Hebrews Why Jesus 3/

Transcription

1 Hebrews Why Jesus 3/ 3

2 WELCOME WHAT S GOING ON This is Home A good friend ed me this evening and told me to listen to a Switchfoot song called This is Home. The first verse ends: But I can t go back Back to how it was Created for a place I ve never known In the last four chapters of Hebrews, all the characters are singing this song. The author says, For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland (Hebrews 11:14). We re built for Heaven, but we haven t gotten there yet. Hebrews has clearly spelled out the Gospel in Hebrew terms: Jesus is our High Priest, going before God to offer a Sacrifice for our sins and the unbelievable part of the whole thing is that the Sacrifice was His own life! When Jesus died on the cross He took the punishment we should have borne; when He rose from the dead He established the victory of reconciliation with God. Yet, as we look around us, everything isn t perfect. There s still pain in the world, still affliction and suffering. In fact, when Hebrews was written, Christians were persecuted more than almost anyone else. For many believers today, it s still the case. That s why the author of Hebrews finishes the book here: He doesn t deny the trials surrounding God s people; he highlights the faith in the midst of it. How do God s people persevere? By, looking to Jesus, the Author and Perfector of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). Their hope is in a future life, a future home. For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come (Hebrews 13:14). God provides for His people. The chorus to the Switchfoot song begins: Alex This is home Now I m finally Where I belong 2

3 MENU Prayer 4 Reading 5 (Observation) Digging 6 Context 8 (Interpretation) The Point 10 Surgery (Application) 11 Going Deeper: MEDITATE Reading is the exposure to Scripture, but meditation is the absorption of Scripture. Justin Taylor s blog on the Gospel Coalition website regularly highlights different ways to engage the Bible. Last month he compiled expertise from Bible scholars such as Don Whitney and Joseph Hall to help the rest of us understand how to pursue Christ in this way. To read his article about ways to meditate on Scripture, go to thegospelcoalition.org and search for Meditating on God s Word. 3

4 PRAYER Daily: PRAYER Do you ever wonder: how should I know what to pray about? This week we will be using the acronym PRAY, which stands for: PRAISE: Praise God for who He is, what He has done, what He is doing, and what He will do. By doing this, we acknowledge that He is the center of our prayer and not us. When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you. -Deuteronomy 8:10 Need help? 2 Samuel 22, Job 38-41, Psalm 100, Ephesians 1, Hebrews 1 REPENT: Repent for the things you have done wrong or neglected to do right. God will surely forgive you, but also talk with God to figure out how to begin reconciliation wherever possible. If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. -1 John 1:9 Need Help? Psalm 51, 2 Kings 23, Jonah 3, Colossians 3 ASK: We are commanded to ask our heavenly Father for whatever is needed, for ourselves and for others. It is not wrong to ask for what we want, healing for example, but we must recognize that whatever God chooses is best and trust Him in that. Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you. -Matthew 7:7 Need Help? John 17, Matthew 6, 1 Samuel 18, Psalm 71 YIELD: After bringing all these requests to God, take time to simply trust. Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done. -Luke 22:42 Take 5 minutes before you start your study each day to PRAY. 4

5 READING WHAT S GOING ON Hebrews has talked about who Jesus is, what He s done for His people, and what we are going to do now. How does the author finish? By talking about the promise we rest on in the future. In the midst of persecution, what can we hold onto? The assurance that God is preparing a home for His people. It s the Sabbath rest again from chapters 3 and 4, but this time around the author is also showing what it looks like to have drastic faith in this promise. Daily: READING Day 1: Hebrews 10 Day 2: Hebrews 11 Day 3: Hebrews 12 Day 4: Hebrews 13 Day 5: Hebrews 14 Daily: STUDY Day 1: Hebrews 10:32-39 Day 2: Hebrews 11:13-16 <- Core Group Discussion Day 3: Hebrews 12:3-8 Day 4: Hebrews 12:25-29 Day 5: Hebrews 13:

6 DIGGING WHAT S GOING ON I cannot overemphasize the importance of reading the Bible in the context of the whole Book. When we get stuck in one verse or one chapter, one book or even one of the testaments, we tend to lose sight of who God has revealed Himself to be! He gave us this whole book! That s why we can compare Hebrews to the Psalms, where a different writer in a different time is longing for the same God with the same heart. Another benefit of cross referencing the Bible is that it reminds us just how vast the revelation of God really is. We can be tempted to think that we understand everything there is to know, but when we look at the broader scope of a book like the Bible, it quickly becomes clear that that is not the case! This week, take a look at the cross references suggested below or use a concordance or your own Bible knowledge to see what else Scripture has to say about today s topic. Going Deeper: CANON Step 1) Summarize the cross reference. Step 2) Identify which verse from Hebrews it is most closely tied to. Day 1: 1 Peter 4:12-14 Psalm 37:1-9 Day 2: Philippians 3:20-21 Psalm 27:1-4 Day 3: Proverbs 13:14 Galatians 4:4-7 Day 4: 1 Corinthians 3:12-15 Matthew 6:19-21 Day 5: Isaiah 1:11-17 Galatians 3:

