HEBREWS 7:22-28
RIGHTEOUS REDEEMER
RECEIVING RECOGNITION
I. HIS RITUAL:
A. Revelator.
B. Realm.
C. Reach.
II. HIS RESULTS:
A. Redemption.
B. Reconciliation.
C. Resilience.
III. HIS RENUMERATION:
A. Recognition.
B. Reverence.
C. Rest.
The writer to the Hebrews concludes this seventh chapter by reminding his readers that Jesus is the Promise of a Better Testament. He starts this chapter by picking up from the previous one regarding Melchisedec. He has by now, tried to prove to his readers that the Promised One who was to come from the lineage of Abraham and serve as a type of Melchisedec was the One who was far greater than both of these important men of yesteryear.
Both of these highly esteemed men came upon the earth’s scene, lived their lives as pleasing to God, set the example for those who would follow, then they both died-completing a task that was specifically designed for them. Both of these men served as types for the One Man to come and to fulfill what they envisioned to their followers and to the readers of the Old Testament.
Jesus came from the loins of Abraham-a true Jew in every aspect of the word. Jesus also came in the type set out by Melchisedec-with out the earthly lineage of a human father. The greatness of Abraham cannot be downplayed as he stands a giant of history-a father of the Jewish race and the founder of three major world religions. Likewise the greatness of Melchisedec cannot be diminished as he served as a High Priest of God and as a king of Salem. Yet, this Latter fulfillment of these types of men stands as the Greater of them both. This Jesus was the true fulfillment of all of the greatness of these two men and of all others who preceded Him.
Now, the writer moves into another realm of greatness of this Jesus, by revealing that He was/is the Surety, the Promise, of a better testament-covenant. But, before we look at this better covenant it is best to examine the qualifications of this Jesus as the surety, the guarantee, of a better officiating Priest/King, Son of Abraham.
To do this, it is necessary to examine His role as a Righteous Redeemer Receiving Recognition for who He is and for what He accomplished here and in Heaven. In order to do this, I need to look at three different aspects of Jesus as He serves as a Priest in His Redeemer Role. The first thing I note is HIS RITUAL as He serves His Priesthood. Next, I need to examine HIS RESULTS as He accomplishes certain things in His role as a Priest in God’s Temple. Then, I must study HIS RENUMERATION of what He gains by serving as a Priest in God’s Kingdom.
I. HIS RITUAL: Every priest has a specific ritual which he must observe while carrying out his religious duties. From the priests of pagan religions to the many and various priests of the Christian faith, each one has a certain form, a certain procedure to follow in dispensing of his duties. The priests of the old Covenant were no different. One has to but read the books of Moses to find that each ordinand from the common priest to the High Priest had specific rituals to follow. Indeed, the slightest variation of the establish procedure meant certain death in various cases regarding the service of the priests and the former way of worshipping God.
With this in view, it becomes even more certain that our Better One had specific guidelines to follow as He became our High Priest in His service to His Heavenly Father. This becomes apparent when we view Jesus as the Surety, the Promise, of a Better Way to point mankind to God.
Just as the priests of the old Covenant went through their RITUALS in the Temple pointing the observer to God, so did Jesus live His life as a better Revelator of God to man. The garb, the vestments, the clothing and the duties of the priests of the old Covenant pointed man to an awesome God; likewise, the very coming and dying of Jesus sought to directe man’s thoughts and actions to a Better Way of serving God. This Better Way, this Surety, this Promise, helped man to see God in a new way, a new revelation, a God that came to dwell among lost men so that He could redeem man.
Jesus, the Better One, the One who fulfilled the Melchisedec priesthood, now was able to be a better Revelator of a God who would and could be approached by sinful man. In the Old Covenant, the Priest represented God to man and man to God, but the new Melchisedec broke down that wall and allowed man to see a God that was real and alive and One who could feel the hurt and witness the sting of death. This Surety, this Promise of a Better Priest was One, who in His everyday living, HIS RITUAL of walking with man, was able to reveal God to man in a way the old Law could never do. This Surety, this Promise of a Better Way, serving as a Priest in the earthly temple of His body, showed man a Better way of living. It was not with the sacrifice of bulls and animals but it was by His own sacrifice that He was able to serve as the true Revelator of God to man.
Not only did this Surety, this Promise of a Better Way to serve God by HIS RITUALS of daily living, He was able to be a Better priest in the temple of His Father by His high and lofty Realm of his service.
The priests of old could only minister to the congregants of the Temple and the Tabernacle, but this Surety, this Promise of a Better Way, was/is able to be a Better priest due to the boundless limits of His Parish. The RITUALS of the priests of old were confined to this earth because they were of this earth, but this Priest, who came after the similitude of Melchisedec, but yet greater than that King of Salem, is able to serve God in a Realm that is beyond the circular globe of that which we earthlings call home. Indeed, His officiating at the table of His heavenly Father, is such that it reaches beyond space and all bounds of this universe.
