Hebrews 1 – 4

The letter to the Hebrews is Paul’s writing to the Jews to ensure they understand Jesus and the impact He has on them. You will notice many reflections of prophecies in scripture to show the Jews Jesus is the Messiah (or the Anointed as used in the Voice). Verse 2:4 talks about what Jesus did while on this earth:

 God also testifies to this truth by signs and wonders and miracles and the gifts of the Holy Spirit lighting on those He chooses.

God has always given us signs and wonders, but through Jesus these were made personal. Where Moses was the conduit God used to do wonderful miracles for all to see, Jesus saved individuals to show God’s glory. Where parting of the Red Sea helped a nation, Jesus showed God cared about the least among us as he does the nation of Israel. That was the magic of Jesus!

Verse 2:10 confirms this to the Jews:

It only makes sense that God, by whom and for whom everything exists, would choose to bring many of us to His side by using suffering to perfect Jesus, the founder of our faith, the pioneer of our salvation.

Jesus was needed as the perfect sacrifice to show us God is with us. Again, you look at a single event like the parting of the Red Sea and it quickly becomes a distant memory even for those who lived it. Jesus, on the other hand, had made God personal and provided a tap into God’s greatness for everyone.

Verse 3:3 has Paul comparing Jesus and Moses:

But we value Jesus more than Moses, in the same way that we value a builder more than the house he builds.

Moses is the foundation of the Jewish beliefs; he wrote the Torah and provided their roots. To place this son of a carpenter above the bedrock of ones “religion” was not received well by many. Think about it, you believe something that is thousands of years old and has scholars who devoted their lives to this telling you something and then are expected to believe this poor, unassuming servant is the One you were expecting to free you from Roman oppression.

I would be like today if Jesus returned as a homeless man on the streets of Atlanta. The “church” was expecting white horses, chariots and fire coming from heaven and instead they are being told that this “street rat” is this man. We would need some convincing to accept this as true. We would really have to dig into the scripture and prophecies to be convinced this bum was Jesus returning to save us. That was Paul’s job here!