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Comfort and Glory “Go, tell it on the mountain,” the classic spiritual urges, “over the hills and everywhere; go, tell it on the mountain, that Jesus Christ is born. . . . Down in a lowly manger the humble Christ was born, and God sent us salvation that blessed Christmas morn.” Go tell it on the mountain indeed (v. 9)! The Gospel of Luke...

A New Revelation: The Son For many people, the best way to get into a swimming pool is not gradually wading into deeper waters but just jumping right in. That is what the anonymous author of Hebrews does in the opening prologue. Without giving the name of our subject, the letter immediately launches into the Son’s superior roles, which will...

The Son’s Superiority In his poem “As Kingfishers Catch Fire,” Gerard Manley Hopkins writes of the way God’s grace and light fill every aspect of our natural world. Near the end of the poem is Hopkins’s famous line, “Christ plays in ten thousand places,” which poetically underscores the idea that Christ’s presence can be seen in innumerable...

A Call to Attention Experienced sailors know the perils of drifting off course or running ashore on dangerous ground. The remedy is simple: pay attention to your surroundings. Only then can you avoid drifting into dangerous territory. Our passage today offers similar advice for the Christian life. If we are not careful, we can find ourselves...

Confidence in God’s Word to Us Parents who have to reprimand a child or give a stern warning about some danger know they do this out of love and a desire for something better for their child. The author of Hebrews held that same attitude toward his congregation: “Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are convinced of better things...

A New Priesthood Arises In the television program The Great British Baking Show, contestants in a baking competition must impress two demanding judges. One expects “sheer perfection” from her bakers; few ever deliver such a product. In our reading, perfection is also the goal, but the Levitical priesthood and the Law were unable to deliver...

Christ’s Superior Priesthood, Part 2 Have you ever been in a conversation with a friend in which you were explaining a complex argument? After working through all the pieces, you might end with a summary statement by saying, “The point I am trying to make is . . .” Today’s passage opens in a similar way. Having worked through the complex...

Redemption in Christ’s Blood A military wife waited six months for her husband to return from deployment. Although she could look at photographs of her spouse and even communicate through video chats, those were never fully satisfying. They only built stronger anticipation for the day when he would arrive in person. Scripture tells us that,...

The Necessity of Christ’s Sacrifice In the Greek language, the word diathēkē can be translated as both “covenant” and “will” (as in a last will and testament). Understanding that double meaning helps us see the logic of the argument in today’s reading. Because the “new covenant (diathēkē)” established by Christ is also, in a sense, a last...

The Uniqueness of Christ’s Sacrifice A shadow is a mere silhouette of the person or object. From looking at the shadow we might be able to guess the object’s shape and size, perhaps, but only when we turn to the object itself can we see it with clarity and in detail. Scripture uses that same metaphor when talking about the old covenant: “The...