7 DIGGING Going Deeper: CLARK DIAGRAMS For the next couple weeks, we are going to be using a system of sentence diagrams called the Clark method. This process helps make visual sense of statements in any piece of literature and, in our case, the Bible. The first, basic step, is to identify the subject(s) of the sentence, the person or thing that is doing or being. That person goes in a bubble on the left side of the diagram. Any words that describe the subject can be attached underneath. Second, one must identify the action(s) taking place. Sometimes, this is simply a state of being, such as is. After putting that bubble in the middle column, any words in the sentence that expand on the action can be attached to the bottom, such as adverbs or clauses denoting time, manner, purpose, etc. Lastly, the third column is for the object(s) of the sentence. This is the person or thing being acted upon. Just as in the other two columns, any words that specify or describe the object can be attached to the bottom of the bubble. In any case where there is more than one subject, action, or object, multiple bubbles can be drawn in a vertical column with a small bubble for the & sign connecting them. Here are a couple more examples: Remember to stop and consider: what have I learned about God from this exercise? 7

8 CONTEXT WHAT S GOING ON This week, the questions at the bottom of the following page were actually written before the list of commentaries below. Why? Because the questions are meant to get to the real heart of the passage; they identify the central theme that takes a little wrestling to fully grasp. These commentaries are the product of scholars who have wrestled with the same passages, ultimately coming to a greater understanding of God s Word than they started with. Don t forget, one of the primary goals of Root Studies is to establish healthy patterns. Even if you start one of these articles and then distracted by something else interesting, simply getting into Bible study resources is definitely a win. Going Deeper: COMMENTARIES Day 1: Barnes Notes on the New Testament The explanation of 10:34 asks: How bad was their plundering and how good their possession? Day 2: Adam Clarke Commentary His note on 11:16 shows just how precious a future kingdom was to these people. Day 3: Geneva Study Bible Individual explanations of 12:4,5,6 show the three arguments the author is making. Day 4: People s New Testament See the last paragraph on 12: Why is God a consuming Fire? Day 5: David Guzik s Commentaries B.2.d. and B.2.e (on 13:12-14) explain clearly what the camp means. 8

9 CONTEXT Going Deeper: WORDS Holman Standard Bible Dictionary: This dictionary took hundreds of people 6 years to compile. It is one of the most readable references on StudyLight, with understandable language and shorter-than-average entries. Good place to start. Fausset s Bible Dictionary: Another markedly accessible resource, Fausset s has fewer entries than Holman, but does a great job giving a second opinion. StudyLight has made this resource fully linked, which makes it a great option for broad research. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia: Though this resource was finished during WWI, it is by far one of the most comprehensive resources for any study. For deeper or more thorough study, this is a great place to go. The articles are long, but worthwhile. Nave s Topical Bible: This book is really a concordance, but should be included because it is such a useful study tool. If you look up a word from the passage you are studying, it will show you every other place that word occurs in the Bible. Baker s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology: This dictionary focuses more on ideas and concepts than specific, tangible things. The entries are longer than the other dictionaries, but there is a unique appeal and utility in what you will read here. Give it a spin. 9

10 THE POINT WHAT S GOING ON The questions at the bottom of this page may be the most challenging we ve had yet, but don't worry: every one of the references on the preceding CONTEXT page is intended to help you find the answers. These two pages can take 2 minutes or 20, but they are certainly worth whatever time you choose to put in today. 1) What words or ideas are emphasized? 2) Why are these things true? 3) What is THE POINT of the text? 4) What questions do you still have? Daily: THE POINT Going Deeper: ONE MORE QUESTION Day 1: 10:34 Why can Christians have hope in the midst of hardship? Day 2: 11:16 Why did these people live by faith? Day 3: 12:6 Why does God allow His people to experience hardship? Day 4: 12:29 How is God a consuming Fire? Day 5: 13:13 What does outside the camp signify? 10

11 SURGERY Daily: SURGERY Day 1: 10:32 How have you ever struggled because of the eternal life Jesus has given you? 10:39 When was a time you chose to have faith instead of shrinking back? Day 2: 11:14 How does your speech make it clear that you are seeking a homeland? 11:16 Why do you desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one? Day 3: 12:3 When you consider Christ, how does it encourage you in your current circumstances? 12:5 How have you regarded lightly the discipline of the Lord or grown weary? Day 4: 12:25 What circumstances tempt you to reject Him who warns from heaven? 12:28 How is your worship offered with reverence and awe? Day 5: 13:13 What scares you about following a God who s willing to go outside the camp? 13:16 How are you sharing what you have in order to please God? 11

12 CROSSROADS STUDENT MINISTRIES Rooted in Truth Reaching in Love Seeds Memory Verse - Rooted in the Knowledge of our Identity in the Body- For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10 Copyright Crossroads Bible Church SE 37th Street Bellevue, WA 98006