The Pattern of Christ's Superior Preisthood
Notes
Transcript
Usually when automakers go from one year to the next they make small little upgrades and changes, but pretty much its the same car, year to year. But occasionally auto makers will do what they call “all new redisigned” car. It still the same model but they make significant changes to the improve the car, new designed body style, different engine, major upgrades etc.
The same can be said for the office of High Priest. They change from year to year some better some worse, but pretty much the same function. But when Christ came he broke the mold a new and completely redesigned Priest hood, far superior in every way yet still following the same pattern of old.
A Chosen Priest (1,4)
A Chosen Priest (1,4)
Chosen by God
Chosen by God
This was a position that was given by God it was not one that was usurped or given to anyone who desires. It is a position and life of service and sacrifice, it is a life of difficulty and pain.
“Then bring near to you Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the people of Israel, to serve me as priests—Aaron and Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.
So the Lord said to Aaron, “You and your sons and your father’s house with you shall bear iniquity connected with the sanctuary, and you and your sons with you shall bear iniquity connected with your priesthood. And with you bring your brothers also, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, that they may join you and minister to you while you and your sons with you are before the tent of the testimony.
The 16th chapter of Numbers records the event of the Israelites who sought rebel against the preisthood that the Lord had established, namely Aaron and his sons. Korah, and Dathan and Abriam all challeged his authority and the authority of Moses. The Many died because of thier rebellion the ground opened up and swallowed the Korah and his people. The people continued to rebel and we remember the story of how the Lord confirmed the High Preisthood of Aaron by allowing his staff to bud and to bear ripe almonds.
But the Levitical Preisthood came to an abrupt halt in 70 ad. and even to this day no sacrifice has been made upon the the Temple in Jerusalem. It was destroyed, but the reason is this when Christ died as the Superior High Priest once and for all, by the sacrifice of Himself the perfect sacrifice, the old order was done away with.
The Lord has sworn
and will not change his mind,
“You are a priest forever
after the order of Melchizedek.”
Christ did in one sacrifice what millions of sacrifices in the Old Temple could not do. That is perfect the one who would come to God. Christ as our Great High Priest has brought us in to the very presence of God.
This is the difference between the Jews and Christians. The Jews had a High Priest though weak as he was, though no longer. But we do have a High Priest who has once and for all put away our sin through His perfect and superior sacrifice.
By reason of its very inadequacy, the old order awaited the appearance of the perfect and final high priest who would offer up the perfect and final sacrifice—perfect because, not now the inadequate offering of some dumb and uncomprehending beast, it is the fully equivalent offering of his own unblemished and victorious self, as our fellow man, and final because it avails for all sin and for all eternity. Philip Edgcumbe Hughes
Chosen among men
Chosen among men
The incarnation is something that is puzzling to many especially the Jews. They hated Him even sought to kill him over this issue. In John 10 they sought to stone Him because he being a man was claiming to be God. They thought it blasphemy.
TRANSITION: But this is precisely the point Christ had to necessarily become a man so that he could become not only a High Priest but a sympathetic and compassionate one who had solidarity with man because of His temptations. It is a position that could only be held by a man, no angel could preform such a duty as priest. How could they possibly be beset with the same weaknesses as man.
A Compassionate Priest (2)
A Compassionate Priest (2)
The word to deal gently is an interesting word, that occurs only here in the entire bible. It is a word that means that the priest must moderate his feelings. He knows that the people are ignorant and wayward, but must moderate his feeling so that he feels things as they feel things.
He must cling to the rock and not be hardened and shut off to his peoples feelings and circumstances, but must also not indulge sinful behavior. If a person is sinking in the quicksand, he must learn to jump in to save the person, but he must first tie a safety line with which he can pull both himself and rescuer safely to solid ground. This is the point of the verse here that the priest beset with weakness must first enter into the presence of God with a sacrifice for His own sins. In this way he is ancoring his own self to the mercy of God so that he can bring others to God. He dare not jump foolish into the quicksand with out a life line where the two can slowly sink to their death while hugging all the way down. No his Job is to bring men to God. So in order to bring men to God He must show solidarity and sympathy.
What is also interesting here is the way that the author of Hebrews qualifies who the priest is to be compassionate towards … the ignorant and wayward. I think the idea here is that a person who sins in ignorance who is drawn away in a moment. Like swimming in the water and getting too close to the edge and being sucked out by the surf. I life gaurd will go out to rescue such a person but not without a bouy or life line. He must be careful lest the person he is trying to rescue gets into a panic and pulls him under as well. But a quick reminder of the laws surrounding the sacrifices will remind us that there was no sacrifice in the Old Testament for willful “high-handed” sin. Only for unintentional sin. In other words a person who deliberately and defiantly breaks the commands of the Lord has no sacrifice. They are to be cut-off from the people of God. The same is true for today.
For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,
If we continue to remain in sin with no sense of repentance and turning to the Lord, then no matter what we claim there is nothing for us but “a fearful expectation of judgement”.
When someone comes to me and says that they are a believer, and are wrestling with sin, the first thing that I am looking for is an attitude towards their sin. If this person is repentant and sorrowful over their sin, then sympathy tells me that I must encourage them to continue with that attitude of repentance, but there is hope they must approach the throne of His grace with confidence. But if they are flippant and have no sense of remorse then they need rebuke and perhaps church discipline which is harsh but meant for the purpose always of restoring such a one.
His office was concerned, above all, with the radical problem of human sinfulness and the need of the people for reconciliation with God. Philip Edgcumbe Hughes
The high priest must not steel his heart against the people He must show pity and compassion.
As a father shows compassion to his children,
so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.
The Lord Himself was compassionate and kind. We remember the in John 8 the woman caught in adultery. How the Pharisees dragged the adulterous woman before Jesus seeking to trap Him. If He condemns her to death as the law requires he would be guilty of breaking with Roman law which held the right to execution of criminals, if He did not condemn her He would be guilty of ignoring the Mosaic law. Jesus masterfully turns them away by saying, “He who is without sin cast the first stone” After all had left Jesus compassionately deals with her by saying, Neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more.”
Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him.
the Weakness mentioned here is not the common weakness due to temptation that Christ shares with us but rather the High Priest of the Old were beset with weakness in that they were susceptible to sin as well. They were obligated to offer sacrifice first for their own sins, something Christ was under no obligation to offer because He had no sin. This is what makes his sacrifice superior in everyway.
A Conciliatory Priest (3)
A Conciliatory Priest (3)
The word conciliatory means to reconcile or to bring in to right relationship. The job of the High Priest was to bring people into the presence of God. As verse 1 puts it to act on behalf of men in relationship to God.