It is probably hard for us to imagine or comprehend how radically Jesus and the Gospel changed everything for the first Christians who were coming to Christ from Judaism. The sermon to the Hebrews was addressing this group of believers who were trying to make sense of it all and who were feeling a great pull to return to the old. For generations to worship God meant going to a very specific and extraordinary Temple that was striking to see, and following a very set liturgy of traditions and customs. It meant bringing offerings from the produce of your crops and offering real animal sacrifices on a very real altar where the smoke and smell of fresh blood and roasting meat would make a very visceral experience. And, it almost always meant eating a meal at the altar, as most sacrifices involved the worshipper partaking as a meal a portion of what was offered. It was all very hands-on and a very physical experience. Now, they would gather in small groups in simple homes where there was no altar, no bringing in the first fruits of your crops, no sacrificing of animals on the altar, no standing before the holy place where God’s presence was known to reside. And to make matters worse, now they were being persecuted, first by the Jews and later by the Romans as a strange and extreme cult! It is no wonder many of them were seriously considering returning to the old way of Temple worship!
