“Drawing near to God” is a theme widely found in scriptures of the Bible.

It can be seen as
an act of “returning” back to the God who desires immanence with mankind. The act of sin
created a chasm between God and humanity which was needed to be expunged so they could
be one again. The Tabernacle in the OT, which constituted of Holy of Holies was God’s
initiative to efface this chasm and reconcile/draw the world to Himself through the people to
whom it was given. In it served one called the High Priest. He was the closest to God’s
Shekinah and entered the Most Holy on people’s stead in order to carry of his office of
reconciliation with blood of sacrifices for sin which he offered for himself and for the
people. But, apostacy and rebellion of the POG became the arrogant response towards
God’s desire to draw near, leaving the Law and the sacrifices, the High Priest and the blood
of animals ineffectual to perfect the people of Israel resulting in a diffidence to come to God.
But, where that High Priest and sacrifices failed, God succeed by sending his only Son as the
Great High Priest who was in solidarity with man and God, to perfect the whole world,
making them righteous and granting bold Confidence to enter God’s own throne.
The letter to the Hebrews is an excellent exposition of this confidence. With this introduction
I entitle my sermon as:

BOLD CONFIDENCE IN JESUS, THE HIGH PRIEST: DRAWING NEAR AND

PERSEVERING

The epistle might have been written b/w AD 50-70 the earliest use of this epistle are echoed
by Polycarp (ca AD 90-155), Tertullian and others. The authorship is debatable but it is
certain that Hebrews was composed by a creative and pastoral theologian, one well trained in
the exposition of the Greek Scriptures, in the theology of the Hellenistic Church and was
surely a Hellenistic Jewish-Christian.

The recipients i.e., Hellenistic Jewish Christians because of their public confession of Jesus
faced severe hostility and persecution. The delay of parousia made some doubtful about
parousia itself. They reverted back to the Judaistic way animal sacrifices and temple
tradition.
The author by his exposition and exhortation in the epistle brings the supremacy of the
salvation they have received in Christ, their perfection by the blood the Greater High priest
and encouraged precious faith within them, till the end of their lives, and fulfilled promise at
Christ’s certain coming. He requires them to pursue three things to be done which we will
meditate in Heb10:35-39 which encompasses v19-39.

Initially,

1. Cast not the Confidence (v35)

The verse begins with a word of inference ie, “therefore” implying to infer the previous
exposition with the coming exhortation.
It continues with “do not abandon that confidence,” in Greek, ‘parrecia’ –
confidence/assurance/boldness

This is the confidence which is the result of the work of Jesus the High Priest,
Unlike the Aaronic High Priest who offered blood of animals for atonement yet could not
bring any close to God, could not perfect anyone, he himself subject to weakness, limited by
physical death to which the recipients reverted.

This confidence is opened to world by Jesus, the Son, the perfected and worthy High priest
who entered the throne itself by his own blood and the sacrifice of his own body, he
perfected all who are sanctified. He purged the conscience from evil, authorized all to stand
with boldness in the presence of God by faith in Him and provides the confidence to “draw
near,” to God continually.

This is the confidence which the author says “do not abandon”, in Greek ‘me apobalete’,
which literally means “do not throw away” / “cast away” this magnificent confidence
bestowed upon you to acquire a different one.
The author says not to revert the old and inferior practice which signifies throwing away
confidence in Christ. The community initially endured persecution with a sense of joy,
because they were focused on the promised eternal inheritance and then to cast their
confidence to the wind would be a serious come-down for them. This is a negative form the
admonition which implies to hold fast to that confidence.

The motivation for holding fast to this confidence was its substantial reward. The Greek
word ‘Misthapodosia,’ here refers to the reward of the heavenly rest of God who “rewards
those who seek him”. This reward provides a strong motive for not weakly tossing aside
boldness and assures the future enjoyment of the “great reward” in the consummation of the
new age.

2. Confide in Endurance v36

In contrast to throwing away the reward ie to hold fast to it, the author stresses on the
importance of endurance (10:36).

The Greek ‘hupomones’ means ‘the capacity to persevere in the face of difficulty’, this
implies to retrospect past endurance (10:32), but look forward as well, especially to imitate
the endurance of Christ the High Priest. This endurance does not arise from personal strength
or bravery but from hope in Christ.

