Sermon Tone Analysis

Hebrews Sermon 6

The High Priest of a new covenant

Hebrews 1:3

The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.

After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

It would be understandable to think that when Jesus died on the cross, paid the penalty for our sins and then sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in Heaven, that his work was then complete.

But let’s pause to consider this.

Remember the verse in Hebrews 6: 19,20

We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.

It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf.

He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.

We looked at this Melchizedek, the priest king, bringing together righteousness and peace, which point to Jesus and his priesthood.

The writer to the Hebrews has made clear that Jesus is a priest forever.

Not only is he King, sitting on the throne in heaven, he is also priest serving in the heavenly sanctuary.

Remember the words of Jesus:

I am the way, the truth and the life.

No one comes to the Father except by me.

Hebrews 7: 18 The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless 19 (for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God.

This better hope is Jesus and by his death there is no longer any need to offer sacrifices or for priests to act as mediators.

There is one priest, Jesus, who lives forever and his priesthood is permanent.

Hebrews 9:11 But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation

That there is a work to be done in us to make us fit to serve God is absolutely clear.

By his death he redeemed us and his sacrifice gave us the means by which we can draw near to God.

15 And what we have said is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears, one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life.

For it is declared:

“You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.”

What this means is that Jesus lives in Heaven as High Priest in the power of an endless life.

He works in that power to meet our needs, not merely to save us from our sins, but to prepare us for life in God’s service.

Hebrews 8:1,2 Now the main point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by a mere human being.

This high priest, Jesus, continues the work he has begun in those whom he has redeemed.

Hebrews 7:25 Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.

‘Completely, to the uttermost’

Christ does not rescue the perishing by his death and then leave those who are saved to fend for themselves.

No, He lives on to help those who have been saved towards the final goal.

“He is able’ tells us that he is more than sufficient to enable us to cope with and overcome all difficulties and oppositions that we may face.

He always lives to intercede for us.

As he died for us so he lives for us

John 14:18,19 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me.

Because I live, you also will live.

On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you

Paul puts it this way in Romans 5:10

For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!

It is because, as priest and sacrifice and his resurrection and ascension to the heavenly tabernacle the Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant (v22).

This guarantor.

or guarantee, or surety needs an explanation.

The idea is of someone standing in the place of another who could not act for himself, He represents that other person and pledges to make good his debts.

Christ was not a surety for God; he needed none; but for his people who were unable to meet their obligations.

Christ agreed to undertake for them, to pay all their debts and satisfy all the demands of God

No earthly priesthood or system of sacrifice could ever accomplish.

Hebrews 8:6 But in fact the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises.

As mediator Jesus stands between two parties that were formerly unreconciled.

As man, yet without sin, only he could be the perfect representative on our behalf.

As God’s son, only he could bring about the reconciliation by his willing sacrifice.

That he is accepted by God is evidenced at his baptism when God said:

This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

In times past the Jewish people recognised the need for a mediator, looking to Moses as we read in Deuteronomy 5:26,27

For what mortal has ever heard the voice of the living God speaking out of fire, as we have, and survived?

Go near and listen to all that the LORD our God says.

Then tell us whatever the LORD our God tells you.

We will listen and obey.”

The writer to the Hebrews now refers to a new covenant , of which Jesus is the guarantor and which is established on better promises.

The early Jewish Christians had grown up in a system where the temple and its rituals and sacrifices were an essential element in their understanding of their coming to God.

To bring an offering and to attend the services at the temple was something that they could physically do and it was difficult to comprehend and accept that all this was set aside and a new covenant had been introduced when Jesus had died on the cross.

When God entered into covenant with his people it wasn’t a negotiated agreement.

God settled the terms of the covenant and all man had to do was to obey.

God was never going to break the covenant.

He is a covenant keeping God.

Deuteronomy 7:9,10 Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.

But those who hate him he will repay to their face by destruction; he will not be slow to repay to their face those who hate him.

Isaiah 54:10 Though the mountains be shaken

and the hills be removed,

yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken

nor my covenant of peace be removed,”

says the LORD, who has compassion on you.

From the beginning of the bible there are several occasions where covenant is mentioned or inferred.

Eden

Genesis 2:15-17 The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.

And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

In order for man to exercise free will God made just one rule.

Adam had to do was obey.

In Genesis 3: 15 we discover God’s covenant of redemption:

And I will put enmity between you and the woman,

and between your offspring a and hers;

he will crush your head,

and you will strike his heel.”

Then in Genesis 9

8-11 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him: 9 “I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you 10 and with every living creature that was with you—the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you—every living creature on earth.

11 I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.”

Then Genesis 12

12: 1-3 The LORD had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.

“I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you;

I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.

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I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse;

and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

Leviticus 26

26 : 1-9“ ‘Do not make idols or set up an image or a sacred stone for yourselves, and do not place a carved stone in your land to bow down before it.

I am the LORD your God.

2 “ ‘Observe my Sabbaths and have reverence for my sanctuary.