Jesus Is Our True and Better Priest
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14 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. 15 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. 16 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.
1 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. 2 He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness. 3 Because of this he is obligated to offer sacrifice for his own sins just as he does for those of the people. 4 And no one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was.
5 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”;
6 as he says also in another place,
“You are a priest forever,
after the order of Melchizedek.”
7 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. 8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. 9 And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, 10 being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.
11 About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.
13 For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, 14 saying, “Surely I will bless you and multiply you.” 15 And thus Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise. 16 For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation. 17 So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, 18 so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. 19 We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, 20 where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.
Eerdmans Bible Dictionary PRIEST
In the Old Testament the function of a priest was that of a mediator between God and mankind.
The chief problem for humanity is their hindered access to God.
Priests served as the doorway through which the Israelites were to get to God.
The Priest would be their main representative. He was tasked with approaching God in the most holy place, atoning for their sins, advocating for the people.
The great issue the priest was remedying was man’s desperate need to get to God.
What kept us from God was our sin!
The beautiful part of Christ’s function as priest is that rather than humanity going to God through a priest, it is actually God who came down as the true and better priest in order to then take us back to Him.
Advent means “coming” or “arrival”. One of the main things Jesus came to this planet for was to be our greater priest!
As our true and better priest, Jesus....
Gives Us Reason to Hold Fast Our Confession - 4:14-15
14 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. 15 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.
Because Jesus is a greater high priest who resisted a greater temptation, has a greater compassion for us sinners, made a greater sacrifice in a greater holy place, we should not disregard him or abandon the faith that we have in him!
Every earthly high priest was responsible to sacrifice in the temple’s “most holy” place. Only he could enter it. And He could only enter it once a year during the day of atonement.
Jesus didn’t present a sacrifice in the “most holy place” in Jerusalem, but entered into the most holy place in heaven. The throne room of God!
To hold fast your confession essentially means to never abandon your relationship to Jesus which is enabled through faith.
You and I have very good reasons to Trust Christ.
Why would we abandon a high priest who has ascended into heaven for a lesser priest who only can go through an earthly curtain once a year.
You and I have a priest who didn’t cut the throat of a lamb or goat in order to atone for our sins, We have a priest who gave up his own life to satisfy God’s wrath.
Propitiation
As our true and better priest, Jesus...
Invites Us to Boldly Approach God - 4:16
16 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.
Jesus not only entered the greater holy place with a greater sacrifice, but he now invites us in with him to the throne where he went in on our behalf.
Other priests and Israelites were never permitted behind the curtain into the most holy place in Jerusalem.
The author here is guaranteeing that God provides help to those who come to him through their great high priest Jesus.
Help isn’t always what we think it is.
Most often, the help we need is found in having a closeness with God.
The NIV Application Commentary: Hebrews Draw near to God (4:16)
Jesus’ compassionate disposition invites us to intimacy with God and makes that intimacy possible
You can have a close intimate relationship with God through Jesus. He has invited you to the throne of grace with him. He bought your entrance with his blood.
As our true and better priest, Jesus...
Is Our Source of Eternal Salvation - 5:7-10
7 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. 8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. 9 And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, 10 being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.
The author is essentially saying that by Jesus being made fully human, submitting to the realities of being human, and depending on God fully as a human, His sacrifice as being Fully God and Fully Man was enough to eternally atone for our sin.
I was talking to my mom about this text this week and she made the stunning observation that when the earthly high priest made an atonement on the day of atonement, that sacrifice was probably only good for one millisecond due to the fact we are prone to sin and usually do it quickly.
There was always a need for another sacrifice a year later. Jesus’ sacrifice is one that enables eternal salvation.
The ESV Study Bible Chapter 5
he learned obedience through what he suffered. Though always without sin (4:15; 7:26) and thus always obedient, Jesus nevertheless acquired knowledge and experience by living as a human being (cf. Luke 2:40, 52), and he especially came to know firsthand what it cost to maintain obedience in the midst of suffering (see notes on Heb. 2:9; 2:10; 2:18; 4:15). As Jesus “increased in wisdom and stature” (Luke 2:52), successive temptations were no doubt more difficult to deal with (cf. Luke 4:12), and as he obeyed his Father in the face of each temptation, he “learned obedience,” so that his human moral ability was strengthened.
As our true and better priest, Jesus...
Gives Us Hope that God Will Welcome Us In - 6:18-20
18 so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. 19 We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, 20 where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.
The Author is saying that because God has kept every promise he made in the past to our forefathers and we know that God does not lie, since he has promised to give us rest through Jesus we can run to him for refuge and expect him to not turn us away!
He links this idea directly to the fact that Jesus is our true and better priest because Jesus has gone before us! Jesus has made the way!
The promise to Abraham found its fulfillment in Jesus, the true and better priest. This is the hope of Advent! The true and better priest has come!