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In the Last 3 of Chapter 4, the Section of Jesus Being Our High Priest Began
Jesus’ High Priesthood will Continue Through Chapters 5-10
Hebrews 4:14–16 (NASB95)
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.
For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.
Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
We Learned From This Passage That:
Jesus is Our High Priest
He Passed Through the Heavens into the Most Holy Place of God’s Presence
He Understands the Trials and Temptations We Go Through as Humans
Because He Too is Human and Suffered the Same Things We Suffer
We Should Hold On to Our Allegiance to Him
We Can Approach God’s Throne of Grace with Confidence in Order to Receive Mercy and Grace When We are in Need of it
This is All Wonderful News!
The Good News is Only Going to Continue
We are Going to Read Our Entire Text in the NIV and Then Study it in the Usual NASB
I May Start Using a More Readable Translation When We Read the Larger Text…
Because When Using a More Technical Translation When Reading a Larger Body of Text…
It Becomes Almost Impossible to Digest in a Simple Read-Through
We’ll Start Off By Reading the First 4 Verses
Then After We Study Them, We’ll Read Verses 5-10 and Study Them
Hebrews 5:1–4 (NIV)
Every high priest is selected from among the people and is appointed to represent the people in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.
He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness.
This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people.
And no one takes this honor on himself, but he receives it when called by God, just as Aaron was.
Before We Study These Verses, What Does it Seem These Verses are About From a Quick Reading?
The Purpose of a High Priest
To Represent the People
The Work of a High Priest
To Offer Gifts and Sacrifices for Sins
The Nature of a High Priest
Subject to Weakness and Sinful
How One Becomes a High Priest
God Calls Him
This Text is Going to Begin Teaching Us About High Priesthood…
For the Purpose of Better Understanding Jesus as Our High Priest
Hebrews 5:1 (NASB95)
For every high priest taken from among men is appointed on behalf of men in things pertaining to God, in order to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins;
Every High Priest Must Be Human
He Had to Be a Proper Representative on Behalf of Humans to God
He was a Mediator, a Go-Between, a Middle-Man, an Advocate
Humans, Being Separated From God, Need a Mediator
One Commentary Said it this Way:
“the very existence of a priesthood and a system of sacrifices gave evidence that man is estranged from God.”
Under the Old Covenant, the People of God Did Not Have Direct Access to Him
That is Why the Priesthood was Necessary
They Could Offer Gifts and Sacrifices for the Sins of the People
But We Have a Superior High Priest
Jesus Doesn’t Just Play the Part of a Mediator for Us
He Didn’t Just Offer Himself as the Perfect Sacrifice
He Has Provided Access to God for Us
That’s What We Read at the End of the Last Chapter
We are Able to Draw Near/Approach God with Confidence/Openness Whenever We are in Need of His Grace and Mercy
We Have Been Given Constant Access to God Through Our High Priest
Hebrews 5:2 (NASB95)
he can deal gently with the ignorant and misguided, since he himself also is beset with weakness;
The Word for “Deal Gently” is Only Found Here in the NT
It’s a Difficult Word to Translate Adequately
It Seems to Carry the Idea of Someone Showing Self-Control and Generosity Toward Another…
When He Could Show Unrestrained Anger and Severe Frustration
For Instance, a Priest’s Job was to Help Sinful People Receive the Grace of God
What if that Priest Felt Only Wrath and Indignation Against the People He was Supposed to Help?
We See a Wonderful Example of Dealing Gently with the Ignorant and Misguided in Moses and Aaron
They Both Lost Their Cool From Time to Time
But We Remember Them for Their Willingness to Fall On Their Faces On Behalf of the People’s Sins
Jesus, as the Perfect High Priest, Deals Gently with the Sins of His People
He Remains Gentle and Patient with Us
Hebrews 5:2 (NASB95)
he can deal gently with the ignorant and misguided, since he himself also is beset with weakness;
As Verse One Reminded Us, High Priests had to Be Human
This was for the Purpose of Mediating for Us
The Proper Mediator and Representative Must Understand Our Suffering
He Must Be “Beset with Weakness” Like Us
“Beset” = “To Be Surrounded By”; “To Wear”, “To Be Burdened With”
The High Priest Could Deal Gently with Ignorant and Misguided People…
Because He Too was Surrounded By, Wore, and was Burdened with Weakness
Jesus, Being Our High Priest Deals Gently With Us Because He Took On a Nature of Weakness Like We Have
Hebrews 5:3 (NASB95)
and because of it he is obligated to offer sacrifices for sins, as for the people, so also for himself.
Under the Old Covenant, the High Priest Had to Not Only Offer Sacrifices for the Sins of the People…
He Had to Offer Sacrifices for His Own Sins as Well
In This Lies Another Reason that Jesus is Superior to the Old High Priesthood
He Didn’t Require a Sacrifice for His Own Sins
Hebrews 5:4 (NASB95)
And no one takes the honor to himself, but receives it when he is called by God, even as Aaron was.
No One Could Rightly Assume the Position of High Priest for Himself
It Wasn’t a Human-Appointed Position But a God-Appointed Position
It Wasn’t Up for Grabs to Whoever Wanted it Most
It Wasn’t an Elected Office Voted Upon By the People
It Wasn’t Up to the Rulers to Decide Who Held the Position
But that is Exactly What the Jewish People of the 1st Century Had Grown Accustomed to
From the 2nd Century B.C., the Greeks, the Herods, and the Romans…
Installed Non-Levites as Puppet Priests
Josephus Records that the Last High Priest Before Jerusalem’s Destruction was Elected by the People
A True High Priest was to Be Chosen By God
And He Would Be Chosen From the Descendants of Aaron
Just as Aaron Himself was Called
Hebrews 5:5–10 (NIV)
In the same way, Christ did not take on himself the glory of becoming a high priest.
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