Wednesday, December 19, 2012

OUR HIGH PRIEST IN HEAVEN



For this is the kind of high priest we need: holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.” (Hebrews 7:26 HCSB)

I cannot just walk up to the White House, knock on the front door and expect to get in and speak with the President.  That’s not going to happen.  If I tried to place a call directly to his phone, I am not getting through.  I wouldn’t expect it—he is the President and I am just an ordinary fellow.

How much more superior is a holy God to a mortal man—even the President of the United States!  So infinitely beyond the status of a President is the great God of the universe that it defies any measure of comparison.   It almost seems blasphemous to put them in the same sentence.

So, here is the question—if I cannot just walk into the Oval Office, how can I hope to enter God’s throne room?  If I can’t speak to the President, how can I speak to God?

There is a way, of course, that I could get in to see the President.  I could have an intermediary—I could know someone who is in a position to get me in.  What if I were the teacher of one of his children—might a child have some influence to persuade the President to meet with me?

The only way I can come into God’s presence and meet with Him is that I have Someone who intervenes on my behalf—namely He who is God’s Son—the Lord Jesus Christ!  He is the One and Only Mediator.

The writer of Hebrews presents Him as our High Priest in Heaven.  Remember the context of this truth.  The inspired author of the book is writing to professing Christians who are wavering in their commitment.  They are out of Judaism, but their new faith is shaky at best, and for those who walk away it is a sham at worst.  These were under intensifying pressure to abandon the church—and for what?  They would not then become irreligious, but would return to their Jewish ritual.  The writer says, “Stop!  That’s nonsense!  Why would you leave the superior for the inferior?  Why would you get off the only road that leads to heaven for one that has proven to be a dead-end?”

So, the thrust of the Epistle to the Hebrews is that Christ is superior in every way.  There is none like Him.  In particular this portion of the book presents the superiority of His priesthood.  The priesthood of Christ is not one proceeding from the Aaronic line, but is in the order of Melchizedek.

Do you remember him?  He suddenly bursts onto the scene in Genesis 14:18-20.  This “mystery man” has no story told of his birth or his death.  He combines the office of king and priest.  His name meant, “king of righteousness” and he ruled the city of Jerusalem.  He blesses Abraham, and Abraham pays him a tithe.

These things were not true of Levitical priests—their genealogy is documented, and in fact was required to qualify them to serve.  The death of Aaron is listed in Scripture.  All the priests had to be replaced because they were only mortals who died, so a system of succession was put in place.  According to the law, you might be a king, or you might be a priest if you qualified—but none could be both.  The first king of Israel—Saul—got into trouble with God when he took on the role of a priest and offered unwarranted sacrifices (see 1 Sam.13).  God would supplant Saul with David because of this hasty act.  Another king, Uzziah, barged into the Temple and tried to be priest, as well as king, and God smote him with leprosy because of this impetuous deed (read 2 Chron.26).  If you were a priest, you would never be a prince and come to the throne.  The Levitical priests were not righteous of themselves.  They had to offer a sacrifice for themselves when they offered one for the people.

But, the Psalmist tells us prophetically that a High Priest would come that would not be of the order of Aaron, but Melchizedek (Ps.110:4).  Now, the Holy Spirit testifies here that Jesus is the fulfillment of that prophetic picture.  He is eternal: as Melchizedek has no record of his birth or death (not that he didn’t have both, but none is documented), the eternal Son is a priest forever.  Jesus combines fully both offices of King and Priest.  He is the king of righteousness—no sin is found in Him—and He is the king of peace (Salem, Jerusalem, for so the word means).  He is greater than Abraham, (Abraham was blessed by the greater man, Melchizedek) and the superiority is acknowledged in the paying of tithes.  In every way, the person and the priesthood of Christ is vastly superior to that of Aaron.

How so?

OUR HIGH PRIEST IN HEAVEN IS THE SON OF GOD.