Notice as He carries out His duties in His Father’s Temple of the sky, He carries with Him the marks of the nail prints in his hands. Notice Him as He strides the clouds and enters Heaven itself carrying forth His One and Only sacrifice for lost man. Notice His humbleness of John’s closing chapters as we see Him being the slaughtered Lamb, but then notice as we read John’s later work of the Revelations as He returns as a Conquering Lion. Notice this Surety, this Promise, of a Better way, a Better priesthood, as He inhabits and rules eternity, having paid the price for man’s sins. The RITUALS of His Realm far surpass all that binds man to this earth-His Realm His sphere of influence is boundless. In this capacity he is able to do HIS RITUALS of His Priesthood in a greater service for His Father.
As I study His role of being a Better Revealer of God to man and as I notice His arena of service to God, I also notice His ability to Reach, to influence more for God than any Priest of the Old Covenant was ever able to do.
The earthly priests ministered to the Jews and the proselytes of their era but this Better One was/is able to minister to millions around the world, of all ages, races, colors and tongues. This Surety, this Promise, this Better One has a congregation that knows no number. In HIS RITUAL of serving as a Priest in the Temple of His Father, He leads the unnumbered throng in praises to God who sent Him to this Earth to die for we sinners. He is not bothered by the mass of humanity that follows Him. Indeed, He makes room for each new convert to come into His Father’s House of redemption. As a Priest of the New Order, the
Better Way, he cheerfully leads the worshippers in their songs of Hosannas to the Most High God. While the priests of yesteryears, could only dream of having the congregation that this Better priest has, the sheer numbers seems to be molded into one body-due to His dying for us-as we wait on His leadership in our worshipping of Him and the Heavenly Father.
II. HIS RESULTS: The aspect of Christ being a Better Priest, fulfilling the final fulfillment of Melchisedec’s Priesthood as He went about being the Surety of a Better Testament certainly proves that He was the Better one. As he did His Priestly duties in the Temple of his Father, there were naturally certain effects that flowed from His office of the Great High Priest that He became for mankind to take away man’s sin.
The first part of HIS RESULTS that stemmed from His role as our High Priest can be seen in the results of bringing Redemption to fallen man. The priests of the Old Covenant could never do what Christ did on Calvary. Melchisedec, with all of his pomp and glory, could never bring that one thing to which the old Law could only point: the complete salvation of mankind. Daily, quarterly, yearly, the Jews would come to the Tabernacle and later the Temple with their sacrifices and hope for restoration of their broken actions that caused the sin in the first place. Once the offering was given, the sin absolved, the penitents would leave the environs of the sacred meeting place with God and return home as they came-absolved of the misdeed but with no new inner heart. The void was still with them, the bent to their disposition was not straightened, and they were the same on the inside as they were before they made their offering to absolve them for their misdeed.
However, this Surety, this Promise of a Better Priest, came and with His sacrifice, He was able to usher in something that was indeed far Better than the old Covenant-He bought and brought Redemption to lost man. Neither Abraham with all of his value, nor Melchisedec with all of his importance could effectuate such a life changing event in the heart of a any believer. One Result of the coming of this Better one was the completion of the Redemption of mankind-something the Law and the former Covenant could not do.
Besides the resulting effect of Redemption brought by this “Better One” another aspect of this coming Surety, this Better Promise, was the aspect of Reconciliation. The fist part of the role of this Better One was in being the High Priest of offering salvation, Redemption, to mankind. Once this was done the next logical aspect of this saving grace of the Better One, the Surety for mankind, was to bring Reconciliation between man and God. At long last there was the aspect of man and God to meet together through the agency of Christ’s blood and not the blood of bulls or birds. At long last man could communicate with God from his heart through the meritorious death and life of this Better One. When Christ died on the cross and that Temple Vale was rent from top to bottom, it proved that man could now approach God on a one-to-one basis with Christ as the One who reconciled man to God. That Temple vale, with all of its individual layers of cloth and the manner of its sewing hung between God and Man. But, when Christ said, “It is finished” and gave up His Spirit to His Father, God-not man, not an earthquake, not some efforts at trickery or shenanigans, could have effected the tear as it was torn from the top (God’s position) to the bottom (man’s estate). This proved that God was more than willing to accept the death of His Son who became the Great High Priest, the Better One, the Surety, and entered into God’s Temple bringing in His blood to offer once and for all the sacrifice for man’s sin. From that day on, the aspect of divine Reconciliation has been one of HIS RESULTS.
