Represent

Hebrews 5:1–10 ESV

For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness. Because of this he is obligated to offer sacrifice for his own sins just as he does for those of the people. And no one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was. So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”; as he says also in another place, “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.” In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.

Intro - when the framers of the constitution came up with the representatives of congress it Was with the idea of people that would remain close to the people they represent. The clear Understanding of representing is that you are to be from the people, nominated and not self exalted, possessing clear goal to complete..

we see all three of these elements in Jesus’ role of High Priest first as an agent of man...

Agent of Men

Jesus was a High Priest as we outlined last week.

the role of High Priest was important because it was the only person who was allowed, once a year, to draw near to God & not die.

The High Priest had an important job though and that was to act on behalf of men

He was to serve as their agent and represent them before the throne.

Jesus was chosen from AMONG MEN…understand how this flew in the face of Jewish thought that God was wholly unlike men.

His role before God was to offer both gifts of thanksgiving and offerings of sacrifice

This means that rather you are in need of redemption or desire to practice anything “good”. There is nothing accepted outside of Jesus Christ!

God appointed HIM as High Priest. You can’t approach the throne how you want to, you MUST go through HIM.

There is no goodness outside of Jesus Christ that’s accepted by God. No giving of thanks or sacrifices accepted.

So no matter how good you believe you are or how passionately you hold your convictions, outside of Jesus your works go unseen and your passions are unacceptable.

He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness. Because of this he is obligated to offer sacrifice for his own sins just as he does for those of the people.

However, the High Priest deals gently with the wayward…etc. WHY?

Because HE IS ONE OF THEM!!!

He is identified with them and shows this through offering first a sacrifice for his own sin then a sin for everyone else.

Jesus is without sin yet He is identified amongst sinners e.g. baptism of John and crucifixion.

Therefore, he can deal gently with the people.

It is a wonderful word. It means the ability to put up with people without getting irritated; it means the ability not to lose one’s temper with people when they are foolish and will not learn and do the same thing over and over again. It describes the attitude which does not get angry at the faults of others and which does not condone them, but which to the end of the day devotes itself to offering gentle yet powerful sympathy which by its very patience directs people back to the right way.

So He is the perfect Agent for Man.

Realize that this entire time the Jews hadn’t had someone that fought for them before God.

they were recipients of God’s communication.

However, Jesus made it a two way communication. He speaks on our behalf before the Father as someone that can identify with mankind’s weakness.

TR: Jesus didn’t take this honor upon himself though but was appointed...

Appointed by God

It’s fitting during this election time that we discuss exaltation vs. Appointments.

there is something lost here with mankind Because there’s something in some of us that thinks we can “do it”, We can “make the difference”

If this were modern day we would fight, argue and debate over who should get to be High Priest, who offered the best sacrifices and had the better understanding of the Old Testament. There would be attack ads ad naseum against candidates.

This is not how God works. God appoints.

He doesn’t take candidates, he doesn’t weigh options or look at political platforms. He simply appoints.

Prior to this there was only 1 of the 12 tribes that could have a High Priest and that was the Tribe of Levi

One of the descendants of Levi was Aaron who was selected. by God.

However, Jesus was NOT from the Tribe of Levi, He was from the Tribe of Judah. The Jews therefore had a fundamental problem.

How can a person from the Tribe of Judah be a High Priest?!?! He had to come from a different order…the order of Melchizedek.

Who?

Genesis 14:17–20 ESV

After his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.) And he blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!” And Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

Melchizedek was a priest that appears from nowhere and is also the King of Salem.

How did He get to be priest then? God appointed Him. Jesus’ appointment was through this method.

What does this mean? Jesus’ priesthood is superior to that of Aaron’s because like Melchizedek not only is Jesus a King but His priesthood is perpetual!!

