The New Testament
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Devotional
Weekly Bible Devotion By Books
Feb.5 - 10, 2024
Enter the presence of the Lord-
(All) The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.
(Men) He was in the world, and though the world was made through him,
(Women) All who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent,
nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
(Men) The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
(Women) Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given.
(Men) For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
(All) No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.
(The Gospel of John 1: 9-10a, 12-14, 16-18)
Confession
(All) In such a difficult time and restless world,
(men) Let us unite in faith and in obedience to enter the rest in Jesus Christ’s finished work
(Women) Let us strive to enter that rest promised in the living and active word of God
(Men) Let us hold fast our confession that Jesus, son of God is our only and true great high priest.
(Women) Let us with confidence draw near to the throne of grace for receiving mercy and finding grace to help in time of need
(Men) Let us go on to maturity- to show earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end through faith and patience
(Women) Let us draw near with a true heart in full faith and in clean conscience and bodies
(Men) Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering for he who promised is faithful.
(Women) Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, to meet together, and to encourage one another
(Men) Let us lay aside every weight and sin which clings so closely
(Women) Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus
(Men) the founder and perfecter of our faith, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
(Women) Let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken
(Men) Let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.
(Women) Let us go to Jesus outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured
(Men) Let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God
(Selections from Hebrew 4:1, 11, 14, 16; 6:1; 10:22, 23, 24; 12:1-2, 28; 13:13, 15, ESV)
Scripture reading: Hebrews (NIV)
10: 19-25 Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Thoughts to Share: Why Jesus Christ Only? Why the New Covenant?
Reading through the Letter to the Hebrews, we can find that the recipents of this letter were battling their faith in Jesus Christ after they had confessed Christ Jesus as their savior. They had started to drift away from Jesus Christ and his grace of salvation (2:1b) They were discouraged that they did not yet see everything in subjection to Christ at the present time (2:8b). They hardened their hearts and disbelieved Jesus to the point that they became restless and were to fall away from the living God. (3:8) They became dull of hearing and refused to grow into maturity. (6:1b) They abandoned the hope they had confessed. (10:22). They were about to return to the old covenant which they came out of.
Why? There was a subtle but real intellectual struggle after their initial confession that Jesus Christ was their Savior. Why did Jesus Christ top over all those great and respected ancestors in the Old Covenant? Why was the New Covenant the better covenant to all, the Jews and the Gentiles? How would the Christ-followers live out their faith among all who did not agree on their belief? In fact, the quest on the relationship between the Jews and the Gentiles and on the debate of the Law and the Gospel is not only for the early Christ-followers but also for any sincere Christ-followers in later generations.
The purpose of the Letter to the Hebrews is two-folded as we read through. One, to explain those intellectual “why” quests. Two, to exhort those weary Christ-followers. Here we shall focus on those intellectual “why” quests.
1) Why do we not worship angels?
The author explains the place of God’s Son over angels: God’s Son was the firstborn. Angles were instructed to worship him. He was given the throne forever and ever. He was the scepter of righteousness He was anointed by God with the oil of gladness. His years will have no end. The world is subject to him. He went through the suffering of death and was crowned with glory and honor. Angels were not given all those privileges. So we worship and serve Jesus Christ, not angels. (Hebrews 1:5 - 14)
2) Why did God’s Son become a human being as our brother? Why through suffering? Why through death?
The author explains that God’s Son makes the founder of salvation perfect through suffering for all. He went through death to destroy the one who has power of death, that is the devil, and deliver all those who fear of death. He was made like men in every respect so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest to make propitiation for the sins of the people. His kingdom is unshakable. (Hebrews 2:14-18)
3) Why does Jesus have more glory than Moses and Joshua?
In God’s house, Moses, Joshua and Jesus Christ were faithful. But Moses and Joshua were God’s servants. Jesus Christ was God’s Son. Moses, Joshua could not give the rest to his people who sinned and disobeyed. Jesus as Son of God was a great high priest. He has passed through the heavens. He can sympathize with people’s weakness and give mercy and grace to help in time of need. He has the living and active word to see through our being inwardly and outwardly. (Hebrews 3:5-6; 4:8-13)
4) Why was Jesus as a great priest better than Abraham and Arron?
The author explains that Jesus Christ is a great high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek, the first and eternal king of peace and king of righteousness. Jesus is an eternal salvation by the power of an indestructible life. He is holy, innocent, unstrained, separated from sinners and exalted above to heaven. He has no need to offer sacrifice for his own sin daily. He offered himself as a sacrifice once for all. So, he offers the better hope and better covenant. He holds the priesthood permanently because he continues forever. Consequently, he is able to save all who draw near to God.
In contrast, Abraham was the receiver of blessings from Melchizedek. Arron and the priests after his order were terminated in office once they died. They became priests by the legal requirement stating by the blood line. (Hebrews 5:5—10; 7: 15-16; 21, 23-25)
5) Why is God’s Son’s sacrifice better than the old sacrifices offered by old priests after the order of Aaron?
In the old priest line, priests used the blood and ashes of goats and calves to sanctify a defiled person repeatedly. But these gifts and sacrifices could not perfect the consciousness of the worshipers no matter how often they were offered because it was impossible to take away sin by the blood of bulls and goals. Rather, they kept reminding people of their sins every year. In contrast, Jesus Christ as a sacrifice was without blemish through the eternal Spirit. His blood purifies our conscious from dead works to serving the living God. He secures eternal redemption. And He put away sin by the sacrifice of himself once for all. He gives the promised eternal inheritance. So, God’s Son is the better sacrifice. He is the better mediator between us and God. Therefore, we not only enter the rest promised in his salvation. We stop our own ways to save ourselves. (Hebrews 8:11-14; 9: 9-15)
6) Why is the new covenant better than the old covenant given to Moses?
By his death Jesus instituted a new covenant with us. Jesus as the high priest is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, a minister in the holy places, in the tent that the Lord set up, not man. He has offered himself once for all. He was able to put Lord’s law sin their minds and write them on their hearts. He will be merciful toward their iniquities and forgive their sins. He has become better mediator.
7) What is the use of old covenant to us under the New Covenant?
Jesus makes the old, the first covenant obsolete. It vanishes away. The only use that the old covenant to us is that the it serves a copy and shadow of the heavenly things to come. ( Hebrews 8:5; 10; 10:1; )
Seeing through the bible books from Genesis up to the Letter to Hebrews, we discover that in God’s design, he longs to love us and give us all the best. Yet sin separated us from his love. We, generation after generation, experience the pains and bitterness individually and collectively. Sin is real and alive in us and among us. The Letter to the Hebrews presents both recipients then and us today a clear explanation why we need Jesus Christ? Why Jesus only? Why do we live in under the new covenant? What shall we do with the Old Testament? Once we understand solidly what we believe, our faith journey will be steady, firm, hopeful, and we can thrive from the moments of disappointment, discouragement, weariness, and drifting away.
Prayer Suggestions
Jesus, the founder of our salvation, our great high priest, our true mediator, the author and finisher of our faith, we thank you for your death on behalf of us. Thank you for forgiving and cleansing our sins that destroy our everything good and beautiful. We love your word, living and active. In you, we find life. We find rest. We find understanding. We find salvation. Thank you for what you have done. We honor you and praise you. Lead us through this journey. Keep the hope of our eternal inheritance alive in us. In your name, we pray.
Benedictions:
Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. (13: 20, ESV)
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