Eliashib, a Jew living in Rome, sits one evening by a dying fire and wonders whether following Jesus is worth it, his family has disowned him, his friends have turned away, and God seems silent. It was for people like him that the Letter to the Hebrews was written (Hebrews 1), declaring that God is not silent: He has spoken through the Son, the radiance of His glory, greater than the angels, Creator and King of all. The sermon shows how easy it is to miss the King who came into the world in such an ordinary, human form. Listen, so you do not miss the voice of your Lord.
Discussion questions
For your small group or for personal reflection after the sermon.
- The author of Hebrews writes to Jewish Christians who, under pressure from family, society and persecution, were thinking about abandoning their faith. How does Hebrews 1:1-4 answer their question of whether God is silent?
- Why does the author quote one psalm after another to show that the Son is greater than the angels? What do the words that all the angels must worship Him tell us about Jesus?
- The sermon points out that the prophets said "thus says the Lord," but Jesus said "I say to you." How does it change your view of God that He Himself became human, like the picture of jumping into the aquarium as a fish?
- It is easy to miss Jesus and see Him as just a great teacher, like the cat who went to the palace and saw only a mouse under the throne. What makes people today, even in church, overlook who He really is?
- In what situations does God seem silent to you, as He did to Eliasz at his table or to Ted Turner after his sister's death? How can the truth that God has spoken through His Son change the way you see those moments?
- Hebrews 2:1-4 calls us to pay closer attention to what we have heard so that we do not drift away. What specific step can you take this week so that you do not miss the voice of your Lord and King?
