The Priesthood of Christ
Hebrews Chapter Five
Introduction:
1. In chapter four Paul introduced the Christian rest.
a. He shows how we can truly find the Prize (1-11).
b. How we can have the power to make this promise real (12-13).
c. And how Jesus, our “Great High Priest,” makes “rest” possible (14-16).
2. In this chapter Paul will further expound on Jesus’ qualifications for the High Priesthood.
As the Union Pacific Railroad was being constructed, an elaborate trestle bridge was built across a large canyon in the West. Wanting to test the bridge, the builder loaded a train with enough extra cars and equipment to double its normal payload. The train was then driven to the middle of the bridge, where it stayed an entire day. One worker asked, "Are you trying to break this bridge?" "No," the builder replied, "I’m trying to prove that the bridge won’t break." In the same way, the temptations Jesus faced weren’t designed to see if He would sin, but to prove that He couldn’t.
Today in the Word, March 14, 1991.
I. Imperfect Priesthood of Aaron (vs. 1-4).
a. Selected from men (v.1).
i. Allotted from among men.
1. The high priest was taken from among the people he represented.
2. The Levitical Priesthood had three qualifications (Reese, Hebrews)
a. Oneness with the people he represents
b. Compassion
c. Appointment by God
3. These priests would be familiar with the people they represented.
a. Their conditions.
b. Their needs
ii. Appointed on behalf of men.
1. God has never had a need for a high priest.
a. He has no sin.
b. Sinning men need a priest.
When I was preaching in the Southern States of America, the minister called my attention to one of the elders. He said: "When the Civil War broke out, that man was in one of the far Southern States, and he enlisted in the Southern Army. He was selected by the General and sent to spy the Northern Army. As you know, armies have no mercy on spies if they are caught. This man was caught, tried by court-martial, and ordered to be shot. While he was in the guardroom awaiting the day of execution, he would call Abraham Lincoln by every name that he could think of.
"One day while he was in prison, a Northern officer came into his cell. The prisoner, full of rage, thought his time was come to be shot. The officer, when he opened the door, handed him a free pardon, signed by Abraham Lincoln. He told him he was at liberty; he could go to his wife and children. The man who had before been full of hatred asked, ’Abraham Lincoln pardoned me? I have never said a good word about him.’ The officer replied: ’If you got what you deserved, you would be shot. But some one interceded for you at Washington, and obtained your pardon. You are now at liberty.’" --Christian Endeavor World
iii. Awarded atonement.
1. “Gifts”
a. Unbloody offerings
i. The meat offering (KJV; used in the since of “food” and not “flesh,”) (ASV, “meal offering”) consisted of white flour, or unleavened bread, cakes, wafers, or ears of roasted grain, always with salt, except in the sin offering, with olive oil.
ii. Sometimes it was burned on the altar.
iii. Sometimes it was placed on the altar and some would be given to the priest.
2. “Sacrifices”
a. Bloody offerings
i. These of course were the meat offerings.
ii. Bulls, rams, sheep, ect..
3. “for sins”
a. Aaron and those priest who were to come later, would have to understand the human needs and the subsequent offering to fix their need.
b. He ultimately was the stand in for God, and had to make a decision concerning the sins of any given person.
b. Sympathetic because of his own weakness (v.2).
i. A compassionate priest.
1. This word is not easy to translate.
Hebrews 5:2 ASV
(2) who can bear gently with the ignorant and erring, for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity;
a. It is a compound word in the Greek, taken from metron, and pascho, (μετριοπαθέω) “to suffer.”
b. It is a feeling somewhere between grief and indifference.
2. We as the priesthood of Christ should consider this compassion when dealing with sinners.
ii. A capable priest.
1. Each day sinners would come to the priest to confess their sins and to have sacrifices made for them.
2. The high priest could not become irritated with the sinner requesting forgiveness.
3. He would also nee to watch that he did not become indifferent to sin.
iii. A corrupted priest.
1. These priests were not perfect as Jesus was.
2. They had known sin, and had succumbed to temptation.
3. They were to keep this in mind when dealing with others.
c. Submits an offering for himself, as well as for the people of Israel (v.3).
i. Compelled to make sacrifice.
