Hebrews 5:1-11 | What's a lesson for the original audience?
The Last High Priest
The Jewish reader would have clearly understood what is being said here. They understood what it was like to have a high priest. They knew the rules and regulations. They knew the purposes that were filled by the high priest. Many of them at some point likely looked up to the high priest for guidance and direction. Nevertheless, access may have also been limited to the high priest. The way that this would work is the high priest would be made that for life upon the death of the last high priest. So the face of the priestly order would change throughout the years. Yet it was also believed that the Lord called the following high priest. This is where the lesson focuses on Jesus.
Jesus was glorified to become High Priest from the Father. There is a divine conversation that is being witnessed. I know for many of us there may be questions about how the New Testament writers quote the Old Testament, especially in sections like this. How can we pick from a spot in Psalm 2 and Psalm 110 and say these are both spoken of the Son in this context? While the method of reading may be lost on many of us with our modern interpretation skills, there is a name for what is taking place here. It is called prosopological exegesis. It is an ancient method of study that recognizes a divine conversation that is taking place throughout prophecy and the psalms. It is the main reason we have as many odd quotations in the New Testament of the Old as we do. This may be missed on us, but it is revelatory to the original audience.
This Son has been begotten from the dead and called as a priest forever. He had been obedient and became the author of eternal salvation. What does this mean for the original audience? They would understand that it means the have no one else to go to. Remember that the context of this book is recognizing that Jesus is the greatest. There is no one who can replace Him or overcome Him. The work He brings is the final work to be brought. And the work He does now is sufficient to fulfill this role of the one who represents the people before the Father. The lesson here is simple. Jesus is enough.
What lesson do you see for the original audience?
Jesus was glorified to become High Priest from the Father. There is a divine conversation that is being witnessed. I know for many of us there may be questions about how the New Testament writers quote the Old Testament, especially in sections like this. How can we pick from a spot in Psalm 2 and Psalm 110 and say these are both spoken of the Son in this context? While the method of reading may be lost on many of us with our modern interpretation skills, there is a name for what is taking place here. It is called prosopological exegesis. It is an ancient method of study that recognizes a divine conversation that is taking place throughout prophecy and the psalms. It is the main reason we have as many odd quotations in the New Testament of the Old as we do. This may be missed on us, but it is revelatory to the original audience.
This Son has been begotten from the dead and called as a priest forever. He had been obedient and became the author of eternal salvation. What does this mean for the original audience? They would understand that it means the have no one else to go to. Remember that the context of this book is recognizing that Jesus is the greatest. There is no one who can replace Him or overcome Him. The work He brings is the final work to be brought. And the work He does now is sufficient to fulfill this role of the one who represents the people before the Father. The lesson here is simple. Jesus is enough.
What lesson do you see for the original audience?
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2026
January
John 14:22-31 | What's the lesson for me today?John 14:22-31 | What am I going to do about it?John 14:22-31 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 15:1-11John 15:1-11 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 15:1-11 | What's the connection?John 15:1-11 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 15:1-11 | What's the lesson for me today?John 15:1-11 | What am I going to do about it?John 15:1-11 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 15:12-27John 15:12-27 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 15:12-27 | What's the connection?John 15:12-27 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 15:12-27 | What's the lesson for me today?John 15:12-27 | What am I going to do about it?John 15:12-27 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 16:1-15John 16:1-15 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 16:1-15 | What's the connection?John 16:1-15 | What’s a lesson for the original audience?John 16:1-15 | What's the lesson for me today?John 16:1-15 | What am I going to do about it?John 16:1-15 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 16:16-33John 16:16-33 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 16:16-33 | What's the connection?John 16:16-33 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 16:16-33 | What's the lesson for me today?John 16:16-33 | What am I going to do about it?John 16:16-33 | Prayer Prompts
February
Passage of the Week: John 17John 17 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 17 | What's the connection?John 17 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 17 | What's the lesson for me today?John 17 | What am I going to do about it?John 17 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 18:1-11John 18:1-11 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 18:1-11 | What's the connection?John 18:1-11 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 18:1-11 | What's the lesson for me today?John 18:1-11 | What am I going to do about it?John 18:1-11 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 18:12-40John 18:12-40 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 18:12-40 | What's the connection?John 18:12-40 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 18:12-40 | What's the lesson for me today?John 18:12-40 | What am I going to do about it?John 18:12-40 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 19John 19 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 19 | What's the connection?John 19 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 19 | What's the lesson for me today?John 19 | What am I going to do about it?John 19 | Prayer Prompts
March
Passage of the Week: John 20John 20 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 20 | What's the connection?John 20 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 20 | What's the lesson for me today?John 20 | What am I going to do about it?John 20 | Prayer PromptsJohn 21 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 21John 21 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 21 | What's the connection?John 21 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 21 | What's the lesson for me today?John 21 | What am I going to do about it?Passage of the Week: Hebrews 1:1-4Hebrews 1:1-4 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What's the connection?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What is a lesson for the original audience?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What's the lesson for me today?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What am I going to do about it?Hebrews 1:1-4 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: Hebrews 1:5-14Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's the connection?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's a lesson for the original audience?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's the lesson for me today?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What am I going to do about it?Hebrews 1:5-14 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: Hebrews 2:1-4Hebrews 2:1-4 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 2:1-4 | What's the connection?
April
Hebrews 2:1-4 | What's a lesson for the original audience?Hebrews 2:1-4 | What's the lesson for me today?Hebrews 2:1-4 | What am I going to do about it?Hebrews 2:1-4 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: Hebrews 2:5-9Hebrews 2:5-9 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 2:5-9 | What's the connection?Hebrews 2:5-9 | What's a lesson for the original audience?Hebrews 2:5-9 | What's the lesson for me today?Hebrews 2:5-9 | What am I going to do about it?
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