25th September 2026

In that latter half of Hebrews 12, the writer explains to his readers Jewish Christians who were seriously considering giving up on the Christian life to return to Judaism, that from Heaven’s perspective, it is a far better thing to be a Christian under the grace of God in the new age of the Spirit, than a Jew under the law of the Old Covenant.

The writer of the epistle to the Hebrews, in a powerful, ingenious deployment of imagery, brings his readers to the foot of a mountain, which he leaves initially unnamed, girded in darkness, terror and gloom (Hebrews 12:18-20). It is a physical, tangible mount, but one dare not come near to touch it. This is Mount Sinai (v.18), where even the great lawgiver, Moses himself, trembled with fear (v.21). This imagery focused on physical realities – things that could be seen, touched, and measured. Under these laws, the people could worship and fear the true, invisible God, but only from a distance. They

could never truly or intimately know him. But, the writer then confidently asserts those who are called to faith in Christ have not come to such a terrifying place as this: ‘But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem’ (v.22). 

It is to the heavenly city that Christian believers have come by divine invitation; a city of welcome, inclusion, festivity, joyfulness, praise and thanksgiving, the true dwelling place of God, of which the earthly Jerusalem and its temple were types and shadows. No longer do we stand on the fringes of the sacred ground of God’s presence, but we draw near to God, the Judge of all (v.23) as dear children, to the embrace of a loving Father. And it is to Jesus and through Jesus that we boldly enter the heavenly sanctuary. He it was who mediated a new and better covenant, the voice of whose absolving blood drowns out all vengeful cries (v.24).   

In light of all this, the writer encourages his readers not to turn back, but to go on in the Christian life, for it is the God who condescended at Sinai and spoke through the mediation of angels, who now speaks to you directly from Heaven – don’t close your ears to him as did those in former times. How much more exalted and privileged are we to hear God speak directly through his own Son and by his Spirit. How substantially more should we give attention (v.25). How violently the earth shook when God spoke at Sinai, yet the time is coming when, not just the earth, but everything in this whole creation will be shaken away, leaving only those things, the spiritual realities, to continue unmovable. Do not shrink back but stop, consider and render thanks to God (vv.26-28). The kingdom that is now growing unrecognised in the world cannot be shaken, whilst, at its fulfillment, nothing of the old order of things will remain, for ‘our “God is a consuming fire.” ’  (vv.28-29).

Local congregation:
Grace Communion Peterborough
Farcet Village Hall
Main Street
Farcet
Peterborough
PE7 3AN

Meeting time:
Sunday 11.00 am

Local congregational contact:
Richard Dempsey
Email:  richard.dempsey@btinternet.com
Local church website: GRACE COMMUNION CHURCH PETERBOROUGH – Landing Page

Word of Life contact:
wordoflife@gracecom.church