Untitled Sermon (3)

Hebrews 7

Intro: The writer of hebrews has been showing us all up to this point that Jesus is greater! He is a greater prophet, greater than the angels, greater king, greater than Moses, He’s a great High Priest. He’s really about to dive into the fact that the priesthood of Jesus is superior to any other priesthood. Chapters 7-10 will really flush out how his priesthood is superior. Chapter 7 argues his priesthood is better because it is from a better order that of Melchizedek not Aaron. Chapter 8 will argue that his priesthood represents a better covenant. chapter 9 says his priesthood has a better sanctuary (heaven not earth), and finally chapter 10 says it has a better sacrifice( he offered himself/GOD’S SON not a sacrifice of animals).

So we’ve been hearing this name Melchizedek a few times as we’ve been reading through hebrews. So finally we’ll get to talk about him. Any thoughts on Melchizedek, a big question many have is who is Melchizedek. Any thoughts, i want to share what some scholars have said about him. i dont think we will settle who is tonight. As fun and interesting of a convo that is, when we read this chapter we will see that this chapter really isnt about Melchizedek as much as it is about Christ. There is no way to conclude after reading this chapter that the author using Melchizedek as a starting point so he can show this listeners how great Christ is!!!

Melchizedek is only mentioned 10 times in the entire Bible, twice in the Old Testament (Gen 14: 17-20) Psalms 110:4) and eight times in Hebrews (five of which occur right here in chapter 7).

So the writer of hebrews first mentions this mysterious fellow by the name of Melchizedek back in chapter 5 when he quotes from psalms 110:4. Let’s turn there (chapter 5:6) he says “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.” So he introduces this quote about Melchizedek then if we look down to verse 9&10 we read

“And been made perfect,” speaking of Jesus Christ, “He became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him; being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.” The author says all these things and we would then expect him to explain further about Jesus being a high priest after the order of Melchizedek and what that means but he doesn’t. He then moves to giving a series of warnings about going on to maturity and not going back, he does this from the end of chapter 5 to half way thru chapter 6 and after that he gives them some encouragement about our assurance ending with another reference to Melchizedek. Now here we are at chapter 7 and at first when looking at this it seemed like the author totally went on a detour in chapter 6 after starting with Melchizedek in chapter 5 but i don’t think he went so much on a detour looking at it more closely. Chapter 6 isn’t out of context rather i believe it right in line with what he has been saying the entire book. All through these chapters like a sermon he has went from a time of teaching then to a time of exhortation. He has taught them how much better Christ is and urged them to “pay closer attention to what we’ve heard”to “hold their original confidence firm until the end” , “to strive to enter that rest”, “to draw near with confidence to the throne of grace so that we may receive the help we need”. Drawing near is something we are going to see repeated in chapter 7. You see these believers were in danger of turning back to relying on their old practices of the law and not growing in Christ and what he accomplished on their behalf. The writer now goes to the heart of what they had been struggling to grasp. How could Christ be their high priest? after all he wasn’t from the levitical line. this was an intellectual hangup. they didn’t fully understand how Christ could fill that role. The writer uses a character who they may even thought of as insignificant to point them to something greater.

We lose the fact these Christians were connected to the levitical priesthood that was established in old testament in a way that us today can’t really grasp. These practices and way of life meant everything to them.

The author is going to them that the priesthood that they have known for centuries is no longer adequate and that it has actually been replaced by a superior order. This is no small thing!!!

Structure of chapter 7: broken up into 3 sections

I. Melchizedekian priesthood is superior to Abraham and Levi (vs1-10)

II. The Levitical priesthood was temporary & inferior (vs 11-19)

III. Jesus is superior to the levitical priesthood (vs 20-28)

Read Gen 14:17-20

The hebrew writer will now use this account to start his argument for christ being greater. He’s going to explain to them what this exactly means and how they should understand this old testament story.

Verses 1-10

This first section gives us a historical account of this mysterious guy Melchizedek. It strives to prove that Melchizedek was greater than Abraham and Levi. Showing how the Melchizidekian priesthood existed before the Levitical/Aaronic priesthood.

Read first 3 verses, then ask question.

Question : So what did we learn about Melchizedek in these first three verses?

