Hebrews 1:1 - 2:4 | Jesus - the Better Word of God

Now, a few things to help kind of orientate us to this letter as we begin this new book.

First of all, we don't know who wrote it.

There's lots of ideas, lots of suggestions.

No one knows.

I'm going to try not to absentmindedly call the author Paul, because that just slips out.

It may have been Paul.

It probably wasn't.

I will instead simply refer to them as the author or the preacher, because as we'll see, this letter is actually a sermon.

The author describes it in chapter 13 as a brief word of exhortation.

And he spends the letter exhorting, encouraging his audience, using the words of Scripture.

That's what a sermon is, an exhortation from Scripture.

So this letter is a sermon.

It was a sermon written relatively early in the New Testament period.

Now, there's good evidence to suggest it was written before the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed in 8070.

So within a few decades of Jesus's life and death and resurrection.

And it was written primarily for Jews, which is where we get the English title Hebrews.

These were Jews who had accepted Jesus.

And we know from the text that many of them had suffered as a result.

In chapter 10, the preacher says this.

Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you endured in a great conflict full of suffering.

Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insults and persecution.

At other times, you stood side by side with those who were so treated.

You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property because you knew that you yourselves had a better and lasting possession.

So do not throw away your confidence.

It will be richly rewarded.