Watch the video presentation on YouTube at: Hebrews Part 2 Video
To purchase slides or handouts, go to: Teaching with Power Etsy Shop
NOTE
So last week in Hebrews Part 1 we discussed what I felt was the big overarching theme of the book of Hebrews. And that message was that the gospel of Jesus Christ is better than anything else, and therefore, we must be better because of it. This week, in Part 2 we’re going to focus in on some more detailed messages of this book of scripture. And as I said last week, one of the most compelling messages from the book of Hebrews is what Paul has to teach us about Jesus Christ. Hebrews is arguably his most Christ-centered writing in the entire New Testament.
THE CHARACTER OF CHRIST
ICEBREAKER
And so as an icebreaker, and a means of turning your students’ thoughts towards the Savior, you could encourage them to think about their favorite hymn or primary song about Jesus and to share why that is. You may even decide to sing the first verse of some of those hymns that are mentioned as a class. Music can be a powerful way of inviting the Spirit into your classroom. And to help prompt their thinking, you could display the following slide that lists some of the more well-known hymns about the Savior.
HYMNS
86 How Great Thou Art
89 The Lord is My Light
98 I Need Thee Every Hour
113 Our Savior’s Love
116 Come Follow Me
129 Where Can I Turn for Peace
134 I Believe in Christ
136 I Know That My Redeemer Lives
141 Jesus the Very Thought of Thee
166 Abide With Me
193 I Stand All Amazed
258 O Thou Rock of Our Salvation
PRIMARY SONGS
34 He Sent His Son
57 Tell Me the Stories of Jesus
62 Beautiful Savior
71 To Think About Jesus
74 I Feel My Savior’s Love
78 I’m Trying to Be Like Jesus
Or, one other quick possibility here. If you like the idea of using music to introduce this theme of Christ’s character, you might consider showing the following performance of “How Great Thou Art”. It’s by the performing group, “The Bonner Family” and it’s really, really well done. Quite possibly my favorite performance ever of that hymn. It’s just so triumphant and joyous and moving. It’s a great match for the message of Hebrews. Which is that Christ is BETTER than anything else. How Great Thou Art, then is a perfect companion piece to this book of scripture. And this performance, in particular, really nails that spirit. So I’ll place a link to it in the video description below and encourage you to watch it yourself by clicking on the link above here.
But with that as an introduction, let’s see what Paul has to teach us about Christ.
Titles of Christ-A More Excellent Name
One of the great things about Hebrews are all the different titles that are given to Christ throughout it. President Russell M. Nelson once said the following:
“If you proceed to learn all you can about Jesus Christ, I promise you that your love for Him, and for God’s laws, will grow beyond what you currently imagine. I promise you also that your ability to turn away from sin will increase. Your desire to keep the commandments will soar. You will find yourself better able to walk away from the entertainment and entanglements of those who mock the followers of Jesus Christ. …
Study everything Jesus Christ is by prayerfully and vigorously seeking to understand what each of His various titles and names means personally for you.”
(Russell M. Nelson, “Prophets, Leadership, and Divine Law” [worldwide devotional for young adults, Jan. 8, 2017], ChurchofJesusChrist.org; emphasis added)
So, did you catch all those promised blessings for learning all you can about Jesus Christ? Our first task then will be to focus on some of those titles that President Nelson is talking about. One way to review them could be by doing the following crossword puzzle activity. Invite your students to go through the identified scripture reference and discover all of the different names that Christ is given throughout Hebrews. Because, as Hebrews 1:4 tells us, Christ has “A More Excellent Name” than any other. Now, if you’re teaching adults and would prefer not to use the crossword puzzle, you could always just simply list all of the following references on the board and invite your class to identify each of the titles as they look them up.
