Archive for the 'Hebrews' Category

Jesus Our brother – Hebrews 2:10-18

Posted by aftershock.org.uk on August 22nd, 2008

Some people ask why Jesus needed to come in human form so that our sins could be forgiven. Why couldn’t God just forgive us from Heaven? Well, there are lots of reasons, and the theology can get pretty mind-bending at times. But the bread and butter of it is this. The devil is like a wicked bank manager who deliberately got us men into debt by tempting us with a loan he knew we couldn’t afford to pay back. This is how we became trapped by Satan. Jesus came to pay off our debt, but to do that He needed to take power of attorney over our accounts. He did that by taking on human flesh, and living a human life just like the rest of us. Maybe that’s a lot of theology to take in, but think about this. How many millionaire celebrities do you think would be willing to come and live in your shoes, even for a few weeks, in order to pay off your debts? Probably not many. But God, who is so much greater, was not ashamed to come and live among us in the person of Jesus. Now Jesus in his bodily form returned to Heaven, because the debt was paid and finished with. But His Holy Spirit is still with us today to help us know that we are free from debt forever.

MP3: 00392_Hebrews_2_10-18.mp3

PDF: 00392_Hebrews_2_10-18.pdf

The Hot Potato Message – Hebrews 1:14-2:9

Posted by aftershock.org.uk on August 18th, 2008

Knowledge often comes with responsibility. If someone confides in you, you have a responsibility not to blab about them and use their confidence in you against them. If you find out that a particular road is dangerous, you have a responsibility to warn as many people as you can not to go down that road. When Jesus came, God brought us a new message. If you’ve heard that message, then you have a responsibility to respond. God’s put a lot of trust in men and women by sharing these things with them, and that’s because He loves us. Our correct response is to love Him back, by not neglecting our responsibility in regard to this new message of salvation. The message is that Jesus “experienced death in every person’s place” so that we can have eternal life. If you know this for yourself, then it is your responsibility to do your part in making sure everybody gets a chance to hear about it. This is a message that has been passed on since the time of Christ, and will be passed on until He comes again. So let’s not allow ourselves to be a weak link in that chain.

MP3: 00391_Hebrews_1_14-2_9.mp3

PDF: 00391_Hebrews_1_14-2_9.pdf

A Name Greater than the Angels – Hebrews 1:1-13

Posted by aftershock.org.uk on July 9th, 2008

It seems like belief in angels is very popular today, especially ‘guardian angels’. But a great many people seem to get excited about the idea of angels watching over us, whilst at the same time scoffing at the idea of the Son of God dying for our sins. But when you hear the words that have just been read, doesn’t that seem crazy? For one thing, the word ‘angel’ means “messenger”. That means if angels are real, then the person who gave them a message to deliver must be real. Angels, by their very existence, point beyond themselves to someone greater. So dreaming and gushing about angels, whilst all the time ignoring Christ, is like taking down posters of a great superstar and replacing them with photographs of that superstar’s road crew! Yes, angels are real, and they are sent to watch over us and speak to us. But these citizens of heaven are all delivering the same ultimate message; “Come and meet our king, nothing compares to Him”.

MP3: 00390_Hebrews_1_1-13.mp3

PDF: 00390_Hebrews_1_1-13.pdf