23) Hebrews - The Advent of the Perfect Priest (2)
Notes
Transcript
Teach God’s Character and Work. (The Word)
So that the people may turn from a rebellious Heart (Root) Sins of “Unbelief, Pride, Selfishness” (Repentance)
and “Be Reconciled to God” (Justification)
Resulting in Transformation - behavioral change of the work of the HS (Sanctification)
Which is obedience to the will of God (The Word)
Resulting in being encouraged by God’s Character and Work to hold fast to the Promise of Hope. (Faith and Belief)
Resulting in Eternal Rest, Joy, Peace, Worship (Glorification)
For His Glory
Gathering - Community Announcements
Welcome Folder
67 Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied: 68 Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and provided redemption for his people. 69 He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, 70 just as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets in ancient times; 71 salvation from our enemies and from the hand of those who hate us. 72 He has dealt mercifully with our ancestors and remembered his holy covenant— 73 the oath that he swore to our father Abraham. He has given us the privilege, 74 since we have been rescued from the hand of our enemies, to serve him without fear 75 in holiness and righteousness in his presence all our days. 76 And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, 77 to give his people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins. 78 Because of our God’s merciful compassion, the dawn from on high will visit us 79 to shine on those who live in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Call to Worship
Corporate Prayer -
Worship through Song
Tore-Joy / Max-Love / Kyle Hope
8 And in the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields, and keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. 10 And the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which shall be for all the people; 11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
9 “Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. 10 “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments, and abide in His love. 11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.
20 “Truly, truly, I say to you, that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned to joy. 21 “Whenever a woman is in travail she has sorrow, because her hour has come; but when she gives birth to the child, she remembers the anguish no more, for joy that a child has been born into the world. 22 “Therefore you too now have sorrow; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one takes your joy away from you.
Lighting of the Peace Candle
Worship through Song
Every Man: Cass
6 For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. 7 The dominion will be vast, and its prosperity will never end. He will reign on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish and sustain it with justice and righteousness from now on and forever. The zeal of the Lord of Armies will accomplish this.
Worship through Song
Prayer
Sermon
Introduction
Introduction
Please turn with me to Hebrews chapter 8. Let us read the words of God this morning.
1 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, 2 a minister of the sanctuary and the true tabernacle that was set up by the Lord and not man. 3 For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; therefore, it was necessary for this priest also to have something to offer. 4 Now if he were on earth, he wouldn’t be a priest, since there are those offering the gifts prescribed by the law. 5 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. 6 But Jesus has now obtained a superior ministry, and to that degree he is the mediator of a better covenant, which has been established on better promises. 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion for a second one. 8 But finding fault with his people, he says: See, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— 9 not like the covenant that I made with their ancestors on the day I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt. I showed no concern for them, says the Lord, because they did not continue in my covenant. 10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 11 And each person will not teach his fellow citizen, and each his brother or sister, saying, “Know the Lord,” because they will all know me, from the least to the greatest of them. 12 For I will forgive their wrongdoing, and I will never again remember their sins. 13 By saying a new covenant, he has declared that the first is obsolete. And what is obsolete and growing old is about to pass away.
We come to the end of the first discourse and the transition to the second discourse of the book of Hebrews. We have come to the “Main Point” which means the summary. This passage looks at the overall point of all that has been said from chapter 1 through chapter 7 and transitions too the second part of the book. The first 3 verses of chapter 1 and the passage that we look at today, in a sense, are book ends to the first part of the book of Hebrews “The superiority of Christ”. If we look back to the 1st chapter we read.
1 Long ago God spoke to our ancestors by the prophets at different times and in different ways. 2 In these last days, he has spoken to us by his Son. God has appointed him heir of all things and made the universe through him. 3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of his nature, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
The superiority of Jesus has been demonstrated by the author showing that he is better than than the great prophets as a better spokesman of God. He has been shown to be greater than the highly revered angels. His faithfulness was compared to the one of the most honored man in the Jewish history, Moses. Last week we completed the defense of Jesus are the better High Priest. The better Aaron.
The prophets that God spoke through, angels that ministered to men, Moses that lead them out of Egypt and God presented the Law to, and Aaron whom through the Levitical priesthood was established were all good. In the fact that God used them in his sovereignty to accomplished His purposes in the Old Testament.
