No other Mediator

Appetiser

To reiterate, the Jewish converts to Christianity who first received this letter were paying a price for their faith. It did not pay to be a Christian — perhaps, in some instances, literally; though we only know that by this time the persecution of Christians had not reached its peak, as it seems their life was not on the line, nevertheless it was hard enough that many of them were filtering back to their old ways of Judaism. They left you alone if you were a peaceful Jew, living according to the rules and regulations of the Jewish authorities. You could go to the temple, the priest would present your sacrifice for you, the high priest would pray for the sins of the people. You could follow the Old Testament prescribed sacrificial system and seek covering for your sins that way. Society accepted that form of worship.

There was only one problem with it: God didn’t anymore. When His Son Jesus died on the cross, “The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.” (Mark 15:38) That signalled that the Old Testament sacrificial system was done away with once and for all, and it is through Jesus Christ alone that we can approach God; we will see in detail this doctrine expounded in Hebrews.

So: if you went back, you gained temporary peace in this life, but would reject the eternal peace with God. The Letter to the Hebrews is one large plea not to do that. “For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5) In our passage we have three reasons why not to desert this One Mediator.

Main Course

Christ is appointed by God for His office, Hebrews 5:1-6

Similarities to Aaron, Hebrews 5:1-5a

He is taken from among the people, v1.

He is a man. That is, a male human being. This is necessary for him to be a representative:

He is stepping into Adam’s shoes. We read about Adam’s task in Genesis 2:15,

Genesis 2:15 NIV (Anglicised, 2011)

The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.

The phrase “to work it” translates the same word as is used for the service of the priests. Adam is a priest, and as the first man represents all humanity before God. It is into this role that the priests, and especially the high priest were appointed by God.

He is appointed by God, v4.

Adam was created outside the Garden of Eden, but he didn’t walk in there — God put him there. This is significant, for it shows that the priestly service is not of man’s own volition: God appoints His own priests.

Similarly, it was God who appointed Aaron and his descendants for the honour of the high priestly service. This was serious matter, cf. how God speaks to Aaron in Numbers 18:7,

Numbers 18:7 NIV (Anglicised, 2011)

But only you and your sons may serve as priests in connection with everything at the altar and inside the curtain. I am giving you the service of the priesthood as a gift. Anyone else who comes near the sanctuary is to be put to death.’

Both of these are true of our Lord Jesus Christ — in fact, ‘Christ’ means anointed: God has chosen this man to be a high priest — indeed, “a great high priest” (Hebrews 4:14). As we have already seen in Hebrews 2:16-17,

Hebrews 2:16–17 NIV (Anglicised, 2011)

For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.

The key difference: Hebrews 5:5b-6

The priesthood of Aaron: blood-related. As we’ve seen in the quote from Numbers, it was Aaron and his sons who served as priests; you couldn’t become one if you did not belong to Aaron’s bloodline. This was always going to be a temporary thing, until the key representative would come. And in Jesus, He now has.

The priesthood of Melchizedek: unique. We will further discover in our studies in Hebrews what it means that Jesus is a high priest in the order of Melchizedek, because our writer will come back to it. He has one major point here, though: Jesus’s priesthood is unique. It does away with the former priesthood — now that Jesus is in town, He is the one God looks on as His High priest, because He is the one appointed by God as the one mediator between Him and mankind.

This means: No other mediator between God and mankind.

You may wish Christianity was more inclusive, recognising other ways of getting to God. Believe me when I say that probably some of the recipients of this letter did, too! It was hard being a Christian — why can’t they keep going to the temple, worship God through the high priest serving there, offering up the sacrifices for their sins?

But it’s not up to us to choose — it is up to God. And He has chosen Christ as His High Priest. He won’t accept the sincerity of the followers of other religions as a pass to Himself, even if they share great similarities to Christianity. As Jesus emphatically said in John 14:6,

John 14:6 NIV (Anglicised, 2011)

Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Christ is able to deal gently with us, Hebrews 5:1-3

Advantages and limitations of a human high priest

He is able to do gently with his peers, v2.

