Background of the Book
The book of Hebrews is a New Testament epistle that combines both the style and form of a sermon and a letter, making the book function in two different ways. Beginning in the style of a sermon, Hebrews’ purpose is to communicate and develop deep theological truths that are key for the audience to understand. Pairing this with the form of a letter allows the author of Hebrews to then use the key truths to exhort the readers on a more practical and personal level.
Better Than
The word “better” occurs one dozen times throughout the book of Hebrews. This sets up the central theme of the epistle: Jesus is Better! By referring to Jesus Christ as better, it emphasizes the preeminence of Christ over those whom He is compared to. This is not to criticize the roles or diminish the importance of those who came before Christ. The prophets, angels, and Old Testament figures were all given and used by God, but with the coming of Christ, He has gifted us with someone better. Jesus is better in both His character and His actions, such as being the exact representative of the Father and accomplishing the cleansing for sins (Hebrews 1:3, LSB).
Better Than the Prophets
Hebrews begins by stating, “God, having spoken long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days spoke to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom He made the worlds” (Hebrews 1:1-2, LSB). The prophets of the Old Testament were crucial figures in God’s overarching plan of salvation, but the message was made complete through the death, resurrection, and ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ. While the prophets continued to work without fully completing their job on earth, the Lord completely accomplished eternal salvation for us once and for all.
Priest, Prophet, King
In His ministry, Jesus Christ shows His preeminence in three distinct offices, each giving insight to a different aspect of His perfect reign.
Prophet: The role of prophet is fulfilled through Christ’s earthly prophetic ministry.
Priest: The role of priest is fulfilled through Christ’s death, resurrection, and ultimately, His ascension.
King: The role of king will be fulfilled when Christ comes to fully reign again.
The three offices emphasize the fact that the reign of Christ is currently happening NOW, with future fulfillment still to come.
Looking Ahead
The first truth dwelled upon in the book of Hebrews is this: As great as the prophets were, Jesus is better! As we continue to dive deeper into the book of Hebrews in this series, our next section will focus specifically on the truth that Jesus is greater than the angels. Stay tuned for our next discussion as we continue to unpack the greatness of God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ!
This blog post captures the essence of Dr. William Varner’s study series on Hebrews. You may click on the video above to hear more insightful details about the preeminence of Christ in Hebrews. Dr. Varner is the chair of TMU Online Master of Arts in Biblical Studies and professor of Biblical Languages and Bible Exposition for The Master’s University traditional on-campus program.
