This Priest Jesus

Hebrews 10:11-14

Hebrews 10:11–14 NIV

Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.

Hebrews 10:19–25 NIV

Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Introduction:

- As I considered the title for this message, it kind of catches you off guard

- Most of us familiar with the Christian faith don’t immediately and necessarily think of Jesus as a Priest

- Prophet, King, Lord or Savior…yeah but not necessarily Priest

- The Book of Hebrews allows us to look at Jesus in just this way

- That’s what this passage is about, prior to Jesus, all sacrifices and priest’s dedication to duty was never enough

- It was never enough to allow us to appear good enough to a Holy God

- It was never enough for us to point to any of our actions as being sufficient enough

- Also, it was never enough to completely take away our sins

- The priest standing day after day was his duty and devotion but it was always a shadow of Who was to come

- Pastor and author Tim Keller writes this, “Here's the gospel: you're more sinful than you ever dared believe; you're more loved than you ever dared hope.”

- Initially, when you consider that, few people want to look at themselves as being even the least bit sinful

- Yet, one thing about God is that He never left us without a way out

- God never left the Israelites, the Jewish nation, or us without hope

- In fact, from the moment that Adam messed up God’s plan,

- God stepped in; He had another plan in place

- And, even deeper, before the foundations of the world,

- We find that man nor could Satan permanently disrupt God’s plan

- The Old Testament instituted moral, civil and ceremonial laws of how to approach and interact with God

- But there was the foreshadowing that God wanted that one on one relationship with mankind

- If you’re familiar with the Old Testament, there was a physical veil that separated man from God

- Thankfully now, there would be no more veil to separate God and man

- No longer would a mediator, like the priest, be needed

- You and I because of Jesus’ finished work;

- We have the most amazing opportunity that the Old Testament saints never had

- If we choose to believe in Him, Jesus’ righteousness before God

- It takes the place of our inherited and nurtured unrighteousness before Him

- So, in this message, we see “This Priest Jesus”…

We see that it was:

#1 – Christ’s Sacrifice

#2 – Your Perserverance

Message:

#1 – Christ’s Sacrifice

11 Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. 14 For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.

- One thing I admire is the service devotion of the Old Testament priest

- Due to our sin state from Adam, we needed a priest an intermediary before God

- Knowing that God required a sacrifice to cover our sins must have seemed tedious and demanding

- The sacrifice had to be specific; from the type of and age of the sacrifice to the time and manner in which it was sacrificed

- Each priest was groomed and trained to offer accordingly

- No one dare shortchange the tradition or disregard the manner

- If we overlook what it took to become an Old Testament priest,

- Then we might overlook the importance of Jesus for us today

- It was a duty but it was more than a duty

- The commitment and the wherewithal for each priest to minister after having been selected from the Levitical tribe

- The years of preparation and serving the people

- The nation was watching and looking for the priest to intercede

- Yet, and still, what the priests did daily and annually…

- In no way compared to all Jesus would accomplish

- The blood sprinkled on top of the Ark of the Covenant would not make us right in God’s eyes

- No doubt, He accepted it but He always envisioned a time when all of our sins would not just be covered

- They would be taken away

- It would take one final, perfect sacrifice

- The passage (v.12) says,

“when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God.”

- Everything that the priests sought to accomplish in their regular duties day after day

- Jesus would most definitely fulfill for ALL TIME

- Whereas I might have had concern about salvation and heaven before coming to know Jesus,

- I no longer have that concern

- I can always look to the cross and what He completed

- I pursued the wrong way before but now I pursue the right way Yahweh

- And, though I will never be perfect

- I can trust in the One Who is, the One Who is sinless

- He now sits at the right hand of God waiting for God’s plan to play out

- Think of that for a second, Christ has sat down

- Often times, when I prompted to worry or get anxious;

- What if I, instead consider how Christ has now sat down, how he has rested because of what He has already done

- That’s not to discount any issue or concern that we have

- They can indeed be true and we have a responsibility to do our part;

- Yet, if we bring the idea to the forefront of our mind,

- That Christ has rested, and when it is all said and done

- All kingdoms will fall under the control of Jesus Christ

- I am always reminded that the things that we face physically, in this day and time, are temporary

- Whether my emotions are high—excited, stirred up and angry

- Or, when they are low—sad, distraught and challenged

- Feelings are not necessarily facts and often temporary and fickle

- However, I can trust that with Jesus; all kingdoms will be subject to Him

- It took His one sacrifice to save us; the countless priest offerings and sacrifices couldn’t do it

- What He has done has made you and I complete if we accept Him

- Isaiah the prophet said (Isa 53:12),

“He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”

- Isn’t it comforting that Jesus Himself made and makes intercession for each one of us?

- We don’t have to walk around with a feeling of shame or guilt

- Because in God’s eyes His Son has already atoned or made up for our failure and lack

- We can always trust that God will do His part

- But, here’s the unanswered question…

- Can He trust us to do our part?

