
(All Scripture is from the New King James Version unless otherwise indicated)
Here are two more servings of Hebrew ‘Let Us’, from Hebrews chapter 4:14-16
Seeing that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
The first is in verse 14 – “…let us hold fast our confession.” What is our confession of which we are to hold fast ?
- The author of Hebrews has spent the first four chapters of the book showing the superiority of Jesus! The key word in this section is ‘better’.
✞ Jesus is a better expression of the mind of God than are the Old Testament prophets! “God, who at various times and in different ways spoke in times past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son...” (Hebrews 1:1, 2). ★ Matthew 1:23, quoting Isaiah 7:14 tells us, “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which is translated, ‘God with us.’” ★ In John 1:1 and 14 we are told, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God....And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us.” ★ In John 14, Jesus is preparing His disciples for His departure from them and back to hea- ven. In verses 7 through 9 we find this interaction: Jesus said...“If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.” Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father....” ★ Colossians 1:15 – “He is the image of the invisible God....” ★ According to Hebrews 1:3, He is “...the brightness of His [the Father’s] glory and the express image of His person....” ★ Hebrews 1:8, 9 – The Father “...to the Son says; “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever....”
You can’t get a better expression of God than God Himself!
✞ Jesus is “...so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more ex- cellent name than they.” (Hebrews 1:4). ★ Angels, while very powerful (see II Kings 19:35), are but “...ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation....” (Hebrews 1:14). ★ Jesus created the angels! As it says in Colossians 1:16 and 17: For by Him all things were created that are in heaven, and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. (see also Ephesians 3:9; Revelation 4:11). ✞ Jesus is better in His humanity than any other human being! ★ Every other human being is tainted with sin! (See Romans 5:12; I Corinthians 15:22). ★ For only He had no sin to mar His being! (See II Corinthians 5:21; I Peter 2:22; I John 3:5). ★ Only He could be the sinless sacrifice! He is “The Lamb of God ...slain from the foundation of the world...who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29; Reve- lation 13:8). ★ Hebrews 2:14, 15 – “Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” ✞ Jesus is better than Moses in the work of redemp- tion! ★ As pointed out in Hebrews 3:2, both were faithful to God in their respective min- istries! “...Moses was indeed faithful in all the house [Israel] as a servant... but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house [the Church, His body] we are ...” (Hebrews 3:5, 6). ★ Moses led the children of Israel out of slavery in Egypt! (See Exodus 3:9, 10). ★ Jesus Christ leads people out of slavery to sin and into the freedom of eternal life! (See John 8:34-36; 10:10).
Since the Lord Jesus Christ is better than all that God had revealed before; since He is the best; and having initially put our faith in Him as our Savior – “…let us hold fast our confession…” of our faith in Him! Do not return to the old and inferior ways in which you used to live…the ways of the failed Old Testament religion in which Jewish Christian tried to obey (see Romans 3:20; Hebrews 7:19); and the ways of the world out from which the Gentile believer came (see Romans 6:19-22).
- The second serving of Hebrew ‘Let Us’ is in verse 16, and it is for the believer who is holding fast his or her confession! – “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace….”
✞ ...for two reasons (according to the second half of verse 16): ★ “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy....” Mercy is generally defined as not giving us what we de- serve! What do we deserve? God’s condemnation, under which we abide if we only have the old sinful nature (see John 3:36). As Paul wrote to the Ephesian Gentiles in Ephesians 2:12, “...you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.” ★ “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may...find grace to help in time of need.” Mercy can be described as giving us what we do not deserve! As Jesus said in John 10:10, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” The first mention of life would mean eternal life! Abundant life must refer to life here and now, for obviously, eternal life in heaven with the Lord would be abundant! To what abun- dance then is the author of Hebrews referring? It is the fruit of the Spirit abundantly mani- fested in our lives – “...love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentle-ness, self-control ” (Galatians 5:22, 23 – English Standard Version). ✞ Why are we as believers told to “...come boldly before the throne of grace...”? ★ Because Jesus has made the way! He is the eternal High Priest who entered the Holy of Holies through the ripped veil (See Hebrews 10:19-22), and we can follow Him there! ★ Because He, according to Hebrews 4:15, is the One “...who can... sympathize with our weaknesses... [for He] was in all points tempted [tested, tried] as we are, yet without sin.” Jesus has been there and done that, and (as they say) bought the tee shirt! Actually, He purchased the whole wardrobe of which He now offers us His own robe of right- eousness to wear! (See Isaiah 61:10; Zechariah 3:1-5). ★ Jesus, being God, is powerful enough to give us everything we “...need according to His riches in glory...” (Philippians 4:19).
So come boldly before the throne of grace! Eat heartily of Hebrew ‘Let Us’ in these two servings from Hebrews chapter 4!