Jesus, the Perfect High Priest (Hebrews 5:1–10)

Introduction

We’re continuing our series in the book of Hebrews. Today, we are in the Hebrews 5:1-10 where we will learn about Jesus as our perfect high priest, the eternal one who mediates on our behalf.

I thought I would start today with a confession. Here it is: I like eating cookies too much. Unfortunately, my oldest son has picked up that habit from me. So, a lot of times, he gets the blame.

One day, my wife noticed the last cookies were gone. Naturally, the blame fell on my oldest son. She looked at him and said, ‘Did you eat the last cookie?’ He insisted, ‘No, I didn’t!’ But she was skeptical. She knows his track record.

Finally, I stepped in. I confessed to eating the last of the cookies. I was the guilty one. Before I confessed, my oldest son was standing there, taking the blame for something he didn’t do. I could have let him take the blame. But I stepped in and became the mediator, the one who stepped in to take responsibility and set things straight.

Now, that story is just about cookies. But what about when it’s something you did do, and the stakes are much higher? What about when you stand before God, guilty, with no defense?

If your faith is in Christ, Jesus stands for you. He is our mediator, our perfect high priest, who stands between us and God. He took on the guilt for our sins on the cross. That’s why he is our Savior. Today, as we walk through this text in Hebrews, we’ll see why Jesus is our perfect high priest. Turn to Hebrews 5:1-10.

Scripture Reading

Hebrews 5:1–10 CSB

1 For every high priest taken from among men is appointed in matters pertaining to God for the people, to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2 He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he is also clothed with weakness. 3 Because of this, he must make an offering for his own sins as well as for the people. 4 No one takes this honor on himself; instead, a person is called by God, just as Aaron was. 5 In the same way, Christ did not exalt himself to become a high priest, but God who said to him, You are my Son; today I have become your Father, 6 also says in another place, You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. 7 During his earthly life, he offered prayers and appeals with loud cries and tears to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. 8 Although he was the Son, he learned obedience from what he suffered. 9 After he was perfected, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, 10 and he was declared by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.

Pray

Hebrews 5:1-10 lays out the qualifications of a high priest in the Jewish system. It shows us what was required of the high priest under the Mosaic covenant. The verses argue that Jesus not only met the requirements of a high priest, he perfectly fulfilled them.

Jesus was different from any high priest who came before him. He is not just another high priest. He is the perfect high priest, the only one who can truly stand before God for us on our behalf forever.

We will walk through Hebrews 5:1-10 and see three essential truths about Jesus as our perfect high priest. As our high priest, these verses teach that he was divinely appointed, learned obedience through suffering and that he alone grants eternal salvation.

The first thing we see about Jesus in Hebrews 5:1-10 is that,

I. Jesus is the Divinely Appointed High Priest

The first thing we learn about Jesus in this passage is that he did not take on the role of high priest himself. Instead, God appointed Jesus as our perfect high priest. Just as high priests under the Mosaic covenant had to be called by God, Jesus was divinely chosen.

A. The Role of a High Priest

Hebrews 5:1-3 lays out the responsibilities of the high priest under the old covenant:

The high priest was chosen from among men (5:1). He had to be a human being who represented the people of Israel before God.

The high priest offered gifts and sacrifices for sins (5:1). His primary role was to deal with sin.

The high priest dealt gently with sinners (5:2). Because he was also weak and sinful, he could sympathize with those who sinned.

The high priest had to offer sacrifices for his sins (5:3). Before the high priest could stand before God on behalf of the people, he had to deal with and atone for his sins.

Human high priests were always flawed. They were temporary mediators who had to keep offering sacrifices for sins because their work was never finished.

Their work was never finished because their sinfulness limited their ability to represent people. A human high priest could never stand before God forever because sin would inevitably creep back into his life. He constantly offered sacrifices for himself and the people because sin kept coming back. His work was never done.

Jesus, however, is different. Because he is perfect, he stands forever as our perfect high priest.

B. Jesus’ Priesthood is Different

Hebrews 5:4 reminds us about how a high priest is appointed. It says,

Hebrews 5:4 CSB

4 No one takes this honor on himself; instead, a person is called by God, just as Aaron was.

This verse reminds us that a person’s calling comes from God and not from their self-promotion. Calling is not about how fancy or famous you are. It’s about, “Are you doing what God has called you to do?” Has God called you to be a parent or grandparent? Be the best parent or grandparent in God’s eyes. Be successful before him.

