Jesus is worth it!

Hebrews 13:1-14, “Jesus is worth it!”
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[Wall Street Journal] Christians are openly mocked for our faith today. We have numerous temptations to leave Jesus & go to the world for approval. What do we do about it? That’s exactly the dilemma that faced the 1st century Jewish Christians & exactly the reason why the book of Hebrews was written. This has been the subject of the entire letter.

Closing thoughts on general topics: brotherly love (in practical ways), marriage, contentment with Christ, church leadership. It’s when the author gets to this last topic that it brings him back to the general theme of the book: Jesus is better! Jesus is better than anything that has come before – so if there’s some reproach to bear while serving Him, so be it. Jesus is better, so Jesus is worth it!

Hebrews 13:1-14 (NKJV)
1 Let brotherly love continue.

A. Define “brotherly love” (φιλαδελφια): Compound word = friendship/fondness + brother… [eros vs. phileo vs. storge vs. agape] Agape is the supreme goal of Christians, but it doesn’t mean that the other types of “love” are bad. Every marriage ought to have eros – families ought to have storge – and friends ought to have phileo. Christians of ALL people ought to be able to demonstrate brotherly kindness and affection towards one another!

B. How would it “continue”? It keeps on going – it’s present & active in the lives of believers. IOW, it doesn’t work for a Christian to say, “Well, I was kind to that person in the past; I’m glad that’s done & over with now!” It ought to continue among us.

C. Two practical examples of brotherly love in vs. 2-3.
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2 Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels.

A. 1st example of brotherly love? Hospitality/entertaining strangers… It’s possible that the context of “brotherly love” implies that this is a specific instruction to be hospitable to other believers. At the time, missionaries & traveling evangelists would often stay in homes of the local church… At the same time, “strangers” doesn’t seem too restrictive. That’s not to say we need to feel obligated to let anyone off the street stay in our house for the night – but we ought to be friendly & welcoming to all.

B. Why do we need to be reminded not to “forget” doing so? Because it’s so easy to forget! We get so involved with the things of our own immediate circle of friends that it’s easy to forget to look up at those around us…

C. Sometimes we might be surprised at who these strangers are! Some people “have unwittingly entertained angels.” Ask Abraham (Gen 18)…
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3 Remember the prisoners as if chained with them—those who are mistreated—since you yourselves are in the body also.

A. 2nd example of brotherly love? Remembering those in prison… For us this might include the natural: visiting them & writing them. But most importantly, it includes the supernatural: praying for them. There are people in prison that you & I would have absolutely zero access to in the flesh – whether they are in a different country or under massive guard. But through prayer, we can visit all of them! Through prayer, we can join with them in support “as if chained with them.”

B. Originally the writer was most likely speaking of those imprisoned for their faith (re: Ch 12). Make no mistake that there are Christians who are behind bars. Some deserve to be there; others do not. In either case, a brother in the Lord is still a brother in the Lord. We ought to show them brotherly love (if for no other reason) because they “are in the body also.”

C. Keep in mind that in both of these examples, when we show love to those in need, we’re ultimately showing love to Christ Jesus. [hungry, thirsty, stranger, naked, sick, prison] Matthew 25:40 And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ [] Why remember to continue in brotherly love? Because when we do, we’re serving our King! Serving others in love can sometimes be hard, but be careful not to consider it a burden; it’s a privilege when we realize we’re serving our Lord God…
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4 Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.

A. Not only do we love others; we love our spouses in marriage. What does God’s Word say about marriage? That it is honorable! Not every believer in the Lord is equipped for marriage (per Paul in 1 Cor 7); but those who are have every reason to give glory to God in their marriage because it’s “honorable” (esteemed/valuable). Why is it honorable? Because it’s a picture of the relationship between Christ & the Church… (Eph 5) (FYI: note the italics on “is”…there’s actually no verb in the Greek, so the verb is supplied by the translators. Some translations insert “be held in” due to the warning against fornication & adultery. The actual text is silent here – simply associating marriage with honor. It both “is” honorable & ought to “be held in” honor.)
__a. To the original audience, the writer was upholding & even exalting marriage. Some thought that the “truly spiritual” abstained from marriage altogether. Like other forms of asceticism, they would go to great lengths in an attempt to deny themselves in order to make themselves more worthy in the sight of God. Three problems here:
____i. At the heart of it, this is a works-righteousness system.
____ii. By spending so much time “denying” themselves, they ended up concentrating on nothing BUT themselves. NOT true humility.
____iii. God ordained marriage in Genesis 2 (before the Fall) and declares it to be honorable. Since God approves it as honorable, we should as well.

