Christ, Called to Priesthood

For every high priest taken from among men is appointed in matters pertaining to God for the people, to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins. He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he is also clothed with weakness. Because of this, he must make an offering for his own sins as well as for the people. No one takes this honor on himself; instead, a person is called by God, just as Aaron was. In the same way, Christ did not exalt himself to become a high priest, but God who said to him,

You are my Son;today I have become your Father,

also says in another place,

You are a priest foreveraccording to the order of Melchizedek.

This is the word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God.

Last week, we looked at how we can approach the throne of God’s grace with boldness, not because of anything we have done to earn the privilege, but because of Christ’s work that is applied to us when we submit to him as the Lord of our lives.

Today, we continue to dig further into the understanding that Jesus is our ultimate high priest. Remember, this book of Hebrews was likely written to a group of Jews, possibly former Jewish priests, who had left Judaism to follow after Christ, but now were considering going back to Judaism. The author of Hebrews is trying to establish the fact that Jesus is the greatest high priest, appointed by God to be the priest who would offer the ultimate sacrifice for sins to God, his own life.

Big Idea: Christ was chosen by God for priesthood.

Hebrews 5:1

For every high priest taken from among men is appointed in matters pertaining to God for the people, to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins.

Continuing on the theme of Jesus as our high priest, the author states that every high priest who has been appointed from among men to take care of matters pertaining to God had the responsibility to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins to God on behalf of the people.

When we started in Hebrews, I mentioned that the author looks at how Jesus fulfills the three God appointed offices that were established in the Old Testament. First, you had the prophet. The prophet’s job was to speak to the people of God on behalf of God. This was often done either through a message of blessing (“Blessed are you…”), or through a message pronouncing a curse (“Woe to you…”).

The king was to rule God’s people in justice and truth, as close to humanly possible to what we see from how God rules over his people.

The priest was the one who was to speak to God on behalf of the people. That is why this first verse says that the priest was appointed in matters pertaining to God for the people. The high priest was the one responsible for offering the sacrifices for sins that the people brought to the temple, or, as was the case before Solomon built the temple in Jerusalem, when the people brought their sacrifices to the tabernacle.

God did not let just any man become the high priest. The people of Israel were separated into 12 tribes, which were the descendants of the 12 sons of Jacob. When Israel entered the Promised Land, eleven of the tribes (with two half-tribes named after the sons of Joseph) were given land to occupy and take care of.

The Levites were not given any large areas of land of their own. Instead, they were the people God designated to be responsible for the tabernacle/temple. This is the tribe from which the priests, and especially the high priest, would come. To take care of the livestock they had, each of the other tribes “donated” a total of 48 cities for the Levites to live in. Practically, this allowed the Levites to minister more locally to their fellow Israelites in the lands they were given.

The high priesthood was specifically kept within the clan of the Kohathites. This group of people was in charge of the transportation of the sacred objects of worship as they moved around from place to place before the temple was built. The office of high priest was passed down from father to son, starting with Aaron, Moses’ brother.

Though we are on the other side of Christ’s death and resurrection, pastors, elders, and overseers of churches are now the ones who carry some of the duties once held by the priests of the Old Testament.

Hebrews 5:2

He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he is also clothed with weakness.

Since the high priest was a human, knowing his own faults and failures, he would have (or at least should have) the ability to deal gently with people who were ignorant of the truth and of the fact that they were being led astray.

This is still an aspect of pastoring that should define a good minister. There are a couple of passages in the New Testament that specifically address the qualifications of an elder, or an overseer of the church. One of those passages is Titus 1:6-9, where the Apostle Paul is addressing a young pastor named Titus, whom Paul has left on the Island of Crete to be the overseer of the church there.

Titus 1:6-9

An elder must be blameless, the husband of one wife, with faithful children who are not accused of wildness or rebellion. As an overseer of God’s household, he must be blameless, not arrogant, not hot-tempered, not an excessive drinker, not a bully, not greedy for money, but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, righteous, holy, self-controlled, holding to the faithful message as taught, so that he will be able both to encourage with sound teaching and to refute those who contradict it.

