Behold our Great High Priest

New Topic on the High Priesthood of Jesus

The writer begins a new topic at in Chapter 4, verse 14 that continues through chapter 10. In this large section he presents Jesus as High Priest and demonstrates that Jesus in His role as HP is more excellent than the former priesthood. He returns to the main theme of his argument: Jesus is better and there is nothing to go back to.

As Protestant Christians we do not typically think about the priesthood and we probably don’t give much thought about priests. Most of us probably would not be able to give an accurate working description of the work of a priest under the Old Covenant.

The original audience, however, was very much familiar with the priesthood and they understood the role of the priest. Most of them had witnessed countless sacrifices that had to be repeated, some daily and others monthly, but regardless of the cycle they were repeated. And over this sacrificial system they had seen a succession of high priests. They watched them being appointed as the high priest and then upon his death they watched another man assume the office.

All of that changed with Jesus. In this section of the text the writer reminds them (and us) that Jesus also serves as our High Priest. In these few verses believers are exhorted (heavily encouraged0 to do two things: hold fast and to draw near. Let’s look at the first one.

Because believers have a Superior Mediator we CAN hold fast to our profession (Heb. 4:14-15)

Explanation: Jesus is the One who continually intercedes for us. Other high priests have interceded for the people, but He is not just a typical priest like the others. Jesus has resurrected from the dead; Jesus has Ascended into Heaven with Glory and is now seated at the Right Hand of the Father. None of the others had ever done anything near that level!

As a result of Jesus’ accomplishment, the writer encourages his readers to hold fast to their profession. He bases his exhortation on Jesus’ nature as truly human. Jesus is not incapable of relating to us or us to Him. He is NOT unapproachable or so far beyond our understanding.

Illustrate: Consider how we view billionaires. They live in a totally different world and operate on vastly different financial realities. Do you think they can relate to some of us who are concerned about the mortgage or maybe having to choose between food and medicine?

Argument: God is transcendent - He is above and beyond us. He is in a category all by Himself. He lives in unapproachable light (1 Tim 6:16) and cannot be seen by sinful humans. Even the sound of His audible voice terrified the Israelites (Ex 19:18-19)

Jesus is Divine. He IS God and He IS the Eternal 2nd person of the Trinity. But He is ALSO truly human. Jesus added humanity during the Incarnation and He experienced life on this planet in a human body and underwent the same things as us. He got tired, he became hungry, he had to walk to get to places.

Jesus CAN and DOES relate to us! He was subject to the same constraints and hardships of physical life. There is, however, a very important distinction between Jesus and the remainder of humanity: Our Mediator has been tempted as we are but He did not yield.

Example: Who do you go see for marriage counseling? The guy working on his 4th marriage or the one who has been married to the same spouse for 25 years?

What type of football team do you scout? The O fers or the team with successive winning seasons and a trophy?

Do you give your money to the mechanic who can’t keep his own car running?

Application: Jesus IS Superior! Since He is, we are to hold fast to our profession. This means that we CAN survive the hardships and disappointments of life without losing our faith. Holding fast means we keep on trusting because we have a High Priest who has gone before us and done it perfectly! We will never achieve that level, but we CAN hold on to Jesus because He is the Victorious One. In Christ we also are Overcomers!

Romans 8:37 “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”

The first exhortation was to HOLD FAST. The second exhortation is to DRAW NEAR:

Because believers have a Sinless & Superior Mediator we CAN approach God directly (Heb. 4:16)

Explanation: Most in the original audience would have been inside the Temple. Even the Gentiles could have gotten close to the inside as they entered the Court of the Gentiles. But even those Jews who entered inside the Temple could only go so far. They were prevented from entering the Holy of Holies. The inner sanctum was off limits for every Jew with the exception of the current High Priest, and even he was only allowed to enter once a year on the Day of Atonement.

Illustrate: We are American citizens with full rights and voting privileges. We cast ballots and elect members of congress and we also vote for a president. On the basis of being an American voter, however, I cannot simply enter the White House and meet with the president.

Argument: The concept of entering directly into the Presence of the Most High was unimaginable given their heritage. The writer is declaring that any regenerate person, Jew or Gentile, CAN enter into the very Throne room of Yahweh!

Application: Prayer is a privilege. We are not able on our own merit to gain an audience with the Holy One. Believers, however, can gain an audience, one-on-one, with the Creator God of the Universe. We will never be stopped by a gatekeeper who tells us to come back next Wednesday at 10:17pm for a 3 minute conversation. We are encouraged to enter His presence - we are ushered in to the Throne Room where we receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need! How amazing is that!!