Day 310: Hebrews 7:18-28

“Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.” - Hebrews‬ ‭7:25‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Have you ever done something halfway but knew there was enough time to go back and do it the right way? Maybe this is because of a deadline or due to your procrastination. Some of us are perfectionists. Therefore, we won’t do anything unless it can be done to our standards. So, in this case, it is either 100% or 0%.

How does Jesus do things? In our passage today, it says that he does them “to the uttermost.” That is to say, “to the max.” This is the description of the way He saves His people, you and me.

Not only that (I mean, can there be more?), but Jesus also lives to pray for us, to be our Advocate.

This truth should make us feel loved today. Have you had a bad week or a bad year? Jesus is for you. He proves this in the way He interacts with us.

Grace
Mercy
Righteousness
Prayers
Fighting for us every day.

Donald Guthrie is right on as he writes, ”The meaning seems to be that as long as the high priest functions, he is able to save, a thought which is strengthened by the words he always lives (pantote zōn).”

All that’s left is for you to draw near to God through Jesus. Confess, repent, be baptized, or come back. He’s waiting to fight for you with open arms.

Day 309: Hebrews 7:1-17

“This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek, who has become a priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life.” - Hebrews 7:15-16

You would do well to read the (short) account of Melchizedek and Abraham in Genesis 14:18-20. More is said of this guy in the New Testament than in the Old Testament. Who was he? We know little, but we do know…

- He was a priest.

- He was a king.

- He brought bread.

- He brought wine.

That list right there should be enough to make Jesus come immediately to our minds.

Melchizedek was a foreshadowing of our Savior's coming.

Jesus, though, broke the rules. He didn't meet the lineage requirements of being a priest, but the power of His indestructible life prevents Him from being disqualified. He does the same for us through his powerful life, doesn’t He? We don't meet the requirement as unworthy sinners, but He qualifies us by His blood.

The Greek word used for indestructible here is akatalytos. It pertains to that which cannot be caused to cease. (Eugene Nida) In short, there is no outside force that will ever knock Jesus off His throne or subvert His saving power.

Aren't you glad we have such a capable Lord and Savior?

Day 308: Hebrews 6:1-20

“Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things—things that belong to salvation.” - Hebrews 6:9 ESV

This chapter in Hebrews has been the topic of many Christian theologians throughout the centuries. Some of the questions that continue to be asked upon a casual reading of it are:

"Does this mean I can lose my salvation?" or "Could we do something so vile that the Holy Spirit would leave us and not come back?" or "When do we know we've come to this point?"

We may think of Jesus mentioning an "unforgivable sin" (Mark 3:28-30) or the Apostle John speaking of a "sin that leads to death" (1 John 5:16-17).

It seems like whatever the point of no return looks like, it is a defiant and hardened stance against God and His presence in our lives. In it. It is when we attempt to squeeze God out of every area, demanding to have our way at all costs. This will not be something that will happen accidentally. It will be intentional. Kind of like the Mark of the Beast in Revelation 13:15-18.

With all that being said, the recipients of this letter seemed to have done well in this regard. The writer speaks of how they are destined for "better things." This was obvious because of how they were living their lives. Their work and love in their serving were viewed as evidence of their endurance.

What about us? Are we recognized by others as genuine Jesus followers? More importantly, are we recognized by Jesus as those who follow Him? May we be people who depend completely upon Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection for the rest of our lives.

“The presence of active love among them was a sure sign that God had not left them." - Brooke Foss Westcott (1903). The Epistle to the Hebrews (3d ed., p. 156)

Day 307: Hebrews 5:1-14

“For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child.” - Hebrews 5:12-13 ESV

Everything of great value takes time. There is no substitute for long hours that are spent in God's word, in prayer, and in making schematics for how to live for Jesus obediently. Yet, if we refuse to take that time in solitude with our Creator, we will never be fit to share what we believe with others. And if we were to attempt it, we would find ourselves faking it and void of passion.

Yet it is a frightening thought to have followed Jesus for decades and never really feasted on the meatiness of God's word, remaining content with being bottle-fed.

C.H. Spurgeon eloquently writes (about this passage) that, "Growth in grace does not run side by side with growth in years."

