Perfect Priest

Hebrews 4:15 NASB95

15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.

Priest’s Role

The priest’s role is to be like a intermediate between God and man, in the Jewish setting the priest was supposed to take the offerings for sin of the people before the Lord. That meant that this priest must be in right standing with God because if he was unclean he would die in the most holy place.

The problem with the office being held by men is that they all fell when tempted, everyone born of men have fallen short of the glory of God.

So in the 4th chapter here in Hebrews we have a soteriological statement, one that is referring to those that are saved as having entered into rest..

This would be an indication of having a permanent Priest.

Imperfect Priest

The Jewish office of priest carried out a few orders

Temple service: Officiating animal sacrifices, preparing sacrificial materials, and maintaining the temple.

High Priest: The High Priest had additional sacred duties, such as entering the Holy of Holies on Yom Kippur to make atonement for the nation, and was responsible for the temple's administration.

Priestly Blessing: Officiating the daily Priestly Blessing and other rituals like the redemption of the firstborn.

Representing God: Serving as a conduit for God's presence and representing the Jewish people to God.

The issue with this is not in the order it’s in the people that carry out the orders.

These men were imperfect, they only served in a capacity that shows our need for 1 Perfect Priest, the one that carries out the orders during the days before Christ and even those that try to carry these orders out today that are not in line with the Lord only serve to give sin its power.

1 Corinthians 15:56–58 NASB95

56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; 57 but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.

You see where there is no law, there is no way to break the law.

So you might ask why did God send the law? well the law served to put man sinful before God yet if followed perfectly it serves to make one right with God.

Perfection

In order for one to be perfect One has to walk out the whole law perfectly and be born perfectly, that second part put’s Jesus uniquely capable of fulfilling this, but being born perfect isn’t enough, He has to finish well.

That is what makes the temptation of Jesus, the first hard battle that He faces and wins.

Matthew 4:1–11 NASB95

1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. 3 And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” 4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’ ” 5 Then the devil took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, ‘He will command His angels concerning You’; and ‘On their hands they will bear You up, So that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.’ ” 7 Jesus said to him, “On the other hand, it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ” 8 Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; 9 and he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.’ ” 11 Then the devil left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him.

Let’s look at this in detail:

Jesus was led by the Spirit, therefore it was something that both shows that God knows that Jesus is victorious, it also shows the Trinity in action,

The Bible says that the Lord doesn’t temp anyone with evil so notice that this being led does not equate to tempting, so there can be times in your life that God leads you somewhere where you might be tempted, but He doesn’t tempt you with evil, that might be why the Word say, lead us not into temptation.

Notice that the fasting was complete before the challenge started, this is where Jesus would have been at His weakest, after all Jesus is God and Man!

So the first thing that He was tempted with was the one thing that He had been without for a long time. The enemy comes and promises that ONE thing that you really want, in some ways it looks like you need it, how many times have you been tempted not just with the thing that you want, it might be the thing that you need. Like that Job that you been waiting on, that man or woman that you need to make your life complete. so many things that seem like blessings up front that wind up being burdens that you shouldn’t be carrying.

This is the lust of the flesh!

The next thing;

Then He is taken to the highest place in the city the pinnacle and told Jesus to throw Himself off that the angels would catch Him, satan here is twisting Scripture, Jesus of course doesn’t fall for this and instead uses the Word correctly for combat.

This is not the first time that satan has twisted God’s Word See the garden scene with Eve for explanation.

This is the pride of life, that God wouldn’t let nothing happen to Him becaus He’s too important.

The thing is that there is this idea that you are too important to fail, this is something that leaders often fall into, if you allow for it you can believe the hype that you are too good to fail, too big to make a mistake. There is something that you need to hear, you are not beyond the fall.

The last temptation of Christ,

Satan tries to get Jesus to fall down and worship him, the idea is that Jesus will be given everything that He could want.

Think about it like this, Jesus cries outside of the city before the crucification and says that He really want Jerusalem to love Him and follow Him but they wouldn’t, this seems to be one of the things that Jesus is tempted with here.

This is the Lust of the Eyes

"Lust of the flesh," "lust of the eyes," and "pride of life" are three concepts from 1 John 2:16 that describe worldly temptations. The "lust of the flesh" refers to excessive physical and sensual desires, the "lust of the eyes" is the greedy longing for possessions or what others have, and the "pride of life" is self-arrogance and the desire for status or personal glory

Jesus faced the large three temptations the temptations that are really what every other temptation is made of, and in that Jesus is proved that He is Perfect

And in His perfection He has overcame all the temptations and by being ministered to by the angels following the temptation it is proof that He is righteous.

Also while being perfect He has tasted every temptation that you have faced and overcame, thus making this High Priest special One that can boldly go into the Holy of Holies for us and offer a sacrifice that is eternal.

Take away

the idea of temptation is not sinful

Jesus is perfect

Don’t trust in yourself only Jesus