1. Persevere in Jesus LESSON XV

2. REVIEW Let Us Persevere in Christ – Three main questions 1.Christ – Who is He? – Who is He not? 2.Us – What is our relation to Christ and God? – What should we do? 3.Persevere! – What does that look like?

3. REVIEW God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; 3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. (Hebrews 1:1-4 NKJ)

4. Remember our Jewish Authorities We have noticed in Hebrews that Jesus is the Word of God, and is greater than: – The Angels – Moses – Aaron – Joshua are messengers is a prophet is a priest is a judge What about Jesus?

5. Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, 2 a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man. 3 For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. Therefore it is necessary that this One also have something to offer. 4 For if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law; 5 who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, "See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain." 6 But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises. 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. 8 Because finding fault with them, He says: "Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah-- 9 "not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the LORD. 10 "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 11 "None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying,`Know the LORD,' for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. 12 "For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more." 13 In that He says, "A new covenant," He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away. (Hebrews 8:1-13 NKJ)

6. A Tale of Two Tabernacles Remember that our author had established – the Biblical evidence for a new “highpriest” of an older order of priesthood – AND that a change in the priesthood meant a change in the Law. – So there are both a different Highpriest a different way to read the Law NOW we are told of the newly-revealed ministry in the original tabernacle. – NOTICE, as in the cases above, the tabernacle of Jesus’ ministry is prior to the earthly tabernacle—it is the pattern. – He ministers in Heaven, not on earth. Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, 2 a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man. 3 For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. Therefore it is necessary that this One also have something to offer. 4 For if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law; 5 who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things

7. A Tale of Two Covenants With the new Highpriest, ministry, tabernacle, and change in the Law, There is also a new covenant. – What is a covenant? – The New one is Better with better promises What was the problem with the first covenant? – It didn’t make anyone righteous [Gal. 3:11, 21]. – (Not that this is a problem) but it did show how sinful we all are [Gal. 3:19]. – Notice that the first covenant is indicated to be not “faultless,” AND he finds fault with “them” just like He finds fault with us if we’re not in Christ. as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, "See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain." 6 But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises. 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. 8 Because finding fault with them, He says: "Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah--

8. A Tale of Two Covenants This quote comes from Jeremiah 31 – You’ll remember God was in the process of final judgment upon His people because they forsook Him. – He kept a remnant for Himself, but their kindom and nation would never be the same again. Enjoyed about 70 years of self-rule during the time of the Macabees, but with no prophetic witness. Therefore: – This New Covenant will NOT be a national covenant for a certain place at a certain time, but the eternal covenant for all God’s people from every nation. – This will be a covenant that will make righteous: – Jesus said at the institution of His Supper: "For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. (Mat 26:28 NKJ) 8 Because finding fault with them, He says: "Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah-- 9 "not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the LORD.

9. A Tale of Two Covenants The better covenant is our salvation. Notice that the Promise "I will be their God, and they shall be My people." is combined with with the new position of the Law (inside) [see also 2 Cor. 3]. The better promises are these: – His laws on our hearts – All His people shall know Him – He will have mercy – Our sins are forgiven. 10 "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 11 "None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying,`Know the LORD,' for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. 12 "For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more." 13 In that He says, "A new covenant," He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.

10. Homework Read the whole Epistle once Read Chapter 9 & 10 twice. Check a couple different translations if you can