Going through this list, you can see many characteristics that Paul mentions that deal with a gentle spirit towards one’s congregation:

not arrogant - there are many pastors that I know of that fit this category, unfortunately. (I know that I can struggle with this. I don’t like losing when I know I am better at something than someone else.)

not hot-tempered and not a bully - I can think of a couple different pastors who have either been suspended for a time, or completely removed from their positions because they were bullies or mean-spirited to those they were leading.

not greedy for money - that automatically disqualifies every single prosperity preacher from Kenneth Copeland, to Benny Hinn, Paula White, T.D. Jakes, Creflo Dollar, Joyce Meyer, and the like.

Instead, pastors and elders within the church are to have gentleness with their congregation. I am charged by God, through the Apostle Paul, to be hospitable, to love what is good, to be sensible, righteous, holy, self-controlled, holding to the faithful message as taught, so that I will be able both to encourage with sound teaching and to refute those who contradict it. If a pastor is not able to be patient and kind with his people, he is forgetting the patience and kindness that God has with him.

When we think of Jesus as the ultimate pastor, the ultimate shepherd of his people, we see the compassion that he had for most people. He would teach them, pointing them to the truth of who he was. He would heal the sick and the lame, and even raise the dead.

However, Jesus did not hold back his anger and frustration from those who were leading the people astray. In Matthew 23, we see Jesus denouncing the religious leaders of Israel, specifically the scribes and the Pharisees, by pronouncing seven “Woes” upon them. He would say, “Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!” And then he would give a detailed charge against them.

I have heard it said by many pastors and theologians that I admire and look up to that the shepherd needs two voices.

“The shepherd needs two voices: one to call the sheep, one to fend off wolves.”

One voice he uses to call to the sheep, instructing them in truth and warning them of danger. The other voice is what he uses to fend off the wolves that would try to steal away the sheep.

I constantly pray that God would help me to use the right voice at the right time with this congregation, and with those who would try to lead us astray from the truth of God’s Word. And as I asked last week, I ask you to pray for me as well. I need to be praying for myself, but I also need the prayers of this church as I do my best to lead alongside Craig and Sam.

Hebrews 5:3

Because of this, he must make an offering for his own sins as well as for the people.

Because of his own sinfulness and failures, because of his fallen humanity, the high priest would offer a sacrifice for his own sins, as well as a sacrifice for the sins of the people.

Last week, I mentioned how Leviticus 16 was the chapter that described how the high priest was to go about performing his duties on the Day of Atonement. As we look at some verses in Leviticus 16, you will see that the high priest had to offer sacrifices for himself before he made sacrifices for the people.

Leviticus 16:3

“Aaron is to enter the most holy place in this way: with a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering.”

Next, we see the ceremonial clothes that Aaron was supposed to wear as part of the Day of Atonement.

Leviticus 16:6, 11-14

Aaron offered bull for himself and his household

Slaughtered the bull for his sin offering.

Then he took blazing coals from the altar before the Lord and two handfuls of finely ground fragrant incense, and bring them inside the curtain and into the Holy of Holies.

Put the incense on the fire before the Lord, so that the cloud of incense covers the mercy seat that is over the testimony, or else he will die.

Took the bull’s blood and sprinkled it with his finger against the east side of the mercy seat; then before the mercy seat seven times.

The ram would be offered as a birth offering, being sacrificed and placed on the altar. The bull’s body would be taken outside of the camp and completely burned up.

The high priest had to go through all of this for his own sins and the sins of his family before he could then present the sacrifice for the people. In many ways, this is what I have to do myself before preaching a sermon to you on a Sunday.

As I study the passage, I have to start applying it to myself before I can begin trying to teach all of you what the Scriptures say. I have told you before that preparing a sermon for Sunday is not always a fun job, because I am faced with my own sinfulness and disobedience to God’s Word, which I need the Lord to work on in my own heart and mind before I ever bring the message to you.

Hebrews 5:4

No one takes this honor on himself; instead, a person is called by God, just as Aaron was.

