Partakers Christian Podcasts

Highlights in Hebrews 6

Highlights in Hebrews

(with Roger Kirby)



Part 6 - Hebrews 2:10

Jesus our pioneer

1 In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered.

Our main emphasis here is going to be on that word ‘pioneer’ but before we go there here is another thought from this verse.

Have you fully realised that you are a brother or a sister of the Lord of Creation? He is your elder brother. WOW and triple WOW!

The word translated ‘pioneer’ in the latest NIV or ‘author’ in the older one is quite tricky to get the full meaning of. Authors write down something that has not been written before; pioneers hack a new way through the jungle where no one has been before. I like to think of the word ‘pathfinder’ as a possible translation although I can’t find it in any version. A ‘pathfinder’ is a member of a unit of the British army whose dangerous job it is to go ahead of the main force; to identify where helicopters can land; to locate the enemy and where he can be best attacked. And those are just the things that Jesus did for us - with a bit of imagination.

 

What Jesus did was exceedingly dangerous - he actually had to die doing it. When the Lord God created our world he deliberately made it a chaotic place. It may seem strange to us but earthquakes, tsunamis, thunderstorms and so on are part of the very interesting place in which we live. Otherwise it would be a very boring place! He also ensured that we would not all be perfect, living to a ripe old age without any aches and pains or diseases on the way. But neither of those sets of chaotic problems are the worst part of life on this earth. No, the worst part is what men and women do to other men and women. The sinfulness of humans is the source of all the worst things that can happen to us. As a result suffering is a normal and almost essential part of our life experiences. Only in a comparatively few peaceful and quiet parts of the world can fortunate folk expect to live lives without suffering caused by humans.

It was the great and amazing intention of the Triune God that Jesus, the earthly embodiment of that Trinity, should be the pathfinder to force a way through the jungle of sinful humanity, to search out the enemy, Satan, and to die in doing so. In that victory his true people became his brothers and sisters. So, as the next verses say, “ Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.”(2:11) and “ Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil”.(2:14)

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Luke Looks Back - Introduction

Luke Looks Back

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G'day! Today we start a new weekly Sunday spot. It is Luke Looks Back and is recorded for us by friends of mine, Roger & Margaret Kirby. It is primarily a set of bible studies looking at the Early Life and Galilean Ministry of Jesus as recorded by in Luke 1 - 9. Each of the studies has a mixture of notes and questions. The aim of these questions is to give those taking part some real knowledge and spiritual understanding as a result of discussing the answers to them.  While they are designed for a small group, they would also be valuable as a weekly devotional. They were first written for use in a group in England. In putting them on the Internet I know they may be used in very different cultures from ours and not all the questions will make good sense in every culture. So feel free to down load the studies, modify them as much as you like and translate them into your language if you wish. With translation in mind they have been written in simpler English that will hopefully make that task easier for whoever does it - may you be blessed in that work.

The questions are a mixture of the easy to answer (study 1, question 2) and some that are more difficult (study 1, question 5). Some are deliberately unexpected in what they ask (study 1, question 6), hoping to make people think. Included are some questions on the way Luke wrote and the structure of his writing in order to identify what Luke saw as the main points he wanted to make, believing these are therefore the points the Holy Spirit would wish us to understand as the most important (1 Pet 1: 10 - 12; 2 Pet 1: 20,21). The ancient texts did not have headings, paragraphs, sentences or even spaces between words so the only way of conveying structure was in the actual words.

The English version of the Bible used in writing these notes was the NIV. They include 'icebreakers'. These are to get everybody talking and help folk to know more about each other in a non-threatening way. A study covers a section of the gospel rather than a single session of discussion. Many of them will take two or more sessions to complete. Each study will print on an A4 page as two A5 pages. Printing on both sides of the paper and then cutting down the middle will give two convenient A5 double-sided copies. These will be available in Adobe PDF format and standard mp3 audio files. Thank you. Bibliography. The following (English) books would be helpful for discussion leaders where available:

• Saviour of the World: Message of Luke (The Bible speaks today) by Michael Wilcock
• According to Luke by David Gooding
• Luke for Everyone by Tom Wright
• Luke by Darrell Bock (NIV Application Commentary)
• Luke by R Alan Culpepper in the New Interpreter's Bible (unfortunately only available as half volume IX)
• Jesus from a Middle Eastern Perspective by Kenneth Bailey (This new book written by an American who has spent both his childhood and most of his working life in the Middle East is highly recommended. It explores questions of structure and brings a new and very interesting and informative perspective to the culture of the gospels. Many comparisons with life in the developing world are possible.)

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