Awaiting the Priest
Advent 2025 • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Find the “BIG IDEA” >> a. What is the author talking about? b. What is he saying about what he is talking about?
a. Jesus’ offering of Himself as our great High Priest and sacrifice makes a new way for us to draw near to God, hold fast to our confession because of His faithfulness, and encourage the saints.
b. Jesus’ work as our great High Priest is transformative for us
Find the FCF >>
1. What does the text say?
2. What spiritual concern(s) did the text address (in its context)?
We have an evil conscience, wavering faith, and aren’t devoted to meeting and stirring each other up.
3. What spiritual concerns do listeners share in common with those to (or about) whom the text was written?
“ ”
[Kids Time!]
The Garden, the Curtain, and the Cross
[Introduction]
We, as a people, are representatives...
represent others to others
Solutions Car Example...
represent ourselves to others (I’m the best representative for myself)
Take a test, run a race…
Have others represent us
My kids are Steltenpohls… They represent me. A good parent feels shame when their kid does something boneheaded… because the recognize that their child is an extension of the people of your home
Priest = Represent God to the people AND the people to God
>> This is important to think about as we enter a new season:
Advent = Season of preparation and anticipation for the coming of Christ
>> Time of “Waiting”
>> While we wait this Advent, we’ll be looking at:
Awaiting the Priest
Awaiting the Prophet
Awaiting the King
Jesus, the Messiah
>> These first three “offices”/categories are first applied systematically by the 16th century protestant theologian, John Calvin, and have been adapted by many theologians since.
Today, we’ll be looking at the role of a priest biblically, and how we, like our brothers and sisters of the OT, we await today the return of the perfect priest on our behalf.
>> Our primary text today:
19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
[Pray]
>> But first, the problem… Why “the wait” for the perfect priest?…
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The Problem: Bad Priests
>> Our first priests: Adam and Eve
Represented God and His image to each other and all creation; “What does God look like?.. Look at me”
Represented all creation to God; “What does God’s good creation look like?… Look at me”
>> Not only represented themselves to God, but each other and all the created things:
>> They were to “rule and subdue it”… “be fruitful and multiply”… make order and purify the creation (the cultural mandate)
>>In the garden, in their sin, they misrepresented God to the creation and misrepresented creation to God
>> The OT priesthood and Your Pastors
>> Moses leads the people to Sinai after their escape and of Egypt, has this interaction with God:
4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; 6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”
>> A kingdom of priests and a holy nation… God is reorienting the people back toward their original duty as image bearers and priests (representatives to God and for God)…
>> God begins to give His Law for holy living (Exodus 20 starts us with the 10 Commandments)
>> At the conclusion of this,
3 Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord and all the rules. And all the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words that the Lord has spoken we will do.”
>> Aaron and his sons as the first office of priests among the people
>> Moses goes up with the mountain with his assistant, Joshua, to speak to God and receive the law and specifics for the Priesthood
>> The Tent is prepared as a Tabernacle, a dwelling place for the presence of God >> Elicits imagery of the garden of Eden, our first holy home… PLACE
>> The office of priest is commissioned, details of the priests consecration, clothing, and sacrificial rites to be performed for the sins of the people and the priests themselves that they might be able to dwell in the PRESENCE of God
>> As Moses and Joshua finally descend from the mountain, the words and commands of God given to Moses, they hear a roar of noise from the camp...
Exodus 32:17–18 “17 When Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, “There is a noise of war in the camp.” 18 But he said, “It is not the sound of shouting for victory, or the sound of the cry of defeat, but the sound of singing that I hear.””
>> It’s the largest most zealous worship service ever conducted on earth… lets read about this worship service:
1 When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, “Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” 2 So Aaron said to them, “Take off the rings of gold that are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” 3 So all the people took off the rings of gold that were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. 4 And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden calf. And they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” 5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord.” 6 And they rose up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.
