Hebrews: Moving Beyond a Domesticated View of Jesus
Many believe that the apostle Paul wrote the book of Hebrews, although its authorship remains uncertain. Regardless of who wrote it, one of its central purposes is clear: to help us understand more fully who Jesus Christ truly is.
Many of us have a domesticated view of Jesus. When we think of Him, we often focus primarily on His humanity. We picture Him teaching and arguing with religious leaders, performing miracles, experiencing hunger and exhaustion, and spending long hours in prayer, seeking the Father’s will.
We also picture Jesus being arrested, mistreated by religious leaders and civil authorities, beaten, and nailed to a cross between two criminals. We see Him suffering and dying, then being laid in a tomb.
Jesus Is Greater Than Moses and Elijah
Consider the account of the Transfiguration in Matthew 17:4. Peter, overwhelmed by what he sees, says to Jesus:
“Lord, it’s wonderful for us to be here! If you want, I’ll make three shelters as memorials—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
Peter’s words place Jesus alongside Moses and Elijah. Yet God Himself intervenes to clarify who Jesus is. In Matthew 17:5, a voice from the cloud declares: “This is my dearly loved Son. Listen to him.”
Jesus fulfilled the Old Covenant and becomes a New Covenant.
The book of Hebrews helps us understand the supremacy of the risen Christ and the new covenant established through Him. Under the old covenant, the people of Israel offered sacrifices, relied on the ministry of priests, and received God’s message through His appointed prophets.
We no longer need an earthly priest to enter the Most Holy Place on our behalf. When Jesus died, the temple curtain was torn in two, from top to bottom (Matthew 27:50–51). Our relationship with God is no longer defined by the repeated sacrifices and rituals of the old covenant, but by the finished work of Jesus Christ.
Hebrews continually reminds us that Jesus is superior to the prophets, greater than the angels, greater than Moses, and the perfect High Priest who offered Himself once for all. He is not simply a man whom God blessed and used. He is the Son who reveals God’s glory and accomplishes our redemption.
Who do You say I am?
Matthew 16:13–17, Jesus asks His disciples who people say He is.
Some believed He was John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the other prophets. They recognized that Jesus was extraordinary, but their understanding of His identity remained incomplete.
Then Jesus asked His disciples a more personal question: “But who do you say I am?”
Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus explained that Peter had not arrived at this understanding through human wisdom. It had been revealed to him by the Father in heaven.
Open the eyes of our heart!
The book of Hebrews also helps us change our domesticated view of Jesus from the limits of mankind to the supreme God as the Son of God with God the father and the Holy Spirit.
Let us open our LIGHTNSIDE to remove a domesticated view of Christ to the mighty God we will one day see and live with forever.
