The Work of Our Heavenly High Priest”

TEXT: Hebrews 5:1-10

Hebrews 5:1–10 (NLT)

1 Every high priest is a man chosen to represent other people in their dealings with God. He presents their gifts to God and offers sacrifices for their sins.

2 And he is able to deal gently with ignorant and wayward people because he himself is subject to the same weaknesses.

3 That is why he must offer sacrifices for his own sins as well as theirs.

4 And no one can become a high priest simply because he wants such an honor. He must be called by God for this work, just as Aaron was.

5 That is why Christ did not honor himself by assuming he could become High Priest. No, he was chosen by God, who said to him, “You are my Son. Today I have become your Father.”

6 And in another passage God said to him, “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”

7 While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could rescue him from death. And God heard his prayers because of his deep reverence for God.

8 Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered.

9 In this way, God qualified him as a perfect High Priest, and he became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey him.

10 And God designated him to be a High Priest in the order of Melchizedek.

INTRODUCTION:

I. JESUS IS THE CHOSEN ONE (Hebrews 5:1-5).

A - Jesus has been “ordained” by God to carry out his work.

(Hebrews 5:1)

Hebrews 5:1a NLT

1 Every high priest is a man chosen to represent other people in their dealings with God. He presents their gifts to God and offers sacrifices for their sins.

1. “chosen” = καθίσταται = to assign to someone a position of authority over others—‘to put in charge of, to appoint, to designate.’

2. Jesus alone has been ordained by God. (Note Hebrews 5:5) “he was chosen by God”

II- JESUS IS THE COMPASSIONATE ONE. (Hebrews 5:2-5).

Hebrews 5:2–5 (NLT)

2 And he is able to deal gently with ignorant and wayward people because he himself is subject to the same weaknesses.

3 That is why he must offer sacrifices for his own sins as well as theirs.

4 And no one can become a high priest simply because he wants such an honor. He must be called by God for this work, just as Aaron was.

5 That is why Christ did not honor himself by assuming he could become High Priest. No, he was chosen by God, who said to him, “You are my Son. Today I have become your Father.”

A- Jesus has compassion on us when we are ignorant.

1. Ignorant = ἀγνοοῦσι = to be ignorant, not to know not to understand, unknown , to err or sin through mistake, to be wrong

B - Jesus has compassion on us when we go astray.

1. “wayward” = πλανωμένοις= to go astray, wander, roam about, to wander off the path

2. “compassion” = μετριοπαθεῖν= to be gentle in one’s attitude toward someone—‘to deal gently with, to be gently disposed toward.’.

(Psalm 103:14)

Psalm 103:14 (NLT)

14 For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust.

C - Jesus makes intercession for us, to pay for our shortcomings and sins.

(1 John 2:1-2)

1 John 2:1–2 (NLT)

1 My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous.

2 He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.

III. JESUS IS THE CONSECRATED ONE (Hebrews 5:6,10).

Hebrews 5:6 (NLT)

6 And in another passage God said to him, “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”

Hebrews 5:10 (NLT)

10 And God designated him to be a High Priest in the order of Melchizedek.

A- Who is Melchizedek? (Gen. 14:18-20).

Genesis 14:18–20 (NLT)

18 And Melchizedek, the king of Salem and a priest of God Most High, brought Abram some bread and wine.

19 Melchizedek blessed Abram with this blessing: “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth.

20 And blessed be God Most High, who has defeated your enemies for you.” Then Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of all the goods he had recovered.

B- What is different about Melchizedek?

1. Melchizedek

a. King of righteousness, the king of Salem (PEACE).

He is subsequently mentioned only once in the Old Testament, in Ps 110:4

Psalm 110:4 (NLT)

4 The Lord has taken an oath and will not break his vow: “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”

The typical significance of his history is set forth in detail in the Epistle to the Hebrews, (He 7:1-28.)

The apostle there points out the superiority of his priesthood to that of Aaron in these several respects,

1. Even Abraham paid him tithes;

2. he blessed Abraham;

3. he is the type of a Priest who lives for ever;

4. Levi, yet unborn, paid him tithes in the person of Abraham;

5. the permanence of his priesthood in Christ implied the abrogation of the Levitical system;

6. he was made priest not without an oath; and

7. his priesthood can neither be transmitted nor interrupted by death: "this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood."

a) The question as to who this mysterious personage was has given rise to a great deal of modern speculation. It is an old tradition among the Jews that he was Shem, the son of Noah, who may have survived to this time. Melchizedek was a Canaanitish prince, a worshipper of the true God, and in his peculiar history and character an instructive type of our Lord, the great High Priest (Heb 5:6,7; 6:20). One of the Amarna tablets is from Ebed-Tob, king of Jerusalem, the successor of Melchizedek, in which he claims the very attributes and dignity given to Melchizedek in the Epistle to the Hebrews.

C- Jesus’s priesthood is forever

(Hebrews 6:20)

Hebrews 6:20 (NLT)

20 Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal High Priest in the order of Melchizedek.

IV. JESUS IS THE COVENANT REDEEMER. (Hebrews 5:7-9).

Hebrews 5:7–9 (NLT)

7 While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could rescue him from death. And God heard his prayers because of his deep reverence for God.

8 Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered.

9 In this way, God qualified him as a perfect High Priest, and he became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey him.

A- He suffered agony (Hebrews 5:7) .

Hebrews 5:7 (NLT)

While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could rescue him from death. And God heard his prayers because of his deep reverence for God.

1- This is a reference to Jesus’s prayers in Gethsemene and on the cross

(Matthew 26:36-46)

(Luke 22:39-46)

B- He obeyed for our good (Hebrews 5:8)

Hebrews 5:8 (NLT)

Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered.

(2 Cor. 5:21)

2 Corinthians 5:21 (NLT)

21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

(John 10:11-18)

John 10:11–18 (NLT)

11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep.

12 A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don’t belong to him and he isn’t their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock.

13 The hired hand runs away because he’s working only for the money and doesn’t really care about the sheep.

14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me,

15 just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep.

16 I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.

17 “The Father loves me because I sacrifice my life so I may take it back again.

18 No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded.”

C- He became the source of our eternal salvation (Hebrews 5:9).

Hebrews 5:9 (NLT)

In this way, God qualified him as a perfect High Priest, and he became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey him.

(Acts 4:12)

Acts 4:12 (NLT)

12 There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”

CONCLUSION: