The New Testament book of Hebrews can be seen to function as the Rosetta stone of the Bible.
“Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, ‘Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame’.” (1 Peter 2:6, NKJV)
On a trip to London, I had opportunity to visit the British museum. Something I was particularly eager to see was the Rosetta stone. It dates to the second century B. C. and features a decree published in two languages, Egyptian and Greek, and three writing systems. It aided in the translation of Egyptian hieroglyphics.
The New Testament book of Hebrews can be seen to function as the Rosetta stone of the Bible. The writer of the book is unidentified and the book itself is difficult to classify, bearing hallmarks of an epistle, a sermon, and a theological treatise.
One thing Hebrews makes clear – the whole of Bible has to do with Jesus Christ. He is the interpretive key. He is the ultimate expression of the promises, prophesies, and previews contained throughout the Old Testament. The sacrificial system that lies at the heart of Old Testament intercourse with God is seen as a shadow cast by the reality of the Messiah to come. The Bible is a redemptive document and that redemption is realized in the person and work of Jesus Christ.
The theme of Hebrews is the legitimacy and sufficiency of Jesus as the Christ, the only hope of salvation. To drive this home, the writer begins by showcasing Jesus as the Son of God, the agent of creation and of redemption. From there, he will explain Jesus as better than the angels, better than human mediators, holding a better priesthood, mediator of a better covenant, and author of a better life. “Better” occurs 13 times in the book and is used not merely in the sense of comparison but of substance. The work of Christ is full, final, and fulfilling.
The epistle was written to Jews who had turned to Jesus as the Christ of God, the promised Messiah. But these Jews were undergoing persecution for their faith and were retreating from Christ. With a pastoral heart and theological acumen, the writer urges them to hold true, firm in their faith, warning them that if they returned to Judaism they would be forsaking the reality to embrace the shadow cast by it. That is why in the body of the letter, each of the five sections that elevate Jesus as “better” contains two things: a reference to the priesthood of Christ and a dire warning against turning away.
What can we expect from our time together in Hebrews? Foremost, we can expect a richer, clearer, more glorious understanding of our Lord Jesus. We can also expect our faith to be strengthened and our hope assured. Finally, we can expect to better grasp the wonder of God’s revelation of redemption described in the Bible.
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, New King James Version, copyright ©1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