But here are the answers:
Across 2. Hebrews 2:10 The CAPTAIN of their salvation 4. Hebrews 6:20 The FORERUNNER is for us entered, even Jesus 7. Hebrews 3:1 HIGH PRIEST of our profession 8. Hebrews 1:2 His SON 10. Hebrews 1:6 The FIRSTBEGOTTEN 11. Hebrews 12:2 Author and FINISHER of our faith 13. Hebrews 3:1 Consider the APOSTLE Down 1. Hebrews 13:20 That great SHEPHERD of the sheep 3. Hebrews 5:6 A priest for ever after the order of MELCHISEDEC 5. Hebrews 5:9 The AUTHOR of eternal salvation 6. Hebrews 9:15 The MEDIATOR of the new covenant 9. Hebrews 8:2 MINISTER of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle 12. Hebrews 9:11 A high priest of GOOD things to come
And then there’s a final personal question at the bottom of the handout that invites your students to consider which of the titles in that list is their favorite and why. I’ve found that contemplating the various titles of the Savior that we find in scripture to be a very eye-opening and faith strengthening kind of activity. Encourage your students to take a couple of quiet moments to really take that final question seriously. Which title deepens their understanding and love for the Savior most?
And here are a few brief thoughts of my own on each of those titles.
Jesus is the CAPTAIN of our salvation. A captain is typically a military advisor who offers leadership and command on our behalf. Or, the captain is someone who directs or guides a vessel, such as a ship or an airplane. Whichever way we look at it, it’s important to ask ourselves if we have chosen Christ as OUR captain. Have we decided to get aboard his ship or vessel? And do we look to him for leadership and direction? If we are to wear the full armor of God, as Paul suggested elsewhere, we need a leader to follow into battle. If we choose Him as that leader, He will most assuredly lead us to salvation and victory.
Christ is the FORERUNNER. A forerunner is someone who goes before. Therefore, Christ has preceded us. But how? Jesus was the first created spirit of our Heavenly parents, which is why we sometimes refer to him as our older brother. Also, He went before us to overcome death and sin. He marked the strait and narrow path of salvation for us to follow behind him. That’s why he beckons “Come, follow me”. He’s the ultimate example of how to live the best kind of life. And the title forerunner suggests that others will come after him. I guess we have to decide if WE are we going to be a part of that number.
Christ is the HIGH PRIEST of our profession. Our profession of faith. A high priest was one who was anointed by God to offer sacrifice on behalf of the people. Well, Christ offered himself as that sacrifice and as the greatest high priest to ever live. If we place our faith in him, his blood will atone for our sins.
Christ is the SON of God. Son with a capital S. Yes, we are all children of God, but Christ as THE
SON of God. This denotes that he shares the same divine nature as the Father. This title clarifies Christ as a member of the godhead and further underscores the depth of his condescension. From the highest of the high, he descended below all things.
Christ is the FIRSTBEGOTTEN. In other places in scripture we also see the title the Only Begotten of the Father in reference to Christ. What does that mean? Well, we are all the product of two different sets of parents. Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother are the parents of our spirits, that eternal part of ourselves. Therefore, currently, we are all at least, half divine. But, then we all also have an Earthly Father and an Earthly Mother, who are the parents of our bodies, our mortal bodies. And together, we are living souls. Half divine, half temporal. The birth of Jesus Christ, on the other hand, was a little different. His spirit was also created by our Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother, BUT, Heavenly Father was also Christ’s Earthly Father, with Mary as his Earthly Mother. Therefore Christ was ¾th’s divine to put it crudely. This was what made it possible for him to be our Savior. This also made him the first and only BEGOTTEN son.
Christ is the AUTHOR and FINISHER of our faith. Those two titles go together. He’s the author of our faith in the sense that he is the originator, the creator, the genesis of our faith. He laid the foundation of it. Without him, our faith wouldn’t exist. But he is also the finisher or completer of our faith. He sustains it and brings it to its full maturity. He will be the means by which we are ultimately perfected, or completed, or finished so that we can be made as he and God are. Christ as the Alpha and Omega, or the Beginning and the End, are two other titles for Christ that we find in scripture that make that same point.
