In this passage we come to the last of the seven I am statements. Jesus says, “I am the true Vine.” Jesus uses this illustration to teach his disciples what the only way of bearing fruit comes from. Here are two things to notice....
Amazing grace! How sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now I am found, WAS BLIND, BUT NOW I SEE. In December of 1772 John Newton started to write the song that is so well known, Amazing Grace. I am not aware of every verse that inspired John Newton to write this song, but I do suspect that John 9 could have been used. If it wasn’t, it is still a very fitting line for the chapter we are studying today. Here are some points....
Today we come to one of the celebrations of Israel that holds much significance for us today. Let’s dive in....
If you remember from the first notes, I sent out on Hebrews we establish that this book has an emphasis on Jesus being THE High Priest. The writer of Hebrews continues by showing us the importance of the sacrifice. We know that every year on the day of atonement the high priest would enter the most holy place, make an animal sacrifice, and then sprinkle the blood of the an...
Keep ReadingNo matter how big a ship is it will still require the use of an anchor. The size of the ship does not matter when it comes to mother nature and the strength of the ocean's current or the winds that blow in storms. Anchors are used to keep a ship on course and to keep it in the same place when the ocean and wind are trying to move it in the opposite direction. In this chapt...
Keep ReadingOne thing that you will notice through the book of Hebrews is a big focus on the office of priest. Jesus is often referred to in this book as the high priest. If you are familiar with the Old Testament, you will know that the office of the high priest was the most important role/job within the Israelite community. ...
Keep ReadingChrist is God!...
Keep ReadingThis chapter of Hebrews is very humbling, for two main reasons, it shows us the humility of Christ and it shows how much God is mindful of us....
Keep ReadingI am sure you have heard this expression before “Take it with a grain of salt.” When people use this phrase, usually it is used to tell someone not to take what someone says too seriously. This expression may not seem so bad, but in reality, this is not something we want people to say about us when we talk to others. Let me explain....
Keep ReadingWithin the human race there is a natural tendency toward self-righteousness and legalism. As humans we like to make rules and regulations that we think will give us some type of credibility or gain some favor from God. Even though we might not say it out loud, the way that we live shows it clearly. Sometimes we may even equate someone with being a mature Christian because ...
Keep ReadingWe have come to an end to this short but rich letter. There are two things that Paul mentions in this chapter that I think we all struggle with… Anxiety and contentment. Anxiety is a worry or fear we have of something that might take place in the future, while contentment is a present state of satisfaction with how things are. Most of us when we think of anxiety don’t ...
Keep ReadingWhen you consider the fact that Jesus came down to live among us, what do you think about? Do you think about his great love for us? Do you think about his mercy and grace that he has toward us? These are all wonderful things to meditate on because they are all true, but how many times do we think about the deep humility of Christ by adding a human nature to himself? ...
Keep ReadingLeviticus 16 describes the ritual sacrifices that were to be made on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). This was the chief sacrifice made by every Jewish family each year. The Israelites were supposed to make these sacrifices in faith. If they did so with hearts that believed that the Lord would deal with sin on their behalf, then they were, in a sense, cleansed. “For on...
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