Walla Walla University Good Word Broadcasts Walla Walla University Good Word

Relevant Verses: Hebrews 2,4

Leading Question: Jesus said, “Come to me . . . and I will give you rest.” Is it possible to find rest without coming to Jesus?

Jesus’ well-known rest invitation comes at the end of a record of tumultuous events. John the Baptist has been put in prison and Jesus pronounces strong judgment on some of the cities where he had been most active, including Capernaum. After all that, he “commands” the weary to come to him for rest.

Question: Does one need a command to come to Jesus? Does one need to come to Jesus in order ...

Relevant Verses: Hebrews 2,4

Leading Question: Does Hebrews 4 support the Sabbath or undermine it?

Hebrews 4 is a compact, closely argued chapter that focuses on Sabbath rest. But before we look at the text of chapter 4, let’s do a quick overview of the chapter in light of the chapter title, “Jesus, Our Faithful Brother.”

The emphasis on Jesus as our “Faithful Brother” is based on Hebrews 2:11-12, 17. In 2:11-12 we read that Jesus was “not ashamed” to call us his brothers and sisters. Here is God incarnate, declaring that he is not “not ashamed” to call this race of rebels ...

Relevant Verses: Hebrews 1, 3

Leading Question: What makes Jesus, the promised Son, better than Moses?

Comment: Since the whole quarter’s study focuses on Jesus the “better” revelation, it is no surprise that this lesson emphasizes the “Promised Son.”

Question: How does Hebrews 1:1-4 sharpen the focus on the “Son” more sharply than any other passage in the book? Why should this particularly label loom so large for the author of Hebrews?

Some specific comparisons in chapter 3 that are worth noting:

Hebrews 3:2-6: This passage compares Moses and Jesus. At first glance, the passage almost suggests “no contest” since Jesus was God’s Son ...

Relevant Verses: Hebrews 1-2

Leading Question: Is it more difficult for modern people to believe that Jesus was fully God, or that he was fully human?

Comment: In our largely secular world, any discussion of a God/Man is likely to be foreign territory. Which would be the “easier” goal to reach: to teach that Jesus was God or that Jesus was Human?

For this week’s lesson , I want to look more closely at Hebrews 2. The Adult SS study guide actually sketches out a very broad scope for the lesson: “The Message of Hebrews.” And if you scan the list of ...

Relevant Verses: Hebrews 1

Leading Question: Is the revelation of God in Jesus Christ better than all previous revelations?

Note: A resource I have found very helpful in preparing this study guide has been William Johnsson’s Hebrews, in the Abundant Life Bible Amplifier series (PPPA, 1994). References in the study guide to Johnsson are simply indicated by his last name and the page number.

Our leading question brings several other questions into play that we should consider.

Question: If the revelation of God in Jesus is better than all others (as the letter to the Hebrews implies), why did God give lesser revelations in ...

Relevant Verses: Num 20:1–13; Deut 34:1–12; Jude 9

Theme: Legacy

Leading Question: Why is the resurrection so central to the Christian faith?

“So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab according to the word of the LORD. And He buried him in the valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth-peor; but no man knows his burial place to this day” (Deut 34:5–6).

“What an extraordinary way to end a book: not just any book but the Book of books – with Moses seeing the Promised Land from Mount Nebo, tantalisingly near, yet so far away that ...