A Perfect and Permanent Priesthood
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introduction
Sometimes you just can’t tell the real quality of something without comparing it to something else. The difference between thread counts of bed sheets. The difference between an LCD TV and a Hi Res TV. When you go to the optometrist and they do the “one, two....one, two”. Only when people look at these things can we really understand what is superior and inferior.
Last week we established that the priesthood of Jesus Christ, which was established according to the order of Melchizedek, is superior to Aaron and the Levites. Now we will build on that foundation. The author shows the contrast between the Levitical priests and Jesus. When he did this, he is able to show the superiority to that priesthood. Only through the superior priesthood of Christ can a person truly draw near to God.
So the previous command is annulled because it was weak and unprofitable (for the law perfected nothing), but a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.
In these first few verses, the pattern is set for the rest of this section. It establishes the superiority of Christ’s priesthood over the OT one. This argument is a common tool in the original context, it is a “on one hand...but on the other” type of argument.
On one hand, the Law was set aside because of its weakness and uselessness at providing access to God and a means of spiritual growth. This is why it says for the Law made nothing perfect.
This does not mean that the Law no longer had a use. It served the function of revealing sin.
For no one will be justified in his sight by the works of the law, because the knowledge of sin comes through the law.
But it could not bring perfection, it could only demonstrate imperfection. It reminds people of their sin
On the other hand, with the installation of Christ’s priesthood, there is a bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.
It is this type of access to God-not completing a list of rules-that transforms us from the inside out. This is extremely practical for sinners like us. Knowing who God is and having access to him are hallmarks of true religion. Therefore we, as humans, are fallen and need a reliable bridge to reach the gap that separates us from a holy, righteous God. That bridge is Jesus Christ.
For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus,
and through him we have access to God.
Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
You may ask if that was the function of the OT priesthood? Weren’t they supposed to bridge that gap? Didn’t they point the way, turn worshippers’ attention to their Creator and mediate his blessings to them?
Aren’t the OT priests and Jesus two different bridges leading to the same place?
The author of Hebrews answers these questions with a strong No! These two priesthoods are not the same, and what’s more, Christ’s priesthood is absolutely superior.
None of this happened without an oath. For others became priests without an oath, but he became a priest with an oath made by the one who said to him:
The Lord has sworn
and will not change his mind,
“You are a priest forever.”
Because of this oath, Jesus has also become the guarantee of a better covenant.
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 able to save completely those who come to God through him, since he always lives to intercede for them.
There are four major comparisons that stand out between Christ, the high priest, and the Levitical priests.
Christ’s priesthood was established by a divine oath, which was in Psalm 110:4.
The Lord has sworn an oath and will not take it back:
“You are a priest forever
according to the pattern of Melchizedek.”
With this, Jesus became the guarantee of a covenant arrangement superior to the one given to Moses. When looking at the word “guarantee” it’s the greek word engyos. This is used for someone who puts up bail for someone charged with an offense; that person guarantees that the one accused will appear at the trial.” What this means is that because Christ is superior in his priesthood, those who place their trust in him are guaranteed a better kind of salvation.
This permanent priesthood means that those who go to the father through the mediating work of Christ are saved forever. Because he lives forever, we will live forever. Since we are perpetual sinners, we need a perpetual high priest. He is able to save totally, completely and forever those who have placed their faith in him.
Under the old priesthood, salvation related to the restoration of the covenantal relationship with God. What this means is that if the people obeyed the law, they would receive temporal blessings-bountiful crops, freedom from sickness and disease, protection from enemies.
But, the salvation provided by Christ under his eternal priesthood relates to justification, sanctification and glorification. This includes the resurrection and eternal life with God.
By exercising faith in Christ, you are the recipient of eternal salvation.
salvation
These verses bring up a common question, if the OT priesthood and Law only provided salvation in a temporal way, how are the OT saints/believers saved?
Was this done by sacrificing animals? Did the OT system save them temporarily until Christ came to save them permanently? Were there two ways to salvation? The OT way and the NT way?
Some people have mistakenly believed that any one of these options are true, but they are not. Hebrews is clear, as well as other places in scripture, only Christ is able to “save forever” those who come to God through him. In Hebrews 10:4, it also says this:
For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
This is something that we should know, under the Mosaic covenant, with it’s sacrificial system and laws, God did not promise eternal life in heaven for those who were faithful to that covenant.
Now if you will carefully listen to me and keep my covenant, you will be my own possession out of all the peoples, although the whole earth is mine, and you will be my kingdom of priests and my holy nation.’ These are the words that you are to say to the Israelites.”
“Now if you faithfully obey the Lord your God and are careful to follow all his commands I am giving you today, the Lord your God will put you far above all the nations of the earth. All these blessings will come and overtake you, because you obey the Lord your God:
The blessing that were related to obedience were related to their safe, secure and bountiful lives in the Promised Land (Deut. 28:3-14). Nowhere does it address eternal salvation in heaven for obedience. The covenant also promised curses that would come as a result of breaking these laws, but no promise of an eternal hell-only temporal judgements on earth (Deut. 28:15-68).
Just as the Law didn’t offer eternal salvation, neither did sacrifices. The “forgiveness” gained from sacrifices was also earthly and temporal. Breaking the law would bring curses and sacrifice would bring temporal forgiveness to the people, not eternal salvation.
So the question remains, how would these people be saved, born again and sealed for Heaven? The Bible is clear in Romans.
