"What's the Main Point of all this?

Have you ever been reading something or attended a meeting where someone was speaking and asked yourself, what’s the main point of all this? Yes, today I want you to see the authors’ focus on the big idea here in Hebrews. Namely I would say that of Christology. That is who Jesus is and what he has done for us. Jesus is a prophet.

Matthew 21:11 ESV

11 And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”

Jesus is a priest.

Hebrews 4:14 ESV

14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.

Jesus is a King.

John 18:37 ESV

37 Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”

I want you to see today some things about Christ ,but also how he reigns far superior to any one who has ever lived.

In our passage today the word Covenant stands out to us. In fact, it is used 8 times in verses 6,7,8,9,10 and 13. So, this is a big deal. But, what does it mean???

Let me define this for us today so we can understand what the author is trying to convey here for his readers.

The word Covenant come from the original Hebrew word (berit) which means a compact or agreement between two parties binding them mutually too undertakings on each other’s behalf.

There were many Covenant’s that God made with his leaders down through history.

-Noah = To repopulate the earth and to never again flood the entire earth. God has given us the rainbow. It is his promise.

-Abraham = through Abraham he would be the father of many nations.

-Moses = God promised to look after his people and protect them as long as they followed his commandments.

-David = promised to give David an everlasting throne and kingdom.

The reason why I want to point these out this morning is because our author here in Hebrews is writing all of this to an audience of Jewish people who had converted to Christianity, but were also very familiar with these covenants and great patriarchs of the Jewish family. However the author is telling this congregation that there is a better or far-superior covenant than any of these and it has everything to do with Christ. Some of these church members at the time would have thought there is no way that this could be possible. How could there be a better covenant than the ones God made with these faithful men? So, this is why the author takes time to help explain their need for a greater covenant which is the main point!!!

I want to point out 3 major things that we see about Christ today.

1. Christ is seated next to the Majesty.

Hebrews 8:1 ESV

1 Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven,

Here in the beginning of chapter 8 we now begin to see the main point or focus of what is going on here in Hebrews. The arguments and main points of chapter 1-7 may have been a little difficult to see. So, the author now begins to simplify all of this to show us that we have this great high priest who loves us and has given his life for us. The last 7 chapters we have been told what we have needed. Now as we come to chapter 8 the author lays out exactly what we need. We need Jesus! Everyone of us because of our sin desperately need Jesus as a great high priest who mediates a new and better covenant.

The first thing the author points us to see about Christ is where He is seated. Christ is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens. This is a big deal because it shows us that Christ’s priesthood is completely different from any other priest.

Christ the great high priest, serves as an exalted status that has never been occupied by any earthly priest. Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Paul tells us in Philippians chapter 2 exactly what this looks like.

Philippians 2:8–9 ESV

8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,

So, what we see here in Philippians is this imagery of sitting at the right hand of God and in the ancient world we know that kings would surround themselves with powerful people. The person who was seated on the right of the king was the most powerful and most prestigious person in the royal court. This is why Christ’s position at the right hand of God is an exalted position.

As Christ is seated at the right hand, he continues his work as Redeemer. I think it can be easy for us as believers to think that the work of Christ is done, however he continues to work. We know from the book of Revelation that we are still waiting for the return of Christ to come and vindicate his church and judge the nations, and so this aspect of his work is still to come. He is also not done mediating for his people. While the atoning work of Christ is done his advocating work is not. Jesus is sitting on his Father’s right hand and he is interceding for us right now.

I hope today for you that this is an encouragement to reflect on, because it shows us Christ’s active and ongoing work for us his people.

2. Christ’s home is heaven.

Hebrews 8:2–5 ESV

2 a minister in the holy places, in the true tent that the Lord set up, not man. 3 For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; thus it is necessary for this priest also to have something to offer. 4 Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, since there are priests who offer gifts according to the law. 5 They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, “See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.”

The author of Hebrews in verse 2 mentions this word “sanctuary of the high priest.” More specifically the word tabernacle or tent where God met with his people after the exodus from Egypt. The point here is that Israel needed a tent as a place of meeting for several reasons.

First of all we see that at this point in the history of Israel they are out wondering in the wilderness and God had not commanded them to build the temple because they had not arrived in Jerusalem at this point. Because of this they had the “mobile tabernacle” and yet this was the very place they were to meet with God.

The amazing thing here is that Hebrews tells us that Jesus fulfills his ministry in a tabernacle that the Lord set up. This is not an earthly tabernacle or even temple but one that is so much better because it is actually in heaven.

2. The second thing we see in verses 3-5 show us in detail the priest’s duties in the tabernacle. The priest never went in empty handed. He always would enter by taking a sacrifice with him. The priest had to have something to offer. He had to offer a sacrifice for his own sin and then the sins of the people. But, Jesus was not like the typical priests because he did not come from the line of the Levitical priests. Jesus of course came from the line of Judah or tribe of Judah. Jesus did not bring his offering to an earthly tabernacle. In fact, Christ ministers to us from a heavenly tabernacle as the great high priest and brings a superior offering because He gave his life.