The author now states that any man who had the honor and authority to offer the sacrifices for the sins of the people did not receive that authority on their own. Instead, that man was called by God just as God called Aaron to the position.

A person cannot just call themselves a pastor, an apostle, or a prophet. There are certain requirements and stipulations concerning being placed in leadership in God’s church. Here is a basic outline of what we see in Scripture for anyone who desires to be in leadership within the church:

Teaching the Qualifications

The church is first taught the biblical qualifications for elders, drawing chiefly from 1 Timothy 3:1–7 and Titus 1:5–9. These passages provide the basis for evaluation and selection, and ensure the congregation knows what to look for in prospective shepherds. I am not perfect, but I strive to fulfill these requirements to the best of my ability as the Holy Spirit continues to refine and sanctify me by his grace.

Prayerful Discernment

The church and any current leaders engage in significant prayer and, where appropriate, fasting as seen in Acts 14:23 and Acts 6:6. This underscores dependence on the Holy Spirit’s guidance in identifying and appointing elders. I know the amount of prayer that Sam and Craig and many others in this church were doing before I ever applied for this position, and as I was going through the application and hiring process.

Identification and Observation

The congregation and/or existing leaders identify men who exhibit the biblical qualities. There is a period of watching lives and conduct over time, in line with 1 Timothy 5:22 ("Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands"), to prevent rash or ill-considered appointments.

Public Candidacy and Evaluation

Prospective elders' names are publicly set forth, giving the congregation opportunity to voice scripturally-based concerns or affirmations. Members are invited to confirm that candidates meet biblical standards by evaluating their lives and doctrine (1 Timothy 3; Titus 1).

Formal Appointment

When a candidate is found qualified and without scriptural objection, the church formally appoints him with public prayer and the laying on of hands (Acts 14:23; 1 Timothy 4:14). This act, performed by existing elders or spiritual leaders and witnessed by the congregation, serves as both a commissioning and a visible expression of unity and support.

Public Charge and Support

The newly appointed elder receives a solemn charge (e.g., 1 Timothy 5:21) and the congregation is exhorted to support, honor, and pray for him as he undertakes this weighty responsibility.

As this church grows, and as we see more men growing in the faith, this is the general process that we as a church will take together in evaluating and nominating men for leadership within the church. It is a process that is filled with prayer, discernment, and accountability.

There are people in the church who don’t just claim to be pastors, though. They claim to be apostles and prophets. People like:

Bill Johnson (Leader of Bethel Church in Redding, CA), Cindy Jacobs, Rick Joyner, Chuck Pierce, Apostle Guillermo Maldonado, Lance Wallnau, Che Ahn, Patricia King, Hank Kunneman, John Arnott, Shawn Bolz, Heidi Baker, and Kris Vallotton.

You also have your YouTube prophets like: Isaiah Salvidar, Vladimir Savchuk, Greg Locke, Alexander Pagani and more.

These types of “prophets” who talk about deliverance ministries for Christians, implying that Christians can be demon possessed and need to be delivered from demons and spirits every week, these people need to be avoided. Their shallow theology and misunderstanding or misrepresentation of the teachings of Scripture can cause uncertainty and confusion in your faith.

Hebrews 5:5

In the same way, Christ did not exalt himself to become a high priest, but God who said to him,

You are my Son;today I have become your Father,

Just as no man can take upon himself the title and mantle of “high priest”, Jesus did not exalt himself to be our high priest, but was given the honor and appointed to the position by God the Father.

The author quotes Psalm 2:7 as he did earlier in chapter one, where God declares through David that Jesus is the Son of the Father. The first time that the author used this verse from Psalm 2 was to prove that Christ was greater than the angels. This time, he is using the passage to show that Jesus did not just step into the role of being our high priest on his own accord, but that God appointed him to the position.

In John 5, Jesus has just healed the man at the pool of Bethesda and is taking criticism from the Jewish leaders for healing on the Sabbath. And Jesus responds to them that he is doing the will of the Father.

John 5:30

“I can do nothing on my own. I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, because I do not seek my own will, but the will of him who sent me.”

