The Better Sacrifice - an encouragement. Hebrews 10.

One of the techniques in Hebrews is the introduction of a thought, with a later follow-up that fleshes out the idea, and backs it up. In chapter 9, the author introduced us to the idea that the superiority of the new covenant implied a better sacrifice. And in this chapter he fleshes that out (so to speak) by contrasting Jesus' single, one-time sacrifice, with the continual sacrifices in the temple by the priests. I wonder what impact this contrast had on the original readers of the letter.

Today, though, I want to focus on the encouragements that are a
consequence of this better sacrifice, contained in the middle of the chapter.

Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, by the fresh and living way that he inaugurated for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in the assurance that faith brings, because we have had our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water. And let us hold unwaveringly to the hope that we confess, for the one who made the promise is trustworthy. And let us take thought of how to spur one another on to love and good works, not abandoning our own meetings, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and even more so because you see the day drawing near. (Heb. 10:19-25 NET).

My use of the word encouragement was somewhat ambiguous. Encouragement can either mean the act of encouraging or the state of being encouraged. The writer is engaged in the act of encouraging. Our response can lead to the state of being encouraged.

What precisely are we being encouraged to do?

• Act in confidence. We can have confidence in Jesus' better sacrifice to do what the writer is about to tell us to do.
• Enter the sanctuary and draw near. Once again, the writer reminds us that our relationship with God has been restored, once and for all, that lets us draw near to Him in a way that those under the old covenant could never do.
• Hold onto our hope (salvation through faith in Jesus) because He is trustworthy.
• Help one another to hold onto that hope, in the face of anything that would destroy it. For the readers of the letter, this was the pressure to return to the old covenant, and the mounting persecution they were only just beginning to face.
  
• Think about how to help one another. Think about what it means to act in love, doing good works.
• Don't stop hanging out together.
  

All right. He said it. Go do it.

(For those who are curious, the picture is of a location in Ephesus that is reputed to be the tomb of Luke. While this is problematic, it was likely the site of a church - a place of meeting together.)