Jesus Christ fulfilled every aspect of Old Testament Law to be a complete savior. In the early church, some Christians from a Judean background did not fully understand this. So, the Epistle to Judean Christians was written to show from many Old Testament truths how Christ is God’s better and more fully completed solution than the Law of Moses.
This is the third in a five-part series that will reveal truths from this Epistle to the Hebrews.
The Gospel of Matthew shows Jesus as the Messiah, the great King. It begins with John the Baptist preparing the way for him, his baptism with holy spirit, his temptation in the wilderness, and then shows him declaring his kingdom in 4:12—7:29. Much of this declaration is in what is called the “Sermon on the Mount.”
Background
Psalm 102 is the thirteenth in the Numbers Book of the Psalms, which goes to Psalm 106. God’s rest is a major theme of these 17 Psalms, and in this specific Psalm, we see the Messiah as the suffering savior who will redeem the people.
Background
This Psalm opens with three verses referring to God helping Moses and the children of Israel in times past, in accordance with Exodus theme. The next verse states that God is still King and a deliverer. Then the verse after that says that God will help in the future.
The Psalm includes a title “for the sons of Korah.” Regarding the sons of Korah, I Chronicles 9:19 says: “And Shallum the son of Kore, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, and his brethren, of the house of his father, the Korahites, were over the work of the service, keepers of the gates of the tabernacle: and their fathers, being over the host of the Lord, were keepers of the entry.” They were responsible for service in the tabernacle and later the Temple.
The Psalm includes a postscript “Shoshannim.” This word means “lilies” can refer to springtime and the Passover Feast.
Background
Like Psalms 38 and 39, this shows the sufferings the Messiah would endure and overcome so that he could reign as King. Psalm 40 shows man’s need for God’s help and the salvation that He gives through the Messiah.
Background
This Psalm shows in great detail the enemies and evil that Messiah would face, as evidenced in the life of his ancestor David. These words are not all directly the Messiah’s (verse 18: “For I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin”) for he was sinless. The Psalm closes with a plea for God’s salvation. That prayer was answered in the life of Jesus Christ.
Background
Enormous physical suffering and intense mental pressure marked the opening and closing of the Messiah’s earthly ministry. Jesus Christ began “in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts” (Mark 1:13), where both his mind and body were under attack. Yet, he responded with “It is written” (Matthew 4:4,7,10) and quoted the scriptures concerning what he was to do.
Recently, each morning before the school day began, I noticed a young student sitting alone outside my classroom door. Talking with her I learned she was a devout Christian, and we prayed together for God’s blessings in our lives. Later that day, I asked her how God had blessed her. She said that a prayer was answered—she wanted one person at the school to understand her. “And that person,” she said, “is you!”
Ever talk to a spouse, friend, student, or coworker, and they haven’t heard a word you said. I’ve learned it pays to get people’s attention before I launch into what I want them to hear. God always pays attention to what we say.
The devil thought he’d won it when they laid Christ in the tomb,
His plot to kill Messiah and to spread hate, death, and gloom.
But God Almighty had a plan, and to our foe’s surprise,
Our lord got up in glory, out of the grave to rise!