“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; 2 he can deal gently with the ignorant and misguided, since he himself also is beset with weakness; 3 and because of it he is obligated to offer sacrifices for sins, as for the people, so also for himself. 4 And no one takes the honor to himself, but receives it when he is called by God, even as Aaron was. 5 So also Christ did not glorify Himself so as to become a high priest, but He who said to Him, “YOU ARE MY SON, TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU”; 6 just as He says also in another passage, “YOU ARE A PRIEST FOREVER ACCORDING TO THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK.” 7 In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety. 8 Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. 9 And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation, 10 being designated by God as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.” NASB
“Every high priest is selected from among men and is appointed to represent them in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2 He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness. 3 This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people. 4 No one takes this honor upon himself; he must be called by God, just as Aaron was. 5 So Christ also did not take upon himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father.” 6 And he says in another place, “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” 7 During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered 9 and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him 10 and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek. NIV
In the first four verses of this chapter we are given three qualifications that must exist for a man to be a priest.
He must be appointed by God, he must be able to be sympathetic with the people he serves, and he must offer sacrifices on their behalf.
Let’s begin today by looking at how Jesus met those qualifications.
PRIESTLY OFFICE
We are not going to belabor the point here that Jesus was a Man, born of a woman. There are those who would deny that, but since it is a fundamental truth that all Christians believe, we will leave it to the unbelievers to debate foolishly over things of which they are ignorant.
Here we will simply be reminded of 1 John 4:2-3 which says:
“By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world.”
…and we move on.
Notice first of all that the priests were appointed by God. He assigned the first, Aaron, to serve the newly formed nation, and historically the High Priest was chosen by lot after that. Now if that sounds like gambling, you only need be aware that according to Proverb 16:33,
“The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.”
This is what they went by, and this is how the new High Priest was chosen. This is not license for you to dash off to Las Vegas with your life’s savings. It was a method God blessed for His purposes but He is not going to stand at your elbow cheering you on at the slot machines.
Verse one of our text says that the high priest is taken from among men, appointed on behalf of men, then in verse 4 the writer says, ‘no one takes the honor to himself, but receives it when he is called by God’.
We have an example of the danger of usurping that place of holy authority in Uzziah the king, who, as recorded for us in 2 Chronicles 26, entered the holy place with a censer to make sacrifice contrary to the dictates of God. The priests verbally chastised him, telling him to leave the sanctuary and in response he only berated them, and the next thing you know he has leprosy which he had until the day he died.
So the HEBREWS author confirms that Christ did not bring this glory to Himself, but was also appointed by the One who said of His humanity, ‘THOU ART MY SON, TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN THEE’, and of His appointed and eternal priesthood, ‘THOU ART A PRIEST FOREVER ACCORDING TO THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK’.
We will have opportunity later to study Melchizedek in detail. For now let it suffice to say that Melchizedek was a priest, not of the tribe of Israel, but a priest of God nonetheless, and since there is no record of his genealogy nor of his birth or death, he stands as a symbol of the everlasting priesthood of Christ.
So Jesus is both Man and God-appointed to the priesthood. He also meets the next qualification in that He is able to deal gently with the ignorant and misguided; however, not for the same reason as the priests of the Aaronic line.
I’ll remind you that we recently found in chapter 4 that we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in all tings as we are, yet without sin.
Jesus served as our great High Priest in that He was able to make sacrifice for us, and we will talk about that before we’re done today. But take note that He had to learn first, through the weakness of the incarnation and having faced our temptations, so that He could identify with us in the way that is necessary for the priesthood.
There is a lesson in this for young men seeking to go into pastoral ministry. The young pastor would demonstrate wisdom beyond his years if he would do as little talking and as much listening as he possibly can. He would be wise to bear in mind that he is ministering to many who have experienced and suffered a great deal more in life than he has, and he should therefore be careful to approach with respect and compassion and great humility.
I will not go into the sordid details of my past, but I will say that had I understood these things many years ago I might have avoided many a pang. I would not at this point go back and change anything, for God in his wisdom and grace has used them to lead me to where I am and surrounded by the wonderful people in my life whom I love.
But I know that you who are older understand the things I say; and I would venture to speculate that most of us over 40 or 50 would tread more slowly and softly if we had our younger days to walk through again.
Jesus did not learn through ignorance and error. The weakness He learned through was not as our weakness, in that we were enslaved to sin and abiding moment to moment under the fear of death.