The verse says that Jesus didn’t exalt Himself to the role of high priest. The Father appointed him. That’s a pattern for us. We don’t take any honor for ourselves. We respond to God’s calling. Our greatest calling is to follow Christ wherever he leads us.

Hebrews 5:5-6 quotes two verses from the book of Psalms tJesus’ identity as our high priest is directly tied to his position as the Son of God. Jesus was not just chosen like Aaron; God declared him his Son. Jesus’ priesthood was built on a relationship with the Father that no other high priest ever had.o prove that Jesus was called by the Father to be the perfect high priest. First, he quotes Psalm 2:7, where it says,

Psalm 2:7 CSB

7 I will declare the Lord’s decree. He said to me, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father.

Jesus’ identity as our high priest is directly tied to his Sonship. Jesus was not just chosen like Aaron. God declared him to be his Son. Therefore, his priesthood was built on a relationship with the Father that no other high priest had.

He also quotes Psalm 110:4,We’ll discuss Melchizedek in Hebrews 7, but for now, the pattern of priesthood in Genesis 14 just appears. It has no beginning or end.  which says,

Psalm 110:4 CSB

4 The Lord has sworn an oath and will not take it back: “You are a priest forever according to the pattern of Melchizedek.”

This is significant because Jesus’ priesthood is different from the Levitical priesthood. The Levitical priesthood was temporary and time-bound. The high priests had an expiration date. They always died and had to be replaced.

We’ll discuss Melchizedek in Hebrews 7, but for now, the pattern of priesthood in Genesis 14 just appears on the scene. It has no beginning or end. 

Jesus is the kind of high priest who has no beginning or end. The perfect high priesthood of Jesus is declared by God and is eternal.

When discussing high priests in the first century, imagine yourself walking into the temple in Jerusalem.

There are massive columns that rise before you. Smoke comes from constant sacrifices and burnt offerings. Priests are busy with their duties, dressed in their sacred garments. Everything here is designed to remind you that God is holy and that your sin separates you from Him.

The Holy of Holies is the center of the temple, where God's presence dwells. A massive curtain blocks it. Only the high priest can enter, and he can only do so once a year. When he does, he carries the blood of a sacrifice to atone for the people's sins.

Everything about the Levitical priesthood is constantly going. It’s never enough. You need more and more sacrifices.

But the massive curtain that separated sinful people from the presence of God is torn in two from top to bottom in the priesthood of Jesus Christ. The barrier is gone.

No more sacrifices are needed. No more earthly high priests are required. Jesus, our eternal high priest, has entered once and for all time, offering himself as the perfect sacrifice.

Jesus, the divinely appointed high priest, brings us directly into the presence of God.

The second element that we learn about Jesus’ priesthood is that,

II. Jesus Learned Obedience Through Suffering

We think of obedience as simply following rules, but Jesus displayed a more profound obedience. It wasn’t just knowing the right thing to do. It was about trusting the Father amid suffering.

A. Jesus’ Suffering was Real

Jesus didn’t just suffer in a general sense. His suffering was intense, real, and deeply personal. Hebrews 5:7 gives us a glimpse into the reality of his suffering and how it shaped his obedience. It says,

Hebrews 5:7 CSB

7 During his earthly life, he offered prayers and appeals with loud cries and tears to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence.

Jesus wasn’t distant from human suffering. He fully experienced it.

He offered prayers and appeals with loud cries and tears. This was his experience in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus was crying out and wrestling with the weight of what was ahead.

Sometimes, we think Jesus doesn’t understand our emotions or struggles. We picture him as distant, far away, and unaffected by our circumstances.

Hebrews 5:7 reminds us that Jesus deeply understands human pain, and he understands wrestling with obedience. Sometimes, we know what God has called us to do, but there is a weight to doing it.

God calls us to forgive others, but when someone has hurt you deeply, there is a weight in wrestling to be obedient to forgive.

God calls us to trust that he will provide, but when finances seem invisible, there’s a weight in wrestling to trust God’s provision.

God calls us to love difficult people, but when those challenging people are around us daily, there is a weight in being obedient to love others.

Jesus understands the struggle of the weight of obedience. He struggled with the weight of the cross and what it would cost, and he was obedient.

