Men young and older meet on Thursday mornings beginning at 6:30 am at Camp Julian Oaks (1298 Hwy 78, one mile east of Hillside) and ending at 7:45.  We’re just beginning our study in the Letter to the Hebrews.  The questions for this week are listed here.  Come out and join us this Thursday. It’s a great way to start your day, end your week, and begin your weekend!
 
Intro and week one questions
 

Introduction to the Letter to the  Hebrews

 

This letter to the Hebrews was written to Jewish Christians living in Rome between AD 64 – AD 70 who were probably a bit confused as they tried to decide how much of the Mosaic Law to keep and how much to leave behind.  They wanted to embrace the good news of Jesus and the New Covenant, yet at the same time, they didn’t want to betray their Jewish roots and traditions under the Old Covenant! The letter focusses on the person of Jesus Christ and serves as a reassurance to all Jewish believers (and to us) that Jesus Christ is, indeed, the fulfillment of the law,  the greatest prophet ever, our most high  priest, and the king if kings.  How can that be? He’s God!

Who was it written by?  No one knows for certain, but many ascribe the letter to the apostle Paul, although some assert that it may have been Barnabas, Apollos, or even Luke. Whoever it was, they wrote a treasure of a letter under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit  (II Tim 3: 16)

Now, with that brief intro, and, in the words of the author, let us “consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus…” (Heb. 3:1).  Let’s read chapter one and “consider Him” together with a few discussion questions for this morning….
 
 

1. How (and what) did God communicate with the following people?

 

Adam and Eve (Genesis 2: 15 -17 and 3: 9-19)

Abraham (Genesis 12: 1-3, 7, 15:1)

Joseph (Genesis 37)

Moses (Exodus 3, 33:11, 34)

David (I Samuel 16 & 17)

 

2. How does God communicate with us now?

 

 

3. What’s the final word or authority? ________ ___________
 
 
4. What are some of the accomplishments and attributes that are ascribed to Jesus in verses 2 – 3?
 
 
5. How is Jesus “so much better than the *angels (see vs. 4-14)?”

 

* Angels were a big deal, even before the 1980s trend! The Old Testament has dozens of references to angelic beings. As a matter of fact, in Acts 7:53, Stephen declares that the Law was given by the “direction of angels”.

 

 

 

Reflect: How has this “pandemic” deepened your faith in / or the way you approach Jesus?

 

 

Memory Verse: “God, who in various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets has in these last days spoken to us by His Son whom He appointed heir of all things through whom also He made the worlds” ( Hebrews 1: 1-2)