He is an APOSTLE. We typically use the title of apostle to refer to the individuals that Christ called to accompany him to lead his Church. But the title apostle itself also denotes someone who is a pioneering teacher or missionary, usually the first to go into a specific country or place. Well Jesus fits that description as well. Jesus was the first teacher or missionary in the plan of salvation. We see him take that role in the premortal world, in the Old Testament acting as Jehovah, and in the New Testament as the initiator of the higher law and establishment of the Church of Jesus Christ. He truly was and is the original Apostle.
He is the great SHEPHERD, or the good shepherd. We looked at that title in depth back in John chapter 10. A shepherd cares for his sheep, leads them, feeds them, and protects them. Christ does the same for us.
He is a priest after the order of Melchisedek. As members of the Church of Jesus Christ, the idea of divine authority is important to us. We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the gospel and to administer in the ordinances thereof. (Article of Faith 5). Well, Jesus is the originator of that authority. Doctrine and Covenants 107:3 tells us that the actual name of the higher priesthood is “the Holy Priesthood, after the Order of the Son of God.” The reason we call it the Melchizedek priesthood is because, well, Doctrine and Covenants 107:2 and verse 4, 2 Why the first is called the Melchizedek is because Melchizedek was such a great high priest. . . . 4 But out of respect or reverence to the name of the Supreme Being, to avoid the too frequent repetition of his name, they, the church, in ancient days, called that priesthood after Melchizedek, or the Melchizedek Priesthood.” Christ possesses and is indeed the source of that power. Christ therefore is completely and perfectly authorized to lead and guide the Church.
Christ is the MEDIATOR. A mediator is someone who mediates or intercedes or negotiates between two parties that are at odds with each other. In this life, as we sin, we rack up a debt of justice that we simply cannot pay on our own. We cannot meet the demands of justice without help, without a friend, without a mediator. Jesus Christ acts as that mediator. He offers to pay the demands of justice for us so that mercy can be extended. Now that doesn’t mean that nothing is required of us. I mean, we have plenty still to do. But Christ makes it possible for us to receive grace at the hands of justice and for the debt to be paid. This is a profound principle, and if you, as a teacher, wished to really zero in on this relationship and title, there’s a wonderful little seminary video called “The Mediator” that you might consider showing your class. It depicts a little parable that makes this dynamic between justice and mercy and the role of the Savior in our salvation much easier to understand. It’s very well done. So, I’ll put a link to it in the video description below if you’re interested in focusing here.
Christ is the MINISTER of the sanctuary. In Old Testament times, priests were called on to minister the various ordinances of the sanctuary, or the tabernacle in order to bring salvation to the Children of Israel. But when Christ came, he became the minister of a different tabernacle. The tabernacle of his body. Through the offering up of himself, he made salvation possible for all. He was the ultimate minister of the ultimate sanctuary. I also just like that word minister. A minister is someone who attends to the needs of others. Well, Christ certainly MINISTERS to us in our needs.
And finally, Christ is A HIGH PRIEST OF GOOD THINGS TO COME. If I had to choose, that would probably be my favorite title in this list. Jesus stands as the promise of good things to come. He’s all about hope and future blessings. Even in our sufferings, our challenges, and our mortal tests, Christ stands as the promise of good things to come. I am fully convinced that heaven or exaltation will be worth any sacrifice or mortal anguish we are required to endure here in this life. If you want to focus on THAT title as a teacher, there is another wonderful Church video that dramatizes a story that was told by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland in one of my favorite General Conference talks of all time. In fact, that’s the title of the talk and video-A High Priest of Good Things to Come. It’s powerful, and I’ll provide a link to that video in the description below as well.
And that covers all of the titles. I hope that that was enlightening. This can be a really effective and meaningful classroom experience as you discuss those titles and what they mean to your students. I mean, just pondering each one myself in preparing this video was profound and edifying.