In the same way, the Messiah did not exalt Himself to become a high priest, but the One who said to Him, You are My Son; today I have become Your Father” (Heb.5:5)

John MacArthur puts this well:

With the quotations of Pss 2:7 and 110:4, the writer demonstrates that Christ’s Sonship (see notes on 1:5) and His priesthood were both by divine appointment (cf. Jn 8:54). That means that the two titles are titles of subordination—the subordination not being in regard to essence or nature (cf. Jn 10:30; 14:9, 11), but in regard to the fulfillment of the program of redemption. Neither office diminishes the eternal deity of Christ or the equality of the Trinity. Both offices had a beginning. It is noteworthy that Ps 2 recognizes the Son as both King and Messiah. Christ is the King-Priest.[1]

The Son can get us an audience with the Father!

OUR HIGH PRIEST IS BOTH FULLY MAN AND FULLY GOD.
That Jesus was fully man is seen in verses like this:

During His earthly life, He offered prayers and appeals with loud cries and tears to the One who was able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverence.  Though He was [God’s] Son, He learned obedience through what He suffered.  After He was perfected, He became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him, and He was declared by God a high priest in the order of Melchizedek.” (Heb.5:7-10)

But, that He was wholly God is declared in verses like these:

For this is the kind of high priest we need: holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.” (Heb.7:26)

We need one who is both God and man to be the perfect Mediator between God and man.

Do you weep?  Have you experienced weakness?  Are you weary?  Jesus was subjected to all those things.  We have One in Heaven who has been among us and understands experientially what we go through.  Yet, because He is fully God, He had the power to endure testing and overcome temptation and thus has the power to help us.  He is qualified to represent us to God.

I love this text:

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens — Jesus the Son of God — let us hold fast to the confession.  For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tested in every way as we are, yet without sin.  Therefore let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us at the proper time.” (Heb.4:14-16)

OUR HIGH PRIEST INTERCEDES FOR US CONTINUALLY.

“Jesus has entered there on our behalf as a forerunner, because He has become a high priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.” (Heb.6:20)

Forever is a long time!  But, that is how long Jesus will plead for us—all our days—to bring us into Heaven!  The Old Testament High Priest could only enter the Holy of Holies once a year, on the Day of Atonement, but Jesus has penetrated the veil, once and for all—and on our behalf ushers us into the presence of God.

Herein is our security:

“Now many have become [Levitical] priests, since they are prevented by death from remaining in office.  But because He remains forever, He holds His priesthood permanently.  Therefore, He is always able to save those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede for them.” (Heb.7:23-25)

OUR HIGH PRIEST HAS OFFERED A SACRIFICE AS THE SINLESS ONE ONCE AND FOR ALL FOR SINNERS.

“He doesn’t need to offer sacrifices every day, as high priests do — first for their own sins, then for those of the people. He did this once for all when He offered Himself.  For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak, but the promise of the oath, which came after the law, [appoints] a Son, who has been perfected forever.” (Heb.7:27-28)

The superiority of Jesus in His priesthood is not only seen in His service—the permanence of His position—but, in His sacrifice—the perfection of His provision.  All that could be required was met by Him.  His sacrifice was superior—what the blood of animals could never do, He has done.  The Old Covenant story features altars covered in countless slaughtered animals, with rivers of blood—and yet people still failing to keep God’s Holy Law.  The New Covenant message shows a cross and a Lamb who takes away the sin of the world!  It is a done deal!

“Now the main point of what is being said is this: We have this kind of high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a minister of the sanctuary and the true tabernacle that was set up by the Lord and not man.  For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; therefore it was necessary for this [priest] also to have something to offer.  Now if He were on earth, He wouldn’t be a priest, since there are those offering the gifts prescribed by the law.  These serve as a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was warned when he was about to complete the tabernacle. For God said, Be careful that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown to you on the mountain.  But Jesus has now obtained a superior ministry, and to that degree He is the mediator of a better covenant, which has been legally enacted on better promises.” (Heb.8:1-6)

Our High Priest has a superior priesthood based on a superior promise, having made a superior provision based on His superior person.  Through Him, I can walk right up to God’s throne.  I can place a call at anytime and never get a busy signal or be put on hold.  It is all because of Jesus!

With the writer of our text, we declare, “For this is the kind of high priest we need: holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.” (Heb.7:26)  He is all we will ever need!  Let us exalt on earth the name of the One who is exalted in eternity!



[1] MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Heb 5:5). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.

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