God has given us the book of Hebrews as a treasure of truth. It’s more soul-satisfying to read than the daily newspaper, and if you understand what it’s about, more interesting. It connects us directly with our Great High Priest who is just now conducting His closing work of preparing a people to stand through the final scenes of earthly time.
But it frightens some good-hearted people because its theme throughout is being “made perfect.” “I don’t see how I can ever become perfect,” they say. And they turn away.
But wait a moment: think again. The theme of Hebrews is NOT making yourself “perfect.” In fact, that’s not your business; that precisely is the work of your Great High Priest. There’s been a misunderstanding foisted upon God’s people, to make them think that the Father is holding up the second coming of Christ until “we” accomplish this impossible goal. The theme of Hebrews is for “us” to LET our High Priest make His people perfect; He will do it if they don’t resist and hinder Him in what He wants to do.
For example, note 7:25: “He is able to save them perfectly who come unto God by Him, seeing He ever lives to make intercession for them.” Who does it? He; not we. Or, 11:40, the idea is to be “made perfect,” not make yourself perfect. And 13:20, 21, the same Father who “brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, ... through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you ...” Who does it? Our Father.
Or Philippians 2:5-8: “LET this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus ...” If you and I will take down the bars that shut the door of our hearts and LET the Holy Spirit bring in that “mind,” the great High Priest can have His way. The Father’s “gifts” are given “for the perfecting of the saints, ... for building up the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith ... unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ, ... no more children tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine” (Eph. 4:11-14). Let Him labor on!
The great cosmic controversy between Christ and Satan hinges on whether the great High Priest can demonstrate that His “gospel [is] the power of God unto salvation” (Rom. 1:16). Must His people always stumble and fail as did ancient Israel? It’s not a crisis of doing “works,” but a crisis of faith, believing—which faith then works all the good works motivated by love (agape).
The missing link is stated twice in Hebrews: “Consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus” (3:1). “Consider Him who endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself ...” (12:3). The word means a long, contemplative look at (a) His sacrifice on His cross, and (b) His resurrection High Priestly ministry that makes effective what He accomplished on His cross.
Yes, “behold the Lamb of God” is the idea (John 1:29).
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