The Person of God’s Rest Hebrews 4:14-5:10

The Gift of God: “Rest!”  This Group Was Thrashing in Futility.  Consists of those from the “Jerusalem experience”.  Significant excitement about Jesus Christ: resurrected!  The implications assaulted their cultural traditions.  1 st Century Judaism was wrapped in rules.  Jesus Christ breaks the rules!  Jesus was very irreligious!  Jesus causes problems with the neighbors!  Jesus is very uncomfortable for legalists!

The Gift of God: “Rest!”  This Group Was Thrashing in Futility.  Consists of those from the “Jerusalem experience”.  Significant excitement about Jesus Christ: resurrected!  The implications assaulted their cultural traditions.  They mixed Jesus with their ‘Organized Religion’

The Gift of God: “Rest!”  This Group Was Thrashing in Futility.  The Choice: Trust in Rest or Rules. For this good news—that God has prepared this rest— did them no good because they didn’t share the faith of those who listened… 4:2 (NLT) For only we who believe can enter his rest. 4:3 (NLT) God’s Rest Your Rules

The Gift of God: “Rest!”  This Group Was Thrashing in Futility.  The Choice: Trust in Rest or Rules. For only we who believe can enter his rest. 4:3 (NLT)

The Gift of God: “Rest!”  This Group Was Thrashing in Futility.  The Choice: Trust in Rest or Rules.  “Cease fighting” for yourself.  Trust someone else to care for you.

The Gift of God: “Rest!”  ‘Trust someone else to care for you’ means:

A Person named Jesus: Our “Rest” There is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. (4:13)  He Leaves Us to Face Nothing Alone  The enemies we struggle with…  The pressures to conform…  All the provocations surrounding us… Can’t out-think Can’t dismiss Can’t mold Can’t be trivialized From confusion From blundering From failure “Rest” is freedom

A Person named Jesus: Our “Rest” Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. Hebrews 4:14 (NASB)  He Leaves Us to Face Nothing Alone  He is a Powerful, Exalted King  Almighty, all-powerful Creator

A Person named Jesus: Our “Rest” Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. Hebrews 4:14 (NASB)  He Leaves Us to Face Nothing Alone  He is a Powerful, Exalted King  Almighty, all-powerful Creator Through the heavens Outside All Limits Above & beyond all

A Person named Jesus: Our “Rest” For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Hebrews 4:14 (NASB)  He Leaves Us to Face Nothing Alone  He is a Powerful, Exalted King  The Pioneer of Salvation  For every pressure, pull, fear, tragedy, pain…  For every need you could possibly encounter…  For every time you need help!

A Person named Jesus: Our “Rest” Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Heb. 4:14 (NIV)  He Leaves Us to Face Nothing Alone  He is a Powerful, Exalted King  The Pioneer of Salvation  Completely Accessible: His Throne in Your Heart  Enter that Throne Room at any time!  Mercy: deliverance from what we deserve…  Grace: receiving gifts…

For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Heb. 4:14b A Person named Jesus: Our “Rest” Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. 4:14a

Understanding Jesus, Our Priest  A Pivotal Character in the Torah  Established 3,500 Years Ago For every high priest taken from among men is appointed on behalf of men in things pertaining to God, in order to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins; he can deal gently with the ignorant and misguided, since he himself also is beset with weakness; Hebrews 5:1-2 (NASB)

Understanding Jesus, Our Priest  A Pivotal Character in the Torah  Established 3,500 Years Ago  Is an intermediary  (i.e., standing in-between God/man) “…on behalf of men in things pertaining to God”

Understanding Jesus, Our Priest  A Pivotal Character in the Torah  Established 3,500 Years Ago  Is an intermediary  Must be “from among men” “For every high priest taken from among men…”

Understanding Jesus, Our Priest  A Pivotal Character in the Torah  Established 3,500 Years Ago  Is an intermediary  Must be “from among men”  Must “offer sacrifices” “…in order to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins…”

Understanding Jesus, Our Priest  A Pivotal Character in the Torah  Established 3,500 Years Ago  Is an intermediary  Must be “from among men”  Must “offer sacrifices”  Must be appointed by God “…is appointed on behalf of men in things pertaining to God…”

Understanding Jesus, Our Priest  A Pivotal Character in the Torah  Established 3,500 Years Ago  Is an intermediary  Must be “from among men”  Must “offer sacrifices”  Must be appointed by God  Must be weak in order to help the weak… he can deal gently with the ignorant and misguided, since he himself also is beset with weakness; Hebrews 5:1-2

Understanding Jesus, Our Priest  A Pivotal Character in the Torah  Established 3,500 Years Ago  Is an intermediary  Must be “from among men”  Must “offer sacrifices”  Must be appointed by God  Must be weak in order to help the weak…  Able to Make Us Fit for Life! he can deal gently with the ignorant and misguided, since he himself also is beset with weakness; Hebrews 5:1-2

Understanding Jesus, Our Priest  A Pivotal Character in the Torah  Jesus Fulfilled All of This.  Human: “begotten”  Became a priest at age 30  Appointed: “did not glorify himself” So also Christ did not glorify Himself so as to become a high priest, but He who said to Him, "You are My Son, Today I have begotten You"; just as He says also in another passage, "You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek." Hebrews 5:5-6 (NASB)

Understanding Jesus, Our Priest  A Pivotal Character in the Torah  Jesus Fulfilled All of This.  Human: “begotten”  Became a priest at age 30  Appointed: “did not glorify himself”  Knew Real Weakness In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety. Hebrews 5:7-8(NASB) In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety. Hebrews 5:7-8(NASB)

Understanding Jesus, Our Priest  A Pivotal Character in the Torah  Jesus Fulfilled All of This.  At Gethsemane  Struggled with weakness as we do  Terrible distress and trouble.  Never predicted or explained to his disciples.  The first time ever he appeals for their help.  Three times, questions the necessity of this terrible moment in time: baffling & confusing…  The intense suffering of what makes sin so defeating: shame, guilt, despair. He felt the defeat of sin as we experience it

Understanding Jesus, Our Priest  A Pivotal Character in the Torah  Jesus Fulfilled All of This.  At Gethsemane  Struggled with weakness as we do  Terrible distress and trouble.  Never predicted or explained to his disciples.  The first time ever he appeals for their help.  Three times, questions the necessity of this terrible moment in time: baffling & confusing…  The intense suffering of what makes sin so defeating: shame, guilt, despair. “He was heard because of His piety” Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. Hebrews 5:8 (NASB)

Understanding Jesus, Our Priest  A Pivotal Character in the Torah  Jesus Fulfilled All of This.  At Gethsemane  Struggled with weakness as we do  Terrible distress and trouble.  Never predicted or explained to his disciples.  The first time ever he appeals for their help.  Three times, questions the necessity of this terrible moment in time: baffling & confusing…  The intense suffering of what makes sin so defeating: shame, guilt, despair. And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation, being designated by God as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek. Hebrews 5:7-10 (NASB) "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. John 5:24 (NASB)

For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Heb. 4:14b You and I Need God’s “Rest” Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. 4:14a

You and I Need God’s “Rest”  What it looks like: “Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He sent out his word and healed them, snatching them from the door of death. Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them. Ps 107:19-21  Not just emergencies…but every aspect of life!

“O My Son, My Son”