The weakness Jesus endured was that of being in the flesh, having submitted Himself entirely to the Father’s will and the Spirit’s help; and through that weakness He learned obedience, He learned suffering, He learned temptation, and in His office as Christ, made for a little while lower than the angels, He was thus able to deal gently with the ignorant and misguided – He was able to sympathize with our weaknesses – He was perfected as our great High Priest.
We have discussed the first two qualifications for the priesthood. We will look at the third before we end. First, let’s talk about this unique relationship He had while on earth with His Father and the help He received.
PRIESTLY PIETY
The Greek word translated ‘piety’ in verse 7, refers to a cautious, devout reverence.
Revealed to us here are two very significant things about Jesus that we can learn from and apply to ourselves. His prayers were pertinent and urgent and His character was humble and submissive (reverent).
The verse says that in the days of His flesh He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears.
Now I realize that it is generally accepted and taught that these words refer to His struggle in Gethsemane, primarily due to the reference to the ‘One able to save Him from (or out of) death”.
But I am intrigued by the writer’s choice of words in saying, ‘In the days of His flesh’. He did not say, ‘on the night of His arrest’, or ‘while His disciples slept’, or any other specific phrasing that would single out this one instance of prayer.
In addition there is the glaring contradiction in thought here, that the gospels tell us that Jesus went back several times during the course of the evening to awaken His disciples from slumber, yet the writer says He ‘offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears’.
Now I only bring your attention to these details to say this. If, in the days of His flesh, or the entirety of His sojourning here, Jesus approached prayer with the attitude that seems to be expressed here, then it would indeed behoove us to take note and follow our Teacher.
These specific words about prayer used in this verse are used nowhere else. They refer to an earnest appeal in great need, and an urgent entreaty for aid; or put simply, ‘HELP!’
In all the examples of the prayers of Jesus that are given to us, we never see Him flippant, or glib, or uncertain, or indecisive, or wavering in faith. Prayer was a serious business to Jesus. Having temporarily set aside the independent exercise of His own divine attributes and become deliberately dependant on the Father, Jesus placed Himself in the same position of need in which we find ourselves – apart from a sin nature. He did this for our example, and therefore not only should we follow His example in prayer, we should expect the same results.
Let’s compare some of our praying with what we know of Jesus. It calls for some speculation, but I think you’ll understand what I’m getting at.
When Jesus spent all night in prayer before choosing His twelve apostles, can you imagine that it went anything like this?
“OK Father, then we’ve settled on Peter and Matthew and John and Andrew and… well Father before I go further I want to talk to you about this Judas Iscariot. I’m getting some bad vibes from him, Father, and besides, we already have one Judas in the group…that could cause some confusion. Anyway Father, if you want me to choose Iscariot as one of the twelve, give me a sign.”
What about at the tomb of Lazarus?
“Father, I felt really led to delay coming here…so I did…and I don’t know what you intend to do but I’m just putting it all I your hands Father. I’ve read the scriptures and I know you have the ability to heal and even to raise the dead. If that’s what you want to do today Father then I pray that you will raise Lazarus, and I will give you all the praise and the glory…”
Or in the Upper Room with his disciples?
“Father, I have taught them and led them, and have not lost any of them except the son of perdition. Now I’m asking that you do some kind of miracle in the hearts of the rest, Father, because they don’t seem to have a clue. I’ve poured myself out as a drink offering on them for over three years Father, and I know you can see that they are simply devoid of any spirituality; fighting and backbiting and gossiping as we walk down the road daily; and well Father, the time has come for Me to be delivered into the hands of evil men, and quite frankly, I don’t expect to be able to find one of these guys hanging around three days from now.”
No, listen. The prayers of our Lord were pertinent, and they were urgent. He was here for a very short time and there was work to be done before the darkness came. He was aware of the present need – whether physical or spiritual – because of His constant communion with the Father; He was confident in the Father’s goodness and love and He was bold to enter the Throne room any time, day or night, and bring His pertinent, urgent petitions, and find grace to help in time of need.
How often do we insult God with prayers that sound as though we’re not sure He’ll be willing to answer, or as though we’re not even sure of what we want?
How often do we come groveling for deliverance, when we have not spent one honest moment looking for development?
How often do we avoid prayer about some particular thing, because in our heart of hearts we know what the answer would be, and like Jonah we’d rather not press the issue?
As a fellow pastor once quipped, “Be careful what you pray for; you might be part of the answer”.
