This letter was written to Hebrew Christians, many of whom were tempted to drift back into Judaism. Hebrews emphasizes the superiority of Christ and the new covenant—not by minimizing the old covenant, but by showing that Christ fulfills it completely. 

A. JESUS, GOD’S SON, IS BETTER THAN THE PROPHETS — Hebrews 1:1–3 

• God spoke through the prophets in the past, but now He has spoken through His Son, who “radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God” (Heb. 1:3).
• This is one of the most profound Christological passages in Scripture 

B. JESUS IS BETTER THAN THE ANGELS — Hebrews 1:4–2:18 

• Angels are messengers and servants (Heb. 1:14), but Jesus is the Son, the Creator, and the Ruler of the world to come (2:5).
• Warning: Hebrews 2:1–4 urges believers not to drift from the truth. Pay special attention to Hebrews 2:3 (“So what makes us think we can escape if we ignore this great salvation?”). 

C. JESUS IS BETTER THAN MOSES — Hebrews 3 

• Moses was a faithful servant in God’s house, but Christ is the faithful Son over the entire house (Heb. 3:5–6).
• Warning: Hebrews 3:7–19 warns against hardened hearts and unbelief. 
  
  

D. JESUS IS BETTER THAN JOSHUA — Hebrews 4:1–16 

• Hebrews 4:8 clarifies that the “Jesus” mentioned is Joshua. Joshua gave Israel a temporary place of rest, but Christ gives true, eternal rest (4:9).
• Jesus understands our weakness and was “tempted in every way we are, yet he did not sin” (4:15).
• This is why we can “come boldly to the throne of our gracious God” (4:16). 
  
  

E. JESUS IS BETTER THAN AARON AS HIGH PRIEST — Hebrews 5:1–8:5
i. Christ’s Appointment — Hebrews 5:1–10 

• Aaron was chosen from among men (5:1–4).
• Jesus was appointed by the Father: “You are my Son…You are a priest forever” (5:5–6 NLT).
• His priesthood is after the order of Melchizedek, the king of righteousness and peace (Gen. 14).
• Jesus “became the source of eternal salvation” and was “a High Priest in the order of Melchizedek (5:9–10).” 
  
  

ii. A Warning Against Immaturity and Drifting Back Toward Old Covenant Practices – Hebrews 5:11–6:20 

• Hebrews was written to Jewish believers—the same kind we encounter in Acts 15 at the Jerusalem Council. Some of them insisted that Jewish customs and ceremonies were still necessary for salvation.
• Peter strongly opposed this, teaching that salvation is through Christ alone, not through Jewish ceremonial law. James affirmed the same truth (see Acts 15).
• This background explains why Hebrews deals so firmly with spiritual immaturity, drifting back toward old covenant practices, and the danger of refusing to move forward into the fullness of Christ. 
  
  

a. The Spiritual Condition of the Jewish Believers: 

• They were “slow to understand” (5:11).
• By now they should be teachers, but they still needed “milk” not “solid food” (5:12).
• Immaturity keeps believers stuck in the basics (5:13–14). 
  
  

b. The Call to Maturity — Hebrews 6:1 - “So let us stop going over the basic teachings… Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding.”

• The six foundational doctrines carried over from the Old Testament (all prefiguring Christ) are: 

1. “Repentance from dead works” → NLT: “turning from evil deeds”
2. “Faith toward God”
3. “Doctrine of baptisms” → NLT: “instruction about washings”
4. “Laying on of hands”
5. “Resurrection of the dead”
6. “Eternal judgment” 

c. The Difficult Passage – Hebrews 6:4–6

• Those being described are people who: 

1. “have once been enlightened”
2. “have experienced the good things of heaven”
3. “have shared in the Holy Spirit”
4. “have tasted the goodness of the word of God”
5. “and the power of the age to come”
6. “and who then turn away from God” (not “if”—NLT is explicit)

• The word “impossible” (6:4) means impossible for humans—not for God.
• The issue in this passage is not losing salvation, but the impossibility of renewing someone again to repentance while they remain in stubborn rebellion. 
   

d. Clarifications and Views 

• Three major views: 
  

1. View # 1 - You can fall from grace and never return.
2. View # 2 - These were “professors but not possessors.” (Contradicted by the NLT phrases describing genuine experiences.)
3. This refers to loss of repentance, not loss of salvation—a believer can become a “castaway” (1 Cor. 9:27 NLT: “disqualified”) in terms of usefulness, losing reward but not salvation. 

• Nothing here contradicts the promise of eternal security in Romans 8:28–30.
• Hebrews 6:9 is key: “we are confident of better things in your case—things that accompany salvation.” 
  
  

e. Encouragement and Hope (Hebrews 6:10–20) 

• Their “work and love” (6:10) show fruit of salvation, not its cause.
• God’s promises to Abraham illustrate the anchor of hope, which “leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary” (6:19 NLT).
• Jesus is there as our High Priest forever (6:20). 

iii. Melchizedek and the Superiority of Christ — Hebrews 7:1–28 

• Melchizedek is a type of Christ (7:1–3) and foreshadows Christ. 
• Abraham gave him a tithe, showing his superiority over Levi. Levi, being “in the loins of Abraham,” paid tithes through Abraham—showing Christ’s superiority (7:4–10).
• Since Jesus came from Judah, the priesthood must change (7:12–14).
• He became priest “by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed” (7:16).
• Hebrews 7:24–27 highlights His eternal, perfect priesthood:
• Aaronic priests died; Jesus lives forever, so “his priesthood lasts forever” (7:24).
• He is able to save completely because “he lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf” (7:25).
• He offered Himself once for all (7:27).
• Hebrews 8:1 summarizes it all: “We have a High Priest who sat down in the place of honor beside the throne of the majestic God in heaven.”