Hebrews: He Intercedes; We Proclaim

Reading of the Word

Hebrews 7:21–28 ESV

but this one was made a priest with an oath by the one who said to him: “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, ‘You are a priest forever.’ ” This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant. The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself. For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.

Prayer of Illumination

Gracious Father,

As we come before Your Word, quiet our hearts and open our minds through the Holy Spirit. Illuminate the truth of Scripture so that we may not only understand it but also be transformed by it.

Teach us to follow Jesus’ example in sharing the good news. Remove our fears and fill us with faith, compassion, and courage. Give us humble hearts that are surrendered to You and willing to be used.

May Your Word equip us to be faithful witnesses wherever You have placed us. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Amen.

Introduction

▸ Have you ever watched someone in court say, “I’ll represent myself”? Usually, everyone knows that is a bad idea. They need someone qualified to stand before the judge and speak for them.

▸ Spiritually, so do we. We cannot erase our guilt or approach a holy God through our own goodness. We need someone to represent us.

▸ That is the good news of Hebrews: Jesus is our Great High Priest. He offered Himself for us and now represents us before the Father.

▸ But here is the unexpected part: the One who represents us before the Father sends us to represent Him before the world.

▸ Throughout our journey through Hebrews, we have heard the call:

Don’t drift.

Hold fast.

Draw near with confidence.

Trust Christ’s finished work.

▸ Each of those commands has been preparing us to live in light of who Jesus is through what He has done.

I. Jesus Is Our Perfect High Priest (vv.23-28)

▸ Under the old covenant, there were many priests because every priest eventually died. Their ministry was temporary. But Jesus is different.

▸ He rose from the dead, lives forever, and holds His priesthood permanently. There will never be another High Priest because there will never need to be another one.

▸ The old priests were sinners themselves, and they had to offer sacrifices repeatedly. Those sacrifices could never provide the final cleansing humanity needed.

▸ Do you see what the old priesthood could not accomplish? It could enforce the Law, but it could never transform the human heart. Religious activity alone cannot produce godly character.

E. M. Bounds warned, “There is much of the treadmill movement in our ceaseless round and routine of religious doings. We pray without praying.… We go to Church by habit.… We read our accustomed chapter in the Bible, and feel quite relieved when the task is done.”

As I prepared this message, the Lord caused me to examine my own heart. I realized there have been times when I’ve been more concerned about my own schedule than about meeting with God. So before I point a finger at anyone else, I’m pointing it at myself first.

If we’re honest, all of us can lose sight of what truly matters. I remember a priest telling me that before the Easter Vigil, people would often ask how long the service would be. I also remember serving in a church that eventually split after spending two years arguing over the color of the carpet.

Those experiences remind me how easily our schedules and our preferences can become more important than Christ.

Our focus when we gather should be Jesus Christ. Everything we do should glorify Him, be led by the Holy Spirit, and draw us into a deeper relationship with Christ. We haven’t come to check a religious box; we’ve come to worship our Savior and Lord.

▸ Many of us refer to Jesus as our Savior and Lord. The title Lord means Master, Ruler, and the One who has authority over our lives. To confess Jesus as Lord is to surrender our lives to His rule.

▸ As we submit to Him, the Holy Spirit makes us more like Christ. There comes a moment in every believer’s life when God puts His finger on something we’ve been holding onto and asks, “Will you trust Me enough to surrender it to Me?” Those moments reveal whether Jesus is simply our Savior in word or truly our Lord in practice.

▸ Jesus does not simply want a place in our schedules; He deserves first place in our lives. That is why we needed more than religious activity and repeated sacrifices. We needed a perfect High Priest who could offer a perfect sacrifice that is sufficient.

Hebrews 7:27 ESV

He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself.

▸ The text describes Him as holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.

▸ Jesus accomplished what the law and the old priesthood never could. Through faith in Him, we receive forgiveness, His righteousness, and access to God.

▸ We do not approach God on the basis of our goodness. We approach Him through the perfection of Christ.

Application: Our hope is not in pastors, churches, or religious systems that can fail us, but in Jesus—the perfect High Priest whose finished sacrifice is completely sufficient to save and sustain us.

