Hebrews 7:23-28 Jesus the Guarantor of the New Covenant

Intro |

The writer of Hebrews has given example after example to show how Jesus is superior to all things.

the angels, Moses, Aaron, Joshua, and the entire priestly system of the Old Covenant.

In our text today we see the duration and scope of Jesus priesthood.

Whenever you hire someone for a job, they will certainly want to know how long they are being hired for and what is expected of them.

As we have seen, the Levitical Priest were born into the role.

They descended from Levi, the Son of Jacob and Leah. They were sett apart to keep in worship to God.

There was a problem though. The duration of their work had an expiration date, and the scope of their work was not enough either.

God definitely worked through the Old Covenant priest to meet with his people, but the daily and yearly sacrifices were not effective to forgive sins.

Heb. 7:11 “Now if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek, rather than one named after the order of Aaron?”

1. The duration of Jesus priestly ministry provides eternal forgiveness for those who draw near to God.

Heb. 7:23 “The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office.

The priest’s job was to be the middle man between God and his people, but he was truly unable to complete this task.

They had a special role, but a temporal one.

And, apart from God’s sovereign grace the family line would not have remained and the line of Aaron, the Levitical priesthood, would have come to an end.

EX—My grandfather’s branch of the family tree will die with my generation. There are no Tyler boys to carry on his name.

Jesus’ ministry is permanent.

a. (v.24)— “Because he continues forever” — Jesus as the great high priest doesn’t have a term limit.

One day I will not be the pastor of this church, and when you hire the next pastor, you will have no real way of knowing what he will be like.

But, these types of earthly limitations are not part of Jesus permanent priestly ministry!

No one will ever replace him—he continues forever!

We don’t need to be concerned about his doctrines not being carried out by the next priest who comes. He is permanent.

John 14:6 “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

We don’t need to be concerned about his disposition being different from the next priest who comes. He is permanent.

Matt 11:28 “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

Mark 10:14 “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.”

Jesus will always be gentle and lowly. He will always take time with the least, the lowly, and all who call upon him will experience salvation.

We don’t need to be concerned, Jesus’ ministry is permanent.

When you come to him with your fears about the future, he meets you and comforts you every time.

When you come to him tired and worn from broken relationships and long hours, he meets you and gives you strength.

Jesus ministry is complete.

b. (v.25) — “Consequently (Therefore), he is able to save to the uttermost...”

In part, due to the permanence of Jesus’ priestly ministry he is able to accomplish what the OC couldn’t—true salvation.

Remember the OC was merely a shadow of what was to come. It was a tutor, a mirror to help Israel see what they did not know and what they did not have.

They did not know how to live perfectly before God.

And they did not have salvation in relation to God.

(v.25) But, Jesus is “able to save” — Jesus perfect/permanent intercession for you and me makes salvation eternally possible.

Heb 2:18 “For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.”

Andrew Murray— “Without ceasing there streams forth from Him to the father the prayer of His love for every one and every need of those that belong to him; his very person and presence is that prayer, so closely and inseparably is He identified with those He calls his brothers.”

Jesus is able to save, and he is able to do so completely, because he has fully satisfied the wrath of God through his atoning work.

This is problematic for mankind. We want to atone for our own sins, and we want to be made right with our creator.

Very few people don’t care to make right their past wrongs, and their are few people who don’t care what their creator thinks.

That’s why there are so many religions in the world. So many counselors employed. People desire to be made right according to their estimation of right.

In our text today we see that their is only one way we can be made right. Only one God provides the true way for our sins to be forgiven. A forgiveness that can clear our conscience of past wrongs…this is the uttermost saving work of Christ!

This is the salvation we need. Not salvation from a guilty conscience, or from the judgement of others, but salvation from God’s judgement.

Dear Christian, this is our hope throughout our lives. We can look to Jesus for help at every turn because (v.24), “he always lives to intercede for [us].”

And Paul writes, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:1).”

2 QUESTIONS (v.25)—

So, who does God do this for?

v.25—“those who draw near to Him through [the Son].”

John 14:6 “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Friends, the path has been cleared, the way is marked—it is Christ. There is no other way to the Father, but through Christ Jesus, the Lord.

So, where is he now?

He lives and intercedes on behalf of the Church.

He is representing you constantly, eternally, and perfectly reigning with God.

1 Peter 3:22 “[Jesus] has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.”

The duration of Jesus priestly ministry provides eternal forgiveness for those who draw near to God.

2. The scope of Jesus priestly ministry means that I have been fully restored to God (vv.26-28).

Heb7:26 “For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.”

“It was indeed fitting”…He could handle the scope of the job!

This speaks to God’s sovereignty.

Jesus death was not a mistake, a plan B, or a hail mary attempt to fix his creation. No, it was fitting that sinners would have Jesus, holy, blameless, and pure as their high priest.

Heb.4:15 “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.”

Jesus’ earthly life was a day by day trial of his holiness, of his purity, yet he always proved he was the sinless Son of God.

(v.26) “holy”—In relation to God, without sin (2 Cor 5:21 “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”)

“innocent”— In relation to man, innocent (John 8:46 No man could convict him of having sinned against them.)

“unstained”— Jesus has always been perfect before God and man.

He was the sacrifice the OC spotless lamb pointed to.

“separated from sin”— it wasn’t just that Jesus didn’t sin, but he did not have a sin nature like you and me. He was entirely separated from sin.

Because of his eternal perfections, God “exalted him above the heavens,” which is said of no other priest or human being throughout the scriptures.

Heb. 4:14 “Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.”

In our text today we see that God is permanent and perfect high priest. He could handle the duration of the job (permanence), and the scope of the job (perfection).

In the market place when you are somewhat confident that a person can handle the scope of a job. We usually break down job in a job description.

The job description explains what should and shouldn’t be done.

Heb 7:27 “He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself.”

It is almost, as it were, we can hear the priest before you had to offer daily sacrifices for personal sins and the sins of others, but since you are pure, perfect, and holy you don’t need to do that.

There sacrifices were daily because they were temporary.

Your sacrifice is eternal because it was perfect.

Rom 6:10 “For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God.”

The effectiveness of the cross and the resurrection can not be duplicated. It was the once and for all sacrifice, it is finished!

Our triune God understood what this would cost, and Jesus the son “offered up himself” to die—willingly, obediently, perfectly!

The Father, Acts 2:23 Jesus, [was] delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.”

Jesus did what moral men couldn’t do. They couldn’t effectively do the job of securing eternal salvation for sinners.

v.28—The law appoints men in their weakness as high priests.

v.28—But the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints the Son who has been made perfect forever.

It was always God’s plan through the Abrahamic Covenant to have a people who were holy and pure.

The entire OC was pointing to how this would actually, perfectly, eternally work. It was always through Christ.

This is the oat given in through David in Ps. 110:4 “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, “You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.””

And confirmed inRev. 13:8, He is the lamb of God who was slain before the foundation of the earth.

So, the OC didn’t fail, it did exactly what it was supposed to do—it exposes man’s need for a true savior, and ultimately highlight Jesus’ ability to save!

Conclusion:

When you read a text likes this, does it cause you to become awe struck by the perfection and permanence of God in Christ?

Or would you prefer things you could do yourself, things you can put your hands on, you can manage?

This is OC living, modern wordly living, but this doesn’t have the power to save because your self-reliance causes you to miss Jesus!

But, Jesus went willingly/perfectly to the cross, his body was broken and his holy, innocent, unstained blood was shed for you!

It is finished he cried so that you may live and God be glorified.

Trust in him, turn from your own works, and be redeemed!

LORD’S SUPPER