"Our Great High Priest"

Introduction: The Appeal!

In Hebrews 4 the Holy Spirit is making an urgent appeal not to delay in accepting God's “Sabbath rest”—His salvation in Jesus Christ! (4:11a) – “Let us, then, make every effort to enter that rest...”

A. The Negative Message – (Hebrews 3:7–4:13)

Until now the appeal has been negative: if you do not believe, you will be doomed—forever apart from God and His rest!

Even God's Word is shown in its all-seeing and judgmental role, as a two-edged sword (4:12)!

The danger of hell is real, and any preacher who avoids this truth is not true to the Gospel!

B. The Positive Message!

Salvation does more than saving us from spiritual death; it brings us into the place of spiritual life!

(Hebrews 4:9-11)

As we learned last week, the PLACE of the Sabbath rest of God is in the person of Jesus Christ!

(Hebrews 4:2-3) – We “enter the rest” by “faith!”

Because the place is a Person, we speak of salvation as having a “personal relationship with Jesus!”

John 17:3 CSB

This is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and the one you have sent—Jesus Christ.

Tonight, we will see how Christ is our Perfect High Priest and how He is Qualified to hold that office!

I. Christ: Our Perfect High Priest – (4:14-16)

A. His Perfect Priesthood! – (4:14) – “…since we have a great high priest”

1. The Position of Our High Priest! – “…who has passed through the heavens”

On the Day of Atonement, the high priest would take the blood of the sacrifice and go through three areas: the outer court, the Holy Place, and then through the veil into the Holy of Holies, where he could sprinkle blood on the Mercy Seat.

Before he could go in to make atonement for the sins of the people, he first had to make atonement for his own sins.

He was not permitted to remain in the Holy of Holies any longer than necessary to present the blood, and as soon as the sacrifice was made, he left and did not return for a year!

Jesus, our great High Priest, also went through three areas: He passed through the first heaven (earth's atmosphere), the second heaven (interstellar space), and into the third heaven (the abode of God)

2 Corinthians 12:2–4 CSB

I know a man in Christ who was caught up to the third heaven fourteen years ago. Whether he was in the body or out of the body, I don’t know; God knows. I know that this man—whether in the body or out of the body I don’t know; God knows— was caught up into paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a human being is not allowed to speak.

Unlike the high priest on the Day of Atonement, however, Jesus remains permanently in the presence of God!

All sacrifices prior to Jesus were but pictures of His perfect sacrifice, which fully satisfied God! No more sacrifices needed to be made!

Shortly after the book of Hebrews was written, the Temple was destroyed in 70 AD. Since that time there have been no sacrifices!

2. The Humanity and Deity of Our High Priest! – “…Jesus the Son of God”

He is our human priest (“Jesus”) as well as a unique priest (“the Son of God”)!

Raymond Brown: These three elements of supremacy, humanity and deity were essential aspects of his victorious work. No other priest cloud have achieved such a victory over the power of sin, death and the devil. The fact that he has passed through the heavens and ‘sat down at the right hand of God’ means that his saving work is finished. It happened ‘once for all’ (9:26), a favourite phrase in this letter. The ascension of Christ was not just the dramatic end to the earthly ministry of Jesus. It was God’s visible act of vindication, exaltation and glorification. The fight is over. The victory has been won. The work is complete.

3. The Response to Our High Priest! – “…let us hold fast to our confession.”

R. Brown – “…in light of this victor, this is no time for cowardice. The confession of the faith we possess is a treasure beyond price. It cannot be lightly dismissed or thoughtlessly abandoned.”

“This is not merely an appeal for endurance but an exhortation to fearless witness. Don’t be robbed of your faith; advertise it. Hold it fast and hold it forth. In order to become our effective and adequate priest, Jesus suffered ‘outside the gate’ and we must be prepared to go out into the alien or apathetic, Christ-rejecting or Christ-ignoring, world, ‘bearing abuse for him.’”

Hebrews 13:12–13 CSB

Therefore, Jesus also suffered outside the gate, so that he might sanctify the people by his own blood. Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing his disgrace.

B. His Perfect Person! – (4:15)

“For…” (γὰρ) indicates this phrase is subordinate to the confession of (v.14). It is a ground—the reason we hold fast to our confession!

“If verse 14 tells us that, in a hostile world, we must not be ashamed of Christ, verse 15 assures us that we need not be lonely. The strength to make our confession comes from one who made his confession before Pilate. He knows exactly how we feel” – Brown.

When we are troubled or hurt or despondent or strongly tempted, we want to share our feelings with some who understands. Jesus can sympathize with our weaknesses.

C. His Perfect Provision! – (4:16)

The "throne of grace" is God's throne! It used to be a throne of judgment, but when Jesus sprinkled His blood upon it, He turned it into a throne of grace! That is His perfect provision!

Notice two things His provision covers:

We “…receive mercy” to cover the sins of yesterday!

And for today, we “find grace to help us in time of need.”

II. Christ: Our Qualified High Priest – (5:1-10)

A. The Qualifications for Priest! – (5:1-4)

Three basic qualifications for a Jewish High Priest:

1. Appointed by God! – (vv.1, 4)

2. He must be sympathetic! – (v.2)

Omniscience knows everything; perfect sympathy feels everything! Christ did not need to learn any information when He came to earth. He was omniscient, all-knowing!

But He chose to participate in men's feelings personally so that he could also be sympathetic, all-feeling!

3. His ministry was on behalf of others! – (vv.1c, 3)

In his mediatorial work, the high priest made two basic kinds of offerings:

a. Offering GIFTS! – (v.1c)

Money, jewelry, and other valuables, as well as grain, or meal offerings.

b. Offering SACRIFICES! – (v.3)

In the “…offering for his own sins” he was also aware of his own needs! And if he wasn’t clear about this, the rope tied around his ankle was a constant reminder!

B. The Perfectly Qualified Priest! (5:5-10)

1. Jesus was Appointed by God! – (vv.5-6, 10)

The Jewish readers knew that both passages (Psalm 2:7; 110:4) referred to Messiah.

They knew that Messiah was to be a great kingand priest, appointed by God.

More on Melchizedek when we reach Hebrews 7…

2. Jesus was Sympathetic with Humanity! – (vv.7-8)

1) His reverence for God – “…he offered prayers and appeals with loud cries and tears…he was heard because of his reverence.”

2) His dependence on God – “…to the one who was able to save him from death”

3) His OBEDIENCE to God – (v.8)

3. Jesus was Sacrificing for Humanity! – (v.9)

By His death, Jesus became “…the source of eternal salvation"

All the priests of all time could not provide eternal salvation! They could only provide momentary forgiveness. Jesus Christ perfected forever those who are His!

"Who are the true believers?" (v.9) - "... all who obey Him,"

2 Thessalonians 1:8 CSB

when he takes vengeance with flaming fire on those who don’t know God and on those who don’t obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

Those who know God will OBEY GOD!