Roles of Christ
Another aspect of the Character of Christ you could focus on from Hebrews is to examine some of the roles that Jesus Christ plays in God’s plan. To do this, you could divide your students up into groups of four and assign each one a set of verses within that group. Their responsibility would be to study closely those assigned verses, and decide which role from the following list is being described in their verses. And then, they should be prepared to share what they learned about that role of Christ in that role and why it’s important with the other three people in their group. So here are the assignments.
1. Hebrews 1:2, 1:10, 2:10
2. Hebrews 1:3, 1:5, 1:13
3. Hebrews 2:17, 9:28, 10:10-14
4. Hebrews 2:18, 4:16, 6:18-19
Then, the four possible roles they could choose from. Are there verses describing Christ in his role as:
1. Redeemer
2. Helper
3. Creator OR
4. Member of the Godhead
1’s-Christ as Creator
1:2
Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
1:10
10 And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands:
2:10 10 For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
Now, there are a couple of roles that are seen in those verses, but the common message in all three references is of course, Christ as creator. Paul reminds us that it was by Christ that the heavens, the earth, and the worlds were made. Why is it important to understand Jesus in that role? Well, you can tell a lot about an artist or creator based on what they create. Look at the beauty and diversity and order of the world around us and we can get some sense of the character and nature of Jesus Christ. One thing it teaches me about him? He loves us. To give us such an amazing, beautiful, and abundant world as this, it must mean that he cares an all lot about us. People who love us are more apt to bestow us with valuable gifts. Also, in Genesis, at the end of each creative period, Christ pronounced that his work was good. Well, since we too are products of that creation, we can rest assured that we too are good. Man is not inherently bad or hopeless. We were created by a glorious being and glory will be our final outcome if we follow the Creator. Each of us is of infinite worth.
2’s-Christ as a Member of the Godhead
1:3
3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high:
1:5
5 For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?
1:13
13 But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?
We know that Jesus Christ holds a special position amongst all the spirit children of our Heavenly parents. He represents the brightness of God’s glory and the express image of his person. All that God does for this world is accomplished through and by his Beloved Son. That’s why, typically, when we read an account of God visiting this earth, he usually simply points to Jesus and says, “This is my beloved Son, hear him.” Jesus is Christ is the Father’s “right hand man” so to speak. Together, along with the Holy Ghost, they lead and guide the plan of salvation along and “bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:35).
3’s Christ as Redeemer
2:17
17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
9:28
28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
10:10-14
10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
11 And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:
12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;
13 From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.
14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
These verses represent Christ in his role as our Redeemer. Without Christ, we would have no hope of being saved or returning back to our heavenly home. We would be forever subject to the powers of sin and death. He made reconciliation for the sins of the people. Remember he’s our mediator. Christ was offered to bear the sins of many. We are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Therefore, an important principle: Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we can be cleansed from sin and receive the promise of eternal life. And that truly is the miracle of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice. I’m not sure that I completely understand how one man’s sufferings in a garden two thousand years ago makes it possible for me to be forgiven of the bad choices I’ve made throughout my life, but I know that it works. I have felt the power of that grace that Christ’s redeeming sacrifice offers me. He drank the bitter cup so that the bitterness of my sins can be made sweet. He suffered death, so that my death will be but a temporary separation. He suffered pains, afflictions, and persecution, so that my pains, afflictions, and persecutions will work for my good and bring me to glory. “I know that my Redeemer lives, what comfort that sweet sentence gives.”
4’s—Christ as Helper
2:18
18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.
4:16
16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
6:18-19
18 That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:
19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;
This is perhaps one of my favorite messages about the Savior in the Book of Hebrews. This is the Savior in his role as helper. A help in time of need. We do not need to walk the path of life alone. We have a source of strength and stability that is able to get us through all of our most difficult times. Jesus is able to succor those that are tempted. Now succor is an interesting word. It’s not a word that we really use anymore in our everyday language. It comes from Latin. The root words for succor suggest running and help, or rescue. In other words, Jesus suffered all things, both temptation and trial, so that he would know how to run to help us. And he does. He does help us. How is that help offered? I think it can be offered through inspired church leaders, it can be offered through loving friends and family sent by God to help us, it can be offered through the scriptures, it can be offered by actual angels sent to us from beyond the veil, it can be offered through the comforting presence of the Holy Ghost. But it can also be offered by an actual lifting, or easing of our burdens from a divine source.