What we see from verses 4-5 is that the earthly priests serve as a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. God implemented these things for a reason but the Old Testament Tabernacle and the priests that served there were inadequate. God met with his people there, but all of this was pointing to something far greater to come. (Jesus)

In verse 5 we see this word “pattern.” God gave Moses this pattern for building the tabernacle. This pattern helps us to see that the earthly tabernacle was modeled after something else, which was the heavenly tabernacle. Moses was to build the tabernacle in exactly the way that God showed him from Exodus chapter 25. In Exodus chapter 26 God gives these detailed plans for the tabernacle. By using the shadows and copies the author of Hebrews shows us that these detailed plans and specifications had a deeper reality. Jesus ministers to us from his heavenly temple and as believers someday we will all find our rest and home with Christ for all eternity.

3. Christ’s Covenant is Superior to the Old Covenant.

As the author of Hebrews explains here, we are getting ready to see that because of the work of Christ this allows us to directly and confidently to enjoy God’s presence. We no longer have to come before God in a tabernacle made by human hands. Why? Because Jesus has fulfilled the tabernacle’s purpose and we as believers can draw near to the very throne of God.

Heaven is God’s true tabernacle or place where he dwells.

King Jesus has ransomed his people from their sins and brings us to peace with God and has ushered us into this new covenant by his blood. This covenant is far greater than the Old one. The Old Covenant had many faults in it. The priests were faulty because of their own sin, then there was a need for constant sacrifices from the people. We needed something better. Ironically the prophet Jeremiah lays this out that something better is coming.

Verses 8-12 are a direct quote from Jeremiah 31:31-34.

Hebrews 8:8–12 ESV

8 For he finds fault with them when he says: “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, 9 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. For they did not continue in my covenant, and so I showed no concern for them, declares the Lord. 10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 11 And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. 12 For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.”

The reason that the author of Hebrews quotes Jeremiah here is that he wants his readers to see that Jeremiah wrote to show that God had long ago foretold about the day the final priest would come. It’s like the author of Hebrews is saying hey wake up church, were we not told about this a long time ago? Why can’t you see this? God spoke to Jeremiah to announce the need for and the coming of a new and better covenant. Jeremiah’s prophecy helps us to see four specific ways in which a new covenant is better than the old one.

Notice verse 10. In the Old Covenant God gave Moses the 10 commandments. In the New Covenant God will put his laws into our minds and write them on our hearts. What this means today for us is the work of the Holy Spirit, as he sanctifies our affections and desires. God has transformed our hearts and minds.

The second promise here and we see this again from verse 10 is that “ I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” What this means is that there is a mutual commitment between the Lord and us as believers. In this better covenant there is this promise that we belong to God and this bond is unbreakable.

In verse 11 we see another promise. All of God’s people from the least of them to the greatest will know him. In the Old Covenant priest were to teach God’s law to Israel and the parents were to teach the law to their children. But, all of this knowledge was dependent on priests who would read it aloud and explain it. Also access to the Lord’s presence was limited because only priests could minister in the tabernacle and only the High priest could enter the Holy of Holies. In other words, there were many restrictions. When Christ showed up and gave his life, we now have open access to God’s Word and to the Holy Spirits instruction from the Word. We also have more intimate access to God’s presence that is for all believers.

In verse 12 we see this last promise. God will be merciful toward our iniquities. He will remember our sins no more. Our greatest problem is sin, because sin separates us from a holy and righteous God. Our sin and God’s holiness are incompatible. The good news today is that God has promised to reconcile a sinful people to himself through the blood of Jesus. This is why the author of Hebrews says the Lord is merciful to his people. In Jesus, all the new covenant promises belong to God’s people. The old covenant is obsolete and vanishes away.

Closing: Generation after generation of Jewish people understood that the temple is where God met with his people. This was a place where forgiveness could be met by animal sacrifices. So, as we come to the book of Hebrews the author here is writing to a new generation who needed to realize that Jesus had offered the final sacrifice for sins and left this earthly place to return home to his heavenly sanctuary.

My point in explaining all of this to you today is that I want you to know that Jesus is interceding for you and is your mediator. There can be many days as we walk this earth that life seems to crazy or too out of control. Maybe you are here today and feel like giving up. Maybe you have hardened your heart and ran away from God. So, remember these truths about Christ and then with faith focus on Him.

Hebrews 12:2 ESV

2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

God has truly given us a great hope today church by his promise of something better to come, and a better covenant. The covenants better promises are:

- the transformation of hearts and minds.

- the promise that we belong to God.

- open access to his presence and his word.

-and finally complete forgiveness of sins.

All of these have been fulfilled through the sacrifice of Jesus who is our mediator and guarantor of this new covenant.

My prayer for us today is that we would give thanks to the Lord who is our Great High priest and King forever. Christ gave up his life once and for all so that we may dwell with him for all of eternity.