B. Without wanting to get too political – this gives Christians a Biblical justification on why marriage ought to remain between one man & one woman. Marriage isn’t honorable merely among born-again Christians; it’s proclaimed by God to be “honorable among all.” The marriage bed is a holy place – it is undefiled among those whom God has brought together. To take the marriage relationship & apply it to homosexual partners (which is by definition included in “fornication”) is to take what God has called “honorable” & make it dishonorable. … It is to declare what God has already labeled as sin & declare it sanctified… …
__a. Understandably, this is a touchy subject. People want to try to demonstrate compassion & brotherly love towards one another & say, “But the loving thing to do is to let 2 people get married! What’s the harm?” But to whitewash sin & turn a blind eye to what God so clearly has defined for us is NOT loving. The loving thing would be to take someone to Jesus Christ & see them born anew! Not to find a way to help them justify their own sin…

C. Is the only application of this to homosexuals? Of course not! That may be the current political topic, but the primary application in the text is regarding any sexual perversions. “Fornicators” in Greek has an original meaning of “male prostitutes” – in the NT, it’s used to refer to people who engage in all kinds of sexual immorality (which shows us how God views sexual immorality: as prostitution!). “Adulterers” is obvious in its meaning; and far too common among people within the Church. Adultery is not only sin against one’s spouse & family; it is sin against God (the 7th commandment) & destroys the entire picture marriage attempts to illustrate (between Christ & the Church)… These are actions that God WILL judge. For the non-believer, it confirms their sinful nature. For the Christian, it will mean a loss of reward. For those who attempt to sit on the fence, it may mean that if their lifestyle is characterized by these sins, it confirms they’re not born-again at all!
__a. We often hear: “Homosexual marriage is wrong because it destroys the family.” That is a very tough argument to make when Christian homes are destroyed by fornication & adultery FAR more often than homosexuality… ANY sexual act outside of husband & wife is sin in the sight of God. We ought to be very careful how we address the sins of others – especially if we’re not willing to address sins of our own. We ought to take a firm stand on the truths of the Bible, while also addressing any logs that may be in our own eyes.
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- Not just others and our spouses; the author turns attention to ourselves…

5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

A. Covetousness is addressed in the 10th Commandment… [gimme, gimme, gimme!] Instead of covetousness, what should we as Christians desire? Contentment! Godliness with contentment is great gain (1 Tim 6:6)…

B. Christians of all people have the best reason to be content: we have Jesus Christ! What reason do we have to seek after the material things of the world? What reason do we have to seek after fame & fortune? As born-again believers, we have the most valuable relationship in the entire universe! Jesus will never leave us nor forsake us… We don’t need to worry about hobnobbing with the President or see what names we can drop among people to make them jealous; our relationship is with our Savior and our God! We know the Creator of the Universe & He knows us!

C. OT quote: most likely a loose quote of God’s promise to Joshua in Josh 1:5, “…I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you.” The idea is repeated throughout the Scriptures – and what was spoken to Joshua is applied to us here by the Holy Spirit. There’s a triple negative in the Greek – (Weust) “I will not, I will not cease to sustain and uphold you. I will not, I will not, I will not let you down.” Think about it for a moment: GOD will never forsake you. What assurance! What a foundation for our faith! The Lord is with us – the Lord is on our side – who can be against us?!
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6 So we may boldly say: “The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”

A. Direct quote of Ps 118:6 – amen! If God is for us, man can do nothing in comparison!
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7 Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct.

