The Great Mediator
Notes
Transcript
Heavenly Priest
Heavenly Priest
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. 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. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Intro - Play High Priest song and Lyrics
What would that have been like for you if you were the high priest?
To understand the nature of this passage we must understand the role of the high priest and what it signifies to Hebrews.
What was a high priest? The high priest would make atonement once a year, on Yom Kippur
He would first have to make sacrifice for himself and his sins or else he would be killed.
He would pass through 3 different sections in order to make atonement. First the outer court, then to the Holy Place and then to the Holy of Holies where the Ark of the Covenant sat.
The top of that ark, called the Mercy Seat, is where the priest would sprinkle blood signifying that blood had been shed in order to purchase that mercy.
But before doing any of this he would first have to make sacrifice for himself and his sins and he had to follow the protocol perfectly or else he would be killed.
Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, which he had not commanded them. And fire came out from before the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord has said: ‘Among those who are near me I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified.’ ” And Aaron held his peace.
If this happened, Israel went the year having their sins unatoned for. Their mediatation was lost and they were at odds with God.
In addition, the high priest couldn’t remain in the holy of holies.
The priest would pass through the different points and then exit quickly.
There was no tarrying or enjoying the Holy of Holies. You got in and you got out because God was there.
Imagine the trepidation that would occur as Israel prayed that their priest had been holy.
See, thus far we have been speaking about partaking in something superior
The Hebrews, for all their knowledge and exposure to the Scriptures missed the superiority of Jesus and like many of us drifted, worked and tried to discipline themselves into rest with God.
What is interesting is peace with God isn’t found in a situation or location but rather in a mediatation.
Think about it for a moment, for all the pain and suffering that came from the Hebrews wandering in the wilderness for 40 years, they still could’ve had rest with God.
Some of YOU are in a wilderness. Some of you because of disobedience, ignorance or simply because God is testing you are in a difficult place. Yet, your rest won’t come AFTER that moment has passed! It can only come IN THE MOMENT when you acknowledge that you’re already at peace because you have a mediator with God!
Specifically, in the mediator Jesus Christ.
Who has this mediator? ‘WE DO!!!”, now specifically referencing Hebrews but realistically all believers.
What was a high priest? The high priest would make atonement once a year, on Yom Kippur
He would first have to make sacrifice for himself and his sins or else he would be killed.
If this happened, Israel went the year having their sins unatoned for.
In addition, the high priest couldn’t remain in the holy of holies.
The priest would pass through the different points and then exit and yet Jesus remained.
Since we have such a great mediator then we ought to hold fast to our confession (lit. profession of allegiance)
The temptation is not to always waiver in trust to God, it is to mute that trust with others for fear of persecution or even with yourself for fear of it failing.
See, Jesus is a much greater High Priest than those that came through Aaron’s lineage. His sacrifices are sufficient and his presence stays before God. So the writer of Hebrews is pleading with the Hebrews to let go of the old way!
I will do the same with you. Stop believing God will accept you based on your merit. God will only accept you based on your mediator! Is that mediator you or Jesus Christ? Jesus WANTS to be it!!!
TR: Jesus is a superior mediator because in addition to understand God…he understands you!
Human Presence
Human Presence
One thing everyone hates is bad communication. Malachi recently went to a chess tournament. He was suppose to get a shirt along with the other kids. I told him to go ask the tournament director since he preregistered if he was suppose to get a shirt or if I had to pay for one. He went up and said, “my daddy said give me a shirt”....not quite the message I had asked him to tell.
In addition to having a high priest, we have one that can sympathize with us. He can accurately communicate who we are to the Father. So on the one hand Jesus perfectly relates to God and on the other he perfectly relates to man!
Interesting theology going on during this time:
Stoics - primary attribute of God is apathy, inability to feel anything.
Epicureans - gods existed in space between worlds and were unaware of what was happening.
Jews - God was holy and completely separate from our human experience.
And yet here we see a god that has in fact taken on flesh and not only mediates FOR us but experiences life WITH us.
There is uniqueness in Jesus’ incarnation in that it wasn’t just taking on flesh
It was experiencing the testing of this world and Satan.
It wasn’t just a normal temptation/testing either. It was a testing that took everything that Satan had to offer.
He experienced our weaknesses. Not just physical but psychological.
The desire to want to satisfy himself, to take the easy way out, to think of an alternative plan that he KNOWS won’t work but looks more appealing anyway.
He was tested in the lust of his flesh, lust of his eyes and the pride of life. The word here carries with it more of a connotation of testing rather than the English connotation of temptation, as though Jesus could fail.
We’ve all taken tests in school that are designed to expose what we know and what we don’t. There are also moral tests. I remember watching this Netflix documentary where average people went through a scaled down but yet intense Navy Seal training. Each test was meant to break you and some broke before others. One was a moral test. Jesus already passed all the tests. One of the people I loved most in school was everyone with the math class two sessions before me. Why? Because I’d ask them WHAT WAS ON THE TEST! Jesus has been there, knows what it’s like and passed! On top of that the Father only uses Jesus’ answers when he gives me my grade....if that ain’t rest!!! I still need to know the material but my grade isn’t dependent on it...
Jesus’ nature was perfect…so as he was examined and it was brought to light, he simultaneously understands the weakness we feel that leads to us falling short and in the most loving way exudes joy in passing the test on our behalf.
TR: Because of this we don’t have to stand off afar. We can draw near to our Father.
Help in Glory
Help in Glory
B/c of Jesus’ sinlessness and nearness to God as OUR representative we can draw near
Not in the idea of proximity but as it relates to candidness.
The term here for “draw near” is used 7 times in this book. We can literally come “facing forward”. Not in arrogance but in surety of being accepted!!!
If anyone knows me you know I love being candid. Being politically correct I don’t believe is for pretty much anyone in this church lol
This is not saying to irreverent or rude but that you can be honest.
INCREASE INTENSITY
Not the honesty you have with someone that doesn’t understand but the type of conversation you have with someone that has been there before and you don’t fear reprisal from!
And it is because of this nearness and familiarity that we can be sure that we will find mercy and grace!
Jesus knows what it is like and therefore it is not someone that simply says “get over it”
What is the time of need spoken of here? It is the time when your faith is waivering.
He know what it’s like to be taken advantage of, used, abused, betrayed. To feel all alone and it’s all on HIM!!!
And then to be told to JUST TRUST THE PLAN but that PLAN involves PAIN AND SUFFERING
When you want with everything inside you to believe but you don’t know how to overcome that fear that nags you, that doubt.
He knows! He has experienced that onslaught and has overcome!
And HE’S TELLING YOU RIGHT NOW!!! COME HERE!!! TALK TO ME ABOUT IT!!!
He’s not going to condemn you. There is favor at His throne that you didn’t have to earn and freedom from punishment, all you must do is TRUST HIM!!!
Jesus went before you and is there NOW!!! He has never left the Father’s side, He never exited the Holy of Holies. His blood is forever on the Mercy Seat!
Don’t DENY HIM THROUGH YOUR LIFE BUT HOLD FAST TO THE TRUTH!!!
