Jesus: Greater than Aaron
Hebrews: Greater Than • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Announcements:
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5. Free bread etc.
6. Offering box is in back
Worship:
Lion
2. Our God
3. Back to Life
4. Nothing But The Blood (Chorus only)
Introduction:
As we are continuing our series through the book of Hebrews this morning, we have already talked about how Jesus is the ultimate champion (he’s trustworthy, our King and our priest), Jesus is above all (above angels, above Moses), Jesus is our rest. This week we are going to talk about Jesus is greater than Aaron.
Remember, the recipients of this letter are Jewish believers who are facing persecution from Nero/Rome and from their Jewish brothers and sisters who are trying to get them to return to Judaism. The writer of Hebrews is writing them to let them know Jesus is greater than anything and everything. Here in Hebrews 5, he talks about something the Jewish believers would be very familiar. Let’s take a look at our passage for this morning and see what the Holy Spirit has for us!
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.
Transition: Jesus is greater than Aaron?! The minds of the Jewish believers must be spinning right now! Let’s unpack what the writer of Hebrews is saying and how it applies to us today!
Body:
I. The Role of the High Priest (Hebrews 5:1-4)
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.
Observations:
Exodus 28:1 cf vs 4 – God establishes the priesthood.
The high priest is chosen from among men to act on behalf of people before God. He offers sacrifices for sins and represents humanity in matters of worship and reconciliation with God.
1 “Have your brother Aaron, with his sons, come to you from the Israelites to serve me as priest—Aaron, his sons Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.
Caiphas was high priest when Jesus walked the earth and he was appointed by the Roman governor and was not a descendant of Aaron.
Leviticus 16:6 cf v3 – The high priest's role of offering sacrifices for sins.
6 “Aaron will present the bull for his sin offering and make atonement for himself and his household.
Romans 5:6 cf v2 – Christ died for the ungodly, showing a compassionate high priest.
The high priest is able to deal gently with the ignorant and wayward because of his own weaknesses and need for atonement. The priest must understand human frailty.
Just as the Israelite would lay his/her hands on the lamb to be sacrificed as recite all the sins that was committed, he needs to be compassionate toward them and not apathetic, judgmental, etc.
6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly.
Illustration:
A Story of a Father’s Empathy: A father who disciplines his child understands the child's struggles because he himself has faced similar temptations and mistakes. His discipline is guided by a loving heart that understands weakness. In the same way, the high priest's ability to deal gently with us comes from shared experience of human struggle.
So, the high priest role was to act on behalf of the people before God and to mediate by offering sacrifices for sin while also doing the same for himself which reminded him of his own humanity and need for God as well. God Himself appointed the high priest in the line of Aaron.
Transition: So we know the role of the high priest and how he was appointed, next the writer of Hebrews talks about:
II. Jesus as High Priest (Hebrews 5:5-6)
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.
Observations:
Psalm 2:7 – God’s proclamation of Christ as His Son.
7 I will declare the Lord’s decree. He said to me, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father.
Psalm 110:4 – The prophecy of Christ being a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.
4 The Lord has sworn an oath and will not take it back: “You are a priest forever according to the pattern of Melchizedek.”
John 8:54-56 – Jesus speaks of His divine appointment by the Father.
54 “If I glorify myself,” Jesus answered, “my glory is nothing. My Father—about whom you say, ‘He is our God’—he is the one who glorifies me.
55 You do not know him, but I know him. If I were to say I don’t know him, I would be a liar like you. But I do know him, and I keep his word.
56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day; he saw it and was glad.”
Explanation:
Jesus did not choose this role for Himself; He was appointed by God. This highlights His divine authority and mission.
Christ’s priesthood is not like the Levitical priesthood. Melchizedek was a priest-king with no recorded genealogy, symbolizing the eternal, unique priesthood of Christ. This shows that Christ’s priesthood is unchanging and eternal.
Illustration:
A Chosen Leader: Think of a leader who doesn’t promote himself but is chosen by others based on merit and character. This would be similar to how Christ, though divine, humbly received His role from the Father, not for His own glory but for the good of humanity.
In high school, it’s often those who boast the loudest that get attention, but our student council president was different. She quietly served throughout the year, helping others and organizing events. When election time came, her peers rallied behind her—not because she promoted herself, but because she demonstrated genuine character.
This reminds me of Christ, who, though He deserved all glory though divine, humbly received His role from the Father, not for His own glory but for the good of humanity.
Transition: So, the writer of Hebrews talked about the role of the high priest and that Jesus not only fills that role but is overly qualified for that role compared to the previous high priests from the line of Aaron. But what about the high priest being able to remember his humanity and need for God? The writer of Hebrews tackles that next in:
III. Suffering and Obedience (Hebrews 5:7-8)
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.
Observations:
Luke 22:44 cf v7 – Jesus' anguished prayers in the Garden of Gethsemane.
44 Being in anguish, he prayed more fervently, and his sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground.
Philippians 2:8 cf v8 – Jesus humbled Himself, becoming obedient to the point of death.
8 he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death— even to death on a cross.
Isaiah 53:3 – He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows acquainted with grief.
3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of suffering who knew what sickness was. He was like someone people turned away from; he was despised, and we didn’t value him.
Explanation:
Jesus, though sinless, experienced deep emotional and physical anguish, especially in His final days. His prayers and cries showed His intense dependence on God.
Jesus’ suffering wasn't merely a physical ordeal; it was the process through which He learned the fullness of obedience to God’s will, ultimately fulfilling His mission.
Illustration:
A Soldier in Training: Imagine a soldier undergoing intense training. The suffering and challenges he faces teach him discipline, obedience, and resilience. Likewise, Jesus’ suffering was integral to His complete obedience to God’s will.
Transition: We know the role of the high priest, how Jesus not only was overly qualified for that role but also fulfilled the requirement of identifying with His own humanity as well. Why was all this necessary? Because:
IV. Jesus is the Source of Eternal Salvation (Hebrews 5:9-10)
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.
Observations:
John 14:6 – Jesus as the way, the truth, and the life.
6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Hebrews 7:25 – Christ is able to save completely because He lives forever to intercede for us.
25 Therefore, he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, since he always lives to intercede for them.
Romans 5:19 – Through Jesus’ obedience, many are made righteous.
19 For just as through one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so also through the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.
Explanation:
Eternal Salvation: Jesus’ role as the High Priest is not temporary; He offers salvation that lasts forever. His intercession before God is continual and unchanging.
Illustration:
A Lifeguard Saving Someone: A lifeguard may rescue someone from drowning, but unlike a lifeguard who leaves once the rescue is over, Christ remains with us forever, continually interceding on our behalf. His salvation is complete, eternal, and unending.
Transition: What does this have to do with us today?
Conclusion:
No matter who you are, where you come from, and what you have done, you have a high priest that is mediating for you and paid the ultimate sacrifice for our sin! He is the One who can give us salvation and walk with us as we live this life we have been given.
Jesus is the perfect High Priest who understands our weaknesses, who was appointed by God, who suffered and obeyed fully, and who offers eternal salvation. He is not distant or unfeeling—He understands you completely.
Just as Christ’s obedience led to our salvation, we are called to obey Him in faith, trusting in His perfect priesthood. Jesus' life calls us to follow His example of obedience. No matter the trials or suffering we face, we can trust that God is refining us through them, just as He did with Jesus.
