Hebrews 7:23-28 (Part 2)

Intro |

Up to this point 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.

‌The author has shown that, Jesus is eternal and effective in all his ways.

‌‌Don’t get me wrong, 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 Eternal Priest

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

The priests, under the OC, were the middle men between God and his people, but he was truly unable to complete this task.

They had a special role, but it was a temporal one, they were prevented by death.

As a result of the Fall, sin and death have tainted all things.

However, the eternality of Jesus shows his effectiveness in a way that the earthly priests were unable to.

Heb. 1:8 — Of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.

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

Through the Covenant of Redemption — Have you ever considered what our triune God was doing before creation?

The Covenant of Redemption is a covenant among the persons of the Godhead, specifically between the Father and the Son.

In Phil. 2:5-11 we see the willingness of the Son to carry out the will of the Father. So, in eternity past, Jesus agreed to carry out the will of the Father, and as a boy in the temple He reminded His earthly parents that He must be about His Father’s business. His meat and drink was to do the will of His Father. It was zeal for His Father’s house that consumed Him. Repeatedly He declared that He spoke not on His own authority but on the authority of the One who sent Him.

The Covenant of Redemption shows the Son’s eternal willingness to carry out the redemptive plan of God, and at his ascension mankind learned fully that Jesus does in fact “continue forever.”

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No one will ever replace him!

Heb. 1:9 — [Jesus] loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.”

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

Jesus eternally, permanently, perfectly holds the office of priest so that you can confidently go before God the Father.

In confession

In prayer

In worship

W‌e do this knowing that … (v.25) — “Consequently (Therefore), he is able to save to the uttermost...”‌

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.

What they did not yet have was Jesus, and he is ...Holy, innocent, unstained, separate from sin, and exalted above the heavens.

‌(v.25) Because of Jesus’ perfection we can know that he is “able to save”

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.”‌

The OT clearly teaches universal human disobedience and sinfulness, but it also speaks of one who would be fully obedient and fully without sin.

John 8:29 —Jesus said, “for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.”

Jesus Christ, true God and true man, fulfilled the expectations of the OT prophets. And Jesus himself claimed that he always does the things that pleased the Father

This is our confidence and hope. We can look to Jesus for help in every situation because he eternally carries out the will of the Father, and (v.24) “he always lives to intercede for [us].”

Heb. 5:9 — And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.

With this in mind we hold tightly to Paul's teaching that , “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:1).”

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So, who is Jesus Priestly ministry for?‌

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

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

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

This has always been the redemptive plan, that through Jesus people of every tribe, tongue, and nation would confidently draw near to the Father!

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” — 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.

Sproul — The God of Scripture has no “plan b” or “plan c.” His “plan a” is from everlasting to everlasting. It is both perfect and unchangeable as it rests on God’s eternal character, which is among other things, holy, omniscient, and immutable. God’s eternal plan is not revised because of moral imperfections within it that must be purified. His plan was not corrected or amended because He gained new knowledge that He lacked at the beginning. God’s plan never changes because He never changes and because perfection admits to no degrees and cannot be improved upon.

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Heb.4:15 “[Jesus] in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.”

It is common for a person to stand condemned because of their actions in a court of law.

In Christ, for the Christian, this is not so in the court of God.

Heb 4:16 — [So then]...Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

What weakness, you might ask? Every weakness! Surely our sin, yes our times of temptation, but also our moments of doubt, fear, anxiety, and uncertainty.

His grace and mercy allow us to experience the glories of Christ as if they were our own.

(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.

Mark 9‌:3 — On the Mt of Transfiguration, Jesus’ clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them.

Rev. 1:14 — The hairs of his head were white, like white wool.

Rev 19:11 — Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war.

“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, and completely committed to the Father’s will.

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2. The Effective Priest — He is not just an eternal priest, but an eternally effective great high priest.

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.”

‌The OC priest’s sacrifices were daily because they were weak, tainted by sin, and temporary

‌Conversely, Jesus’ sacrifice is effective because it was strong, sinless, and eternal. He did this “once for all” of the sins of the church.

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 Jesus’ life, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension can not be duplicated. It was the once and for all sacrifice for sinners.

That is why Jesus could cry out from the cross, “ it is finished!”

‌(v.27) Our triune God understood what this would cost, and Jesus the son did what no human ever can— “offered up himself” to die—willingly, obediently, perfectly!

It was always God’s plan to have a people who were holy and pure to worship him.

‌The entire OC shadows forth to how this would actually, perfectly, eternally come to be— and it was always through the finished work of Jesus Christ.

For Jesus is the lamb of God who was slain before the foundation of the earth (Rev. 13:8).

‌3. The Implications of Jesus as Priest

Hebrews 5:9 “And being made perfect, (effective) he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him,” being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.

Sins are covered

(v.25) says that Jesus is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God.

There is no sin too great, or sinner too far!

Rom 4:7 ““Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered;”

George Swinnock (English Puritan) The Blessed and Boundless God—“We have placed ourselves where God deserves to be—on the throne. And God placed himself where we deserve to be—on the cross. His forgiveness supersedes our sinfulness, His merit eclipses our guilt, and his righteousness hides our vileness. His abundant mercy blots out our multitude of sins.”

Sinners have confidence

(Heb. 4:16) Says that since we have such a great high priest as Jesus, we can confidently draw near to God. Pair that with 7:25, and we see that he saves those who draw near .

James 4:8 “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.

Ps. 145:18 “The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.”

Heb. 9:14 [So], “how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.”