And I really love the metaphor in chapter 6. Our hope in Christ acts as an anchor for our souls. What does an anchor do? It fastens us to the rock, it keeps our boat steady in the midst of the storms, the waves, and the winds of life. Jesus Christ and his promises provide us with strong consolation, refuge, and hope. And what do we hope for? Something BETTER. Remember last week, that’s the theme of the whole book. And I would ask you to pause and consider what truths or blessings are like an anchor of hope for you? One of mine? The promise of a better world. This world is a fairly evil and miserable place in a lot of ways. I can’t wait until all that evil and misery, and death are washed away, leaving only the good and the beautiful behind. My hope for that kind of world, keeps me going in this one. It is a help in time of need.
TRUTH
Jesus Christ is the very Son of God, our Creator, Redeemer, and Helper.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
What did you learn today about Jesus Christ that stands out most to you?
CONCLUSION
I’d like to conclude this portion of the lesson by simply expressing my faith in Jesus Christ. I know that Jesus Christ is the very Son of God. He is my Captain, my Forerunner, my Minister, my Shepherd, The Author and Finisher of my faith and a High Priest of Good Things To Come. I’ve been inspired and blessed by his creations. I’ve felt the power of his redeeming love and have found help from him in times of need. I believe in Christ, and I love Him for all he’s done for me.
THE FOUNDATION OF FAITH
ICEBREAKER
Another insight that I love from the Book of Hebrews is what it teaches us about the principle of faith. Hebrews 11 has a lot to teach about this first principle of the gospel. For an icebreaker, I like to show my students the following picture of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World, with just one of them covered up. What were they?
The Lighthouse of Alexandria
The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus
The Colossus of Rhodes
The Statue of Zeus at Olympia
The Temple of Artemis
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon
And then there’s one more. And the last one holds a special place on that list in that it is the only Wonder of the Ancient World that is still standing. All the rest have been reduced to rubble and ruin. But this Wonder can still be visited today. What’s even more amazing, is that this wonder is the oldest of the ancient wonders. By far, by thousands of years even. Can anyone name that last wonder? And the answer is, the pyramids. The pyramids at Giza in Egypt. They are still standing nearly 5000 years later. All the others are basically gone, but the pyramids remain. And why is that? Because the pyramid, architecturally speaking, is among the strongest of structures that can be built. That particular design is far better equipped to withstand earthquakes, hurricanes, and even the ravages of erosion and time. Pyramids are basically man-made mountains that cannot be toppled or collapsed. And Egypt isn’t the only place in the world where we see the persisting nature of pyramids. Ancient pyramids can also be found in Central America and Asia as well. It’s a design that lasts.
TRANSITION
Well, I love the pyramid as a symbol of faith. We want to have pyramid faith. A faith that is unshakeable, untopplable, and unerodable. There are many forces out there in the world that are seeking to destroy and tear down our faith. But if we can build a pyramid of faith, it can stand for eternity.
SEARCH
Well, Hebrews chapter 11 contains my, hands down, favorite definition of faith. And it’s found in verse 1. And what I love so much about it are the words that Paul uses to describe the foundation upon which faith is built. They’re words that I don’t think we typically associate with faith. What are they?
