Greetings! Below you will find questions which reference the sermon preached on Sunday, May 10th, 2015 at The Park. This week we studied Hebrews 7. Have someone in your group read this section of scripture.
Each week new questions are posted to track along with the sermons. Work hard to facilitate discussion. Listen to the hearts around the room and close with prayer.
Intro to Hebrews:
The theme of Hebrews is the absolute supremacy and sufficiency of Jesus Christ as revealer and as mediator of God’s grace. The prologue (1:1–4) presents Christ as God’s full and final revelation, far surpassing the revelation given in the OT. The prophecies and promises of the OT are fulfilled in the “new covenant” (or “new testament”), of which Christ is the mediator. From the OT itself, Christ is shown to be superior to the ancient prophets, to angels, to Moses (the mediator of the former covenant) and to Aaron and the priestly succession descended from him. Hebrews could be called “the book of better things” since the two Greek words for “better” and “superior” occur 15 times in the letter. (www.biblica.com)
Questions for this week:
- Why do you think it was important for the author in Hebrews 7:3 to say that Melchizedek did not have a genealogy? Do you think he literally was an eternal being? If not, how does this suppressed the Levitical line which was based solely on bloodlines?
- Since the rejection of God as their King in 1 Samuel, the Israelites were constantly searching for the perfect King who was always accompanied by a prophet or priest. What are some ways that Jesus fully represents the King and Priest roles?
- In verse 11, “perfection” is more closely related to “maturity”; this is primarily relating to salvation and sanctification. If these things were not attainable through The Law, what was the whole point of it? How does that give new meaning to Jesus’ words when He said He came not to abolish The Law, but fulfill it in Matthew 5:17?
- Verses 18 and 20 state that “a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness” and that “a better hope is introduced for which we draw near to God.” Do you think that the Law from the Old Testament was always useless and powerless, or did it lose its power only after the death and resurrection of Jesus?
- What does it mean that Jesus is the “guarantor” of a better covenant?
- Culturally, how does the talk of Jesus as the ‘high priest’ speak to people today? With some of the baggage that may come with the word ‘priest’, or just in general with the sins of some spiritual leaders, how beautiful is it that “we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. [who] has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself” (7:26,27)?