Hebrews

Hello anyone that may read this blog,

I have again had an incredible week of class! I am so blessed to be able to do this program and give the Lord time in studying His Word and reflecting on all that He has done for me.

On Monday we had the privilege to have Joe White, president of Kanakuk Kamps, Promise Keepers Speaker, and just an incredible evangelist come and talk to us about Daniel Chapter 9 - the 70 week calendar.
He came to talk with us about the revelations he had taken from the published book of Sir Robert Anderson "The Coming Prince". The information of how scripture is so clear to express when the Messiah would come is so cool to study. We had done a lot of the study on the chapter before Christmas break with his wife Debbie Joe when she taught over the full book of Daniel. However, He came in and expressed what the book by Sir Robert Anderson states on the mathematics that continue to be correct in history with what is stated in scripture!!!

Then Tuesday - Friday we got the incredible opportunity to have Charles Stolfus from Denton Bible come and walk us through the book of Hebrews! It was beyond words enlightening and exciting to read through and search why it is apart of the Bible. I will however try to express to you about a couple things that hit home for me as we went through the book!

Mr. Stolfus gave the book theme of Hebrews to be "The Supremacy of Christ" and I loved that title because as he unpacked the book for us verse by verse we saw that theme scream from the pages! When we got to Chapter 2 verse 10 I was floored with what it means for Jesus to be our Author of salvation. I am going to type out the verse section for you to read...
Hebrews 2:9-11 "But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all thing, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings. For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren," NASB
I was just in awe as Charles Stolfus talked about how Jesus was the author of salvation meaning that He was the pioneer for us. The pioneer is the one that goes beforehand and paves the way to something. Jesus was that for us. As the pioneer for salvation He did it through walking through suffering here on earth. As I began to process all that Mr. Stolfus told of Jesus being the author of salvation I was just in a state of thanksgiving and overwhelmed that the book of Hebrews is so blunt but powerful in the words it uses to describe Jesus and what He did for us.
When we got to Chapter 3 verse 1 I was challenged with how I respond in my day to day life with the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Here is what the verse says, "Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus the Apostle and High Priest of our confession." Mr. Stolfus talked about that the word consider as a very powerful word meaning to give special attention to what follows and it isn't a passing reference but a dedicated focus. The verse then describes Jesus as the Apostle and High Priest and this is what we are to consider or focus on. To not just skim over those characteristics of Jesus but to fully understand what they both mean. Charles Stolfus told us that apostle is one sent and that high priest is just that (the old testament functions of a levitical high priest) but also can be viewed as the final mediator between us and God (which was one of the functions of a levitical high priest). After Mr. Stolfus explained the two characteristics of Jesus and that we were to consider or focus; my thought process was yet again in awe of the elementary view I had of what it meant for Jesus to be sent to us and that He is our way to the Father. However, throughout the rest of the book we read verse after verse about how Jesus is qualified to be the High Priest and the different functions that a High Priest does and how Jesus did exactly that for us. As our time ended with Charles Stolfus I was in excitement and reference to the Lord that I was given the change to study Hebrews and grow in my understanding of Jesus as our High Priest. The word consider has stuck with me these last three days and I am reflecting in my own life what it means to focus my thoughts, heart, motives, actions, speech on Jesus and what He has done for me and how am I suppose to daily walk in that freedom and tell others about it.

I wish I had time to tell more about Jesus as our High Priest, however I do not at this very moment. I do hope to type my notes in a more condensed version to post by next week.

I hope you can be encouraged by knowing a little more about what it means for Jesus to be the author of salvation and our High Priest. He came and died for us so that we could live with Him eternally. He was the final sin sacrifice and now sits at the right hand of God as the mediator between us and God. We can have confidence in His death and resurrection to cover our punishment for our sins. He paid it all.