We also see him say the same thing in John 6:37-40, the day after Jesus had fed the 5,000 and had walked on water. The people wanted to see Jesus do another sign, but he told them that he had already done signs and wonders for them, and they still didn’t believe. So he says this:

John 6:37-40

“Everyone the Father gives me will come to me, and the one who comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me. This is the will of him who sent me: that I should lose none of those he has given me but should raise them up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father: that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him will have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

Jesus says that everything he does here on earth is not his own will but the will of God the Father who sent him here in human form. Now, to be clear, this was not a banishment; this was not “cosmic child abuse” like we have talked about in the past. God sent Jesus to earth, appointing him as our high priest, according to the express plan that the Holy Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) had worked out in eternity past.

Jesus was not coerced into coming to earth. Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection were always plan A. There was no backup plan. God knew from the beginning how everything would play out. Being omniscient means that God is all-knowing. He knows everything from beginning to end because he created everything from the beginning to the end.

I said this the first time we saw the author use Psalm 2:7, but when the passage says the word “today,” this is not referring to a specific point in time. I already stated that the Godhead existed from eternity past. God had no beginning. Jesus had no beginning. The Holy Spirit had no beginning. They have always existed. They exist outside of time. They are not bound by time.

The Godhead not being bound by time is the reason RC Sproul believed that when Isaiah had his vision of the throne room of God in Isaiah 6, Sproul believed that Isaiah was seeing the enthronement of Jesus Christ, much like what John saw and described in the Book of Revelation, but before Jesus had ever come to earth as a man. Since God is not bound by time, he can give humanity a glimpse of what is to come.

It also means that God knows what will come our way. There is nothing that we face in this world that surprises him. When Romans 8:28 says:

Romans 8:28

We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.

…we can understand that if God already knows what is coming, he knows how to help us through our trials and sufferings. He knows what it will actually take to build our faith. We do not need to worry about the problems we face, spending endless minutes, hours, days, weeks, or even years trying to figure out how we are going to get through the problems we are facing, when we can finally understand that God is working it out for our good.

2 Corinthians 4:17

For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory.

Our hardships, our tribulations, are only momentary afflictions in light of eternity. And God works those afflictions for both his glory and our own that will last for eternity. Having this in mind can help us put our earthly struggles into perspective. Our pain will not last forever if we put our faith in Christ, for we will receive glorified bodies as Christ did after his resurrection. Our financial struggles will not last forever if we put our faith in Christ, for we will walk on streets of gold and have the ever-present glory of God visible to us every moment forever.

Because of this, the word “today” is an eternal declaration. It is not a declaration of a specific point in time. God is declaring that for all eternity, Jesus is his Son, and he is Jesus’ Father.

Hebrews 5:6

also says in another place,

You are a priest foreveraccording to the order of Melchizedek.

The author now quotes from Psalm 110:4 where David declares prophetically that the Father proclaims the “priestly king” as a priest forever in the pattern of Melchezidek. This psalm is quoted in a few different places, especially verse 1, which points to God speaking to Christ.

Psalm 110:1

This is the declaration of the LORDto my Lord:“Sit at my right handuntil I make your enemies your footstool.”

to my Lord:“Sit at my right handuntil I make your enemies your footstool.”

Here we see two uses of the word “Lord”. One of them is likely spelled “LORD” and the other one “Lord”. There is a reason for that, which helps to explain this Psalm in greater depth.

YHWH (Yahweh) - “I am” - God’s covenant name

Adonai - “My Lord” - Title expressing authority, sovereignty, and mastery, reflecting one's recognition of God's power and rule.

Jesus used this psalm to silence the Pharisees. Jesus knew that this passage was referring to himself and was subtly using it to point to his divinity. I believe that the author of Hebrews may have had this story of Jesus in mind when writing these last two verses of our passage today. Especially in referencing Psalm 110.

Matthew 22:41-46

While the Pharisees were together, Jesus questioned them, “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?”

They replied, “David’s.”

He asked them, “How is it then that David, inspired by the Spirit, calls him ‘Lord’:

The Lord declared to my Lord,

‘Sit at my right handuntil I put your enemies under your feet’?