1. The priest could not be biased in anyway.
2. He had an obligation to meat.
ii. Compelled to make sacrifice for himself.
1. In order to sacrifice for the sins of others, he first had to make sacrifice for himself.
2. On the Day of Atonement the high priest would confess his sins, for himself and his household, and then for the other priest.
3. The Midrash. Yoma 4:2 tells the prayer that the high priest would utter before sacrificing.
"I beseech You, O Lord;
I have sinned, rebelled, and transgressed against You,
I, and my household;
I beseech You, O Lord,
Grant atonement for the sins,
and for the iniquities and transgressions
which I have committed against You,
I, and my household.
As it is written in the Torah
of Your servant, Moses:
’For on this day
atonement shall be made for you,
to purify you from all your sins
- before the Lord you shall be purified’."
iii. Compelled to make sacrifice for Israel.
1. Israel knew very well that unless blood was shed they would have no atonement.
2. Without the high priest there was no one to take that blood before God.
Leviticus 17:11 KJVR
(11) For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.
d. Set apart by God (v.4).
i. The “honor” does not belong to the priest
ii. The “honor” belongs to God.
II. Perfect Priesthood of Christ (vs. 5-10).
Emperor Theodosius denied the deity of Christ. When his son, Arcadius, was about sixteen, he decided to make him a partner with himself in the government of the empire. Among the great men who assembled themselves to congratulate the new wearer of the imperial purple, was a Bishop named Amphilocus. He made a handsome address to the Emperor, and was about to leave, when Theodosius exclaimed: "What! do you take no notice of my son?" Then the Bishop went up to Arcadius, and putting his hands upon his head said: "The Lord bless thee, my son!" The Emperor, roused to fury by this slight, exclaimed: "What? Is this all the respect you pay to a prince that I have made of equal dignity with myself?!"
Amphilocus replied, "Sire, you do so highly resent my apparent neglect of your son, because I do not give him equal honors with yourself. Then, what must the eternal God think of you, when you degrade his co-equal, and co-eternal Son, to the level of one of his creatures?" The Emperor judged the reproof to be just. --The Wonderful Word
a. Divine appointment (vs. 5-6)
i. Christ’ humility
1. Jesus did not intrude into the office of high priest.
a. He was not of the tribe of Levi, but from the tribe of Judah.
2. He humbly excepted the position
a. Prophecy told that the Messiah would be a high priest.
b. Not of the order of Aaron, but of Melchizedek.
ii. Christ’ relationship to God.
1. He is the Son of God.
2. Because of this relationship, he was appointed to the high priesthood by God.
Psalms 2:7 KJV
(7) I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.
iii. Christ’ priesthood
1. In Heb 1:5 Paul used this verse to argue for Jesus’ “sonship,” but no appropriately uses it to argue his High Priesthood.
b. Deliverance (vs. 7-8)
i. Christ’ prayers
1. These prayers probable took place in the garden of Gethsemane.
a. This account was probably told by the apostles who were a stones throw away from him in the garden.
b. They would have heard his cries and seen his red eyes flushed with tears.
c. This bit of information might have been a revelation from God.
2. What was Jesus praying for?
a. “Let this cup pass from me”
i. In our text from Hebrews we see the words “save him from death.”
ii. Henry says:
Christ was heard in that he feared. How? Why he was answered by present supports in and under his agonies, and in being carried well through death, and delivered from it by a glorious resurrection: He was heard in that he feared. He had an awful sense of the wrath of God, of the weight of sin. His human nature was ready to sink under the heavy load, and would have sunk, had he been quite forsaken in point of help and comfort from God; but he was heard in this, he was supported under the agonies of death. He was carried through death; and there is no real deliverance from death but to be carried well through it. We may have many recoveries from sickness, but we are never saved from death till we are carried well through it. And those that are thus saved from death will be fully delivered at last by a glorious resurrection, of which the resurrection of Christ was the earnest and first-fruits. (Matthew Henry, Commentary on the whole bible)
iii. J.F.B. Commentary says:
The Greek literally, is, “Was heard from His fear,” that is, so as to be saved from His fear. Compare Psa_22:21, which well accords with this, “Save me from the lion’s mouth (His prayer): thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.” Or what better accords with the strict meaning of the Greek noun, “in consequence of His REVERENTIAL FEAR,” that is, in that He shrank from the horrors of separation from the bright presence of the Father, yet was reverentially cautious by no thought or word of impatience to give way to a shadow of distrust or want of perfect filial love. (Jamieson, Fausset, Brown)
iv. College Press Commentaries
“Newell says He did not ask God to save Him from dying, but to save Him out of death………If we live in God, He must forsake us in order for us to die. God heard his prayers, however, for Christ did not see corruption in the grave as do all others. Newell says His prayer was for the fulfillment of the prophecies concerning himself.” (College Press Commentary on Hebrews)