The third aspect of the effects of this Better one, has to do with His Resilience, His ability to live on in eternity. Abraham died; Melchisedec died; the Priests of the old law and the Old Covenant died; but, this Better One, still lives on. His work is still being carried on because He lives. Rome and the Sadducees thought that they would and could silence this Lowly Carpenter from Galilee by putting Him on the cross. Hell vented its spleen at the Better one as he hung on the cross. Psalms 22 tells us of some of the agony that Christ endured in the spirit world as the “dogs of Bashan” attacked Him. We only can read of the physical torment He endured, but we have no clue what went on in the sprit world at that moment of His dying. There were events that were to despicable for we mortals to comprehend. It was so terrifying, so horrible, that God the Father turned His head from looking on what His Son was enduring for us. The rage, the hate, the odiousness of Satan and his imps wee unleashed against Christ that day. This was their final effort to completely destroy Christ forever. All other efforts failed. Luke 4:13 tells us that Satan left Christ for “a season.” Satan was defeated out there in the Wilderness at the Temptations of Jesus, but he was not through with his plan to destroy the Son of God. On the Cross, Satan hurled his best efforts at Christ and lost. Jesus went into the tomb, but He did not stay there; He came out of that borrowed tomb and lives for ever. Others have come and gone, but this Surety, this Promise, this Better one, still lives on and will live on forever. His Resilience is one more proof of HIS RESULTS of truly being the fulfillment of all, that went before Him.
III. HIS RENUMERATION: Just as the priests in the Old Covenant received a “salary” for their labors, the Better Promise received His payment for His role as a Priest in the Tabernacle of his Father. The “wages” that Jesus received were not in monetary form at all. He needed no coinage to fulfill His tasks as a Priest of his Father. Indeed, His Father owns the cattle on a thousand hills and needs nothing established by man to pass as material gains for His meritorious work.
The first part of His wages has to do with who He is and with whom the world will finally recognize. I read in my Bible that when time is no more, when all of mankind will be assembled at the Great White Throne Judgment, that His name will be proclaimed by all of humanity. I cannot fathom how this will be, but I believe it. Here His name is either honored or cursed. The sinners who take His name in vain now will say it then with respect and awe. Here, Satan has made it possible that his minions curse the very scared Name of Jesus with the greatest of ease. The Moslems, the heathen, the ones with no respect curl their lips and speak derogatory of Him when ever they can. They think that by cursing His name they will pull Him off of His throne and trample Him under their feet. They curse with impunity. However, my Bible says that some day, this Better one who serves as a Priest in His Father’s house, will be paid great dividends from those who hate him so much now, by their Recognition of Him as being King of kings and Lord of lords. His wages, HIS RENUMERATION will be in conquering all foes as they acknowledge Him to be the One who is greater and better than Abraham and Melchisedec, indeed, they will recognize him for who He really is-God’s Son.
While His pay will be duly rewarded to Him in the future by the world’s Recognition, another part of His wages will be in the Reverence that will at long last be afforded Him.
What will the hordes of Satan’s followers do that day when they will be forced to bow at His feet and proclaim Him the greatest of all greats? What will the heathen do? What will the sinners do? What will the Moslems do? What will the liberals in our own land do? Indeed what will the Jewish nation do? What will lost mankind do at that great assize in the future when every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord of lords and King of Kings?
This Better One, this Surety, this Promise of the One to come that would be greater than Abraham and Melchisedec will stand and accept the world’s acclamation of His true priesthood. While here, He was rejected, scorned and crucified. He met with His followers behind closed doors after He was resurrected. He did not confront the authorities after his success of coming out of the tomb alive centuries ago, but there is coming a day when He will stand and the world will recognize Him. No longer will He have to meet His followers behind closed doors. No longer will he have to avoid meeting the powers that be: no, no. no!!! He will be the Power, the One in charge, and the world will be at His beck and call. Will He have to earn His wages for for being a Priest? no, no no!!! His wages will be that which man knows not of. HIS RENUMERATION will be that which will be far and beyond all of man’s ability with which to relate. He will receive His reward, His pay, but not now. It will be in the future and I want to be one of the multitude that will give my all to Him now and then do so again in the future when I cast my crown of life at His feet and proclaim Him as, “My Lord and my God.”
The final part of the Better One’s wages now lie in His being at “Rest” in His Father’s House. Note how the Bible depicts Jesus after His ascension. The Bible states that He now sits at the right hand side of the Father making intercession for His children. No longer does He have to do the duties of a priest after the order of Melchisedec. His Sacrifice, His carrying in the blood-His Blood-into the inner part of the sanctuary as He gave His blood for the remission of all sins signified that His work was done.
In His Father’s house, He sits now receiving the accolades that are due to Him. There remains one more task for this Better One to complete and then His duties will be complete: He will return to call his children to Himself and there He will serve us at His table during the seven years of the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. Now, He rests, waiting for the time when He will be sent back to this Earth-not to suffer but to conquer by rescuing His church unto Himself.
Wages? The wages that He will receive are far greater than is known unto earthly man. HIS RENUMERATION, will be paid in full some day out there in the future. When He receives His just dues, the things man holds dear to himself now will pale in comparison then. Out there in the future, when He leads His children into the celestial City we will walk on streets of gold. We will enter through gates of the highest price gems known unto man. The earthly value of these things will pale into non-existence when he receives His rewards for being the Surety, The Promise, of a Better One that came to surpass Abraham and Melchisedec. I want to be a part of that throng that sees Him receive HIS RENUMERATION. It will surpass all coronations of Kings, queens, potentates and High Priests of this world-indeed of all the universe.