- And, what is our part?

Transition: Which leads me to my next point

#2 – Your Perserverance

19 Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

- We each have a part to play in this journey and walk in life

- And, that’s our perserverance—persistence—our resolve to follow Him

- For many of us, that’s easy to do when things are going well

- Then, when times get tough we begin to wonder…

- About our faith and His faithfulness

- That’s what I believe the author of the letter is trying to communicate

- (v.19) “Since we have confidence…by the blood of Jesus”

- We have a confidence, a boldness knowing that it’s not about us but about Christ’s blood

- Now, think of how revolutionary that idea would have been for the first century church

- Especially if you were of the mindset of the Pharisees and Saducees mindset

- Suddenly, it wasn’t about your tradition and what you thought was right

- There was a “new and living way”for them but also for us

- Whatever tradition and background you came up under;

- As a mature Christian, there’s a time that we will have to be checked or challenged with what is written

- Jesus initiated and opened the way willingly for us

- That can be hard to receive and accept

- Thinking that we didn’t and couldn’t do it on our own;

- In this day and age which stresses a do-it-yourself, self-help mentality

- We need not just a shift in our thinking but a transformation

- Otherwise, we are prone to brag on what we have done and not look/depend on what He did

- It’s almost as if we are overlooking His body being broken and His shed blood

- Still, we continue to partake of communion each month and fail to connect it with our every day life

- His body and blood—literally meant the world to us

- We are now able to draw (v.22) “near to God…”

- In the most genuine and authentic way resting in [absolute] assurance of our faith in Him

- Pastor Rick Warren writes,

“There are two ways the Bible says you can get to heaven. Plan A is to earn it. That's the performance plan. And to earn it you only have to do this: never sin and always do what's right for the entire time that you live. Just be perfect.

Since none of us qualify for Plan A, God came up with Plan B, which is this: You trust Jesus Christ when he says, "I am the way, the truth and the life." He was the only perfect person who ever lived, because he was God. He came so we could know what God is like. And by trusting and establishing a relationship with him, you get in on his goodness.”

- We can only get in on His goodness

- His goodness gives us comfort that His way is and will always be the only way

- I don’t know about you but I wouldn’t want it any other way

- To try and depend on and trust in myself,

- I would fail tremendously

- Just like God promised Israel (Eze 36:25) to cleanse them from their impurities;

- The offer extends to us today

- That’s why we are called to persevere—to hold unswervingly to what we profess and believe

- Think of it for a second,

- The enemy would love nothing better to not just shake our faith but “wrest”/ force us away from our faith

- Are you prepared to fight against wavering?

- Most of us have had or will have the inclination from within or without to waver and/or stumble

- Many things in our life we experience can challenge our faith

- Things that can creep in and cause us to doubt

- But Christianity and believing in God was not meant to be a “quick fix” system

- Faith truly becomes faith when it’s tested and I believe that the enemy of our souls knows this

- He is waiting for you and I to begin to doubt God, Jesus and what was accomplished at Calvary

- Just as God is on the job 24/7

- We need to remind ourselves that so is the enemy

- Yet, we can prepare ourselves

- We prepare with prayer and equipping ourselves with the knowledge and application of God’s Word

- And, because Christ has done the heavy work

- It is up to us be prepared, persevere and endure

- The Gospel of Matthew (24:13; AMP) states this,

“But the one who endures and bears up [under suffering] to the end will be saved.”

- Endurance and perseverance does not mean that we make it through life unscathed

- It does not mean that we won’t have battle scars

- Quite the contrary; but we have hope and a faith built to last

- Despite what we have experienced and I am not minimizing anyone’s experience,

- Christ has been our example and forerunner

- He has had the more difficult journey

- So, in those taxing, demanding times that inevitably will come

- I have to remember my focus—eyes and faith on Christ

- This Priest Jesus is Lord, Savior, the Author and Finisher of my faith

- My faith begins and ends with Him

- The high and lows during the journey I can rest in Him

Closing:

- As I am closing, now that’s my stance and I can only speak for me

- Of course, only you can speak for you

- Each of us has a story to tell

- My life doesn’t look like yours nor yours mine

- Still, we each have a window to come in at the same gate, Jesus

- The wonderful thing is that He is willing to accept us with a contrite, repentant heart

- So those of you who believe or don’t believe; I offer you the opportunity to say that prayer

Closing Prayer:

Heavenly Father, I ask you to forgive me for all of my sins known and unknown, I renounce them all. Lord Jesus, come into my heart. I receive you now as Lord and Savior of my life. I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He died for me and arose and sits at the right hand of God praying for me, interceding for me. Lord Jesus, I give you everything. I thank you for saving me, delivering me and setting me free, in Jesus’ name!