The Priest and Hope

We enter into the Advent Season this morning, in which each Sunday we light a candle that symbolizes and reminds us of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Advent comes from the Latin word adventus, which means arrival. That is, it is the arrival of Jesus, the incarnate Son of God, the promised Messiah and hope of Israel, and not just the hope of Israel, the hope of humanity, of the world.

For thousands of years the world, God has promised the coming of the Seed of the woman.

We need to spend a few moments unpacking the why, because like a good story, the reasons why things are the way they are, and why things need to change, are important.

So first, we will consider why hope was lost.

We will then see when the hope was promised, followed by Whom hope is fulfilled

Then finally we will spend time discussing some practical ways the work of Christ can give you hope today.

I realize that for some of you, you have heard the Christmas story for 50 plus years. I hope that this wonderful story has not become common place to you, that the miracle of Advent still rings fresh in your soul.

And for those who do not have as many Advent seasons under your belt, I hope that the wonders of Christ fill you with worship and hope. Either way, we will be focusing primarily on the priesthood of Christ.

I. WHY HOPE WAS LOST- Genesis 3:1-7; Romans 5:12

We will not spend much time on this point, but briefly God created everything generally and humanity specifically, namely, Adam and Eve. They were given the remarkable privilege of representing all humanity, and through the deceitful schemes of the devil Eve was deceived, and then Adam willingly transgressed the Law of his God, that good and trustworthy and loving God.

Paul tells us that it was through Adam that sin entered into the world, Romans 5:12

Romans 5:12 NASB95

12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned—

Hope was lost because Adam sinned, and Adam was our “federal head” to use a theological term. Paul teaches this truth through the phrase “just as through one man sin entered into the world.”

Hope was lost because of our sins, affecting our minds, emotions, and wills, separating us from God.

This loss of hope was due to a change in natures. When God made Adam and Eve they were without sin yet capable of sin.

Now, after the fall, they are not capable of not sinning. Our minds are infected, our emotions are infected, our wills are infected.

We could look at Romans 3:10-17 and see just how hopeless we have become.

II. WHEN HOPE WAS PROMISED- Genesis 3:15, OT Scripture

Immediately after the Fall God confronts the guilty parties and issues a series of judgments. Sin has affected not only humanity, but also creation itself. We will not unpack all of the implications of this this morning, but we will look at one aspect in this dreadful delineation of judgment.

In God’s judgment on the serpent, we see a glimmer of hope. Genesis 3:15

Genesis 3:15 NASB95

15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.”

Because hope was lost, and our inherent natures prohibit us from restoring that hope on our own, we are indeed hopeless beyond hopeless. But isn’t it remarkable that, in the judgment against the being that incited betrayal, and before the pronouncement of death upon Adam and his posterity, that God would offer this promised hope?

But what does this have to do with the priesthood of Christ?

Hugh Martin summarizes the many blessings of the priesthood of Christ that answer the question of connection.

The priesthood of Christ “propitiates God; it intercedes to God. It satisfies God’s justice; it pacifies God’s wrath; it secures God’s favour; it seals God’s covenant love; and gives effect to God’s eternal purpose and grace.” Hugh Martin

And this points us to our need for a priest, and how hope is achieved.

III. HOW HOPE IS ACHIEVED- Isaiah 60:1-3

Our first Advent Scripture comes from Isaiah chapter 60, written during the 700s BC, which is about 700 years before Christ’s birth. The time of the first promise of hope to Adam and Eve could have come thousands of years before hand.

A lot of history transpires from this initial promise of hope and the prophecy of hope in Isaiah’s book. God chooses from all the peoples of the earth Abraham to be the conduit of blessing all the nations through a promised seed.

As Genesis progresses, the seed of Abraham expands into the 12 Tribes of Israel, and God’s covenant with Abraham gives birth to the covenant with Israel, namely, the Mosaic Covenant. Packaged into that covenant was a series of sacrifices and holy days in which priests would represent the people to God and restore God to the people.

All this develops and unfolds through the OT, and then we come to majestic passages such as Isaiah 60:1-3. Listen to the phrases, “The glory of the LORD has risen upon you,” “the LORD will rise upon you and His glory will appear upon you…”

Christ comes to earth, the Great High Priest of our souls, and He brings an abundance of hope.

Consider briefly some of the ways our Priest brings hope:

His name is Jesus—because He will save His people from their sins (Matt. 1:21)

His name is Immanuel—because He restores our relationship to God (Matt. 1:23)

He faces temptation, and unlike Adam beats it every time, giving hope to all who face temptation on a daily basis (Matt. 4)

He gives hope to those afflicted with diseases, evil spirits, and helpless situations (Matt. 4:24-25)

He gives hope to the downtrodden, the broken hearted, the persecuted (Matt. 5)

He gives hope to the anxious, those crippled by the struggles of daily life (Matt. 6:25-34)

He cleans the leper, who before would be incapable of going to the Temple (Matt. 8:1-13)

We could list so many examples of how the High Priest Jesus gives hope. But the greatest need we face is our separation from God by our sins, and Jesus the High Priest offers hope for that, too.

After brutal torture and crucifixion, Jesus dies. And Matthew records a remarkable statement, Matthew 27:51

Matthew 27:51 NASB95

51 And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split.

The significance of this statement is that, through the death of Jesus Christ, the way to God, has been restored.

Romans 5:12 NASB95

12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned—

We lost hope. But Christ, the great High Priest, restored that way. Listen to how Paul describes the great reversal.

Romans 5:18–21 NASB95

18 So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. 19 For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. 20 The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Our hope is achieved, as foretold by the prophets for thousands of years, by Jesus Christ, His life, death, burial, and resurrection.

But how do we receive this hope? By faith, Paul tells us, in Romans 10:13 “13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.””

If you have not trusted Christ, this is a call for you. Call upon the name of the Great High Priest Jesus Christ, believe in your heart these glorious truths we have read today, and be saved, be restored, have hope.

But for my brothers and sisters in Christ, how we do live in this hope?

IV. HOW TO LIVE IN HOPE- Matthew 24:42-44

So how do we live in hope? What difference does this make for us practically?

Christ, in answer to three questions of his disciples (Matt. 24:3), provides a good encouragement for believers.

Just as Christ was promised to come the first time, so too the Scriptures (and Christ Himself) says He will return.

Christ exhorts us to be ready, Christ tells us. Like a teenagers who are left at home and told their parents will be back later, they must always have the house clean and in order. Otherwise the parents will be furious upon their arrival.

In a far greater way, we need to be ready. But what does that mean?

A. Christians live in hope by becoming like Christ- Rom. 6:1-4

We were saved, our High Priest gave His life, so that way live like Christ. Living like Christ gives hope daily, because Christ has, through His life and death and resurrection, blessed us with restoration to our God and the indwelling of the Spirit who bears fruit in us (Gal. 5:22-23), including love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

B. Christians live in hope by spreading the Gospel- Rom. 10:14-17

We have the greatest hope of all, and we need to spread the Gospel by giving and telling.