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The Dynamic Absence of Jesus in Hebrews

Markus Bockmuehl 

The Journal of Theological Studies, Volume 70, Issue 1, April 2019, Pages 141–162,
https://doi.org/10.1093/jts/fly167
Published: 20 February 2019

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Abstract
How does Hebrews negotiate the whereabouts of the risen Jesus, on the dialectical
spectrum between physical and indeed metaphysical absence on the one hand, and
a rmations of a continuing or intermittent presence on the other? More than perhaps
any other New Testament writing, Hebrews concentrates on Jesus’s distance from the
world of earthly Christian life and discipleship. And yet the author’s ‘word of
encouragement’ (13:22) evidently serves his recipients’ situation more urgently through
its emphasis on the Son’s heavenly high priesthood rather than on his immediate
presence. The presence of Jesus is here most clearly articulated in relation to his
incarnation in the past: unlike elsewhere in the New Testament, no obvious attempt is
made to sublimate or compensate for the absence of Jesus by sacramental, mystical, or
pneumatological means. Nevertheless, even the pastness of the incarnation remains a
powerful and abiding ingredient both in Christ’s ongoing priestly work and in the
expectation of his coming. As a result, Jesus’ seeming remoteness in Hebrews remains in
important respects compatible with his continuing accessibility and closeness to pilgrim
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believers.

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11/7/2019 Dynamic Absence of Jesus in Hebrews | The Journal of Theological Studies | Oxford Academic

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