II. Jesus Is Our Living High Priest (v. 25)

▸ The cross is finished, but Christ’s ministry for His people continues. Because of this, He saves us completely.

Hebrews says Jesus is able to “save to the uttermost.”

Jesus does not save us partially or temporarily. He saves us completely. His sacrifice is sufficient for every sin, and His salvation lasts forever.

▸ He represents us continually

Jesus “always lives to make intercession” for us. To intercede means to stand on behalf of another.

Jesus is not convincing an unwilling Father to love us. The Father loved us and sent His Son to save us. Christ continually represents us before the Father on the basis of His completed sacrifice.

▸ When we sin, He does not abandon us. His sacrifice has already answered every charge against us.

▸ Our security does not rest in our ability to hold everything together. It rests in the living Christ who will never stop interceding for us.

When our prayers feel weak, His intercession is not.

When our strength runs out, His grace does not.

When our faith feels fragile, His hold on us remains secure.

Application: You are never alone. You have a High Priest who represents you and will never stop interceding for you.

III. Jesus Sends Us as His Royal Priesthood

1 Peter 2:9–10 ESV

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. 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 alone is our Great High Priest. But because we belong to Him, Peter calls us a royal priesthood.

▸ That does not mean we replace Jesus or add anything to His saving work. It means we have been given the privilege of representing Him in the world.

▸ Peter says we are:

A chosen race.

A royal priesthood.

A holy nation.

A people belonging to God.

▸ But our identity comes with a mission: “That you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” We have been saved and made holy to make Him known.

We proclaim and Represent Christ

2 Corinthians 5:20 ESV

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

▸ As ambassadors, we represent Jesus by what we say, how we live, and how we treat others.

People should see something of Christ in our compassion, truthfulness, forgiveness, integrity, and hope.

And when they ask why, we should be ready to tell them.

▸ If someone asked you to explain in two minutes how Jesus changed your life, what would you say?

In the bulletin today, you will find a way to develop your testimony to share with others…

During our next series, “Learning Evangelism from Jesus,” we’ll put this into action. From writing your testimony to practicing how to share it, you’ll be equipped so that if you’re ever asked about your faith, you’ll be ready with an answer.

We serve where God has placed us

▸ Serving Christ is not limited to what happens inside the church building.

Wherever God has placed you—your home, workplace, school, or neighborhood—that is your mission field.

Pray for the people around you. Look for opportunities to serve them. Be prepared to tell them about Jesus.

You do not need a title, platform, or position. You simply need to obey Christ where He has placed you.

Takeaway for the Week: The Great High Priest who represents us before the Father sends us to represent Him before the world.

Conclusion and Final Challenge

▸ As we leave today, remember this: our relationship with Christ and our trust in His finished work is everything. Christianity is not about checking religious boxes. It is about knowing Jesus, walking with Jesus, and trusting completely in what He has already accomplished on the cross.

▸ Healthy relationships require communication. God speaks to us through His Word, and we respond through prayer. When communication with God is consistently absent, it should cause us to examine whether we truly know Christ.

▸ Jesus did not die merely to make us religious; He died to reconcile us to the Father so that we can boldly approach His throne. And because He always lives to intercede for us, we can always draw near to God through Him.

▸ So don’t leave here trusting in your own goodness, your church attendance, or your religious activity. Place your confidence in Christ alone. Draw near to Him. Walk with Him. Trust Him. Because our relationship with Christ and our trust in His finished work is not just part of the Christian life—it is the Christian life.

Prayer Following Sermon

Gracious Father,

Thank You for speaking to us through Your Word today. As we leave this place, remind us that we do not go alone. We go with confidence because Jesus Christ, our great High Priest, continually intercedes for us before Your throne.

Strengthen us by Your Holy Spirit to follow Christ’s example with faithfulness and love. Give us hearts that are attentive to those around us and ready to share the hope we have in Him. May our words and our lives reflect the grace and truth of our Savior.

Keep us steadfast in the assurance that Christ is our Advocate, our Mediator, and our ever-present help. As He prays for us, may we faithfully live for Him until the day we see Him face to face.

Through Jesus Christ, our great High Priest and Lord, we pray.

Amen.