1.       Melchizedek was the King of Salem

2.       Melchizedek was a Priest of the Most High God

3.       He met Abraham as he returned from defeating the kings

4.       He received a tithe from Abraham

5.       His name means King of Righteousness

6.       He is King of Salem which means King of Peace

7.       He has no recorded genealogy

8.       He resembles the Son of God

“Resembling the Son” in Hebrews 7:3 translates the ancient Greek word aphomoiomenos, a word used nowhere else in the New Testament. “It is a suggestive word, used in the active of ‘a facsimile copy or model’ and in the passive of ‘being made similar to’.” (Guthrie)

9.       He remains a priest forever

Vs 1 - priest and King

First of all he notes that Melchizedek was both a priest and a king.  Now what has the author of Hebrews been arguing all along about the Lord Jesus Christ?  That he was prophet, priest and king.  We’ve seen that theme over and over so far in the book of Hebrews.  And so by zeroing in on the fact that Melchizedek was both a priest and a king, and of course that was something that could not happen in Israel

Read verses 4-10

Question: What do Melchizedek and the Son Of God appear to have in common?

Both appear to be without father and mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life, remaining as priests continually

Question: Why is Melchizedek greater than both Abraham and levi?

- Abraham was blessed by Melchizedek, and the lesser is blessed by

the greater

- Melchizedek received tithes from Abraham and from his descendant

Levi (so to speak)

Verses 11-19                        

This next section shows how the levitical priesthood as good as it may have been it was unable to make one perfect. It was weak ultimately needing to constantly change priest from

The tribe of Levi . It ends introducing one who arises not from Levi but from Judah, one who is like Melchizedek who comes not through bodily decent or legal requirement but an indestructible life. One who provides a better hope for those who come to God through him.

Read vs 11-19

VS11

“Now if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood”

Question: What does this tell us about the levitical priesthood?

This shows the need for a different order of priesthood. If perfection could come through the Levitical priesthood, there would be no need for another priesthood. Yet God described another priesthood in Psalm 110:4.

i. The simple fact that God describes a priest… according to the order of Melchizedek in Psalm 110:4 shows there is something lacking in the priesthood according to the order of Aaron. God would never establish an unnecessary priesthood.

under it(levitical priesthood) the people received the law: The Old Testament priesthood is the priesthood associated with the Law of Moses. The priesthood of Melchizedek is not associated with Moses. This priesthood existed before.

vs12- he says when their is a change in the priesthood their is a change in the law as well.

question :What do you think he’s communicating here?

The priesthood of Aaron was connected to the Law of Moses. So if the priesthood is changed we should also anticipate some change of the Law’s status or place.

VS 13-14) Jesus could not be a priest according to the Mosaic Law because He is from the wrong tribe.

questions :What tribe did you have to be from to be a priest according to the law?

What tribe was Jesus from?

Can you see how this could have been a intellectual hang-up for them?

After all Moses spoke nothing of this, how is he even qualified...

God strictly commanded that only those from the family of Aaron could serve at the altar in sacrifice.

He of whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe: Jesus is obviously not from the family of Aaron or even the tribe of Levi. The tribe of Judah (the tribe of Jesus’ lineage) had nothing to do with Aaron’s priesthood, the priesthood associated with the Law of Moses. Therefore according to the priesthood of Aaron and the Law of Moses, Jesus could never be a priest. If He is our High Priest, it must be under another principle or according to something else.

Vs15-17- These verses tell us on what basis Jesus is qualified to become priest.

Question: not on the basis of the him being from the levitical line but on the basis of what?

A indestructible life!!! on basis of a resurrected endless life!! This why God can say “you are a priest forever”

not temporally not like those of old who after a certain amount of time could no longer serve because of old age. None of them could make this claim of a indestructible/endless life. But because Jesus conquered death and is risen he can serve as our priest forever!! Not only is this good news for these believers this is good news for us!!

You guys remember there were even some priest from this levitical order who conspired together with others against Jesus to put him to death. (read matt 27:1)But Jesus showed that his priesthood is superior when he triumphed over death!!

VS-18-19- former commandment set aside for its weakness and uselessness

This refers to what he jut spoke of, the levitical priesthood. You see the priests of old were men just me and you, their flesh was weak just ours is. we see that in the fact that not only did they need to offer sacrifices for the people the needed to offer sacrifices for themselves. Read Heb 5:1-2, 7:28

he telling us the functions of this old testament priest is no longer necessary because of Jesus’s priestly work.

question: Do this mean that because these functions of the OT is unnecessary any longer we should divorce ourselves from the OT? NO, absolutely not. Read ROM 15:4 these things were written for our instruction giving us hope. pointing us to Christ. these practices that they partake pointed them to something greater. Paul said in Galatians that the law was a tutor pointing us to Christ.

he says the law made nothing perfect, thats true the law helps show us how sinful we are. it is good because it shows us God’s perfect standard. But it was not ultimately intended to be the basis of a man’s walk with God. This is because the law is weak and unprofitable when it comes to saving our soul or giving us power over sin.