Jacob is coming to the temple today, carrying a little lamb, made ready for the slaughter. It is his custom to do so — as the law requires, he comes every day, bringing his sacrifice, his sins weighing heavily on him. He thinks of all the times he’s been impatient with his children; how unthankful he’s been to God for a good crop; how he failed helping his neighbour the other day, because he couldn’t be bothered. Even though he comes every day, his sins seem to just not go away.

“How are you, Jacob” — asks a kind voice. It’s John, the high priest. “You seem to be pretty low today. Everything alright?”

“Well… Not quite. I have been so bothered about my sins lately. I just can’t stop! I know God is gracious, but still: I keep letting Him and everyone I love down. So, yes: I’m a bit low today.”

“My dear brother, do you not remember our God, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.” (Exodus 34:6-7)? We all live by His grace. I come here every day, approaching Him, carrying the same sins and failures as you do — and only remembering the Lord’s grace to me keeps me going. Remember Him, my Brother. I will pray for you.

Yet, he, too, is a sinner, v3.

He’ll forget he lives by grace. Here’s an alternative ending to the above scenario — Jacob, carrying his sacrifice and his sins is coming just the same, and bumps into John, the high priest. He pours out his heart just the same, but then John:

“Man: snap out of it! How many times do I have to tell you that God forgives those who love Him and want to follow Him? Are you so stupid that you just can’t remember?”

Yes, he is able to deal gently with them — but he won’t always. It’s because the very thing that gives him his sympathy also gives him his temper: his sinful weakness. As ministers, as Christians, we are not always kind.

He can’t save his people. You see, there were regular sacrifices. There was a big annual one, the Day of Atonement, the only day the high priest was allowed to enter into the Holy of Holies. That was the day when the high priest atoned for his own sins and for the sins of all the people. Yet: it was annual — it had to be repeated every year. Why? Because it did not take away the sin of the people. As honoured a position the human high priest had, he could not, actually, save God’s people from their sins. He provided cover for one more year.

Advantages of the God-Man High Priest

He is not subject to the weakness of sin:

Does not get proud. What is the natural human tendency if we are better than others in something? Pride — we get full of ourselves. Some of us more easily than others, but pride is the default human response to greatness in oneself. Imagine Christ: He is better than all of us, beloved by God, faithful in everything, without sin, practically perfect in every way (no: not like Mary Poppins; really!) — and He is so humble that we have to learn humility from Him; Matthew 11:29,

Matthew 11:29 NIV (Anglicised, 2011)

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Long-suffering. He is not merciful once, twice, or even a thousand times. He is patiently bearing with all the millions of His brothers and sisters (Christians), and has been for millennia! Like His father, He, too, is “the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.” (Exodus 34:6-7)

He can save His people:

Christ alone is the source of eternal salvation, Hebrews 5:7-10

He has no need for a sacrifice for His sins, Hebrews 5:3

As we see, the high priest needed the sacrifice for sin as much for his own sin as for the sin of the people. Not with Jesus — He has no need of this. This puts Him in a unique position: He is able to save His people from their sin!

If you are trapped in the mud together with your friend, you both know that you can’t help each other. Though you can sympathise with one another, but you are subject to the same weakness: mud-trappedness! What you need is somebody from the shore: with a sure footing, without any besetting mud-issues, he is able to come to your rescue. That’s kind of what we have in Jesus.

I will not linger on this for long, because it is assumed by our text, rather than focussed on: He is without sin by virtue of being God. He is untainted with the sinful human weakness all human beings suffer from.

But our text focuses not so much in his inherent sinlessness, as on His practical sinlessness:

He has faithfully served God throughout His life, Hebrews 5:7-9a

To carry on from our previous analogy: Here is someone who’s been in the mud, but gone through it without becoming soiled with it or becoming trapped by it. A miracle? You bet. The miracle of the God-Man, God in the flesh, the Man Who is God.

