. When Jesus offers a sacrifice for sin, he offers himself as the perfect man, an adequate sacrifice for the sin of the world. Jesus serves both as the priest and as the offering. This is the great good news of the entire book of Hebrews, and especially this chapter. Jesus has given himself for your sin and mine. He is the perfect priest.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

Hebrews 1:1-6 - Lectionary for Christmas Day

12/21/2016

12/21/16
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

In our Epistle for Christmas day we read about Jesus, the very special one, God the Son. Hebrews chapter one calls him the way that God has revealed himself in these last days, one who has surpassed all the angels.

In Greek, more than in English, adjectives of “greatness” tend to show certain types of greatness. Here Jesus is presented as being of greater value and authority than anyone else. He is the one who is worthy of all worship, honor, and praise.

How do we receive this Jesus? Do we think of him as part of the created order or as the one through whom all things are created? Do we think of him as someone who would like to see everything put in order but may be frustrated? Do we see him as he is, the one who who did put everything in order and will restore that order when he comes again?

As we remember the first coming of Jesus, born and laid in a manger, may we also recall that he is the one whose authority is far above all principalities, all powers, and the angels in heaven. This is the kind of Lord who is recognized at Christmas.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

Hebrews 13:1-17 - Pentecost 15 C

8/26/2016

Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

Our New Testament passage for this week is from Hebrews 13:1-17. Like many other passages in the New Testament we can look for some sort of overall orderly pattern. In this case, the concepts seem to point toward a climax in verses 15-17. Let’s see how it works.

Verse 1 begins a lengthy list of commands. I’ll lay them out in brief.
v. 1 Brotherly love is to continue.
v. 2 Show hospitality.
v. 3 Remember prisoners.
   Remember those mistreated.
v. 4 Honor marriage.
v. 5 Be content - Jesus’ promise is that he will not leave us.
v. 6      Related to the contentment issue - have confidence in the Lord’s presence.
v. 7 Remember your leaders.

In verse 8 there seems to be a change of topic. Maybe it’s a justification for the commands we have just seen. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (ESV). Then there’s another command which seems built on the whole idea of Jesus as the present leader.

v. 9 “Do not be led away” (ESV).

The author goes on to remind the reader that a Christian is well provided for by God. He has God’s very presence in Christ with him all the time. At this point the focus shifts to the work of Jesus.

v. 10 We have an altar - the altar of priests before God, standing as mediators between man and God.
v. 11 There’s a comparison between the holy place (the altar) and an unholy place.
   In the sacrificial system, the sacrificial bodies are disposed of outside the camp. The blood, presented on the altar, is holy.

How does this all tie together?
v. 12 Jesus suffered outside the camp.

So we then find a conclusion.
v. 13 Therefore, we go to Jesus outside the camp. We bear his reproach.

v. 14 has a justification for all of these actions. “We seek the city that is to come” (ESV).

How does that happen?
v. 15 We give praise to God.
v. 16 We do good and share.

This conclusion brings additional force to the commands in verses 1-7. Those commands are not in any way something we do to earn God’s favor. They are something we do because we are living out the future right now. Jesus has prepared an eternal city which is full of good for His people. The Christian life simply brings those future blessings into this day and time.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.