The law provides expert diagnosis of our sin problem, which is absolutely essential. But the law does not provide the cure to our sin problem. Only Jesus can save us from our sin problem.

“Although the law performed a valuable function, its essential weakness was that it could not give life and vitality even to those who kept it, let alone to those who did not. In fact its function was not to provide strength, but to provide a standard by which man could measure his own moral status. Its uselessness must not be regarded in the sense of being totally worthless, but in the sense of being ineffective in providing a constant means of approach to God based on a totally adequate sacrifice.” (Guthrie)

The law does not give you a better hope. The law does not draw you near to God the way God’s grace given in Jesus does. Yet many Christians live a legal relationship with God instead of a grace relationship with Him.

This passage should kill any legalism that tries to rear its ugly head in our lives. To live by the way of legalism is to attempt to draw near to God on the basis of our own merit and not Jesus. This passage explicitly tells us we cant be saved that way, that way of living will never draw us near to God.

this kills legalist christianity, this kill seventh day adventist theology, roman Catholicism, and religion that teaches that our works is what puts us in right standing with God. Um this passage really hits home because i have some brothers and sisters in christ who are African- American like me who have turned from the better hope we have thru faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and what he accomplished by way of a indestructible life. to go after a legalistic form of a relationship with God. Their turning to black Hebrew Israelite theology where they don’t point to christ as our hope but rather their ethnicity and their law keeping. Or others who are not as extreme as the black hebrews but believe them selves to be true jews and we should be keeping the law and their message is less about what Christ has done and more about their ethnic heritage. This way of thinking just like if these hearers neglect Jesus being our hope is useless. it is weak because we are weak and we prove daily that we are in capable of keeping God’s law. That way of living cannot give life, it cannot provide strength. Only Jesus gives life and only Jesus gives strength. We read earlier in hebrews that Jesus is the founder of our salvation, that jesus he is faithful and merciful high priest who can help us in our weakness, he’s able to sympathize with us being tempted as we our yet without sin. In Christ we have all that we need to be made right with God and to perservere and to go on to maturity.

Vs 20-28 The final section really shows who Christ is greater than the old system. God made a oath with Christ that he would be priest forever.Make him a guarantor of a better covenant. How his office continues forever, how he is holy and without sin. How his sacrifice is not needed continually but was made once for all.

Question : What are some Characteristics listed about Jesus’s priesthood in these verses? (20-28)

- By the oath of the Lord (vs21)

- guarantor of a better covenant (vs22)

- An permanent priesthood (vs24)

- Able to save to the uttermost (vs25)

- Always lives to make intercession(vs25b)

- Holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners (vs26)

- Offered up Himself once for all (vs27)

- Has been made perfect forever (vs28)

vs 20-21

priest of old were made without a oath, Jesus was made priest by an oath,

He was not made priest without an oath: The priesthood of Jesus was established with an oath. It is recorded in Psalm 110:4: The LORD has sworn and will not relent, “You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.”

b. They have become priests without an oath: The high priest of the order of Aaron was appointed by heredity, not by personal character or an oath of God. Not so with Jesus and the priestly order of Melchizedek. God even sealed His choice by an oath.

vs 22) Jesus: our guarantor of a better covenant.

By so much more Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant.

a. Jesus has become a surety: The ancient Greek word translated surety (egguos) described someone who gave security, who cosigned a loan to guarantee payment, or put up bail for a prisoner. Jesus Himself is the guarantee of a better covenant.

b. A better covenant: The Old Covenant had a mediator (Moses), but no one to guarantee the people’s side of the covenant. Therefore they continually failed under it. But the New Covenant – a better covenant – has a cosigner to guarantee it on our behalf. Therefore, the New Covenant depends on what Jesus did, not on what we do. He is the surety and we are not.

c. Covenant: The word used for covenant (the ancient Greek word diatheke) is not the usual term for “covenant” (syntheke). The literal meaning of diatheke is closer to the idea of a “testament” in the sense of a “last will and testament.” Perhaps the writer is trying to stress that while a covenant might be thought of as an agreement that two equal parties arrive at, the testator dictates a testament. The “agreement” under which we meet with God through Jesus is not something we have negotiated with Him. He has dictated the terms to us, and we will accept or reject the terms.

d. By so much more: This much more – the overwhelming superiority of Jesus Christ – proves He is worthy and able to be our guarantee, our cosigner of a better covenant.

vs 23-25) An unchanging priesthood means a lasting salvation.