A. Referring to church leadership… Do pastors/elders really “rule over” the congregations? In one sense of the word, yes…leaders ‘lead’ by definition. But this is not a recommendation for a heavy-handed leadership; true leaders model their leadership after the Lord Jesus who served those around Him. (foot-washing)

B. Why “remember”? It’s possible the writer was referring to former pastors/elders or other church leaders (maybe even some apostles who had died). Like the OT saints in the Hall of Faith (Heb 11), they lived lives that were good examples to those who came after them.

C. Does this mean we’re supposed to remember anyone who waves around the title of “pastor” (or evangelist or apostle or prophet…)? Absolutely not – and in fact, he’s going to warn of false teachers in vs. 9. Just because someone claims a title doesn’t mean they are God-ordained leaders in the Church. Certain qualifications here:
__a. They taught the word of God…
__b. They had a faith worth following…
__c. Their conduct had a God-honoring outcome…
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8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 9 Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them.

A. Much could be said about verse 8! (And we will!) But keep it in context. The author of the letter has just commended the Church to remember those pastors/elders who rule well & teach the word of God. One of the ways the Church can tell whether or not the pastor in question teaches the truth is if he starts teaching some new strange doctrine. Jesus is the same & never changes. Thus His word & doctrine never changes either. …

B. For the church in question, the danger was getting caught back up in legalistic Judaism. The Judaizers spent much time on the minutia of the Law & things like the various dietary restrictions. (Don’t eat pork – don’t eat various birds, etc.) The Law is profitable in that it demonstrates the holiness of God & takes us to Christ (Gal 3:24). BUT the legalistic requirements imposed by people don’t profit anyone! It doesn’t matter how obsessed someone might be about keeping pork off their plate; it isn’t going to make one hill of beans (or pork & beans ) worth of difference when it comes to salvation!

C. Don’t miss the theology here: the Lord Jesus never changes.
__a. He’s the same yesterday: Back in the Garden of Eden as He walked with Adam & Eve, Jesus was the way, the truth, and the life just as now. He’s always been gracious & compassionate – He’s always condemned sin & has been predestined to defeat it at the cross.
__b. He’s the same today: Whether it was the “today” of 90AD or the “today” of 2009, the Lord Jesus is the same! He’s the awaited Messiah of Israel & our Hope & Savior of the world. The same Jesus who walked on water & worked miracles on earth sits enthroned in heaven today – THIS is the Jesus who saved us & this is the Jesus we serve!
__c. He’s the same forever! He will always be the same. When we’re worshipping Jesus in heaven in 2000 more years (or in 20,000 more years), He’ll still be eternally worthy of worship! We’ll still be amazed by His glory & His grace! He is the Rock & He never changes.

D. BTW – Christ Jesus doesn’t change, but He can change us! We NEED to be changed by Him & turned from sinner to saint…
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10 We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat. 11 For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp.

A. Changing gears a little bit here. The writer had mentioned how false Judaizing teachers had tried to impose certain diets upon the Jewish Christians. He’s going to use this as a teachable moment.  The ancient Hebrew priests mostly ate of sacrifices that were brought to the tabernacle/temple; but the current priests had no right to “eat” of the sacrifice of Christ, because they weren’t born again! In addition, there were certain offerings that they had NO right to eat – such as on the Day of Atonement (which is the primary metaphor here).

B. What would happen to these animals, whose blood was offered on the Mercy Seat? Their carcasses would be taken outside of the tabernacle area & burned (Lev 16:27). I.e., treated as completely unclean…
__a. That’s what sin does to us. It utterly defiles us… That’s why when Jesus was made a curse (Gal 3:13) – He actually became sin. 2 Corinthians 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. [] The defilement that belonged to us was placed upon the Son of God… THIS is the grace that has been shown to us!

C. So come to that altar!! Those who try to attempt to partake of the goodness of God through legalistic methods & ritualistic means have no right to eat there. But WE partake by grace through faith… Jesus took our defilement upon Himself, so that we can come freely to Him by His grace. Obviously come for salvation – but don’t come only at your salvation. Come to the altar of the Cross daily to receive of Him! Praise Him for your forgiveness – praise Him with the sacrifice of your lives…
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12 Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate.