Sit down with a map of all the time you have available over the next week. What do you see? Work/school, check. Sleeping, check. Eating, check. Time with family and friends, check. Weekly worship/Bible study with Christians, check. Sharing your faith with others, check. Spending time to rest, check.

Now, what time is left? What do you do with your unallotted time? If a considerable amount of time is not etched out each day for passionately seeking Jesus (alone and with others), you will remain unequipped for every good work.

Enjoy time in your Heavenly Father's presence today. Notice the difference it will make in your attitude, resistance to sin, and compassion for others.

“Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,

Just to take Him at His word;

Just to rest upon His promise;

Just to know, Thus saith the Lord.”  - Louisa M. R. Stead (1882)

Day 306: Hebrews 4:1-16

“Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” - Hebrews 4:11-12 ESV

In this chapter, we see the writer comparing us to those who wandered in the wilderness for forty years. For them, it was really only an 11-day journey, yet they refused to obey; thus, they forfeited their immediate rest from God in Canaan. Their "bodies fell" in that wilderness, and their children would be the ones to inherit the land.

Obedience to God, though, is no small thing. It is essentially the act of letting God's word do what it does best, which is cutting us to our deepest part. Until we see just how much we need Jesus, we will never seek Him.

Cutting doesn't seem pleasant, and no form of surgery is, but God longs for us to be in heaven with Him for eternity. May we, every day, allow Jesus to show us how much we need His salvation. This will not be comfortable, but we will "find grace to help us in our time of need," both now and for eternity.

"God’s Word is not something you passively hear and then ignore. It actively works in our lives, changes us, and sends us into action for God." - Thomas Lea

Day 305: Hebrews 3:1-19

“Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called ‘today,’ that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.” - Hebrews 3:12-14 ESV

Any time that God speaks, we have an important decision to make. Will we harden our hearts, refusing to do this life His way? Or will we refuse to harden our hearts (even if we don't completely understand) and submit to His will?

The key seems to be having other Christians surround and exhort us. What does the word “exhort” mean? It is the Greek word parakaleo, and it can also be translated as encourage or urge. This word is very similar to one of the descriptions that Jesus uses when talking about the Holy Spirit in John 14:16 (Helper, paraklētos).

How important is your encouragement to other Christians? It is vital. Apparently, our faith cannot survive without it.

Be an exhorter/encourager/urger today to as many as you can. In doing so, you have the potential to make an eternal difference.

Donald Guthrie’s comments on this passage are perfect to close us out today:  “It is certainly easier for individuals to be misled in isolation from other Christians than when sharing in fellowship with others. The fact that there was a tendency for the readers to forsake assembling with others (Heb. 10:25) throws light on the present passage. It is impossible to exhort one another unless one is part of a fellowship. In the present case a hardening of heart is linked closely with ‘sin’ and this must have been a tendency in the case of the Hebrews who were tempted to turn away from Christianity.”

Day 304: Hebrews 2:1-18

“Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” - Hebrews 2:17-18 ESV

We may believe that Jesus is our Lord (the one who calls the shots in our life) and our Savior (the one who delivered/delivers us from darkness), but do we believe that He truly understands what we are going through on a day-to-day basis?

In these verses, we see that Jesus was made like us in every way. He had to eat. He had to sleep. He got sick from time to time. He experienced sorrow and gladness. He enjoyed the blessings of friendship and the torture of betrayal.

The writer of Hebrews says this was essential for him to showcase his mercy (deep compassion) and faithfulness (dependability).

A great physician is not just one who has read about the sickness you're dealing with. The doctor that we want is someone who has experienced that weakness personally. This is why Jesus is the ultimate advocate for us. He actually does know what it feels like to deal with what we are all facing today, and He has the power to carry us through it. What do you need to surrender to Him today?