B. Jesus Learned Obedience Through Suffering

Hebrews 5:8 tells us something interesting about Jesus. It says,

Hebrews 5:8 CSB

8 Although he was the Son, he learned obedience from what he suffered.

Now, that sounds strange. Why would Jesus need to “learn” obedience? Was he ever disobedient? No. Jesus was never rebellious, never sinful, never in need of correction. So what does it mean that Jesus “learned” obedience?

Jesus learned obedience through his experience. As the eternal Son of God, Jesus knows all things. But knowing all things doesn’t mean you’ve experienced all things.

God has never experienced sin because, by his nature, everything he does is holy, perfect, and pure.

God has never experienced weakness because, by his nature, he is all-powerful.

Through submitting to suffering, Jesus, as the Son of God, personally walked through an experience of human obedience he had never had before.

Jesus submitted to suffering through a crown of thorns and whips on his back.

Jesus submitted to suffering through nails in his hands and feet.

Jesus submitted to suffering through the human experience of death and the suffering of death on the cross.

We see Jesus’ commitment to submit to suffering in Luke 22:42 where it says,

Luke 22:42 CSB

42 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me—nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”

The submission to human suffering qualified Jesus to be our perfect high priest. Through his suffering, he sympathizes with our suffering.

Two weeks ago, while in Alabama, I met with a brother in Christ named Iman. He shared a powerful testimony about how he came to faith in Jesus Christ. Since he has shared this publicly, I am sharing it with you.

Iman was born in Iran and became a Christian there. He heard about Jesus through a channel that beamed into the country from the outside. He emailed them and asked for a New Testament. He got one in the mail. He read the book of John and put his faith in Jesus Christ.

He started meeting with a few friends, and they all shared that one New Testament to learn about Jesus. Soon, Iman had led 200 people to Christ in Iran.

The officials arrested him three times. In Alabama, Iman pointed to a closet that had a small, square area and said they put him in a room like that for 30 days. He couldn’t lie down to sleep.

After 30 days, they put him in a cell with hardened criminals who had done terrible things, hoping the criminals would abuse him. Instead, Iman ended up sharing his faith in that cell, and in tears, the man in that cell gave his heart to Jesus. The next day, the officials killed that man.

Iman was released from jail and was pressured by the Islamic court to convert to Islam, but he refused. They put him on five-year probation, put an ankle monitor on him, and placed him under house arrest. Iman finally escaped Iran and is now continuing to share his faith and reach people in Iran from the outside.

Jesus Christ is the perfect high priest for Iman, me, and you. He understands human suffering because he has walked through it. The weight of his obedience was not theoretical; it was real.

Jesus’ suffering is why a man like Iman or someone like us can suffer in Christ. Because he obeyed through suffering, he now stands beside us when we face suffering in our own lives.

You may never face persecution like Iman, but you will face suffering. What could that look like for us? Maybe it’s trusting God in a period of uncertainty. Maybe it’s forgiving someone who hurt you and you feel doesn’t deserve it. Maybe it’s walking and persevering in faith when you want to give up.

Because Jesus suffered and obeyed perfectly, he now stands as our perfect high priest, interceding for you, strengthening you, and leading you forward. The same Jesus who endured suffering is the one who will carry you through whatever you face.

The last thing we learn about the perfect high priesthood of Jesus in Hebrews 5 is that,

III. Jesus Grants Eternal Salvation to Those Who Trust in Him

Jesus’ suffering had an end goal. His suffering accomplished an eternal work. The priests of the old covenant were imperfect, and their sacrifices temporary, but,

A. Jesus’ Perfection Led to Eternal Salvation

Hebrews 5:9 is an interesting and challenging verse. It says,

Hebrews 5:9 CSB

9 After he was perfected, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him,

In Hebrews 5:8, we dealt with Jesus learning obedience through suffering. In Hebrews 5:9, we learn that Jesus “was perfected.” Wasn’t Jesus always perfect? Did he have to become perfect?

Jesus was, is, and will always be perfect. This is not a reference to moral perfection. Jesus was always sinless and morally perfect.

The word for “perfected” in Hebrews 5:9 is the Greek word τελειόω, and it means “to complete an activity, bring to an end, finish, accomplish.” (1) After Jesus was perfected means, “After Jesus was brought to his end goal.”

Jesus’ obedience to suffering completed his mission, making him the perfect mediator for sinful humanity. His death and resurrection is a united event that brings salvation to all who believe in him.

