Jesus Christ the great high priest (2)
Notes
Transcript
Jesus Christ the great high priest
Jesus Christ the great high priest
Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.”
When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.
The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written,
“Fear not, daughter of Zion;
behold, your king is coming,
sitting on a donkey’s colt!”
His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.”
Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.
“Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not mine. Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die. So the crowd answered him, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?” So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.”
When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them. Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
“Lord, who has believed what he heard from us,
and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”
Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said,
“He has blinded their eyes
and hardened their heart,
lest they see with their eyes,
and understand with their heart, and turn,
and I would heal them.”
Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him. Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.
And Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.”
Severing ourselves/moving on from long term relationships to new much better commitments can be heart wrenching.
Most of us are all to well aware why a few of us continue to hold onto some items or long term relationships even though we might grudging admit that a change is warranted.
Navigation system that displays on radio screen of vehicle
Need to weigh cost versus benefits
GPS units versus cell phone versus map quest print out versus map book or road map
Purchase of Dad’s 1960 Ford Fairlane from Essex ON Ford dealership
Educational vocational change in direction
Our family - Dad’s decision to cease attending rural community 3 point charge
While most first century Hebrews could have traced their lineage back 100’s of years to the days of Moses and perhaps even before him to one of the 12 tribes, the descendants of one of the 12 sons of Jacob, the grandson of Abraham, the first century Hebrews who had come to faith in Christ, the Son of God, found themselves living and worshipping within a new, far better paradigm.
No longer was it mostly about their lineage or ethnic roots. It was now who they were in Jesus. For that reason, they now saw angels, Moses, the promised land and the priesthood in a new light..
Jesus Christ, a great high priest:
Has passed through the heavens - 4:14
Having explained that Jesus was greater than the angels and Moses, the writer of Hebrews now went on to explain that Jesus was greater than Aaron and Melchisedek.
Central to this explanation are 2 OT quotes. The first of those verses has been quoted in Heb 1:5
I will tell of the decree:
The Lord said to me, “You are my Son;
today I have begotten you.
Ps
The Lord has sworn
and will not change his mind,
“You are a priest forever
after the order of Melchizedek.”
Ps
In the middle of the writer’s explanation of Jesus Christ’s superior ministry as a great high priest, he digressed into commenting on the spiritual condition of the Hebrews to whom he wrote. As we work our way through the truths of these early chapters of Hebrews with doctrinal content that while perhaps a bit geared to Hebrew believers, we should be asking ourselves why the seeming digression into the spiritual maturity of those who first read this letter.
WHEN WE AS BELIEVERS DO GROW IN OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE DOCTRINES OF CHRIST AND WHAT THAT MEANS IN WEIGHING OTHER THEOLOGICAL CONCEPTS, WE CEASE TO MATURE.
The sad reality is that most of those who stop maturing in Christ, are oblivious to their stagnant spiritual condition.
To avoid that possibility, let us do our bet not to consider and understand the truths of the word of God, but apply them in our lives, that is to live them.
Thus far in the book of Hebrews, the high priesthood of Christ is emphasized.
He was the one who made purification for sins.
He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
He is a merciful and faithful high priest.
Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.
He is the apostle and high priest of our confession.
Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession,
Over the last couple of months, we have allowed , Moses record of the events of the annual day of Atonement, to help us understand the sober and necessary of atoning for the sins of the priest and his house - , - the people - - the Holy Place and the tent of meeting - - the goat on which all of the sins of the people were confessed before it was released/freed in the wilderness - .
In order to do that the High Priest passed through the outer court, the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies. All of this, was so that on behalf of himself, his family, the High Priest could come into the presence and God who is holy and offer an atonement for their sins.
With that fresh in our minds, please remember the details recorded in with regard to the live goat.
“And when he has made an end of atoning for the Holy Place and the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall present the live goat. And Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the people of Israel, and all their transgressions, all their sins. And he shall put them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who is in readiness. The goat shall bear all their iniquities on itself to a remote area, and he shall let the goat go free in the wilderness.
Lev 16:
The words used by Moses need to be remembered.
And Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the people of Israel, and all their transgressions, all their sins. And he shall put them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who is in readiness.
Lev 16:
Confess all the iniquities of the people, all their transgressions, all their sins.
