Read the New Testament in 24 Weeks

The Messiah is Superior to Moses

3 Therefore, holy brothers, partners in a heavenly calling, keep your focus on Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession. ² He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was in all God’s^[a] household, ³ because he is worthy of greater glory than Moses in the same way that the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. ⁴ After all, every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. ⁵ Moses was faithful in all God’s^[b] household as a servant who was to testify to what would be said later, ⁶ but the Messiah^[c] was faithful^[d] as the Son in charge of God’s^[e] household, and we are his household if we hold on to our courage and the hope in which we rejoice.^[f]

A Rest for the People of God

⁷ Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says,

¹² See to it, my brothers, that no evil, unbelieving heart is found in any of you, as shown by your turning away from the living God. ¹³ Instead, continue to encourage one another every day, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin, ¹⁴ because we are the Messiah’s^[h] partners only if we hold on to our original confidence to the end.^{[i] 15} As it is said,

¹⁶ Now who heard him and provoked him? Was it not all those who came out of Egypt led^[k] by Moses? ¹⁷ And with whom was he angry for 40 years? Was it not with those who sinned and whose bodies fell dead in the wilderness? ¹⁸ And to whom did he swear that they would never enter his rest? It was to those who disobeyed him, was it not? ¹⁹ So we see that they were unable to enter because of their unbelief.

We Must Enter the Rest

4 Therefore, as long as the promise of entering his rest remains valid, let us be afraid! Otherwise, some of you will fail^[l] to reach it, ² because we have had the good news told to us as well as to them. But the message they heard did not help them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened to it. ³ We who have believed are entering that rest, just as he has said,

even though his actions had been finished since the creation^[n] of the world. ⁴ Somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day as follows: “On the seventh day God rested from all his actions,”^{[o] 5} and again in this passage,^[p] “They will never enter my rest.”^{[q] 6} Therefore, since it is still true that some will enter it, and since those who once heard the good news failed to enter it because of their disobedience, ⁷ he again fixes a definite day—“Today”—saying long afterward through David, as already quoted,

⁸ For if Joshua^[s] had given them rest, he would not have spoken later about another day.

⁹ There remains, therefore, a Sabbath rest for the people of God to keep, ¹⁰ because the one who enters God’s^[t] rest has himself rested from his own actions, just as God did^[u] from his. ¹¹ Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one may fail by following their example of disobedience. ¹² For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul and spirit, joints and marrow, as it judges the thoughts and purposes of the heart. ¹³ No creature can hide from him, but everyone is exposed and helpless before the eyes of the one to whom we must give a word of explanation.

Our Compassionate High Priest

¹⁴ Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone to heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us live our lives consistent with^[v] our confession of faith.^{[w] 15} For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses. Instead, we have one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet he never sinned. ¹⁶ So let us keep on coming boldly to the throne of grace, so that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Qualifications for the Priesthood

5 For every high priest selected from among men is appointed to officiate on their behalf^[x] in matters relating to God, that is, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. ² He can deal gently with people who are ignorant and easily deceived, since he himself is subject to weakness. ³ For that reason he is obligated to offer sacrifices for his own sins as well as for those of the people. ⁴ No one takes this honor upon himself but he is called to it by God, just as Aaron was.

The Messiah’s Qualifications as High Priest

⁵ In the same way, the Messiah^[y] did not take upon himself the glory of being a high priest. No, it was God who said^[z] to him,

⁶ As he also says in another place,

⁷ As a mortal man,^[ac] he offered up prayers and appeals with loud cries and tears to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his devotion to God. ⁸ Son though he was, he learned obedience through his sufferings ⁹ and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, ¹⁰ having been designated by God to be a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.

You Still Need Someone to Teach You

¹¹ We have much to say about this,^[ad] but it is difficult to explain because you have become too lazy to understand. ¹² In fact, though by now you should be teachers, you still need someone to teach you the basic truths of God’s word.^[ae] You have become people who need milk instead of solid food. ¹³ For everyone who lives on milk is still a baby and does not yet know the difference between right and wrong.^{[af] 14} But solid food is for mature people, whose minds are trained by practice to distinguish good from evil.