C.H. Spurgeon masterfully wrote the following about our reading today:  “Christ is not like those doctors who come and say they are sorry for you, whereas in their hearts they are glad you are ill, for if you and others were not ill, there would be no work for them. Or else they look down upon you, and pity you, but not half as much as if they themselves had your complaint, and felt all the pains that you are feeling. But suppose that the doctor had all your pains himself—suppose you had the headache, and that he looked down on you, and had your headache. Suppose, when you had palpitation of the heart, he had palpitation of the heart, too. Why, he would be very quick to cure you. Certainly, he would not let you lie there a moment longer than was necessary, because he himself would be suffering with you.”  Spurgeon, C. (2014). Spurgeon Commentary: Hebrews (E. Ritzema & J. Strong, Eds.; p. 51). Lexham Press.

Day 303: Hebrews 1:1-14

“He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.” - Hebrews 1:3 ESV

Who was Jesus of Nazareth, the man who lived in northern Israel at the beginning of the first century? Was He a mere philanthropist with insightful teaching that was ahead of its time? Was He not really human but just appeared to be? Was He merely (as Islam and Judaism claim today) a renowned prophet?

People have been trying to answer these questions ever since Jesus died thirty-three years into his earthly life. He literally marked time with his birth, and his teachings have led to more social reform than we can mention here.

Yet the writer of Hebrews comes at it from a different angle. He uses words like radiance (ἀπαύγασμα, beaming from) and exact imprint (χᾰρακτήρ, engraver, one who mints coins) when he describes who Jesus was (and is).

Jesus was begotten, not made, of God. Jesus was not a creation of God; He came from God Himself.

C.S. Lewis says it a lot better than I can when he wrote, "We don't use the words begetting or begotten much in modern English, but everyone still knows what they mean. To beget is to become the father of: to create is to make. And the difference is this. When you beget, you beget something of the same kind as yourself. A man begets human babies, a beaver begets little beavers and a bird begets eggs which turn into little birds. A bird makes a nest, a beaver builds a dam, a man makes a wireless set--or he may make something more like himself than a wireless set: say, a statue." (Mere Christianity, pg 157)

This is all still hard to grasp, but it helps us think more rightly about who Jesus was (and still is today).

Jesus is worthy of our worship and trust because, by Him, God made everything (1:2), and He now sustains it all by the word of His power (1:3).

Day 302: Philemon 1:1-25

“He is no longer like a slave to you. He is more than a slave, for he is a beloved brother, especially to me. Now he will mean much more to you, both as a man and as a brother in the Lord.” - Philemon‬ ‭1:16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“He is more” is the phrase that really spoke to me this morning. At this time in the first century, it was unheard of for a slave (or a woman) to be considered equal to all other men. Though institutional slavery would continue for centuries after Paul wrote this letter, the groundwork was being laid for the abolition of all those who were owned.

It is actually hard for us to appreciate this, but the vital change has to start in our homes in order for it to reach the top (legislation). It is our job as Christians to set the tone for morality with our faithfulness, day in and day out.

In our previous readings, we saw verses like Galatians 3:28 and Colossians 3:11. In these bold statements, all classification based on “cultural value” goes away.

Unfortunately, our world still has a long way to go, but it starts with how we treat people today, especially in our homes.

“I will lead a life of integrity in my own home.” - Psalm 101:2b NLT

"Paul wants his letters to be a means of grace—that is why he writes—and he intends them to result in peace, the rich harmony of human beings with God and with one another. This can come about only if God himself gives these Christ-shaped gifts to his people." - N.T. Wright

Day 301: Titus 3:1-15

“For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior.” - Titus 3:3-6 ESV

William Barclay wrote this about our passage today:  "The point is that when we accept Christ as Saviour and Lord, life begins all over again."

Can you remember what your life was like before God's goodness and kindness burst upon you?

Paul paints a vivid picture of being bound by destructive lifestyles, allowing whatever we feel to reign supreme. Do I feel like hating someone or sinning sexually? What's holding me back? Will legislation or law enforcement be enough to keep us from sin? Usually, our flesh will find a way around them.

The moment of God saving us is a moment of re-creation and, thus, a reorientation of our entire lives.

Though we may still live in the same house or work the same job or attend the same classes, all of them are done in light of a deep renewal that took place when we believed and were baptized (see Mark 16:16, Acts 8:12). Living life with the renewing work of the indwelling Holy Spirit is the only way for us to be saved and to experience holiness day-to-day.

Jesus didn't just save us from our past; He also called us into a brighter future.