Want to learn more about Hebrews? Use these Bible Studies for personal devotion, group Bible studies, or teaching a church class. Below are links to the lessons in this 13-part series.
Why study the book of Hebrews? One reason is that it is
sort of the “missing link” in the New Testament. It is unique because
it fills an important gap. The gospels and Acts bring us to the point
where Jesus floats off into the sky. Revelation predicts how Jesus
will return in power and glory. What is Jesus doing in between His
ascension and His return? What is going on in God’s life between Acts
and Revelation? Hebrews answers that question. It explains to us
what Jesus is doing now and why. Let’s pull back the curtain on what
our Lord is up to these days by jumping into an overview of our
thirteen-week study of Hebrews!
What an odd title (“Jesus, Our King”) for a lesson on
Hebrews, when Hebrews never calls Jesus King! The word “king” only
appears in Hebrews 7, and it is talking about someone else. Have you
ever heard the expression “If it walks like a duck and talks like a
duck, it must be a duck?” Let’s continue with our study of Hebrews 1
which describes Jesus in the same terms you would use to describe a
king.
Last week we learned that Jesus is fully God.
He is not an angel. Instead, angels are His heavenly
subjects. This week, Hebrews turns to the subject of Jesus
being fully human. Let’s dive into the Bible and learn more
about our Lord!
Many years ago, a couple in the church invited us over
to their home. It was important, because he was the chairman of the
school board where my wife was teaching. After spending an afternoon
with them, I decided that I did not particularly care for the fellow
because he had such a strong pride of opinion. Have you run into
people like that? Superior, “know-it-alls?” The more I thought about
it the more I realized that the reason this fellow rubbed me the
wrong way was that he was too much like me! While Christians agree
that an attitude of superiority is not good, our lesson this week
impresses us again with Jesus’ superiority. This time, Hebrews argues
Jesus is superior to Moses. It was quite the claim for the time.
Let’s dive into our study and find out why the superiority of Jesus
is so important!
What is Jesus doing right now in Heaven? Hebrews tells
us Jesus is in Heaven working as our High Priest. How can Jesus be
our High Priest since He does not have the proper credentials? He
came “from” the tribe of Judah, not Levi. Priests come from the tribe
of Levi, right? Are all priests the descendants of Levi? Solving this
problem with Jesus involves a Bible mystery man. Let’s jump into our
lesson and solve these mysteries!
“What was that all about?” Have you ever asked yourself
that question? Many years ago a church member discussed with me my
understanding of a Bible text. She wanted to convince me I had
reached the wrong conclusion about the text. She started out
describing her father and what an important man he had been in the
church. At the time, I could not grasp what the reference to her
father was all about. Her father had nothing to do with
understanding the Bible text. Later, when I reviewed the entire
conversation in my mind, I realized that her point about her father
was that he was an important man and therefore she was also
important. I should consider her opinion more valuable now that I
knew the identity of her father. The writer of Hebrews has a “what
was that all about?” question for us this week. He asks us to
contemplate the “big picture” of the sanctuary service of the Old
Testament and consider “what that was all about?” Let’s dive in and
see what we can learn!
We are bombarded all the time with “new and improved”
products. Offers for better deals come flying at us through the
radio, television and newspapers. Did you know that in the Bible we
find an offer of a new deal? A new and improved promise from God?
Let’s jump into our study of the book of Hebrews and find out about
this new offer!
This week Hebrews teaches us more about Jesus’ work in the heavenly sanctuary. At first we seem to be dealing with estate planning, then we find out that every one of us can be that lucky relative who inherited a windfall! What happens if we turn down the windfall? When is Jesus doing what in the heavenly sanctuary? Let’s jump into our study and find out!
“Faster access.” Since GoBible is an Internet ministry,
all of you who read this lesson no doubt want the fastest possible
access to your Internet data. Have you ever given thought to “faster
access,” or “better access,” when it comes to your relationship with
God? The book of Hebrews has been teaching us about the parallel
between the earthly and heavenly sanctuaries. This parallel has a lot
to teach us about our access to God. Let’s dive into our lesson and
see what we can learn!
If you are a Christian, the idea of the blood of Jesus
cleansing you from sin is a familiar concept. Think about this idea
as if you had never heard of it before. The blood cleanses…. Does
that make any sense? Can blood clean anything? Just before I left on
a trip to present a seminar on religious liberty, I decided late in
the day to shave with a new razor. Either something was wrong with
the new razor, or something was wrong with me. I ended up bleeding
heavily almost all the way across my throat. Did I think, “Good, that
will help to keep my white shirt clean and pure?” Of course not. Why
does the Bible say the blood of Jesus cleanses us? Let’s dive into
Hebrews and find out!
Hebrews 11, the “faith chapter,” is probably the most
famous chapter in the book of Hebrews. What is the relationship
between faith and assurance? What examples of faith should we
consider? What is the explanation when faith seems to let us down?
How can we still be assured when things have gone terribly wrong?
What has Jesus done for us that gives us ultimate assurance? Let’s
jump into our study and find out.
Last week, in Hebrews 11 we learned the importance of
our faith in Jesus. That faith will help us through good and bad
times. This week, Hebrews 12 turns our attention to the importance
of right living and specific reasons why things sometimes go “wrong”
in our life. Let’s dive into our study and find out more!
We come to the end of our study of the book of Hebrews.
What have we learned so far? That the Old Testament sanctuary
service was both a prophecy of the sacrificial death of Jesus our
Messiah, and a symbol of what Jesus is presently doing as our High
Priest in the parallel sanctuary in heaven. What is the “end game”
for these two concepts? Isn’t it eternal life with Jesus? What better
note to end on than that! As we anxiously wait for Jesus’ return,
what should we be doing? Let’s jump into the conclusion to Hebrews!