I’ve seen this at work in my house. We homeschool so whenever I come home from work I ask my wife how were the children. At this moment all of the kids are on edge…how is this woman gonna represent us today? There have been times when they tried to represent themselves and it didn’t go well. However, because of my relationship with my wife, her words regarding the kids behavior carry more weight with me than anything they could say. If it is negative than there is punishment, if it’s positive than there is reward. How much moreso with Jesus before a Holy Father?

There is only one man that will represent you and will last…that is Jesus and His intercession is superior to all that have come before Him.

Unlike earthly representatives you don’t need to fret over regime or administration changes. Jesus is forever your representative.

Appointed by the Father Himself! Amen!

This is a paradigm shift with the Jews. Although they knew that the Messiah would be a Priest they still didn’t realize that Jesus was the guy.

They wanted to cling to their old ways of doing things, trusting in the structure.

This happens in our house

Stop clinging to people in this world in hopes that they will lead you to peace. Stop clinging to yourself believing that you can lead you to peace.

There is only one who can and that is Jesus…unlike those of this world, he doesn’t seek His own comforts.

TR: Jesus was not a chosen priest that operated a part from the people but instead was acquainted with their suffering...

Acquainted with Grief

The most frustrating thing about leaders today is the behavior by many of them that seems to say that they believe they ought to be removed from suffering

The leadership of man has always carried with it in general the idea of privilege and if we’re honest that’s where it frustrates us.

It’s not the idea of people leading us that bothers us or even the idea of people telling us what to do. Most of the time what bothers us is that this person with the swipe of a pen or the push of a button can cause us intense misery that they themselves will be saved from.

Make no mistake about it folks…God takes issue with this type of representation too. cf. with Eli’s sons Hopni

However, Jesus is not like the leaders of men. He didn’t exalt himself to the office of priest and he doesn’t use it as a privilege, rather he became acquainted with suffering.

Jesus offered up prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears…and was heard!

Think of this, Jesus didn’t keep himself pious or holy for His own sake but instead for you. Jesus didn’t submit to the Father’s plan for His own sake but rather for YOU!!!

JESUS WAS PLEADING TO THE FATHER ON YOUR BEHALF!! Every trial, every failure, every hurt that came your way JESUS WAS INTERCEDING FOR YOU!!!

Now here’s the dopest thing of all....HE WAS HEARD!!! HE WAS HEARD!!! The Father acknowledged He’s pleas for you that you should be kept, not lost to the sin of this world, not overcome by its evil.

What was that prayer?!?!

RAISING INTENSITY

John 17 ESV

When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth. “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

AND JESUS WAS HEARD!!

KEEP INTENSITY

Although he was a son and could’ve had all the privileges a son had He instead became acquainted with suffering and learned obedience through it

See there is a level of pain that you’ve endured that you can tell people about all day and you know they won’t understanding.

You can describe to them the betrayals, abuses, frustrations and fears that you have and have been through but you know that they just…won’t…understand.

RATHAR THAN REMAIN ADRIFT JESUS DOVE RIGHT INTO THE SUFFERING AND EXPERIENCED THE SUFFERING OF MANKIND. MAKE NO MISTAKE THAT WAS THE REASON FOR THE TEARS.

Not out of His own pain but out of knowing the pain that we had to experience. The sin that attempts to grip us.

In doing so He was “made perfect”, not morally speaking, but rather His ministry as a High Priest was completed.

He experienced the suffering of the people that He represents and yet remained unstained. In doing so He has become our foundation....and our perfect representative.

Lower intensity to close

Is He your representative? Will you learn to submit from what you have suffered? Will you learn from your suffering that you are not meant for this world or its ways but are meant for God? Will you listen to these words with the intention of obeying God or continue in your ways?

We are a family meant to be representatives to this city…we are a part of Kansas City, called by God and acquainted with the suffering that occurs here…will you intercede for it and reach out to it on behalf of Jesus?

Knowing what he’s done for you, don’t allow the relationship you have to become a privilege but instead…reach this city, this nation, this world pointing them to the ultimate intercessor, Jesus Christ.