Isreal, as God’s chosen people were guided by the prophets, the Law, and the Priesthood. Everything was established the way God designed it and after the final writing of the Prophet Malachi we hear nothing from God for 400 years. God’s speaks at the old testament with:
16 At that time those who feared the Lord spoke to one another. The Lord took notice and listened. So a book of remembrance was written before him for those who feared the Lord and had high regard for his name. 17 “They will be mine,” says the Lord of Armies, “my own possession on the day I am preparing. I will have compassion on them as a man has compassion on his son who serves him. 18 So you will again see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him. 1 “For look, the day is coming, burning like a furnace, when all the arrogant and everyone who commits wickedness will become stubble. The coming day will consume them,” says the Lord of Armies, “not leaving them root or branches. 2 But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings, and you will go out and playfully jump like calves from the stall. 3 You will trample the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day I am preparing,” says the Lord of Armies. 4 “Remember the instruction of Moses my servant, the statutes and ordinances I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel. 5 Look, I am going to send you the prophet Elijah before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes. 6 And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers. Otherwise, I will come and strike the land with a curse.”
After 400 years of silence, God’s messengers bring his words. We see and angel speak to Zechariah in the temple about the his son John. Then we see an angel speak to Mary and announce that she will be the mother of the messiah and then to Joseph.
Angels proclaim to the Shepherds
8 In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: 11 Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be the sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped tightly in cloth and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: 14 Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people he favors! 15 When the angels had left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”
The savior of the world has been born. The messiah has come. The angel tells them to flee to Egypt to flee from Harod and then to return after his death. Some record that the Old Testament uses the phases “God says” and thus says the Lord over 500 thousand times but is not until the baptism of Jesus that God speaks directly to his people again.
21 When all the people were baptized, Jesus also was baptized. As he was praying, heaven opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him in a physical appearance like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well-pleased.”
God the Father declared from the heavens, as God the Spirit descends onto God the Son, and breaks his silence by saying in his own voice “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
For seven chapters the author of Hebrews has been looking at the shadows and types in the old testament. These were all good but they are not the clear truth of the Son of God. The Son sits at highest place of honor, the right hand of God, and has established a new priesthood in himself as he mediates for those who believe.
1 Long ago God spoke to our ancestors by the prophets at different times and in different ways. 2 In these last days, he has spoken to us by his Son. God has appointed him heir of all things and made the universe through him. 3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of his nature, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
The Priest King
The Priest King
The main point is that we have this type of priest. If you look back chapter 7 we read.
26 For this is the kind of high priest we need: holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. 27 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. 28 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.
The focus is know to finish and finalize that Jesus is King and Priest. A king of ultimate authority at the right hand of the father and the the High priest that mediates for his people. The claim is the fulfillment of the prophecy of Zechariah.
11 Take silver and gold, make a crown, and place it on the head of Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. 12 You are to tell him: This is what the Lord of Armies says: Here is a man whose name is Branch; he will branch out from his place and build the Lord’s temple. 13 Yes, he will build the Lord’s temple; he will bear royal splendor and will sit on his throne and rule. There will be a priest on his throne, and there will be peaceful counsel between the two of them.
The 1st and only priest king is here and he is seated. This isn’t the 1st time the author has spoken of Christ sitting. There were no chairs in the tabernacle or the temple. The priests were to stand while performing the scarifies and the work of the temple. It is significant that he is a seated priest. It is the picture of a priest who’s work is accomplished.
The Levitical priest would not sit because their work was never done. There were always more sacrifices to be made.
Hebrews 8:1–2 (CSB)
… We have this kind of high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, 2 a minister of the sanctuary and the true tabernacle that was set up by the Lord and not man.
Seated in Heaven
Seated in Heaven
Not only is his work completed but he sits in the heavens. In a sanctuary not of this world. In the true tabernacle. This is another pointer that the tabernacle and the temple on this earth are a shadow and a type.
5 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.
Jesus does not sit in the shadow. This does not mean that they were unimpressive. Everything I read about the Tabernacle and the temple were beautiful and grand. They pointed to the greatness of God’s glory but only the Son of God can truly show the true nature of God’s glory.
3 For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; therefore, it was necessary for this priest also to have something to offer.