ii. Christ’ tears
1. In the gospel account it is implied that he cried.
Matthew 26:37 KJV
(37) And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.
Luke 22:44 KJV
(44) And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
Psalms 22:1,2,19,21, and 24 KJV
(1) …..My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?
(2) O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent.
(19) But be not thou far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee to help me.
(21) Save me from the lion’s mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.
(24) For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard.
2. “He wept”
a. John 11:15
iii. Christ’ obedience
1. Suffering was necessary.
a. As the Son, he was always obedient, but in order to be qualified for the priest hood he had to learn suffering.
Philippians 2:6-8 KJV
(6) Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
(7) But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
(8) And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
b. He was obedient already before His passion, but He stooped to a still more humiliating and trying form of obedience then. The Greek adage is, “Pathemata mathemata,” “sufferings, disciplinings.” Praying and obeying, as in Christ’s case, ought to go hand in hand. (Matthew Henry)
c. Designer of salvation (vs. 9-10)
i. Christ’ perfection
1. He was made perfect through suffering.
ii. Christ’ promise
1. Salvation to all who would obey him.
2. Once saved, always saved?
a. Hebrews 2:1-3
b. Hebrews 3:12,13
c. Hebrews 4:1
d. Hebrews 5:9
e. Hebrews 6:4-6
f. Hebrews 6:7-8
g. Hebrews 10:26-27
h. Hebrews 10:28-29
i. Hebrews 10:36-39
j. Hebrews 12:15
k. Hebrews 12:25
i. Consider what the rest of the bible says.
1. Matthew 13:3-8
2. Matthew 13:18-23
3. Matthew 25:14-30
4. Luke 8:4-15
5. John 15:2-6
6. Romans 2:6-7
7. Romans 8:13
8. Romans 11:17-23
9. I Corinthians 6:10-11
10. I Corinthians 8:1-11
11. I Corinthians 9:27
12. I Corinthians 10:1-12
13. Galatians 6:7-9
14. I Timothy 1:19
15. I Timothy 4:1-2
16. I Timothy 5:12
17. James 5:19-20
18. II Peter 1:10
19. II Peter 2:20-22
20. Revelation 2:4-5
21. Revelation 3:15-16
iii. Christ’ calling
1. “Called” is better translated designated.
a. Earlier it was stated that Jesus did not exalt himself to the office of high priest.
b. God appointed him to this office.
2. Paul will discuss Melchizedek even more in the chapters to come.
Psalms 110:4 KJV
(4) The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.
III. Perfecting of the Saints. (vs. 11-14).
a. Spiritual ignorance (v. 11)
i. Spiritually ignorant of the mysteries of Christ.
1. Before Paul goes into the meaning of Psalm 110 he want to make sure they are ready to listen.
ii. Spiritually ignorant of the word.
1. They had become dull of hearing.
a. In the physical world, as one gets older he may begin to lose his hearing
b. In a spiritual since, when one loses his ear of faith, he is in danger of losing his soul.
2. If these Hebrew Christians were set on returning to the Levitical priesthood, it would be hard for Paul to convince them of Christ priesthood after the order of Melchizedek.
3. They must begin to listen.
iii. Spiritually closed minded.
b. Spiritual immaturity (vs. 12-13)
i. Limited teachers.