What then will we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found? If Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about—but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness. Now to the one who works, pay is not credited as a gift, but as something owed. But to the one who does not work, but believes on him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited for righteousness.
Likewise, David also speaks of the blessing of the person to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
Blessed are those whose lawless acts are forgiven
and whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the person
the Lord will never charge with sin.
Is this blessing only for the circumcised, then? Or is it also for the uncircumcised? For we say, Faith was credited to Abraham for righteousness. In what way, then, was it credited—while he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? It was not while he was circumcised, but uncircumcised. And he received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while still uncircumcised. This was to make him the father of all who believe but are not circumcised, so that righteousness may be credited to them also. And he became the father of the circumcised, who are not only circumcised but who also follow in the footsteps of the faith our father Abraham had while he was still uncircumcised.
For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would inherit the world was not through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. If those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made empty and the promise nullified, because the law produces wrath. And where there is no law, there is no transgression.
It is by grace through faith. It was never earned by works, obeying the law or animal sacrifices.
I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing.
For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
It was always based on the atoning work of Christ
But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been revealed, attested by the Law and the Prophets. The righteousness of God is through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe, since there is no distinction. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. God presented him as the mercy seat by his blood, through faith, to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his restraint God passed over the sins previously committed. God presented him to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so that he would be just and justify the one who has faith in Jesus.
The OT saints didn’t have the full story of Christ. In fact, some didn’t even have the Law; Abraham was alive 400 years before Moses received the law!
But what does Paul say?
For what does the Scripture say? Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness.
Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.
The way to salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.
Paul then addresses David.
Romans 4:6–8 (CSB)
Likewise, David also speaks of the blessing of the person to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: Blessed are those whose lawless acts are forgiven and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the person the Lord will never charge with sin.
Righteousness was credited to him or given to those who have faith in God-Abraham, David, other OT saints and Christians share in the same way of salvation.
Now the Scripture saw in advance that God would justify the Gentiles by faith and proclaimed the gospel ahead of time to Abraham, saying, All the nations will be blessed through you. Consequently, those who have faith are blessed with Abraham, who had faith.
All of these OT people were aware of a coming Messiah who was promised to them as early as Genesis.
Genesis 3:15 (CSB)
I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.
Job knew about this when he referred to having an advocate and that that redeemer lives, and that he would stand on this earth.
Job 19:25 (CSB)
But I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the end he will stand on the dust.
Because these OT heroes of the faith and those who believed along side them, believed and awaited this messiah, this was credited to them as righteousness and salvation came to them.
For this is the kind of high priest we need: holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. 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 time 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.
Alright, back to Hebrews. These verses give three additional reasons for Christ’s superiority over the OT priesthood that are related to his person and work.
First, he is superior because he is sinless. In his very nature, who he is, he has no sin in him. No Levitical priest could claim that.
Second, he is superior because his sacrifice was offered once and for all. This means that the work he did is superior than the priests. Because he is holy, he doesn’t need to offer animal sacrifices for his own purification as well as that for all the people. It was accomplished when he offered himself as the final sacrifice. No other priest could take that role of the sacrificial lamb. Christ was the Lamb of God who took away the sins of the world.
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
Isaiah 53:7–12 (CSB)
He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth.
Like a lamb led to the slaughter and like a sheep silent before her shearers, he did not open his mouth.
He was taken away because of oppression and judgment, and who considered his fate?
For he was cut off from the land of the living; he was struck because of my people’s rebellion.
He was assigned a grave with the wicked, but he was with a rich man at his death, because he had done no violence and had not spoken deceitfully.
Yet the Lord was pleased to crush him severely.
When you make him a guilt offering, he will see his seed, he will prolong his days, and by his hand, the Lord’s pleasure will be accomplished.
After his anguish, he will see light and be satisfied.
By his knowledge, my righteous servant will justify many, and he will carry their iniquities.
Therefore I will give him the many as a portion, and he will receive the mighty as spoil, because he willingly submitted to death, and was counted among the rebels; yet he bore the sin of many and interceded for the rebels.
Third, He is the perfect, powerful son of God. The law put imperfect men in place until the coming of the great high priest. In the meantime, by the lips of David, God made an oath that the Messiah would come with a superior priesthood after the order of Melchizedek.
The Lord has sworn an oath and will not take it back:
“You are a priest forever
according to the pattern of Melchizedek.”
He would not be a mere sinful man, but a perfect, powerful son of God with a permanent priesthood.
end (length)
In ancient Rome, a priest who served as mediator between the people and their gods was given the title “pontifex”. It is believed that this name comes from two Latin words, pons (bridge) and facere (to make). In other words, this is someone who would be the bridge between man and the gods.
The Roman Catholic Church pasted the label “Pontifex Maximus”, supreme bridge maker, on the Pope, the Pontiff. However, this title rightly belongs to Christ and him alone. Outside of Christ, there is no need for a priesthood or pontifex between God and man.
We are separated from God by an unbridgeable chasm of sin, but Christ is the good news. We can reach God through Christ, the permanent Pontifex.
You can use this idea when thinking about and communicating the gospel of salvation.
All humanity is separated from God and under judgement because of sin.
The many statements made by Jesus about eternal life indicate there is a solution to this separation from God.
Although humans have attempted to build their own bridges to God, Jesus declared that he alone is the way.
Jesus is the way because of who he is: God and man and an unblemished lamb....because of what he’s done: He died and rose from the dead.
Jesus calls us to respond to this message-to hear and believe. By simple faith, we receive this message and are born again be God’s spirit. Whoever believes in him will be saved.