Colossians, No Wait Hebrews

So after the book of Philippians is the book of Colossians.  Usually I read straight through, but I have been having discussions at work and we landed in Hebrews for a while so I thought I'd just read through Hebrews instead.

So I thought I'd meander and write about Hebrews and sort of introduce the book to any readers who don't know about it.

Hebrews was written to...HEBREWS...Ta Da!

I know that's kind of a surprise, but it's true.  

Scholars don't really know who wrote this book, it could have been James, Paul, Apollos, Barnabas, Luke (use the force Luke) or Jimmy John (okay, Jimmy John is NOT a real possibility), just thought I'd thew it in there for fun.

The particular group of Hebrews that it was written to were Hebrews outside of Israel in other parts of the Roman Empire.  Letters were often circulated to various churches, so many Christian Hebrews may have read this letter.

Christian Hebrews?  Christian Jewish people?  Is this possible?

YES

Actually, the first Christians were Jewish.  Jesus is Jewish too.

Yeah, I know, a lot of people don't realize this, but it's a fact.

Can someone be Jewish AND a Christian?

Absolutely.

Jewish people are Jewish by birth, just like Chinese people are Chinese by birth.  Being Jewish is a nationality.  Of course, you can also follow the Jewish religion and you can do this is you are a Jew by birth or if you just want to become Jewish.

Some Jewish people accept that Jesus was the Messiah/Savior and they become Christian Jews OR what is commonly called a Messianic Jew.

So you can be both Jewish and a Christian.

So that settles that.

The book of Hebrews is chock full of great stuff and one could study it for a very long time.  

So let's jump in and start with something so great that it makes me want to hug people.

In chapter one verse three it says this:

"The Son (Jesus) is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being..."

There is more, but I'm going to stop here and just dwell on this for this entry.

Jesus is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being...

Do you know why I love that great sentence?

Because it means that when we look at Jesus we are seeing what God is like.

OMG

Yea, really oh my God.  God is like Jesus.

And Jesus is someone I can totally approach right?

Jesus wanted little kids to come see him, 

Jesus hung out with prostitutes and very dishonest men.  

Jesus healed people who were sick and cried when he saw the desperate straights that humanity is in.

Jesus said any one who wants to come to him can come to him.

Jesus was tempted to do very bad things.

Jesus fed fish sandwiches to hungry people.

Jesus talked to people that everyone else avoided like the plague.

Jesus warned people to search for real truth.

Jesus saw through fakers.

Jesus told it like it was.

Jesus did things I can't do.

Jesus got mad at evil.

Jesus laid down his life for me.

If that is what God is like, then count me in.  

Count yourself in if you want.

Just ask God to come into your heart...he is ready...and guess what?  He really likes you.