6.11.46 10.13.2024 Better?You Bet Hebrews 7

Start:

Entice: Sometimes how a story is told is a key to its meaning. Hebrews 7 is not hard to follow but it is detailed. The author discusses Jesus in connection with two other central figures. Still, he is driving at one central and essential truth.

Jesus is better than any human mediator.

His priesthood is superior.

His high-priesthood is of an order that transcends human

experience,

expectation

and

execution.

Jesus is uniquely able to save us.

As The Who might say “Is Jesus better?”

You better, you better, you bet.

Engage: Our culture has become increasingly uncomfortable with this notion of “Better than.” “Better than”…feels unnecessarily judgmental—even mean. We have allowed so many issues to become matters of taste or opinion that many contemporary people just can’t get their head around it.

“Better than” implies examination.

“Better than” implies making judgements.

“Better than” means choosing this and discarding that.

I eat a lot of peanut butter. For most of my life I have been a Peter Pan man. There was some contention when I was growing up between JIF and Peter Pan contingents in the household, but more often than not we had Peter Pan. Which I always thought best.

Last year I did a little research. Comparing, Contrasting, Choosing. The question “Is this peanut butter better than that” is obviously not the same as “is Jesus’ priesthood better than that.”

But in these or any valid comparison one does have to clarify the right questions.

Do I want added sugar.

How much “non-peanut oil?

“Natural”=stirred.

How about molasses?

What exactly do you mean by “Peanut flavor.”

And lo and behold…I’m now a Skippy eater. Why? Comparison, Contrast, Choice. Really? How much of the process was a subjective decision or based on habit?

Yes, it is a stretch to go from choosing Peanut Butter to choosing Jesus. The 7th chapter is a part of the Hebrew authors case where he lays out comparison and contrast to help us choose wisely.

Expand: In chapter 7 the Hebrew author wants, to help us choose the best High Priest possible. So, he helps us to do that hard work of choosing by presenting information to us about the choice. Jesus and Melchizedek.

Jesus and the Levitical Priesthood. After all this time and generations of Christians, people still make their choices about Jesus based on the best available information regarding who can save us and lead us to sanctification.

Excite: This chapter is worth tracing fully because the author helps us to make the right decision about Jesus. Because…

Explore:

Whatever You contrast Him to or compare Him with, Jesus is superior.

Expand: Consider the alternatives.

Body of Sermon: First he makes a

1 Comparison

Hebrews 7:1–10 ESV

1 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, 2 and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything. He is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace. 3 He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever. 4 See how great this man was to whom Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth of the spoils! 5 And those descendants of Levi who receive the priestly office have a commandment in the law to take tithes from the people, that is, from their brothers, though these also are descended from Abraham. 6 But this man who does not have his descent from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. 7 It is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior. 8 In the one case tithes are received by mortal men, but in the other case, by one of whom it is testified that he lives. 9 One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, 10 for he was still in the loins of his ancestor when Melchizedek met him.

As mysterious as he is and as nebulous his ministry the author specifies some details about Melchizedek that allows a favorable comparison with Jesus.

He is

1.1 Timeless.

1.2 Rootless.

1.3 Preeminent.

Jesus shares these characteristics with Melchizedek. It is a favorable comparison. The central difference is that we know why Jesus seems timeless, rootless, and preeminent—because He is God in flesh. What Melchizedek implies Jesus makes real.

Next consider this

2 Contrast.

Hebrews 7:11–17 ESV

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? 12 For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well. 13 For the one of whom these things are spoken belonged to another tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar. 14 For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. 15 This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek, 16 who has become a priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life. 17 For it is witnessed of him, “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.”

The contrast of the Levitical priesthood with Jesus is stark. It is

2.1 Impermanent.

2.2 Inflexible.

So much so that Jesus, from the tribe of Judah would have been ineligible!

2.3 Inferior.

The contrast with one, and comparison with the other is designed to help us choose Jesus to be our priest.

And so, we come to the

3 Choice.

Hebrews 7:18–28 (ESV)

18 For on the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness

19 (for the law made nothing perfect); but on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.

20 And it was not without an oath. For those who formerly became priests were made such without an oath,

21 but this one was made a priest with an oath by the one who said to him: “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, ‘You are a priest forever.’ ”

22 This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant.

23 The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office,

24 but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever.

25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

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.

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.

28 For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.

3.1 Promise.

3.2 Permanent.

3.3 Powerful.

3.4 Perfect.

Shut Down

No one can choose for you. We try to explain what scripture says so that you know the facts and can make a good decision. Today’s text has been an explicit attempt to examine the claims of Christ in the context of similar figures. The outcome of that process is that

none compare to Him.

Beyond that it is also clear that the priesthoods of both Melchizedek and Aaron were derived from the eventual eternal priesthood of Jesus. They looked forward to His priesthood and anticipated His work.

In the end there is no real comparison and the contrast is stark. Jesus the eternal Son of God, took on flesh and became the willing sacrifice for our sins as well as the attending priest for that sacrifice. His work is neither mysterious nor powerless. Rooted in His own eternal nature Jesus saves.

On the mount of transfiguration Peter, James, and John participated in another comparison of Jesus with other great OT figures. They saw Jesus in the company of Elijah and Moses who joined Him in conversation that day. They were tempted see them as equals until the Father, speaking from the cloud of glory made it clear that Jesus was “better than” them:

Mark 9:7b(ESV)

7b “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.”

As Lord and Savor, and Priest…let’s listen to Jesus.