Brothers and sisters, it is no secret that the journey of faith is often a difficult one. We face trials that test our resolve, seasons of weariness that drain our spirit, and a subtle but constant current that tempts us to drift from the truth we once held so firmly.
The Epistle to the Hebrews was written to believers in just such a state—weary, struggling, and tempted to turn back. It is not a word of condemnation but a magnificent word of encouragement, giving us what the author calls "an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast" (Heb. 6:19).
The core thesis of our time together this morning is this: Because Jesus is our perfect and eternal High Priest, He has secured for us a better covenant and an unshakable hope, empowering us to persevere through any trial with confidence.
The entire argument of Hebrews builds this case, layer by layer, so that our confidence is not placed in our own strength or fluctuating circumstances, but in the finished work and unchanging person of our Savior.
As we delve into this rich text, I want to pose a guiding question for us all to consider: In the face of our personal struggles, what makes our hope in Jesus so certain that we can hold fast without wavering?
To answer our guiding question, the author of Hebrews does not begin with our feelings or our faithfulness, but with the unshakeable reality of Jesus Christ. Our confidence is built on the solid rock of His identity and authority.
The pinnacle of Christ's identity in this letter is His unique priesthood. The old priesthood, the Levitical order, was temporary, flawed, and passed from one mortal man to another. But Jesus is a High Priest forever "after the order of Melchisedec" (Heb. 7:17).
Our hope is not built on a function, but on a person. This is our High Priest—eternal, supreme, and unshakable—and it is the glory of His identity that guarantees the power of His sacrifice for us.
The superiority of our High Priest is demonstrated most powerfully in the superiority of His sacrifice. The work He accomplished on our behalf established a New Covenant that achieves what the old system never could.
The Old Covenant was a necessary "shadow of good things to come," but it was never the final reality (Heb. 10:1). Its rituals and sacrifices served as a constant, repeating reminder of sin, but they could never truly remove it. Christ's sacrifice, however, changed everything.
| The Old Way (A Shadow) | The New Way in Christ (The Reality) |
|---|---|
| Priests offered sacrifices daily/yearly (Heb. 10:11, 9:25) | Christ offered one sacrifice "once for all" (Heb. 10:10, 9:26) |
| Sacrifices of bulls and goats could never take away sins (Heb. 10:4) | His one offering has "perfected for ever them that are sanctified" (Heb. 10:14) |
| Served as a "figure" and "shadow" with an uneasy conscience (Heb. 9:9, 10:2) | Purges the conscience from dead works to serve the living God (Heb. 9:14) |
| Required the blood of animals (Heb. 9:22) | Secured redemption through "his own blood" (Heb. 9:12) |
| Access to God was restricted and veiled (Heb. 9:7-8) | Provides a "new and living way" to draw near with boldness (Heb. 10:19-20) |
The ultimate result of Christ's perfect sacrifice is that He has become the "mediator of a better covenant" (Heb. 8:6). This new agreement is not written on stone tablets but on our very hearts and minds. It is established upon better promises, chief among them being the promise of a full and final forgiveness: "their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more" (Heb. 10:17).
Through this one perfect act, Christ has secured for all who are called the "promise of eternal inheritance" (Heb. 9:15). Because of what Jesus has done, our standing before God is not temporary or probationary; it is perfect, permanent, and secure.
This glorious, doctrinal reality is not meant to simply inform our minds, but to ignite our hearts and transform how we live.
This profound theological truth—that we have a perfect High Priest and a perfect sacrifice—is not meant for passive agreement. It is the fuel for active trust and courageous endurance. Because our salvation is so certain, secured by the very Son of God, we are called to live lives of unwavering faith, especially when the path is steep and our strength is failing.
The author of Hebrews gives us this powerful definition of persevering faith. It is a confident trust in God's promises, even when our present circumstances seem to contradict them.
The great "cloud of witnesses" in chapter 11 provide the living illustration of this principle. Their collective example teaches us that faith is about:
When we face hardship, our temptation is to believe that God has forgotten or rejected us. But Hebrews 12 tells us the exact opposite. Hardship is not evidence of His absence; it is the very proof of our adoption:
Your trials are the loving Father's confirmation of your identity as His child. He chastens us "for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness" (Heb. 12:10) and to produce "the peaceable fruit of righteousness" (Heb. 12:11).
With this great cloud of witnesses behind us and the loving hand of our Father upon us, we are given a clear and powerful command for how to live:
When we feel weary and faint in our minds, we are to "consider him that endured" (Heb. 12:3). This determined focus on Christ is what empowers us to keep running our race.
We have seen today that our hope is not a fragile wish, but a sure and steadfast anchor for the soul. Because we have an unshakable High Priest, Jesus the Son of God, who offered a perfect, once-for-all sacrifice, He has secured for us a better covenant and direct access to God.
Because of who He is and what He has done, we have every reason to stand firm in faith and run our race with patience, knowing that our labor is not in vain.
This profound truth leaves us with a clear and direct call to action. Based on the exhortations in this letter, I urge you to respond in three ways:
Perhaps you are here today feeling weak, tempted, or burdened by your failures. The message of Hebrews is not to clean yourself up before you approach God, but to come as you are to the one who can help.
The current of this world will try to pull you away. Doubts will arise, and trials will test your commitment. Do not let go of the hope you profess. Anchor yourself in the reality of Christ.
Our confident hope must move us to action within the community of faith and daily service.
"Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen." (Hebrews 13:20-21)