Serving Up Hebrew ‘Let Us’ – II Hebrews 4:14-16

(All Scripture is from the New King James Version unless otherwise indicated)

Here are two more servings of HebrewLet 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 isThe 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 HebrewLet Usin these two servings from Hebrews chapter 4!