What is the purpose of a priest? He is to minister the offerings and sacrifices for the people. The Levitical priest has to bring sacrifices for themselves first for their own sins. Then they would perform there anointed duty to offer gifts and sacrifices. Jesus brought the perfect sacrifice. Himself. The spotless and blameless lamb of God.
He was falsely accused by the people he came to save. He stood silently as those he loved made false accusations about him. He endured beatings and mockery. He looked out into the crowd, into the faces of each person. Each face he knew. Each voice that yelled crucify him was a voice of his creation.
The cruelty of men was on full display as the perfect sacrifice walked to his own death.
34 Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, because they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided his clothes and cast lots.
He interceded for them even to the end and as he said “it is finished”. The sacrifice had been made as the new high priest gave himself as the sacrifice for mankind's sins. This is what was required but unlike the Levitical priests, Jesus completed the work. The old sacrifices would make atonement for sin but could not free men from sin.
The sacrifice has been made but He still ministers. He still takes up the offerings and mediates for his people, not on earth but in heaven.
4 Now if he were on earth, he wouldn’t be a priest, since there are those offering the gifts prescribed by the law. 5 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.
Jesus would could not be a priest on this earth. He was not a Levite and did not come from the hereditary line so he could not be a priest in the temple. Even though his death would tear the vail of the holy of holies and make the temple sacrifices obsolete, he never went into the temple any further than what was appropriate. For even though these were Holy places they were established as a pattern of the true tabernacle.
After God gave Moses the specific instructions to build and set up the tabernacle there were a pattern from the beginning.
40 Be careful to make them according to the pattern you have been shown on the mountain.
Jesus has provided the last perfect sin offering but he still ministers to the children of God.
The Better Ministry
The Better Ministry
The author ends the first discourse with verse 6.
6 But Jesus has now obtained a superior ministry, and to that degree he is the mediator of a better covenant, which has been established on better promises.
Because of the work on the cross and who he is Holy God and perfect man, he is superior to all. And with that he has obtained a superior ministry. A more excellent ministry one of higher quality that is distinguished from the priests ministry on earth.
All of this was ordained by God, because of His love so that sinful and fallen men and women can be reconciled back to God.
1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 We have also obtained access through him by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also boast in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, 4 endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. 5 This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. 6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For rarely will someone die for a just person—though for a good person perhaps someone might even dare to die. 8 But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 How much more then, since we have now been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from wrath. 10 For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, then how much more, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life. 11 And not only that, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received this reconciliation.
It is through Jesus the one who came and brought Joy to the world so that we may no longer be enemies to God but his saved children. To stand guiltless before a Just God not because of our work but of Jesus’ work on the cross.
the old covenant given after the Israelites left Egypt is replaced with a new covenant. One that we will go over the next couple of weeks.
I was thinking about Jesus as our priest and I am not sure if I have ever heard a sermon Jesus’ priesthood. But the question should be asked is what is our response to the truth we have heard today.?
Are you being called to God to repent of your sin and to be saved?
Are you a believer that has fallen back to focus on the things of this world and put your trust in the created things instead of the creator?
Are you seeking God’s will for your life? In his Word, hearing from him. With his people the church? Growing and maturing in the likeness of Christ? Are you being transformed by the renewing of you mind or have you come to place of just conforming your life to look like a follower of Jesus?
It is my hope that many here are doing these and are finding Hope, Joy, Peace, and Love through their faith and obedience to God’s will for their lives.
We look forward in anticipation of the return of the King of Kings. and we will join him as it proclaims in Revelation
21 “To the one who conquers I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.
As we come to the Lord’s table this morning. Will you join me in reflecting on out High Priest who is mediating the new covenant that Jesus speaks of at the passover meal.
He said “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you” Jesus mediated this covenant from heaven as we speak, sitting at the right hand of the father in the heavens, in the presence of God the father.
Fence the table.
Let us pray.
Let us pray.
Prayer
Communion
Warning
Children, Lost, Sin
19 And he took bread, gave thanks, broke it, gave it to them, and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 20 In the same way he also took the cup after supper and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.
Prayer
Song
Closing
Blessing/Benediction
20 Now may the God of peace, who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus—the great Shepherd of the sheep—through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 21 equip you with everything good to do his will, working in us what is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.