Jesus Christ Our Perfect High Priest

Now if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek, rather than one named after the order of Aaron? For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well. For the one of whom these things are spoken belonged to another tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek, who has become a priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life. For it is witnessed of him, “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.” For on the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness (for the law made nothing perfect); but on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God. And it was not without an oath. For those who formerly became priests were made such without an oath, 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.

The key word for understanding this passage is “perfection.” It is used three times in this passage, being found in both the opening and closing verses. As in the author’s other uses of this word in the book of Hebrews, “perfection” does not refer to something moving from a flawed stated to an unflawed state, but rather to something reaching its intended goal.

Earlier in our service we confessed that the goal or purpose God has designed every human being for is to “glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” You will never be truly happy until you reach this goal. The aching hunger in every person’s soul is the hunger to “glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” People think they want sex, money, power and fame, but what they really want is to glorify and enjoy God.

Because we are born in sin, we are born unable to glorify and enjoy God. We can’t glorify God because we are in rebellion against Him. We can’t enjoy God because our sin places us under His wrath and judgement. Some people wrongly interpret the Old Covenant Law and priesthood as a way of taking care of this sin problem, but as we will learn from our passage today, the Old Covenant was designed by God to point us to the One who could. By design, the Old Covenant Law and priesthood was unable to bring us to our perfect end. The first thing the author of Hebrews wants us to understand is...

The Imperfection of the Levitical Priesthood

The opening two verses of our text makes this abundantly clear:

Hebrews 7:11–12 ESV

This is reinforced later in the text when the author writes:

Hebrews 7:18–19 ESV

For on the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness (for the law made nothing perfect); but on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.

To call the Old Covenant Law and priesthood “weak and useless” seems rather insensitive to our modern ears, but if you were paying attention to what he was saying you would have noticed that he was not saying the Law and priesthood was “weak and useless” in every way, rather it was “weak and useless” as a means by “which we draw near to God.” They couldn’t help us draw near to God because they were unable to give us a clean conscience and because they could not provide access to the true heavenly Holy of Holies where God dwells. In regards to a clean conscience, the author writes of the Old Covenant system:

Hebrews 9:9 ESV

(which is symbolic for the present age). According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper,

They could not perfect the conscience because:

Hebrews 10:4 ESV

For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

Moreover, the earthly Tabernacle and Temple were only copies of the true Heavenly Temple and only the high priest could enter the Holy of Holies (and that only once a year.) It was so dangerous for the high priest to enter the earthly Holy of Holies that they use to tie a rope around his in case the high priest was struck down by the wrath of God because of his sin!

The Old Covenant system was totally useless as a means of drawing near to God. In fact, everything about the Old Covenant system was designed to show us that we needed a better priesthood and a better law!

This better priesthood and law are found in Christ!

The Perfection of Christ’s Priesthood

Again hear what the author says in verses 11-12:

Hebrews 7:11–12 ESV

What the author is speaking of when he writes of the need for “another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek” is King David’s Messianic prophecy of Psalm 110:4.

Psalm 110:4 ESV

The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, “You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.”

You have to understand that David lived hundreds of years after the establishment of the Levitical priesthood. In saying that the Messiah would be a priest after the order of Melchizedek, David is saying that there is a need for a new priesthood and law.

Our Scripture lesson concludes with this summery:

Hebrews 7:26–28 ESV

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.

Notice that Jesus is able to address the two weakness of the Old Covenant system I pointed out earlier.

First, by His sinlessness and by the sufficiency of His sacrifice, Jesus is about to solve our sin problem. Listen to what he will write later on in Heb 10:19-22:

Hebrews 10:19–22 ESV

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 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.

The second problem was access to the Heavenly Holy of Holies, but in verse 26 we read that Jesus was “exalted above the heavens.” He does his priestly work in the true Heavenly Holy of Holies! Therefore “we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus.” In chapter 12, we will read these words:

Hebrews 12:22–24 ESV

But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

You see, because Jesus is the perfect high priest...

A Perfect Salvation Can Be Yours!

In verse 25 the author of Hebrews tells us that Jesus “is able to save to the uttermost.”

Hebrews 7:25 ESV

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.

In saying Jesus “is able to save to the uttermost” the author of Hebrews is saying there is nothing lacking in the salvation Jesus provides.

It is signification that the author of Hebrews adds these words, “since he always lives to make intercession for them.” What is it that causes a person to doubt their salvation? It is their sin! After becoming a Christian we still sin! But Jesus has that covered—he is always there before the Father’s throne pleading for us.

Last Sunday we closed our worship service singing the Charles Wesley hymn “Arise, My Soul, Arise.” Listen to the words of verse 3 again:

Hymns of the Christian Life, No. 1 Hymn 110: Arise, My Soul, Arise

Five bleeding wounds He bears,

Received on Calvary;

They pour effectual prayers,

They strongly plead for me:

“Forgive him, oh, forgive,” they cry,

“Nor let that ransomed sinner die.”

How can you doubt the Father will forgive you, when Christ Himself is pleading for you?

But I must sincerely ask each and every one of you here today, “Is Christ your High Priest? Have your given yourself to him in faith?”

If the Old Covenant Law and priesthood proved to be “weak and useless,” what hope is there that anything other than Christ will save? Give yourself to Christ today for He is able to save to the uttermost.