Son a better deal

Bible under my pillow

Being close.

Devotions next to some stale leftovers from communion.

What if we actually understood what Jesus has done for us, and who he is for us? .

[I don’t sleep with Bible any longer; sadly I think that priest still wants to be near stale communion]

The bookends, the sandwich points for our thinking today:

Hebrews 6:19–20 NIV

We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.

Hebrews 7:24–25 NIV

but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.

Already have guaranteed closest access to God. Anchor, firm and secure. Because Jesus has entered there.

Lives forever, saves completely, lives always to intercede.

look at

Hebrews 7:27 NIV

Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself.

Much more next week - but look at the ‘once for all’. He’s done.

What if we actually understood this?

Notice what these depend upon - Jesus being raised from the dead (and therfore able to enter God’s Most Holy Place). Jesus living forever to be a priest forever. Living always to intercede.

Notice at no point does it depend upon how I feel about it - how close I feel.

Feelings could be a pointer to just needing sleep, or the endorphins after some exercise, or that you need medical assistance. They are God-given, as renewed as mind - but they don’t prove reality.

Ways ‘to get closer’ to God

Music, style of worship

Holy Communion

Talking in tongues

Being in nature

Meditation

Fasting

Doing acts of good/charity

Church gatherings

Bible reading

Prayer

Systems God has set up

OT:

Tabernacle/temple;

priests, sacrifices, morning and evening offerings

passover, festivals

sabbath

NT:

Church family,

gatherings,

pastors,

spiritual gifts,

singing,

communion

What if we really understood what Jesus has done for us, and who he is as high priest for us?

don’t be dopey, lazy, just looking for simple

today is worth it because it will leave you free-er

In built weakness and inferiority

Floppy disk - magnetically lose data, scratched...

Remember - the whole point is to unpack how good Jesus is.

Melchizedek > (“better than”) Abraham/Levi

From Genesis 14. The battle.

Some comparisons between Jesus and Melchizedek - not a basis for arguments, just pointing out similarities:

Hebrews 7:2 NIV

and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, the name Melchizedek means “king of righteousness”; then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.”

A bit like Jesus, right?

Hebrews 7:3 NIV

Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever.

Again, a bit like Jesus - no recorded beginning or end.

But the big point:

Hebrews 7:6 NIV

This man, however, did not trace his descent from Levi, yet he collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises.

Gets a tithe - must be superior to Abraham (and all Abraham’s descendents - like Levi)

BLesses Abraham - must be superior to Abraham (and all Abraham’s descendents - including Levi)

So when Psalm 110 speaks about a Melchizedek-priest - it is better than the Levite one.

See that it pre-dates the priest family of Levi.

Now - so when Jesus is called a priest in the Melchizedek line - that’s our immediate conclusion - he’s better than Abraham and Levi.

But wait, there’s more.

Jesus > Levite priests

Remember, God set up the Levite system.

But like floppy disks - it is in built weak, in built inferior

Hebrews 7:11 NIV

If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood—and indeed the law given to the people established that priesthood—why was there still need for another priest to come, one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron?

It didn’t make anything perfect.

The fact that Psalm 110 was written a long time after the Levitical priesthood was well in swing - shows God had a plan to finish it.

Hebrews 7:16 NIV

one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life.

We’re told every other priest in Levi’s family died eventually. And we’ll see in coming weeks that their sacrifices didn’t fix anything anyway.

Hebrews 7:18–19 NIV

The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless (for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God.

The law is just like an usher saying ‘can I please introduce you to God’. Then we meet Jesus.

Even the God-given systems weren’t made to bring the people of Israel to God.

Jesus meets our need

What if we realised how good we have it with God because of Jesus our High Priest:

Hebrews 7:24–25 NIV

but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.

No system (even the ones set up by God) can make you closer than Jesus has already made you.

That’s like selling ice to eskimoes. Those steps and plans and strategies might give you some discipline, church worship, holy communion might make you ‘feel’ closer (that’s not a bad thing) - but if you trust in Jesus - when you’re down in the dumps and life sucks and church feels boring and praying feels empty and God feels far away - Jesus has saved you completly already and is praying for you to hold on.

And these activities don’t make a sliver of difference because Jesus has already brought you close to God.

Many of them might be your prefernce - and that’s ok - but don’t you dare undermine the work of Jesus in bringing you close to God by claiming that these tools are needed to get you close. Jesus’ job is done - these other things at best are gifts so that we might experience that closeness - not methods to get close.

[Really, imagine how horrible it truly would be if it did actually depend on us and our spiritual techniques]

You don’t need a better spirituality, or some meditation - you need to fix your eyes on Jesus again.