A. The crucifixion didn’t take place on the temple grounds. It was not only considered improper; it was sickening & defiled. It had to be done on the outside of the “camp” – the city. Jesus “suffered outside the gate” as the atonement sacrifice…

B. What was the result of His suffering? Our sanctification…our being made holy & being set apart by God. We cannot make ourselves holy; we can only be holy after GOD has made us holy…and that only happens through the Cross!
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13 Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach.

A. Because He bore reproach, we ought to expect to do the same…

B. Would there be consequences to ignoring the false teachers? Would there be consequences for denying the Judaizers? No doubt. But the Lord Jesus is better than anything/anyone who came before; so the Lord Jesus is worth it! They (and we) ought to go to Him – because He’s worth pursuing, no matter what the cost!

C. Our problem is that too often that instead of pursuing Christ, we pursue anything else but Him. We want the career, the car, and the cottage in the country. Give us the American dream; not the reproach of the Lord Jesus. Understand this: the Son of God already came to us when He came in the flesh. Surely once we receive Him as our Lord, we can go to Him where He is & leave the world behind to follow Christ.
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14 For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come.

A. ‘Huh?!’ Seems like a weird break to us Gentiles – but to a Jewish mindset, this makes perfect sense. For the 1st century Jewish Christian, the primary temptation they faced was to abandon Jesus to go back to Judaism. If they felt pressure to obey the false teachers & Judaizers, that’s exactly what they would have done. In doing so, they would have been slapped on the back & welcomed among their peers – congratulated for leaving that strange “Jesus sect.” They would have experienced prosperity in their city & been good Jews. To hold fast to their faith in Jesus Christ would mean to abandon the approval of the world around them – but that’s exactly what Jesus did. He bore the world’s reproach & went outside the city; so ought we do the same.

B. This world isn’t what we’re looking for. People look to experience the fullness of the Kingdom right here & right now, but they’re mistaken. This place is not where we’ll enjoy an everlasting city; heaven is! We wait for the heavenly Jerusalem (Heb 12 – Rev 21)…

Conclusion:
Tough place to stop – but we just don’t have time. The author is going to conclude this thought with how we respond back to Jesus: through the praise of our lips & the praise of our deeds.

Jesus is worth it. Whatever the subject or context – whatever it is that we face, Jesus is worth it. Are you bearing reproach among your family and co-workers because you’ve become one of those “born-again evangelical-fundamentalist” Christians? Jesus is worth it. Has it been difficult to love someone as a brother – they’re just one of those “sandpaper” people? Jesus is worth it. Are you weary in the spiritual battle of resisting sin? Jesus is worth it.

To the 1st century Jewish Christians, there were temptations galore to leave the faith. They could have the respect of those in the community – they could have sacrifices they could see with their eyes – they could have legalistic loopholes to find ways to fit in their favorite sin. But Jesus is better than ALL of that. Jesus is better than anything the world or religion has to offer – so Jesus is worth it!

21st century Christians face a similar issue. There are no lack of people who would rejoice to see multitudes of believers abandon the faith – we would be applauded & pat on the back & upheld as people of “reason.” But Jesus is better and Jesus is worth it. We who once were defiled are defiled no longer because of Jesus. We who once could not help but sin have been sanctified and made holy because of Jesus. Every single thing we have as Christians is because of Jesus – Jesus is worth it! So go to the altar – bear the reproach – love those around you…if for no other reason, because of Jesus.

Maybe you’ve never been to the altar of the Cross – today is your opportunity. You’ve heard how Jesus died because of your sin. You’ve heard how He took the punishment you deserved upon Himself. You’ve heard how He offers you grace & new life through His resurrection. Now is your chance to respond. Without Jesus, we have nothing – only a destiny to see God in His terrible holiness at the Great White Throne and be judged for our sin. In Jesus, we have everything: forgiveness, new life, the love of God & fellowship with the God who never changes for all eternity! [Believe Jesus died for your sins & rose from the dead… Repent by turning away from your sins… Receive Jesus as Lord & Savior by faith…]