>> The people of God immediately corrupt themselves… Just as the first priests in the garden do
>> The corruption and sin of the people leads to the death and judgement of thousands… The people continually require the bloody and extensive sacrificial system to purify and sanctify themselves that they might be near to the place of God’s presence…
>> Hebrews chapter 9 summarizes this first covenant with God and the people, and the use of the tabernacle and it’s priests well:
1 Now even the first covenant had regulations for worship and an earthly place of holiness. 2 For a tent was prepared, the first section, in which were the lampstand and the table and the bread of the Presence. It is called the Holy Place. 3 Behind the second curtain was a second section called the Most Holy Place, 4 having the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron’s staff that budded, and the tablets of the covenant. 5 Above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail.
6 These preparations having thus been made, the priests go regularly into the first section, performing their ritual duties, 7 but into the second only the high priest goes, and he but once a year, and not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the unintentional sins of the people. 8 By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the holy places is not yet opened as long as the first section is still standing 9 (which is symbolic for the present age). According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper, 10 but deal only with food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until the time of reformation.
Do you see the problem?
>> How can one who is filthy clean those who are filthy?
>> Like washing your car with dirty, mucky rags…
>> Even now, we misrepresent ourselves to a holy and righteous God…
>> Would you represent yourself to God?
>> Would your pastor/priest/spouse represent you to God?
>> What sacrifice is good enough for your sin??
>> Our “good works”?
6 We have all become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment…
>> Met that guy at the park… “I’ll get to heaven, all I’ve ever done is tried my best”…
>> What if “your best” isn’t enough?…
>> Our sacrifices?
22 Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.
>> Would you pay the cost of your sin?…
>> The work of the first covenant was a bloody, ugly, smelly affair…
Cost for atonement is ugly… Because our sin is ugly
————————————————————————————————————————————
We finally reach our primary text:
19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
[Explanation]
Pretext (following what we read about the 1st covenant):
11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) 12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.
Propitiation = “Appeasing God”
Romans 3:23–25 “23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.”
Hebrews 2:17 “17 Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.”
We see this propitiation for our sin explained:
19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God,
Because of Jesus, and the propitiation for our sin:
Justification by His blood, to enter the holy places
>> Presence >> The Thief on the Cross
[give brief context]
43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
>> Only the high priest, Jesus, can guarantee that he would be in the holiest of places, paradise itself… because of the sacrifice he offered for the thief!
2. Tearing of His flesh/Tearing of the curtain, to make a new and living way
>> The Curtain
[Give that context again… barrier to entry into the holy of holys]
45 while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two.
>> A new way is made, to the very presence of God!… But it is costly
>> Just as it was true of the first Covenant, the following is true of the new covenant in Jesus blood…
Cost for atonement is ugly… Because our sin is ugly
3. A great high priest and representative, representing us to God and God to us
>> Jesus is the perfect Image Bearer:
3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high…
>> What better representative of God to the people than the god man, Jesus
>> What better representative of the people to God than the god man, Jesus!
15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.
What is our proper action because of this great High Priest? Verse 22 continues:
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22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
Let us:
Let us draw near
Presence >> Hebrews 9:24 “24 For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.”
8 Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” 9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!”
>> We must be washed by Jesus that we might “draw near”… and in Christ, we are!
>> We must be a holy nation of priests, washing each other in baptism and with the Word of God
2. Let us hold fast
14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.
>> He is faithful!
>> It is His faithfulness we confess… His ability and perfection… If you are wavering, do you hold fast to Jesus’ faithfulness or your own ability?
So all these good things have been done and accomplished for us by Christ as our Great High Priest… so, what are we waiting for?
3. Let us encourage one another as the Day draws near
1 So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
>> cont. in verse 9...
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
>> Jesus ascended to the throne room of God, the holy of holys, the place where God’s good presence dwells completely… And He tells us He will return again
[Invite band to come up]
Scripture speaks of the Day of the Lord coming… When we will be completely in the presence of the mighty and Holy presence of God…
>> Some await it with little to no anticipation…
>> Others await it with fear, trembling, and sorrow…
>> For those who are in Christ, we await it with yearning and unshakable hope as we rely not on our ability, but on the one who is faithful, who has approached God as our representative and great High Priest, not offering a sacrifice of animals… But the perfect sacrifice, Himself. And it is because of this sacrifice that we are washed, cleaned, sanctified, and reconciled to God.
[Pray]
1 Corinthians 11:23–26
“23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”
