The book of Hebrews conveys to us the word of righteousness. The word of righteousness tells us that this resurrected Christ has ascended to the heavens and is now serving as the Minister in the better tabernacle in the heavens. He is our great High Priest, the Mediator of the new covenant, carrying out His heavenly ministry and infusing us with the fullness of the heavenlies, with His ascension, resurrection, and life, making us heavenly persons on earth. This ministry will bring us to maturity. If we are willing to go on in this way, receiving the heavenly ministry of Christ, we will certainly reach maturity. When the Lord comes, He will give us the reward and we will enter into the kingdom. If we do not reach maturity, however, we need to realize that our God is a consuming fire and that we may be burned by His righteous judgment. This is the word of righteousness.
Dear brothers and sisters, simply speaking, the good word is the series of accounts in the Gospels concerning the Lord Jesus’ ministry from His birth to His resurrection, which is for our salvation. We all have tasted this word. It does not require us to pay a price, to seek after the Lord, or to grow in life. The good word is freely given to us as a gift.
But after we are saved, we need to go on as 6:1 says: “Leaving the word of the beginning of the Christ, let us be brought on to maturity.” How can we become mature? We need to listen to the word of righteousness. The resurrection of Christ was not the end but the beginning of His heavenly ministry. He ascended to the heavens to be the better Minister to serve us in the better tabernacle in the heavens, supplying us with His heavenly life. He is the great High Priest in the heavens who intercedes for us. He is also the Mediator of the new covenant, who is executing all the bequests and blessings of the new covenant into us, causing us to grow and mature. When He comes back, we will either receive the reward and enter into the kingdom, or we will suffer punishment (not eternal perdition). This kind of word is not the good word but the word of righteousness.
The whole book of Hebrews is the word of righteousness. Now I would like to speak to you concerning each chapter in a simple way according to my understanding.
Chapter one speaks of this Jesus Christ, our Savior, as the One who was incarnated, passed through human living, died, and was resurrected, becoming our Redeemer and causing us to be saved. He is God the Creator on the earth. He is also the Son of God, the effulgence of God’s glory, and the express image of God’s substance (v. 3). He was resurrected from among the dead, becoming the firstborn Son of God, and will return with the status of the firstborn Son (v. 6). Such a One, of course, is much higher than the angels, who are revered in Judaism. He is far superior to the angels (v. 4). The angels are only our servants (v. 14).
Chapter two also says that this One is the Son of God, but because He became incarnated, taking a human body of flesh and blood, He was temporarily made a little inferior to the angels (v. 7). While He lived on this earth, He passed through all kinds of trials and temptations (v. 10). Through His death He redeemed us from our sins and did away with the Devil, who had the power of death (v. 14). Then He was resurrected. In resurrection He produced many brothers to become His church (v. 12). Later, He ascended and was crowned with glory and honor (v. 9). Now He is sitting in the heavens. He will come again in glory, bringing all His brothers into glory (v. 10). Today He is such a High Priest, far superior to the angels. This chapter speaks of Him who is the God-man, the mysterious One.
Chapter three speaks of Him as the Apostle sent by God, as typified by Moses and Joshua. Both Moses and Joshua were apostles sent by God, bringing God among men. But Moses cannot compare with Him. Moses was part of the house, but He is the One who built the house; therefore, He is superior to Moses (3:2-3). Although Joshua typified Him, Joshua did not bring man into the real rest (4:8-9). It is the real Joshua who brings us into the eternal rest. The name Joshua in the Hebrew language is Jesus in Greek. The real Joshua is our Lord Jesus. Therefore, in chapters three and four we can see that He is God’s Apostle who comes from God and brings God to man (3:1). He is far superior to Moses and Joshua.
The last part of chapter four through chapter seven forms another section, which speaks of Christ as the High Priest typified by Aaron and by Melchisedec. Aaron’s priesthood was according to the dead law of letters and ordinances (5:1-4; 7:18-19a). Furthermore, because he was one who would die, his order was too low. But Jesus Christ, the God-man, became a High Priest according to the order of Melchisedec, according to the power of an indestructible life, not according to the law of letters (7:15-17). He has no beginning and no ending (7:3); He lives forever and is always living to intercede for us (7:25). As such a High Priest, He is far superior to Aaron. He is the Apostle who brings God to us, and He is the High Priest who brings us to God.