In the NT, after Jesus’ death for sin, there is not a blanket forgiveness to be claimed. Thes must be a confession that we are sinners and have sinned and apart from Christ’s imputed righteousness have not forgiveness.
David understood that.
I acknowledged my sin to you,
and I did not cover my iniquity;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah
John did too.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 Jn
So did the Apostle Paul.
because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them.
So did James.
Rom
James 5;
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
And lest we think that this was only their take on the need on confessing our sins to Christ and confessing Christ as Saviour and Lord, we do well to remember Christ’s words.
So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven,
The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.
Rev
Jesus also passed through the heavens - incarnation & accension
Let us hold fast our confession - 4:14
To those who confess Christ, the writer exhorts them to hold fast their confession.
Hold fast - seize - and not let go
For Herod had seized John and bound him and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife,
Is able to sympathize with our weaknesses - 4:15-16
Most people think of God as being removed and not really understanding what we are facing. God the father does and Jesus does.
Double negative for emphasis.
Hebrews: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary Jesus’ Humanity
Our great High Priest not only is perfectly merciful and faithful but also perfectly understanding
Grief - Lazarus - disappointment, betrayal, hunger, thirst, temptation - yet without sin.
Some might suggest that not having a sin nature, Jesus did not have the same old nature pull that we do. While is true, He did experience all of Satan’s tricks. He handled them and turned them back, not by some innate power but by affirming the truths of God’s word.
Let us with confidence draw near the throne of grace - 4:16
Not only does God understand, He is approachable - totally different from the unapproachable leaders of the that and every day. Not only was God approachable, we are encouraged to approach Him. The way was open with the death of Christ.
And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split.
Throne of grace
Ark of covenant seen as where God sat enthroned between the cherabim
And Hezekiah prayed before the Lord and said: “O Lord, the God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth.
2 Kings
Jesus made atonement for sins at the throne of God. There God’s grace is dispensed and mercy was offered.
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.
Eph 2:
Time of need parallel to “in every respect tempted as we are”.
2 Cor 4:
NOT THE LORD’S TABLE.
Christ’s command - this do in remembrance of me not as a means of salvation or receiving grace and mercy.
In the NT, receiving Christ was never connected to the Lord’s Table or becoming part of a local congregation.
In the NT, conversion/confessing Christ was always followed by baptism by immersion and identifying with a local group of believers.
Was appointed by God - 5:1-6
Those who are religious ask or should ask others:
Who is your priest - high priest?
Who appointed him?
Who makes an offering for your sins?
OT - 2 terms used with regard to the priesthood.
Levites - descendants of Levi one of Jacob’s 12 sons
Aaron - descended from Levi - only Aaron’s descendant were allowed to serve as High Priest
So although High Priest was chosen by lot, he was qualified by lineage or bloodline
Chosen from among men - lineage of Aaron
Had to be man
To act on behalf of men in relation to God
We have a high priest with a unique lineage and calling - 5:5-6
To offer gifts and sacrifices for sin
While the OT included gifts and offerings in a number of contexts, in Hebrews, gifts and sacrifices
For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; thus it is necessary for this priest also to have something to offer.
(which is symbolic for the present age). According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper,
Jesus was chosen from among men - incarnation.
Jesus was chosen both as the high priest but also as the offering for sin - lamb of God - worthy is the lamb of God
The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”
And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying,
“Worthy are you to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation,
and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,
and they shall reign on the earth.”
Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice,
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
and honor and glory and blessing!”
And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying,
“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”
And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.
Rev 5:1-
We have a high priest with a unique lineage and calling - 5:5-6
Son of God
With the quotes - & - the writer affirmed that Christ’s incarnation and priesthood were by divine appointment.
Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’
Jn 8:
Jesus’ humanity did not undermine His eternal deity. Neither does it weaken the trinity.
I and the Father are one.”
Jn
Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.
Jn
With the reference to Melchizedek, there is the reference that Jesus Christ was a priest/king - unique to Melchizedek and Christ.
We need to remember that affirms the Son as both King and Messiah.
Committed Himself to do the Father’s will - 5:7-8
We have a high priest who understands pain and learned obedience - 5:7-8
We have a living high priest who is able to save from death - 5:7