The Epistle to the Hebrews centers on the superiority and perfection of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ in comparison with the sacrifices offered by the priests of the Old Testament. The Old Testament priests continually offered sacrifices of animals for their own sins and for the sins of the people, entering into the earthly sanctuary of the Temple in Jerusalem.
Christ, however, offers the perfect and eternal sacrifice of Himself upon the Cross. Unlike the sacrifices of the Old Testament, His sacrifice is offered once and for all for the sins of humanity, not for His own sins. He enters not into an earthly sanctuary made by human hands, but into the heavenly sanctuary, appearing before God on our behalf: “to appear in the presence of God on our behalf” (9:24).
The letter begins with a clear proclamation of the divinity and supremacy of Christ. God, who “in many and various ways… spoke of old to our fathers,” has now spoken to humanity through His Son: “in these last days… spoken to us by a Son, Whom He appointed the heir of all things, through Whom He also created the world” (1:1–2). Through these words, the author establishes Christ as the eternal Son of God, through whom all things were created and through whom God has fully revealed Himself to the world.
Throughout the Epistle, Christ is presented as the fulfillment of the Old Testament priesthood and sacrifices. His priesthood is eternal, His sacrifice is complete, and His offering brings humanity into communion with God.
In the Orthodox Church, the Epistle to the Hebrews is read frequently during the Divine Liturgies of Great Lent, particularly because of its profound teaching on Christ’s sacrifice, priesthood, and fulfillment of the Old Covenant.