Hebrews 1:1-4
Christ is superior to the prophets, writing and speaking prophets.
Hebrews 1:5-2:18
Christ is superior to the angels.
- Angels are servants/ministers of God.
- Angels gave the law of Moses.
Hebrews 2:1-18
Christ’s superiority is not contradicted by His humanity or by His suffering. Christ being the God-Man does not deny His being superior to angels and prophets. It is easy to drift away from the truth about Christ. Some will come with their teachings that deny His superiority, His deity.
Hebrews 3:1-4:16
Christ is superior to Moses.
- both Christ and Moses were faithful to God.
- Christ is the builder of the house, Moses was a member of the house.
- Christ is the Son over the house, Moses was only a servant in the house.
- Christians need to make use of Christ who is their mediator.
Hebrews 5:1-7:28
Christ is superior to Aaron.
- Aaron was the first priest under the Old Covenant, Leviticus priesthood.
The priesthood of Aaron
The priesthood of Christ
The priesthood of Melchizedek
Hebrews 8:1-10:18
Christ’s ministry is superior to the Old Testament ministry.
- Christ performs a better priestly ministry than the prophets, the angels, Moses and Aaron. His ministry operates form a better covenant, a superior sanctuary and with an offering whose effectiveness is without question.
The new covenant is solely based on God, not man. It offers better promises. God will give believers the desire and ability to obey Him, believers will have fellowship with God, believers will know God and God will forgive their sins.
The old covenant was weak as sacrifices had to be offered over and over again and the law could not make anyone perfect. It could not remove the guilt that keeps mankind from access to God. Man still sinned and thereby was guilty before God and still needed repeated sacrifices to God to cover their guilt and shame due to sin.
The promise of the new covenant makes us realize that the old covenant was insufficient or unable to do what the new covenant could do. The new covenant provided a sacrifice that was offered once for all time and forgave sins past, present and future and appeased God forever. The old covenant found fault with people and offered no satisfying remedy to God for all time. The law was a constant reminder of sin.
Psalm 40:6-8
“A body You prepared for me.”
All must come to God the Father through faith in God the Son. Sins must be forgiven. Hearts must be radically changed for Christ. Relationship with God cannot exist outside of Jesus Christ. So how is this accomplished since mankind cannot be found innocent on their own? The body and blood of Christ is the desired sacrifice required of God the Father. No other sacrifice will do. Good works will not override the sacrifice Jesus Himself made to appease the wrath of God that comes due to sin.
The superior sanctuary is in heaven, on the throne of God. Christ serves in the true tabernacle.
The effective offer was His body and blood. See Hebrews 10:1-18
Christ came to do what the law and Old Testament sacrifices could not do.
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