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
What is our faith founded on then? Substance, and evidence. Faith is based on substance and evidence. And if we go to the footnotes we get another word we can add. The original Greek and the JST suggests the word “assurance” as an alternate translation of the word substance. Now why do I love that so much? For many years I thought my testimony was based on feelings. I know the church is true because I feel it. Now feelings are important in faith, I’m not discounting them. I know the church is true because I have felt powerful feelings as I’ve read the scriptures, listened to the prophets, or heeded the promptings of the Holy Ghost. But I don’t think you can base your entire testimony solely on feelings. Feelings are not the strongest of foundations. We want pyramid foundations. So what substance and evidence do we have. Lots! And let me share just three of those things with you. One, experience. I know the church is true based on real life experiences I’ve had. Answered prayers, miracles, priesthood declarations that manifested themselves, and the real-life blessings that have come into my life through obedience to the commandments. That’s not just feelings. And I could probably ask each of you my listeners of experiences that you have had that helped you to know that God was real, and the church was true. We could compile all those stories into one book, which would be huge, giant volume filled with thousands of stories, which we could plop down in front of the skeptic and say, EVIDENCE, SUBSTANCE, how can you explain away all this experience. All mere coincidences? I don’t think so. I also base my faith on reason. My sense of reason tells me the church is true, I look at the world around me and up at the stars at night, and I consider the order and the majesty, and the beauty of all this creation, and my reason tells me, there is something behind all that order. This cannot be one giant cosmic accident. There is a God, my reason tells me so. I flip through the pages of the Book of Mormon, and read its contents with all its literary, historical, and spiritual complexity, and I know it exists, it’s real, it’s sitting there in my hands. My reason tells me, a 20 something year old farm boy with a third-grade education couldn’t have written this. My reason tells me so. That’s evidence. That’s substance. One more example. I believe the church is true based on authority. I may not have ever seen God and Jesus, but I trust in the authority of those that say they have based on what I know about their character. I don’t receive revelation to govern the church, but I believe in the authority of the 15 men that say they do. I look at their character, I listen to their words. If the church isn’t true, then they would know it. But do I get the sense that they are trying to deceive me? Do I get the sense that they’re motivated by greed or power? No, they are good and sincere, and righteous, self-sacrificing men. I trust in their authority. Evidence, substance. So no, my faith is not based solely on my feelings, but I can add that to my pyramid as well. My feelings also confirm all that substance, evidence, and assurance I’ve already experienced. All of this helps to provide me with a strong pyramid-like faith and allow me to say “I know” or bear testimony of what I believe to be true. People of faith DO, in fact, have strong legs to stand on. Yes, they are still things that are based on hope and not seen, but there is a lot of evidence and substance to back them up.
The Hall of Faith
Well the rest of Chapter 11 is a testament to the power and enduring nature of faith. Paul is going to give us example after example of people from the Old Testament that demonstrated the power of faith in their lives. Like I said last week, you may have heard of the Hall of Fame but here we have the Hall of Faith.
With a class of youth, I would probably use this as an opportunity to play a bit of a review game to highlight some of the principles taught by the chapter.
One game you could play is what I call a Scripture Animal Race. It’s kind of a fun way to cover a lot of material and move through a block of scripture.
The way this works is that depending on the size of your class, divide them up into teams of two or three or four and give each one a small whiteboard. They’ll also need a marker and something to erase it with.
Next, they’ll need to decide on a team mascot or marker. I just have these little cardstock animals I printed out and put a piece of magnet tape on the back. I’ll make a printout of some animals available with the handouts this week so you could put that together if you like. I’ll also provide a sheet with all the questions and answers listed in one place. Then, as a teacher, you can pick and choose which ones you wish to include in the activity. But on my whiteboard I make a “racetrack” like this and place each team’s piece at the beginning.
Then to play, you ask the class the questions from the block of scripture. The team that can write the correct answer on their whiteboard first and raise it up in the air wins the round. Their mascot gets to move forward TWO spaces on the track. But it doesn’t end there. They also have to make two more choices. They have to choose another team to move forward ONE space with them. AND, they also get to choose a team to move back ONE space. They can’t choose their own mascot for this of course, and they can’t move the same team forward and then back again. It has to be two different teams. The genius of that is that it keeps the teams fairly even on the track. If you have a team that dominates, or a team that doesn’t answer many questions, they still all seem to stay pretty even since the winning team usually gets moved back, and the losing team usually gets moved forward. And it also creates a bit of fun and bargaining between the teams as some beg to be moved forward and others moan about being moved back. The team that is in the lead by the final question, wins. Just be sure that you keep things lighthearted and fun with this activity so that it doesn’t become too competitive. Encourage them to not to get too upset if they are moved back a space on occasion. That’s just the name of the game.
