In Hebrews 9, the author points out how the earthly Tabernacle was ordered by God and is a type of the heavenly model. Just as it took the blood of bulls and lambs to sanctify the people and the Tabernacle, the once and for all sacrifice of Jesus’ blood sanctifies the heavenly Tabernacle. The chapter makes clear the forgiveness of sins comes only through the shedding of blood. It also states with the blood of animals the sacrifices had to be presented over-and-over again, but Jesus’ death was once-for-all, just as we die once and then face the judgment.
In Hebrews 10, the author underlines Jesus’ once-for-all sacrifice and continues to emphasize the difference between the Mosaic sacrificial system, which could not produce enduring forgiveness, and Jesus’ sacrifice, which does. He goes on to write about the importance of encouraging and exhorting one another to love and good works, as well as to continue meeting together for worship and fellowship. While we might think the tendency to avoid gathering as Christians with one another for worship and fellowship is a rather recent development, we are assured folks were already doing so not more than thirty years after Jesus’ death and resurrection.
In Hebrews 11, which is often called the faith chapter, faith is defined as the assurance of things hoped for, and the conviction of things not seen. Then we receive an extended list of names of heroes and heroines of the faith starting with Adam and Eve’s son, Abel, and continuing all through the Old Testament era, and up until what was the current time when the letter was written. Men and women of faith were willing to give up worldly comforts, and even to die to experience God’s favor and ultimate blessing. We’re told the world was not worthy of such people, and yet most of them never experienced what those living after the time of Jesus experienced: Salvation in Jesus’ name. How important it is for us to remember the value of that salvation, and that faith in Jesus is of greater value than any worldly possession.
As we return to Luke 13, Jesus reminds the crowds how important repentance is, and that when bad things happen in life, they aren’t always a sign of God’s judgment. Jesus then told the parable of the barren fig tree to point out how important it is for us to “bear fruit” as His followers. Jesus healed a woman who had been “bound” by disease for eighteen years, but the religious leaders were upset, because He healed her on the Sabbath. Jesus then told a couple of parables about the Kingdom of God. The first reminded us of how the Kingdom works as leaven works in a lump of dough, and the second of the narrow door and way that leads to the Kingdom. Finally, Jesus lamented over Jerusalem, because He knew His time on the earth was short, and He would die there because of the people’s lack of faith and repentance.