In the past the community endured hard struggle of sufferings, public persecutions, solidarity
with prisoners and plundering of possessions but they looked forward to something
everlasting. The disheartened believers are asked to retrospect their endurance where they
overlooked their sufferings in the initial days of their enlightenment. The emphasis was
given on this endurance since the High Priest himself endured. The scripture says that the
Son came in flesh and blood, not merely as a human like appearance but fully embodying
physical, biological, psychological and emotion aspects of human nature. He was subjected
to all sufferings as humans suffer to the point of his death on the cross. Since, he was tested
by them, persisted through it all and overcame them, as a merciful and faithful High Priest he
is able to aid all who are suffering. Thus, the believers are encouraged to imitate the
endurance of Christ the High Priest since through his victory he gives mercy and grace to
help in time of need.
This endurance was not just retrospective but also an admonition to persevere in the
Christian triad : Faith, Hope and Love as seen in v22-25
Endurance by Faith in the gospel from a pure heart free from evil conscience, Unwavering
Endurance in the confession of Hope, and Endurance shown by Love by provoking their
brethren to endure.
Endurance to do the will of God, Now they also are to “do God’s will” ino to receive the
promise that is a share in God’s own life made available to them by Jesus
They must endure in qualities demonstrated in the past (10:32), and pursue in the
substantiating acts of Faith Hope and Love (10:22-25) so that they can heirs to the divine
promise of eternal life and the God ordained rest.
Further ,the reason for their endurance in cited v37-38 leading to our third point.

3. Condemn Regression and be Concerned for the Coming

The consummation of this confidence, is waited for the coming of Jesus, as it says in
v37,38, “in a little while, the one who is coming will come and will not delay, the righteous
will live by faith”
This verse is quoted from Hab 2:3-4. In the Habakkuk context the judgment of God was soon
to be passed on the POG who committed apostasy, but the prophet cries, “What about the
righteous? Will they also be consumed by your wrath”, the answer to which is oracled, “but
the righteous live by their faith” pointing out to the deliverance of the righteous. Likewise,
the community which suffered persecutions and tribulations is encouraged to hold fast to
their confidence in endurance for their deliverance is absolute in the coming of the Lord.
v37 states the accountability of God that He will keep his promise; the Parousia of Christ is
certain. In v 38, however, there is a shift in focus to the accountability of the Christian, who
must demonstrate faithfulness in the face of hardships, suffering, until in the Parousia of the
Lord . It states “. My soul takes no pleasure in anyone who shrinks back.”

The persecution and worries of the world and the delayed Parousia caused the believers to
shrink back. The greek ‘hupostello’ Being made righteous by faith the community to shrink
back from the
This admonition was a serious one since by abandoning the confidence or shrinking back to
the ineffectual way the believers were subjected to greater sin. This was equivalent to going
back to the sinful state, trampling the Son of God, stomping underfoot that Great High Priest
who gave them the confidence; treating the Holy blood which sanctified them, which created
this new and living way of entering the Holy of Holies and perfected them as defiled and
ridiculed the Spirit of Grace, the entity responsible for creating all of this magnificence.
Altogether by apostacy they insult everything that has come from God, and therefore also
insult God. this shrinking back causes displeasure in God as the v38 “My soul takes no
pleasure in anyone who shrinks back.” The righteous one is the Christian who demonstrates
faithfulness to God as he moves toward the goal of life, conversely, the one who draws back
in v 38b is the Christian who loses sight of his goal. This means that the adversative

Implication
Beloved, this is the confidence which we have received , confidence that the chasm is
effaced, the boldness to enter into God’s own presence without fear of death, the confidence
that our High Priest has gone ahead of us as a forerunner, the confidence of receiving aid
even though tested, the confidence of being partners of Christ, the confidence to enter the
rest which God ordained in the beginning of creation.
Having received this confidence there is an office and a responsibility bestowed upon us.
1Pet 2:9 says that we are a royal priesthood called as representatives of the Great High priest,
our Lord Jesus. So, to imitate His work must be our goal. As He identified with humanity in
the fullness of human nature, in all suffering, esteeming it the will of God and endured it
victoriously, thus emancipating creating the way to God, likewise we must identify ourselves
with the sufferings of the world, endure trials as a discipline from God, and emancipate the
sufferers so that they might see the work of the High Priest in us.