Hebrews is a pastoral word of exhortation written to Jewish Christians who are tired, under
pressure, and tempted to drift away from Christ. They have begun well in the Christian life but
are finding faith costly. Weary and discouraged, they are wondering whether it might be easier to
loosen their grip on Jesus and return to familiar Jewish ways of worshipping God.

Hebrews is different from most New Testament books. There is no opening greeting and no
named author or audience. Instead, the writer describes what he has written as a “word of
exhortation” (Hebrews 13.22). Hebrews reads less like a letter and more like a sermon spoken to
real people in real trouble. Its tone is pastoral, urgent, and deeply practical. Again and again, the
writer urges his hearers to keep going, to hold on, and not to give up.