1. There has obviously been sometime since there conversion to Christ up to the writing of the book of Hebrews.
a. They should have been maturing to the point of being teachers.
b. Instead, they are considering abandoning Jesus, and in turn they have nothing to say for Christ sake.
ii. Limited knowledge.
1. They needed Paul to rehash the basics again.
2. The Church today is in need of this warning.
iii. Limited diet.
1. They were like babes in Christ, still on the milk of the word.
c. Spiritual maturity (v. 14a)
Here is a fourfold definition of maturity. Maturity is:
* to stick with a job until it is finished
* to bear an injustice without wanting to get even
* to carry money without wanting to spend it
* to do one’s duty without being supervised.
i. Healthy diet.
1. A child cannot live only on milk but must progress to solid food.
2. They were “unskillful of the word of righteousness” because they had not tasted it.
ii. Healthy knowledge.
1. They were in desperate need of the word.
d. Spiritual discernment (v. 14b)
i. They must grow in reason.
1. Reason is the only tool a person has at his disposal to grow in the knowledge of the truth.
Isaiah 1:18 KJV
(18) Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
ii. They must grow in study.
1. They needed to exercise their senses again
2. They needed to get back to the word.
iii. They must grow in discernment.
1. They could not discern, because they did not have knowledge of Gods scripture.
When Cortez landed at Vera Cruz in 1519 to begin his conquest of Mexico with small force of 700 men, he purposely set fire to his fleet of 11 ships. His men on the shore watched their only means of retreat sinking to the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico. With no means of retreat, there was only one direction to move, forward into the Mexican interior to meet whatever might come their way. In paying the price for being Christ’s disciple, you too must purposefully destroy all avenues of retreat. Resolve that whatever the price for being His follower, you will have to pay it. --Walter Henricksen
Conclusion:
1. Imperfect Priesthood of Aaron (vs. 1-4).
2. Perfect Priesthood of Christ (vs. 5-10).
3. Perfecting of the Saints. (vs. 11-14).
A striking incident was given me while laboring on the Pacific coast. A deep cave had been discovered that, so far as was known, had never been explored. But one man, determined to have the exclusive honor of exploring the interior of the cave, procured a small hand lamp and a large ball of twine, and went to the cave alone, and fastening one end of the twine securely to some firm substance outside, took his lamp and ball of twine and entered the cave, climbing over rugged rocks and through deep, damp passages, unwinding his ball as he went. He felt sure if his lamp went out he could find his way back by the twine.
In this way he had gone a long way into the cave, having several times passed through small openings, until he reached a large, beautiful room in the cave. This room was adorned with rare and beautiful curiosities.
As far as could be ascertained, the man meant to bring out some of these curiosities. So setting down his lamp and putting his ball of twine by the side of it, he had gone some distance to break off a specimen, to bring out to his friends.
While he was doing this his lamp tipped over and went out. He at once left whatever he was endeavoring to obtain, to find his lamp and twine. He knew his life depended on his finding his lamp and twine.
His tracks could be seen where he had crept in total darkness back and forth in search of his lamp, but it was all in vain. His lamp once out his death was certain. If any one ever started for a given window, in a very dark night, perhaps reaching just the opposite window, you can imagine how difficult was the situation of this poor man in the dark cave.
Long weary hours and weary days and nights, he searched as best he could for his lamp and twine, still in vain. Oh what thoughts of home and dear ones. What self reproach over his folly in not having some one with him, but it was too late then. He must die alone unwept. At last the struggle was over. Exhausted and worn he laid down and died. And as no one knew he was there, it was a long time before his body was found and returned to the dear ones.
So it is with unconverted men, they have a little light, in having some desire to become a Christian. The Holy Spirit, though often grieved and insulted by their rejection of his gracious calls, still shines, although it may be faintly, upon their darkness and would lead them out to hope and heaven. As in the cave when the light went out, the thread was lost, so when the Spirit leaves, the silken thread of desire is lost and they are in a dark cave without a guide to lead them out. Then their bitter cry will be, "The harvest is passed, the summer is ended, and we are not saved."
"Too late! too late! will be the cry,
Jesus of Nazareth has passed by."
-- A. B. Earle, From: "Incidents Used ... In His Meetings," published in 1888
