Hebrews in Light of Grace (Part 12): The Proclamation and the Cross

Hebrews in Light of Grace (Part 12): The Proclamation and the Cross

When the gospel accounts bring us to the ministry of Christ, we find ourselves standing right at the edge of the prophetic timeline. The message echoing across Judea was clear and urgent: the kingdom of heaven was at hand. John the Baptist came declaring it, Jesus Christ walked among the people proclaiming it, and the twelve disciples were sent out to announce that very message to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. This was not a message about a spiritual state in men's hearts, nor was it the mystery message preached to us today. It was a direct, literal offer of the Davidic kingdom promised to Israel.

The prophets had long foretold that one of David's own descendants would sit upon a throne in Jerusalem, establishing that throne with judgment and justice forever. To authenticate this offer, miraculous signs accompanied the preaching. The blind received their sight, the lame walked, lepers were cleansed, the deaf heard, and the dead were raised. When John the Baptist sat imprisoned in Matthew chapter 11, he sent his disciples to ask if Jesus was truly the coming one. Christ pointed directly to these exact miraculous works as the proof. The nation of Israel required a sign, just as God had confirmed Moses with signs and wonders in Egypt, and those signs authenticated the presence of the King and the nearness of His kingdom.

The Turning Point at Caesarea Philippi

Everything changes approximately six to seven months before the cross. Gathered in the region of Caesarea Philippi, Jesus puts a direct question to His disciples: Whom do men say that I, the Son of Man, am? After recounting the various popular opinions—whether Elijah, Jeremiah, or John the Baptist—Christ asks what they themselves believe. Simon Peter steps forward with a profound confession: Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

Hebrews in Light of Grace (Part 6): Covenant Failure, Written Prophecy, and the Witness of the Law

Hebrews in Light of Grace (Part 6): Covenant Failure, Written Prophecy, and the Witness of the Law

The Covenant Blueprint and the Five Courses of Punishment

To properly understand the unfolding of God’s plan across the pages of Scripture, a reader must have a solid foundation in the historical framework of the Old Testament. The national story of Israel does not begin in a vacuum; it takes shape back in the twelfth chapter of Genesis with the calling out of Abraham. That historical line runs steadily through the books of the law, through the historical narratives, and all the way up to the book of Esther before resuming in the four Gospels. Along this path, God established a conditional covenant with the nation he brought out of Egyptian bondage. The terms were laid out with complete clarity: if the people would obey the voice of the Lord, they would be a peculiar treasure unto him, a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation.

Yet when one turns to the very first prophetic book in the Bible, the prophet Isaiah does not address a holy nation. Instead, he opens his vision by declaring them to be a sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, and a seed of evildoers. How does a nation called out by God to demonstrate his righteousness on the earth end up in such a degraded condition? The answer is found by looking back into the law of Moses, specifically at the solemn warnings recorded in Leviticus 26. God did not leave his people in the dark regarding the consequences of covenant unfaithfulness. He laid out five distinct courses of punishment; a sequence of corrective chastisements designed to bring a rebellious people back to their knees.

If Israel would walk in his statutes, the rain would fall in due season, the land would yield her increase, and peace would reign within their borders. But if they refused to hearken and chose instead to despise his statutes, God promised to bring upon them terror, consumption, and the burning ague. Should they continue in their rebellion, God declared that he would punish them seven times more for their sins. The historical books from Joshua through Second Kings record the tragic realization of these warnings. Over a period of roughly one thousand years, God exercised immense patience and long-suffering toward Israel. He brought the first course of punishment, yet they revolted. He brought the second, third, and fourth courses, yet they hardened their hearts.