Hebrews 5:9 says that Jesus is “the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.” The word “obey” does not refer to salvation through works. Obedience means faith. Faith and obedience are two things that are linked together in Scripture. You see it in Romans 1:5, where it says,

Romans 1:5 CSB

5 Through him we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the Gentiles,

Faith in Christ is not passive; it transforms how we live. To obey Christ is to trust him fully for salvation and follow him. Also in James 2:17, it says,

James 2:17 CSB

17 In the same way faith, if it does not have works, is dead by itself.

Faith is not just a cognitive agreement where you shake your head yes and move on with your old ways. Faith and obedience are inseparable.

We obey Christ not to be saved, but because we are saved. True faith will result in a transformed life of obedience to Jesus Christ. We won’t live a perfect life, but there will be a transformed life of trust in Jesus Christ.

B. Jesus is Our Eternal High Priest

The last verse in our text today in Hebrews 5:10 says,

Hebrews 5:10 CSB

10 and he was declared by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.

As we saw earlier in Hebrews 5:6, Jesus is a priest forever. What does it mean for us that Jesus is our eternal high priest? It is good news. It means that you and I have mediator who stands before God on our behalf forever.

Some religious traditions today still function as if we need human mediators between us and God. It’s powerful if you can function as the go-between.

For example, the Roman Catholic Church teaches that priests serve as intermediaries between God and people. The Roman Catholic priests administer sacraments like confession and the Eucharist, where the priest acts on behalf of Christ. The Catholic system mirrors the Old Testament priesthood, with priests standing between believers and God, offering sacrifices in the Mass. In essence, they place the church's institution as a mediator between God and people.

But you don’t need me, an institution, or anyone else to stand between you and God because, as children of God, our prayers and faith go straight to Jesus. Hebrews tell us that Jesus is our eternal high priest, our perfect high priest and his work is finished.

We read about this in 1 Timothy 2:5-6 where it says,

1 Timothy 2:5–6 CSB

5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, a testimony at the proper time.

This means:

We don’t need a human priest to stand between us and God.

We don’t need repeated sacrifices; Jesus’ work was completed on the cross.

We don’t need a religious system to grant us access to God; Jesus has already opened the way.

And this is where the gospel is bold and offensive to many. Jesus is not just one way to God. He is the only way. The high priesthood of Christ is not just a better option; it is the only option.

Hebrews 5:9 says that Jesus is ‘the source of eternal salvation.’ That means there is no other source. No other priest, no other system, no other sacrifice can save you. Only Jesus.

This is what makes Christianity so different. Every religion teaches that you must do something to reach God, whether it’s through priests, sacrifices, works, or rituals. But Christianity teaches that God came down to us, in Christ, to do the work for us.

There is no alternate mediator. Jesus alone stands before the Father.

There is no other sacrifice. Jesus’ blood is enough.

There is no other Savior. He alone is the source of eternal salvation.

The question is not just ‘Do you believe in God?’ The question is ‘Are you trusting in Jesus Christ alone?’ Because there is no other name by which we must be saved.

Conclusion

Hebrews 5:1-10 has shown us three incredible truths about Jesus: He was divinely appointed as our perfect High Priest, he learned obedience through suffering, and he alone grants eternal salvation.

You don’t need anyone or anything else. You need Jesus. And if you have Him, you have everything you need for salvation and eternal life.

Are you trusting in Jesus Christ alone?

Are you resting in his finished work, or are you still trying to earn your way to God?

Are you coming directly to Jesus or relying on something else to bring you closer to God?

Jesus, our perfect high priest, invites you to come to him today. Whether burdened, weary, or struggling with sin, Jesus stands ready to intercede for you. He is the perfect high priest who will never fail you. Trust him today.

Prayer

Last Song

Doxology

Numbers 6:24–26 CSB

24 “May the Lord bless you and protect you; 25 may the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 may the Lord look with favor on you and give you peace.” ’

Jude 24–25 CSB

24 Now to him who is able to protect you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of his glory, without blemish and with great joy, 25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority before all time, now and forever. Amen.

You are dismissed. Have a great week in the Lord!

William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 996.

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Sermon Reflection Questions

What role does Jesus have as described in Hebrews 5:1-10?

Why was the appointment of Jesus as our high priest significant compared to human high priests?

What are the differences between the Levitical priesthood and the priesthood of Jesus?

How did Jesus learn obedience, and what does that mean in the context of his suffering?

What does Hebrews 5:9 teach us about the nature of Jesus’ perfection and its relation to our salvation?