The Eternal Priest Hebrews 5:1-10

-Jesus fulfills all of the requirements of a great high priest.

The results of a computerized survey indicate the perfect pastor preaches exactly 15 minutes. He condemns sin but never upsets anyone. He works from 8:00 am to midnight and is also the janitor. He makes $500 a week, wears good clothes, buys good books, drives a good car, and gives about $50 weekly in the offering. He is 28 years old and has been preaching for 30 years. He has a burning desire to work with teenagers and spends all of his time with senior citizens.

I. Our Priest Must be Human vv. 1-3

In our passage this evening, the author continues to highlight the priestly ministry of Jesus and demonstrates that there are some particular characteristics that He holds that makes it possible for Him to fulfill this ministry.

First, we see the essential humanity of a high priest

In our earlier passages, we saw that a priest is a mediator between God and Man

He represents humanity before God by making sacrifices

The sacrifices must be offered, because of the sinfulness of humanity

To be a good representative of humanity, the priest must be human

A human priest is able to deal gently with people, because he understands what it is to be filled with weakness

However, this is also the problem:

The priest is as sinful as the people!

He has to offer sacrifices for his own sins as well as for the people

Jesus is able to fulfill both requirements; He is compassionate to us in weakness, yet He has no need of a sacrifice. He is the sacrifice!

He began His ministry by being hungry, yet He is the Bread of Life. Jesus ended His earthly ministry by being thirsty, yet He is the Living Water. Jesus was weary, yet He is our rest. Jesus paid tribute, yet He is the King. Jesus was accused of having a demon, yet He cast out demons. Jesus wept, yet He wipes away our tears. Jesus was sold for thirty pieces of silver, yet He redeemed the world. Jesus was brought as a lamb to the slaughter, yet He is the Good Shepherd. Jesus died, yet by His death He destroyed the power of death.

Gregory of Nazianzus, A.D. 381.

II. Our Priest Must be Chosen vv. 4-6

Next, the author makes it clear that priests should be called by God:

This ministry is not based on aspiration, but appointment

You cannot appoint yourself to be priest; God is the one who selects people for this ministry; in fact, we cannot have a priest who God does not receive

Jesus is called by God to this ministry:

He was appointed by God to the task

In fact, Jesus is more than a servant. He is a Son

Jesus has an eternal ministry:

Jesus is a priest like Melchizedek, who we met back in the book of Genesis

In what sense is Jesus like Melchizedek?

Jesus’s ministry is not attached to the ministry of Aaron.

Aaron’s ministry was based on a calling from God, but the high priesthood passed from generation to generation

Every Levitical high priest had a season for ministry

Jesus’s ministry is eternal. When He was placed there by God, it was not for a season, but forever.

Many years ago now, my son played his very first year of t-ball and had a blast. Needless to say, we’ve spent a lot of time at ballparks since then. I’ll never forget that one day we were talking about baseball, he told me how excited he was about playing the next year, but with one caveat: “Next year, I want you to sign me up to play for Alabama!” Unfortunately, I had to let him know that it just doesn’t quite work that way. It’s not about you choosing to play ball for Alabama, it’s got much more to do with Alabama choosing you to play ball for them! Jesus wasn’t just some guy who wanted to serve God; He is the Son and He is God’s chosen servant!

III. Our Priest Must be Complete vv. 7-10

Finally, the author of Hebrews points us to the Garden of Gethsemane

There, Jesus experienced genuine pain and suffering as He prepared to go to the cross

We see this through His prayer:

“Let this cup pass from me”

“Nevertheless, not my will but yours be done”

Jesus’s prayer was heard, but not answered

Because of His reverence, the Lord heard Jesus’s prayer

Yet the Father did not change His plan to meet His Son’s need.

Why wouldn’t the Father answer the Son’s prayer?

It was necessary that He suffer, because through it, Jesus learned obedience

At this point, you might ask: How could Jesus learn obedience?

He did not have to unlearn disobedience and move towards obedience

Instead, He learned the price of obedience by taking the step to obey

He had to pay the price of obedience, which was suffering

Jesus is “made perfect”

This doesn’t speak to a moral condition, but to His human experience

He has fulfilled all righteousness through His obedience and learned what it is to obey God as a human

This was necessary so that He could be the source of salvation

However, we must obey Him if we want to receive this salvation; it is impossible to have salvation apart from Him!

A few weeks ago as our team was serving in NYC, we were approached by a young man on the subway. Based on his dress, he was clearly a Hasidic Jew and he had tracts to hand out. He gave me one with a provocative message: Messiah is Here. I chose not to receive his tract, but it did give me serious pause. How would I respond if I knew that Messiah had come? There would be no room for apathy! I would have to go to Him and follow Him. It’s no different in light of the news that Jesus the Messiah has come.