Here are the questions and answers I would use accompanied by just a little bit of commentary.
Q1: What was the power by which the worlds were “framed” or created?
A1: The answer is in verse 3. By faith. I mean, this is the faith chapter. But I’m not sure we always think of faith in that light. It’s good to understand that faith is more than just belief in something. It’s also a principle of power. It’s the means by which divine acts are accomplished. Even Jesus Christ worked by faith as he created worlds.
Q2: Who are the two women of faith that are mentioned by name in Hebrews 11?
A2: Sarah (Abraham’s wife who it says in verse 11 that she received strength to conceive a child even in her old age “because she judged him faithful who had promised”. Now that’s an important verse of scripture because Genesis is a little unclear as to Sara’s attitude towards the Lord’s promise of bearing a child. Sometimes she’s criticized because the scriptures say she “laughed” when the prophecy was made. But that wasn’t a laugh of disbelief. It was a laugh of rejoicing. She isn’t an example of doubt, but a prime example of pyramid like faith. “She judged him faithful who had promised”. Therefore, she teaches us that faith can bring about the impossible—miracles! With faith, even a 90-year-old woman can have a child.
The other woman mentioned? Rahab in verse 31. Do you remember her from last year? She was the woman of Jericho that hid the Israelite spies as they came in to possess the promised land. Now Rahab stands out to me as one of the prime examples of amazing faith in the scriptures. There were so many of the children of Israel who saw incredible miracles as they were freed from Egypt and made their way to Israel. The plagues, the parting of the Red Sea, manna from heaven, water from a rock, and they STILL struggled to trust in God. Rahab, on the other hand, saw none of those things, and yet believed, just because she had heard they had happened. That’s pyramid faith. That’s believing in the evidence of things not seen. And because she did, she was saved. She was spared the fate of the rest of Jericho. If we can believe without seeing, we too will be spared the fate of the world. And what was Rahab? A harlot. Interesting that Paul chose to include a former prostitute in his list of faithful people. Faith can change people. Our past doesn’t matter because faith frames our future. Perhaps that’s why Paul chose to include her here. He himself had a similar story. He too had lived a sinful former life, but faith transformed him.
Q3: In verses 1-10, be the first team to name the 4 people from the Old Testament that Paul points to as examples of faith.
A3: We have Abel, Enoch, Noah, and Abraham.
Q4: Without faith, it’s impossible to what?
Q4: The answer is in verse 6. It’s impossible to please God. Faith is a requirement of discipleship. As we learn in the 4th article of FAITH, it’s the first principle of the gospel.
Q5: God rewards what kind of people?
A5: Verse 6. He rewards those that DILLIGENTLY seek him.
Q6: What three blessings did Noah’s faith bring him?
A6: He was warned of things not seen yet. Faith can protect us from future calamity. His house (or family) was saved, and he became an heir of righteousness.
Q7: Paul spends a lot of time on Abraham as an example of faith from verses 8-19. We looked at a lot of those verses last week, so we won’t spend as much time on them here. But the big idea is that Abraham left his city and country and sought for a better. You see that in verse 16. But here’s the question. HOW did he seek that country. He “went out” how?
A7: Verse 8. He went out, not knowing whither he went. That’s faith. Acting without knowing. Faith is a principle of action. We have to believe enough to DO something, trusting that God will guide and reward us for that action. The world says just the opposite. They say, “I’ll believe it when I see it.” God says, “You’ll see it, once you believe it, and act on it, first.”
Q8: In this chapter, Paul gives us an interesting detail about Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Isaac. One of the reasons he was willing to do it was because he had faith that God could do what?
