GROUP QUESTIONS

1. What does salvation mean to you?

2. What do you understand by the statement “Jesus is the Son of God”?

3. Why is sin a problem?4. Should humans fear death?5. What is the future, God’s

goal, for humans like us?

THE CENTRALITY OF CHRIST

HEBREWS 1-2

THE HUMAN CALLED JESUS OF NAZARETH

1:4-14 SUPERIOR TO ANGELSNAME RELATES TO POSITION7 OT QUOTES – NEVER APPLIED TO ANGELS, BUT TO JESUSPSALM 2:7 CORONATION FORMULA1 CHRONICLES 17:13 FATHER-SONPSALM 45:6-6 SUPREME RULERPSALM 110:1 GOD’S CEO

SALVATION IS IMPORTANT

1:14 ANGELS SERVE THOSE WHO ARE ABOUT TO INHERIT [OBTAIN A SHARE IN] SALVATION2:1-4 IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT WE CONCENTRATE ON WHAT WE HAVE HEARD/LEARNEDLEST WE SLIP AWAY, DRIFT AWAYTHIS WILL HAPPEN IF WE NEGLECT [NOT THE MESSAGE] BUT THE SALVATION ITSELF

SALVATION

WHAT IS IT?1:8 CLEANSING FROM SINCLEANSING IS FROM SOMETHING [SIN] FOR SOMETHING …….SIN WILL PREVENT US REALISING THE PURPOSE OF OUR CREATION

HUMAN DESTINY

2:5 THE PLANNED HUMAN DESTINY IS TO RULE THE COMING INHABITED EARTHWE WERE CREATED LOWER THAN THE ANGELSULTIMATELY TO EXERCISE UNIVERSAL LORDSHIPTHIS LIFE IS PROBATIONARYAN APPRENTICESHIP FOR THE WORLD TO COME

REACHING THE DIVINE GOAL

ACHIEVED BY A TRAIL BLAZER1. THE INCARNATION2. THE MINISTRY OF A HIGH PRIEST

THE INCARNATION

2:9-10, 14-17 HE BECAME ONE OF USAS HUMAN AS WE ARESUFFERED LIKE US, EVEN EXPERIENCED DEATHHIS SUFFERING WAS BENEFICIALGOD USED IT TO MAKE HIM COMPLETE, USEFULTO COMPLETE HIS APPRENTICESHIP

THE TRAIL BLAZER

V9 HE IS NOW EXALTEDACHIEVED HUMAN DESTINYHE REPRESENTED US IN HIS DEATHHE REPRESENTS US BEFORE GOD NOWOUR MEDIATOR BEFORE GODOUR HIGH PRIEST THE ONE WHO ENABLES US TO ACHIEVE OUR POTENTIAL

REACHING OUR POTENTIAL

WE NEED TO RELATE TO GODBUT THERE IS A PROBLEMe.g. ISAIAH 6 FEARJEWS - FEAR OF GOD’S JUDGEMENTFEAR OF DEATH BECAUSE OF SIN

PROBLEM

SUFFERING/STRESS TEMPTATION SIN JUDGEMENT DEATH

WE NEED SOMEONE TO REMOVE THE SIN AND ITS CONSEQUENSESAND ENABLE US TO HANDLE TEMPTATION

A HIGH PRIEST IS NEEDED

2:17-18 MADE JUST LIKE HIS BROTHERSSUFFERED WHEN TEMPTEDABLE TO HELPMERCIFUL AND FAITHFULCONTINUALLY MAKING ATONEMENT FOR THE SINS OF HIS PEOPLE

A REAL HUMAN

JESUS UNDERSTANDSHE SUFFERED JUST LIKE USHE CAN EMPATHISETHEREFORE HE IS MERCIFULAND CAN BE TRUSTED TO GET US TO THE GOALHE IS THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN