The letter known as 2 John is addressed to “the elect lady and her children” which is most likely a reference to the church body to whom he was writing. In it, John encourages the church to continue in love and to reject false teaching. You’ll hear echoes of 1 John as tells the church that those remain in Christ’s teaching have both the Father and the Son. In 3 John, the apostle commends his friend Gaius, who is likely a pastor, and writes to warn him about Diotrophes who loves attention, power, divisive speech, and who probably already had a twitter account. John encourages Gaius to refrain from imitating what is evil and imitate what is good.

Our reading of 1 John concludes today as John continues to discuss how one might discern between those who have been born of God and those who are still worldly. One must love God and the commands of God through victorious faith in Jesus Christ which comes by the testimony of the Spirit. The one who has the Son has life, but the one who does not have the Son does not have life. In Christ, we can come to God the Father boldly in prayer, knowing that he hears us. Wrapping up his letter where he began, John says that the one who has been born of God does not continue in sin.

John continues in his letter warning believers against false prophets, saying that those who do not confess Christ, and that he has come in the flesh, are not from God. Simply put, John says that those who oppose the teaching of the apostles are of the world and should not be believed. Rather, the apostles teaching should be believed, and those who believe it are from God. This may sound self-aggrandizing, but John is one of the twelve apostles appointed by Jesus, one who walked with him, learned from him broke bread with him, who witnessed his miracles, and who saw his resurrected body. John goes on to encourage the church to love one another with the kind of love that comes from the Father, by the Spirit, through the Son.

John writes to the church reminding them that we are beloved children of God the Father. The world won’t understand us, because it doesn’t know the Father; even so this new identity calls to be set apart as we live a life of purity and devotion to the One who has redeemed us. Our new relationship with God begets a new relationship with other believers: with God as our Father, we should love other Christians as brothers and sisters. Christ said that the church would be known for loving one another, and John echoes this teaching by admonishing the church to believe in the name of God’s Son Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.

John, the apostle whom Jesus loved and the author of the fourth gospel writes today’s letter to the church with encouragement to flee from sin, to trust in Jesus, to love one another, and to assure them of the eternal life that Christ has secured for them. This letter doesn’t have a typical structure; unlike other epistles it doesn’t address a particular church or mention individual people. Here in the first two chapters, John addresses those who continue in sinful lifestyles while saying that they have fellowship with God. Of course, everyone has sinned, but those who perpetuate evil, who hate brothers in Christ, who lust and who are proud without any inclination toward repentance, do not fellowship with God.

Jude’s letter, while brief, is both pointed and to the point. While he had hoped to write a letter of encouragement and celebration in the gospel, he realized it was more prudent to encourage them to contend for the faith against those false teachings which had infiltrated the church. Pointing back to Sodom and Gomorrah, the rebellion in the wilderness after the exodus, to Balaam, to Cain, and to those who rebelled with Korah, he asserts that these people who deny Jesus and who rely on dreams will be doomed to hell. In these end times there are certain to be scoffers who live according to their ungodly desires, who create division, and who are worldly. Even so, he encourages the church to have mercy on those who waver.

The book of Hebrews concludes today with a laundry list of encouragements to pursue one another in brotherly love. As the writer lists out the manner in which members of the church should relate to one another, he cites biblical and theological reasons why each should be practiced in the manner he describes. As you listen, consider the self-sacrificing nature of each action, for the nature of Christ’s love for the church was self-sacrificial, and in order to be Christlike, we too, must follow the path selflessness. There are also commendations to rest in the truth and suffer for the sake of righteousness, enduring what is temporary in order to gain that which is eternal. The author then concludes with final remarks and a benediction.

Having laid a foundation of former faithful followers from Israel’s past, the writer of Hebrews encourages his audience to lay aside every hindrance and sin so that they might faithfully run the race set before them. By enduring hardship and suffering, the church is strengthened by a disciplined life. He goes on to encourage peaceful living with one another, making sure that no root of bitterness springs up. He continues to encourage hopeful perseverance by reminding them that they are not headed to Mount Sinai, a physical mountain where the Lord shook the earth in holiness; they are headed to Mount Zion, an unshakeable kingdom where the peace of Christ reigns and the redeemed saints gather to live forevermore.

Hebrews 11 is often referred to as “Hall of Faith” wherein the writer of Hebrews goes through a list of men in the history of God’s people who had faith in the Lord. Beginning with Creation itself, he writes about the faith of Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, and then says that time prohibits him from going on and on about others who came after them. Even so, he lists what the faithful had endured, persevering by faith. All of these were approved through their faith, yet did not yet fully receive what God had promised. All of this history will be used as a platform in chapter 12 to encourage the church to persevere through difficulties and maintain faith in the Lord.

The writer of Hebrews is writing to a largely Jewish audience discussing how Jesus is better than all that has come before him. This is an effort to help them see the futility of keeping certain Jewish practices which have been fulfilled in Christ. Today, the writer considers how Jesus is a better sacrifice. In the tabernacle and temple system, sacrifices for sins were once made continually because men sinned continually, but in Jesus we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all time. This security is a source of hope for the believer, for in Christ we have a better and enduring possession that is far more valuable than anything we might lose in this world.

In the old covenant, the average Israelite was not allowed to enter into the holy place, and only the high priest was allowed to enter into the most holy place. This earthly tabernacle was a shadow and predecessor of the heavenly pattern, wherein sinful men like us cannot enter into God’s holy presence. Thankfully, we have a high priest in Jesus, for he is able, not only to enter into His Father’s presence, but to cleanse our consciences. He cleanses us, not with the blood of bulls or goats, but with his very own blood. In so doing, Christ is the perfect lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Unlike the old covenant which required continual sacrifices by imperfect men, Christ has entered into this heavenly tabernacle, or one “not made with hands” and has made sacrifice once and for all.

The plans for the tabernacle given to Moses are in some ways a finite, earthly replica of the heavens, as they are said to be a copy or a shadow of the heavenly things. This system of worship included finite, earthly priests who served until they died, but Christ is the high priest of the new covenant who always lives to intercede. Jesus is the mediator of a new and better covenant which was prophesied through Jeremiah, and in today’s episode the writer of Hebrews quotes the prophet Jeremiah at length. He argues that a new covenant would not need to be given if the old covenant was sufficient. The Jews should therefore partake of the new covenant in Christ, for the old covenant is obsolete.

In chapters 5 and 6, the writer of Hebrews briefly mentioned that Jesus was a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek. As we read chapter 7 today, he’ll elaborate on what that means. In short, the question is this: since we know that the lineage of Jesus is from Judah and not Levi, how can it be that he qualifies to be a high priest? Even though Jesus had parents who were of the line of David, he himself is not from Adam’s fallen race; as such, he can be compared to Melchizedek, who is without a genealogy. Moreover, Abraham gave Melchizedek a tenth of everything, as Abraham was the inferior and Melchizedek was superior. Because Jesus is even better than Melchizedek, the author concludes that a better covenant has come, and it comes under a priest who holy, innocent, and undefiled.

In the gospels, Jesus teaches a parable about a sower and seeds. Some of the seeds show signs of growth and life, yet all of them, save one seed, do not survive. The planted seed of the gospel can have a temporary, life-giving effect on some who have not truly repented, but those who endure and bear fruit are those who prove to be Christ’s disciples. Likewise, the writer of Hebrews tells his audience it is impossible to renew to repentance those who merely tasted the heavenly gift of Christ’s church, but who ultimately fall away and despise the Lord. He wants the church to endure in hope until the end, being diligent in their faith, not lazy. Finally, the writer argues that God wants to show his unchangeable purpose through his promises to his people.

As we read from the book of Hebrews today we’ll see that Jesus is a better rest than the Sabbath and a better high priest. While the Sabbath regularly pointed God’s people to their need for rest and to their dependence on the Lord, the author of Hebrews says that a Sabbath rest remains for God’s people, namely Jesus Christ, for all those who are found him are able to rest from works of righteousness while depending on the Lord to provide for them both here and hereafter. Later, we’ll see that Jesus is a superior priest, for like Melchizedek his priesthood is not based on ancestral lineage. This idea will be developed further in later passages.

Hebrews is a book about how Jesus is better than all that has come before him, and in chapter 3 we see that Jesus is better than Moses, and this is in no way takes away from Moses’ faithfulness. Moses was truly faithful as a servant in the household of God, but Jesus is worthy of more honor because Jesus was faithful as a Son over his household. While there are many who will serve in the household of God, there is only Son who inherits all things from the Father. The writer of Hebrews then warns his readers against unbelief, reminding them that those who were brought out of Egypt didn’t get to see the Promised Land because they were disobedient, and instead, they died in the wilderness.

Today we begin the book of Hebrews, a book that emphasizes the superiority of Christ to all that has come before him. While the writer of the book of Hebrews remains unknown, we do know that this writer can quote the Old Testament Scriptures at length and is very polished in his ability to write and to reason. This letter is unique, as it has no greeting and seems to be directed specifically toward Jewish believers. In today’s passage, the writer argues that Jesus is greater than the prophets who came before, as God has spoken to us directly by the Son and appointed him heir of all things. He is greater than angels, for everything has been made subject to him. Moreover, as one who has flesh and blood, he has reached out to help men, but has not done so for angels.

Matthew’s gospel concludes in today’s episode as consider the hope of the resurrection in Jesus Christ our Lord. The good news of Jesus Christ is that he died for our sins on the cross, drinking the full cup of God’s wrath on our behalf so that we might be forgiven of our sins. Not only this, but he also deposits his perfect righteousness into our account so that his perfect fulfillment of the Law might be attributed to us. If that weren’t enough, he also has risen from the dead, conquering both sin and death so that we might live forever with him. Living forever with him begins in this life, for he has promised that he will be with us always, even to the end of the age.

Today, we’ll cover Matthew’s account of the crucifixion including Christ’s death on the cross, but stopping shy of his burial, saving that section for our next reading. We begin with the account of Judas confessing his guilt in betraying Jesus, and the response from the chief priests and elders is one of indignant apathy. Fraught with grief, Judas hangs himself and dies. Though he has been charged as guilty before the Jews, Jesus now stands trial before the governor, Pontius Pilate. Though he finds no guilt in Jesus, he condemns him in order to keep a riot from starting. After Jesus is mocked and beaten by the Roman military who oversaw his custody, he is led to the cross and crucified between two criminals.

The time has come for Jesus to be betrayed into the hands of sinners. Having finished taking the Passover meal together, Jesus goes to the Mount of Olives with his disciples to spend the night. This has been their routine while in Jerusalem, and Judas knew where to find them. After Judas indicates which man is Jesus by greeting him with a kiss, an armed mob of men arrest Jesus and lead him away to be tried by the high priest and the Sanhedrin. While witnesses are brought forth to testify against him, none of their accusations stick. Finally, Jesus confirms that he is the Messiah, the Son of God, and they sentence him to death. Peter waits in the wings, unable to muster the courage needed to acknowledge Jesus.