He came as a man to become a merciful and faithful high priest for his people, successfully removing their sins from them. And this text asserts that He has done precisely that. Let’s examine these verses.

The offering he brings to God (cf. Hebrews 5:1), v7.

As we saw in Hebrews 5:1, a high priest is tasked with representing the people to God, offering up sacrifices for their sin.

Did Jesus offer anything up while in the flesh? Indeed: “he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears”. His prayers were the offering.

To Whom was He praying for? Of course, to the Father, but notice how He is referred to: “the one who could save him from death”. This has made many people think of Jesus’s prayer in Gethsemane, or perhaps His prayer on the cross for those who crucified Him. While doubtless these are part of the picture, nevertheless I believe His entire life on earth is in view (notice how the verse begins).

This recalls the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 52:13-53:12, especially Isaiah 53:10.

Isaiah 53:10 NIV (Anglicised, 2011)

Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.

Noticed that? “the Lord makes his life an offering for sin” Not just Gethsemane. Not just the cross. His entire life was the offering, and He spent it offering up amidst “prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears”.

His entire life in the flesh was the offering upon which His prayers for sinners rested.

Who was He praying for? Isaiah 53:12 tells us,

Isaiah 53:12 NIV (Anglicised, 2011)

Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

His life was therefore a prayerful offering presented for the transgressors among all His people. He prayed for whom He came to die.

We are told that “he was heard” — How do we know? By the resurrection! Notice that the Servant in Isaiah is “receiving a portion among the great” — you need to be alive for that! “he will divide the spoils with the strong” — you need to be alive for that, too! He prayed for His offering to be accepted for His sinful people, and He was heard! What a relief — what a joy! — for those who trust in Him.

We Christians worship not a dead hero, but a risen Saviour. He is alive, so our sins are forgiven. We are made right with God. Romans 4:25 says,

Romans 4:25 NIV (Anglicised, 2011)

He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.

We are also told why He was heard: “because of his reverent submission”. This is explained in v8. It was required of the Christ that He should be a perfectly obedient Man. Now it is very important to stress this: although Jesus is as much God as He is man, when He withstood the temptations that we, too, go through as human beings, He did not do so drawing on His deity. No: His obedience was a Holy Spirit enabled obedience. We will get there, but Hebrews 9:14 perhaps puts this most succinctly:

Hebrews 9:14 NIV (Anglicised, 2011)

How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!

It is “through the eternal Spirit” that Jesus “offered himself unblemished to God”. His temptations were not a farce — it was not easier to Him because He was God. His humanity was real — and so He stood the test, sustained by the Spirit of God.

Thus: He was made perfect, v9a cf. Hebrews 2:10.

Hebrews 2:10 NIV (Anglicised, 2011)

In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered.

It is in this sense that He was made perfect: to His inherent sinlessness we can now add His practical sinlessness; His complete, perfect obedience all throughout His life as a man. This is the kind of High Priest we need — and we have Him, the Great High Priest, our Lord Jesus Christ!

Therefore, He saves those who obey Him, Hebrews 5:9b-10

He was designated by God because of His perfection — not because He was next in line. No Aaronic priest was perfect. They all died, and the next one had to carry on where the previous left off. But with Christ, the work is done — He sits at God’s right hand (cf. Hebrews 1:3), as “the source of eternal” — never ending, divine in nature kind of — “salvation”.

Whom does He save? Notice that He has not come to save all. He has come to be the source of salvation “for all who obey him” — can you hear the pastoral heart of the author speaking through this? How many were turning away from Jesus to the earthly high priest serving in the temple! But He is saying to them, in effect: “If you forsake Jesus, He is not your Saviour.” Oh how many, even today, even taking the tag “Christian” will not obey Him, but follow after other gods, or other ideologies, or just simply remain in sin. Those who think and live so can have no assurance that they are saved by this Great High Priest. His sheep hear His voice, and follow Him. May we rest in Christ, and seek to obey Him, rendering our service to God through Him!