Also there were many priests, because they were prevented by death from continuing. But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

a. Also there were many priests: The priesthood under the Law of Moses constantly changed, and so was better or worse through the years depending on the character of the priest. In contrast, Jesus has an unchangeable priesthood. Jesus will never die and has a permanent priesthood. We don’t need to worry about a “bad priest” replacing Him.

b. Continues forever: This ancient Greek word has the idea of “remaining as a servant.” Jesus continues forever, and He continues as a servant, even after He ascended into heaven.

c. He is also able to save to the uttermost: The unchanging nature of Jesus’ priesthood means that the salvation He gives is also unchanging, permanent, and secure. Most people read this verse as if it says Jesus is able to save from the uttermost. But it really says Jesus is able to save to the uttermost. Because He is our High Priest forever, He can save forever.

i. The evangelist Billy Sunday had a great sermon, speaking passionately about how God saved him “from the gutter-most,” because he was a gutter-drunk when God saved him. This was a great line from a great preacher, but it was not true to what the Bible says – we are saved not from but to the uttermost.

ii. “The verb ‘to save’ is used absolutely, which means that Christ will save in the most comprehensive sense; he saves from all that humanity needs saving from.” (Morris)

d. Those who come to God through Him: This tells us whom Jesus is able to save. It means those who abide in the Son and have fellowship with the Father. It also shows where we have to come for salvation – to God. It is one thing to come to church; it is another thing to come to God.

i. This shows the place of abiding in the security of the believer. When we come to God through Him, He saves us to the uttermost. In Jesus there is complete security of salvation.

e. He ever lives to make intercession for them: It strengthens us to know that Jesus prays for us, and that He ever lives to pray for us. This is tremendous encouragement to anyone who feels like giving up.

i. Romans 8:33-34 shows that the Apostle Paul consider this intercessory work of Jesus on our behalf important. There, he pictured Jesus defending us against every charge or condemnation through His intercession.

ii. “Our blessed Lord is interceding for us, but He is in no sense appeasing God. All that God’s holy Being and righteous government could demand was once for all, completely and forever, satisfied at the Cross.” (Newell)

iii. Jesus’ intercession on our behalf is not a matter of placating an angry Father who wants to destroy us. It is not a matter of continually chanting prayers on behalf of His people. It means that He continually represents us before the Father so that we can draw near through Him, and that He defends us against Satan’s accusations and attacks.

iv. Luke 22:31-32 gives an example of Jesus’ intercession for His people: Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren. Jesus prays to strengthen us in trials and seasons of attack, and against Satan’s accusations.

4. (26-28) Jesus is better qualified to be a High Priest than any priest from the order of the Law of Moses.

For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. For the law appoints as high priests men who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints the Son who has been perfected forever.

a. For such a High Priest was fitting for us: The priests under the Law of Moses did not have the personal character of the Son of God. Jesus is holy, harmless (without guile or deception), undefiled, separate from sinners (in the sense of not sharing in their sin). Jesus is far superior in His personal character than any earthly priest.

i. The believer should glory in these passages exalting Jesus and showing His superiority. “The superiority of our Lord Jesus Christ is a topic that will not interest everybody. To many persons it will seem a piece of devotional rapture, if not an idle tale. Yet there will ever be a remnant according to the election of grace to whom this meditation will be inexpressibly sweet.” (Spurgeon)

b. Has become higher than the heavens: Two facts prove the perfect character of Jesus. First, His exaltation in heaven. Second, that He did not need to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins – which the other priests needed to do daily.

c. When He offered up Himself: This is totally unique. A priest may bring a sacrifice and offer it on the altar. But Jesus was both the priest and the sacrifice. This is the best sacrifice brought to God the Father by the best priest.

i. When He offered up Himself it was a willing offering. “Oh, this makes the sacrifice of Christ so blessed and glorious! They dragged the bullocks and they drove the sheep to the altar; they bound the calves with cords, even with cords to the altar’s horn; but not so was it with the Christ of God. None did compel him to die; he laid down his life voluntarily, for he had power to lay it down, and to take it again.” (Spurgeon)

d. For the law appoints as high priests men who have weaknesses: Under the Law of Moses the priests were always men with weaknesses. But Jesus is a Son who has been perfected forever. Because He is a perfect High Priest, He was able to offer up Himself as a perfect sacrifice for our sin. Jesus is perfectly qualified to be our perfect High Priest – perfected forever

Why is the physical, bodily resurrection ofJesus Christ so important to our understanding of his eternal priesthood for God’s people?