“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, 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
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 1 Sam.13 ). God would supplant Saul with David because of
this hasty act. Another king, Uzziah,
barged into the Temple 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
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
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