The word “same” is very familiar to most of us in English, meaning – identical to something else / another, or not being different comparatively speaking. However, while this may be the proper understanding for some biblical passages,
Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever,”
stretches us to grasp a significance that may be overlooked simply because of our English use of the word “same” and our familiar definitions.
In this Greek New Testament text, “same” is a singular, nominative, masculine pronoun referring specifically only to one individual, which in this case is “Jesus Christ!” The word “Christ” is the transliteration of the “Anointed One” which is a direct reference to the promised Messiah of the Old Testament.
While it is theologically true that Jesus Christ has the same character / nature whenever, wherever He abides (“yesterday, today, and forever”), the object of one’s faith cannot be His unchangeableness. He was, and is, always the Savior, the Redeemer, Who alone was able to bring reconciliation between fallen humanity and Holy God.
Nonetheless, the actual thought of Hebrew’s author is … JESUS (His Name) is the CHRIST (The Messiah / The Anointed One / His Office / Title) yesterday, today and forever. That person was, and is, and will always be, the MESSIAH of both the Old and New Testaments.
Another way to properly translate this verse might be, Jesus is Messiah, (the same individual) yesterday, today and forever!
This makes perfect sense due to the fact that the author of Hebrews is writing to document Jesus Christ’s Messiahship as more excellent … being superior to every possible aspect of Judaism, as well as showing His incomparable supremacy to the Hebrew patriarchs, human priests, and even angels!
Vincent’s New Testament Word Studies declares that the King James translation is “slipshod,” because the readers of a careless or sloppy translation may be tempted to reembrace Judaism, ultimately denying Jesus Christ as the Messiah. Then the reader is then pointed to
Hebrews 13:9a, “Do not be carried away by varied and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace.”
Will you take just a moment and consider this Truth? Jesus is “The Christ / The Messiah” … always … irrespective of time, dates, places or anyone’s beliefs, religion, ideas, philosophies, etc.! Therefore, if the MESSIAH IS THE MESSIAH – is He yours?
His & Yours, Because of GRACE
(God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense)
Pastor Frank