A8: Verse 19. That God was able to raise him up, even from the dead. We don’t get that detail in the Old Testament. But Abraham believed that even if he did sacrifice Isaac, that God could bring him back. That’s incredible faith. God had already shown Abraham by the birth of Isaac that even the impossible was possible. So why not in death as well. With God, nothing is impossible.
Q9: Faith prompted Moses to make what decision in his life?
A9: And this is a detail which is unclear about Moses in the Old Testament. In the Exodus account of Moses’s life it seems that the reason Moses leaves Egypt for Midian is because of the incident with the killing of the taskmaster—that he ran away out of fear. Not so. Moses, by faith, chose to leave behind the riches and power and pleasures of Egypt, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God instead. He esteemed the reproach of Christ greater than all the riches of Egypt. Now that’s saying something. I’ve seen some of the riches of Egypt. When I visited that country, I went to the Egyptian Museum and saw the treasures of Tutankhamen’s tomb. So much gold. Beautiful treasures. Moses left all of that behind because he realized that God provided a greater reward than all of that. He forsook Egypt by choice. And that’s a significant message about faith as well. Our faithful decisions may not lead immediately to blessing, and ease, and reward. In fact, they very well may lead to harder conditions and greater challenges, like Moses suffered. But in the end, that decision led to far greater recompence from God. We too, like Moses, can choose to forsake the things of this world, and bear “the reproach of Christ”, in faith that a greater reward awaits us.
Q10: Name five more people that are examples of faith that haven’t been mentioned yet.
A10: They could write Isaac, Jacob, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthae, David, and Samuel.
Q11: Name three things Paul mentioned that people were able to do through the power of faith.
A11: Now they could write down all kinds of things from this chapter to answer that question, but I’ll focus in on verses 33-35 were Paul just makes a giant list of incredible things people were able to accomplish through faith.
33 Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions.
34 Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.
35 Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:
Wow, just look at all the kinds of things that faith can do. We too can receive those types of blessings through the power of our faith in God.
Q12: But, we can’t just look at all those miracles and good things that came to pass. There’s another important lesson about faith that Paul wants us to understand. Name three of the trials people suffered because of their faith.
A12: Again, there’s many in the chapter that could be mentioned. But look more specifically at verses 36-38.
36 And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:
37 They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;
38 (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
Once again, the message being that having faith does not assure us of ease, and protection, and instant reward. People of faith do and will suffer, be persecuted, and maybe even lose their lives as a result of their faith. That’s important to remember as well so that when those kinds of things happen, we won’t get discouraged and abandon our faith in those circumstances.
However, our last question here:
Q13: Using the JST, what does Paul want us to know about those that suffer because of their faith.
A13: Check out the footnotes for this one. Here’s how Paul concludes his message on faith. God having provided some better things for them through their sufferings, for without sufferings, they could not be made perfect. Those that suffer in faith will be provided with better things in the end. And they will be made perfect through their sufferings. Faith always leads to better things. Anything that we lose because we decide to demonstrate faith will be more than made up for in the end.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
And that’s all the questions that we’ll cover from this chapter. But I hope that gave us all a deeper comprehension of the importance and nature of faith. Two great “liken the scriptures” questions that you might consider concluding this activity with.
Who else would you include in your own personal “Hall of Faith” and how are they examples to you of the power of faith?
What personal experiences would you include from your own life?
CONCLUSION
I hope that our study of this chapter has strengthened and fortified all of YOUR personal pyramids of faith. The message is clear. Faith is powerful. Paul just gave us example after example of the miraculous kinds of things that faith can accomplish. In a world that seems to be all about proof, and tangibility, and the scientific method, it’s nice to be reminded how potent real faith can be. Paul’s just provided us with an entire chapter of substance and evidence of the power of faith and I pray that we’ve all been able to think of our own examples of substance and evidence to add to this list made by Paul. May our faith be the kind that can stand for millennia like the pyramids of old.
Comments