“If David calls him ‘Lord,’ how, then, can he be his son?” No one was able to answer him at all, and from that day no one dared to question him anymore.

When Jesus asked the Pharisees who “son” or descendant was the Messiah to be, they correctly responded, “David’s.” The OT often mentions that the Messiah would set up an eternal kingdom and sit on the throne of his father David. But when Jesus tells them to look closely at Psalm 110, where David declares that God (YHWH) is talking to David’s Lord, or king (Adonai), about sitting at God’s right hand, he asks how that “Lord” could be David’s son/descendant.

This is what we refer to as the:

Hypostatic Union - Jesus is 100% man & 100% God

We have often talked about how Philippians 2 describes Jesus leaving the presence of the Father to come to earth as a human, being made in the form of a man. Though he was a man, we see in the gospel accounts of the Mount of Transfiguration where Jesus’ human nature starts to become transparent, allowing the eternal shimmering glory of Jesus’ divine nature to shine through.

Since Jesus uses Psalm 110 to describe himself, we must understand this Psalm as being a prophetic look from David at who Jesus was to be when He came to the earth the first time. So, when the author of Hebrews quotes from verse 4 of Psalm 110, calling Jesus a priest, we can see this further connection of how Jesus is fulfilling OT prophecy.

But the Psalm does not just call Jesus a priest, but a priest according to the order of Melchizedek. You may be asking, “Who is Melchizedek?” We find him in Genesis 14:17-20. Abraham has returned from rescuing his nephew Lot from a group of Canaanite kings. When Abraham returns, he is met by a man named Melchizedek.

Genesis 14:17-20

After Abram returned from defeating Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him in the Shaveh Valley (that is, the King’s Valley). Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine; he was a priest to God Most High. He blessed him and said:

Abram is blessed by God Most High,Creator of heaven and earth,and blessed be God Most Highwho has handed over your enemies to you.

And Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

This Melchizedek is a King of the city or territory of Salem, but is also described as a priest of the Most High God. The priesthood to God was not created until after the Exodus from Egypt, when the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob went toward the Promised Land. The priestly line was kept within the tribe of Levites, within the clan of the Kohathites. And yet, this Melchizedek is called a priest to God.

As we saw earlier in our main passage from Hebrews 5, men cannot just declare themselves to be priests. The position is appointed by God. He chooses whom he wants to put in that position. And as Melchizedek was chosen to be a priest to God in Genesis 14 and Aaron was chosen in Exodus 28, Christ was chosen as our ultimate high priest, who would bring his people salvation, cleanse his people from their sins, and petition God on behalf of his people.

We will get more into who Melchizedek was as we will see him mentioned again in next week’s passage and then again in Hebrews 7, where the author really digs into the significance of this mysterious priest. But today, I think it is important to see that God calls people to his service, and Christ was one of those chosen. In his humility, he submitted to the will of God, fulfilling what was planned by the Trinity since eternity past.

Today, you can have the work of our great high priest applied to your own life. Our sin separates us from God. Our disobedience and rebellion are detestable to the Lord, cosmic treason against the God of the universe, who calls us to obey him and serve him. There really is nothing that I can do to get you to understand the gravity of your sin. That is something that the Holy Spirit needs to do. I would encourage you to ask God to reveal your sins to you. Ask him to reveal how you fall short of his glorious standard. Ask him what path your life is on.

Next Step: I will ask the Lord to show me my standing with him.

But through Christ coming to this earth as our high priest, having offered the perfect sacrifice once for all the sins of those who will call upon him for salvation, we can receive mercy, not receiving the punishment that we deserve for our sins. Through Christ’s sacrifice, we can also receive grace, getting the gift of salvation and eternal life in heaven with him.

If you have never submitted your life to Christ, if you have never repented of your sins, today is the day to do so. Today is the day to throw your sins at the foot of the cross and receive the gift of God’s grace and mercy that he offers to you freely. Do not wait.

Next Step: I will repent and submit my life to Christ.

Let’s pray.

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