1Let’s fear therefore, lest perhaps anyone of you should seem to have come short of a promise of entering into his rest. 2For indeed we have had good news preached to us, even as they also did, but the word they heard didn’t profit them, because it wasn’t mixed with faith by those who heard. 3For we who have believed do enter into that rest, even as he has said, “As I swore in my wrath, they will not enter into my rest;” although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. 4For he has said this somewhere about the seventh day, “God rested on the seventh day from all his works;” 5and in this place again, “They will not enter into my rest.”
6Seeing therefore it remains that some should enter into it, and they to whom the good news was preached before failed to enter in because of disobedience, 7he again defines a certain day, “today”, saying through David so long a time afterward (just as has been said),
“Today if you will hear his voice,
don’t harden your hearts.”
8For if Joshua had given them rest, he would not have spoken afterward of another day. 9There remains therefore a Sabbath rest for the people of God. 10For he who has entered into his rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from his. 11Let’s therefore give diligence to enter into that rest, lest anyone fall after the same example of disobedience. 12For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and is able to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13There is no creature that is hidden from his sight, but all things are naked and laid open before the eyes of him to whom we must give an account.
14Having then a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let’s hold tightly to our confession. 15For we don’t have a high priest who can’t be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but one who has been in all points tempted like we are, yet without sin. 16Let’s therefore draw near with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace for help in time of need.
The Apostle John says that if one was to attempt to write down everything Jesus said and did, “that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written” (Jn 21:25). Jesus, as a member of the Trinity, was active long before He came to earth in the form of man. As the eternal Son, Jesus was the force behind creation (John 1:3, Col 1:16) and is actively holding creation together (Col 1:17). Prior to the earthly life of God the Son, the majority of conservative biblical scholars believe that He appeared as the Angel of Yahweh, who was seen a number of times in the Old Testament (Gen 16, 22; Num 22; Jdgs 2, 6, 13; 1 Kng 19; etc). At the incarnation, the Son actually took upon Himself a human nature (Phil 2:5-8; Gal 4:4). The divine person joined with the human nature, creating one person in two natures. He is called “the Word,” the “Son of Man,” and the “Son of God” in the Gospels. He was born to the Virgin Mary in Bethlehem and grew up in Nazareth, was baptized by John the Baptist, and ministered to all of Israel. While on earth, Jesus’ ministry consisted of preaching the Kingdom of God, calling people to faith, healing, forgiving sins, creating disciples and preaching about the Kingdom of Heaven (Mat 11:5; Mk 3:13-19; Matt 4:7). Through His death and resurrection He gave humans full access to God and became a surety of God’s best (Rom 10:9; Heb 4:16, 7:22; Eph 1:5). Since His resurrection, He has been building a room in the Father’s house for each believer, where they will join Him in as His Bride (Jn 14:2-3; Eph 5:23-27) at the rapture. Jesus is our advocate and defender before the Father God (Rom 8:34; Heb 7:25; 1 Jn 2:1). He will come again for His own (Jn 14:3), and again as the commander of the armies of the Lord who will defeat Satan and his minions, and inaugurate the eternal Kingdom of God.