Was the coming of Jesus the fulfilment or the postponement of the promises God made to Abraham? Does God have one covenant people today or two? Is the Church the Bride of Christ or a parenthesis to God’s continuing relationship with the Jewish people? Does the Temple in Jerusalem still need to be rebuilt before Jesus returns? Hebrews was written in part, to answer these questions. Jewish believers in Jesus living in the First Century were confused on whether they should attend Temple services? Should they continue to keep the Law? Should they celebrate Jewish Festivals? Should they offer animal sacrifices? They were torn between loyalty to their heritage on the one hand and loyalty to their Gentile brothers and sisters. The on-going conflict between Jews and Palestinians over the Holy Land is a controversial subject. It arouses strong emotions and heated debate among Christians. This too has its theological origins in passages such as the one was are looking at today. It helps us see that Bible study is not theoretical but can have profound ramifications in people’s lives and world affairs. This morning we are going to focus on Hebrews 10:1-18 but you may find this outline helpful, which gives the wider Biblical context to these questions. I hope it will stimulate your thinking and enrich your Bible study.
One of my favourite places to walk is the Pilgrim Way. It follows one of the ancient footpaths from Winchester to Canterbury across the Downs. Now there are many public footpaths in England but this one is unique. As the name suggests, for hundreds of years it has been used by pilgrims. For some it was a way to do penance and earn merit with God. For others it was a special time which they used to concentrate on their relationship with God and deepen their spiritual walk. It was a great experience to walk where so many before us had walked. The trail ends at the Canterbury Cathedral where pilgrims knelt at the spot where Thomas Becket was killed by the knights of Henry II. There is a simple memorial which marks the place of Becket’s martyrdom. For nearly a thousand years, Christians have knelt there to ask God that they, like Becket, might live courageously for him in spite of the powers of the world. Becket was a close friend of King Henry II who appointed him to his court. When the position of Archbishop of Canterbury fell vacant, Henry appointed Thomas Becket in the position thinking he would do his bidding. But something happened to Becket after he was appointed as spiritual leader of England. He stopped being complacent about his faith. He put politics and luxury behind him. He gave up his former wealth and style of life. And to his peril, he began to oppose the king when it came to differences between the church and the government. He paid the ultimate sacrifice. But Becket’s willingness to be a martyr for the faith did not earn him a place in heaven. Neither does a pilgrimage walking to Canterbury or indeed to Jerusalem.
There is only one way our sins can be taken away — only one sacrifice sufficient to atone for our sins. It is the perfect sacrifice of Christ, and this sacrifice makes all other sacrifices unnecessary. I want us to observe 3 reasons from Hebrews 10.
The ultimate test of any civilisation, any culture, any community and indeed any church, must surely be, not how long it has existed, or its size or influence, but rather, the way it treats its most vulnerable members. Whether they are the unborn, the young, the elderly, sick, widowed, orphaned, in prison, on probation, ex-offenders, unemployed, addicts, from an ethnic minority, of another faith, a foreigner, an outsider, a stranger or just a visitor. It doesn’t matter. A society is judged by how it treats its weakest, most powerless, most vulnerable members. As Christians, the quality of our faith will also, says Jesus, be tested by how we treat our weaker sisters and brothers.