We can be much more decisive and confident and willing in our prayer life. Prayer needs to be what it was to Jesus; all business. Our prayers need to be pertinent – which implies forethought and often searching of the scriptures in preparation – and urgent. Time is short.
But His second example to us here is of a condition that must both pre and co exist with fervent, effectual prayer; and that is a humble, submissive (or reverent) spirit. Remember what has come before these verses. He went before the Father on behalf of ignorant and misguided people, but dealing gently and compassionately, His priestly prayers for them, for us, were from a heart – as I mentioned earlier – humble and submitted to the Father’s will.
The writer tells us that He was heard ‘because of His piety’. Other versions say ‘godly fear’, ‘reverent submission’.
I can’t believe that what is meant here is that the Father honored a prayer of Jesus to save Him out of death because His prayer in Gethsemane was particularly reverent, or that He showed some special depth of submission at that given point of time.
I have to believe that the writer wants us to consider that we have a High Priest whose very life – ‘in the days of His flesh’ – was characterized by devout, careful, reverent submission to the Father’s will.
The sufferings of Christ didn’t start when they bound His hands in the garden. His sufferings began when He emptied Himself taking the form of a bondservant.
His very life was one of humble submission, waiting on the Father for guidance and then boldly and unhesitatingly setting His face like flint to do the Father’s will.
By that, He who never in eternity past had to obey, constantly learned obedience.
For that, His pertinent and urgent prayers were heard.
Christians, how much more powerful and rich and spiritually productive could our walk be…could our churches be…if we followed our great example of reverent submission to the Father’s will, and carefully pertinent, yet boldly urgent prayer…for ourselves, our churches, the lost of our communities?
“Jesus was…obedience incarnate. I have only as much of Jesus in me as I have the spirit of obedience.” Andrew Murray
If we would be obedient to the Holy Spirit’s frequent admonition in the letter to the HEBREWS to consider Jesus, then we must strive to order our lives and approach our communion with the Father according to the example that Jesus set for us in His own piety – His reverent devotion that the Father honored by raising Him from the dead.
PRIEST FOREVER
Let’s take a fresh look at these final three verses of our text, 8 – 10.
”Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation, being designated by God as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.”
Earlier we looked at the first two qualifications for the priesthood which were fulfilled in Jesus Christ. He was appointed by God, and He was able because of what He learned through sufferings and temptations, to deal gently with the ignorant and misguided.
The third qualification is that the priest is able to offer sacrifices for the sins of the people.
Now earthly priests, those in the Aaronic line, offered sacrifices for the sins of the people and also themselves, since they also were beset with sin and weakness.
In contrast, Jesus, the Son of God, having been made perfect in His office by the things He had learned, became to all who obey Him the source and cause of salvation.
Now let’s break that down and look at it closer.
We have alluded to this already, but let’s be reminded that Jesus was not made perfect in character or made perfect by the taking away of something that made Him imperfect.
He was tested, He was tried, He was offered the world’s kingdoms, He was denied by one disciple, betrayed by another, deserted by all of them, passed around from one evil man to another in a series of mock trials in which injustice reigned, and He passed all the tests. He was made perfect in His High Priestly office by His humble submission to all the Father gave Him to do. He did it all well, and the stamp of the Father’s approval was His resurrection from the dead.
The other term I want to make clear here is the reference in verse 9 to the obedience of those who are saved. If we did not have ample evidence throughout the Bible that salvation is by grace through faith and not of works, this statement in verse 9 would be very confusing.
But when the writer says that He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation, we know that he did not mean we are saved by behaving obediently in some way and receiving as the reward of our obedience, eternal life.
It is an obedience of faith that is being set forth here. When the called one hears the call and responds in faith in the Gospel he or she is reckoned by God to be obedient to that call and is declared justified.
We know that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in the atoning work of Christ alone, and we also know that God yet holds the individual accountable for obedient response to the call. It is somewhat of a mystery, but it is Biblically based and supported teaching, nevertheless.
But having said all that, getting past that, let’s close today focusing on Jesus, our great High Priest.
Let it be in the forefront of your consciousness today that Jesus met the qualifications of priesthood for you.
He became flesh for you.
“But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.” Heb 2:9
He was appointed by God for you.
“Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.” Heb 2:17
He was perfected in His High Priestly office for you.
“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. 15 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.” Heb 4:14-15
He became the source of salvation for you, by performing that one final act that qualified Him as High Priest; in offering sacrifice for you. But not as the High Priests of the Aaronic priesthood did He offer, for it was not with the blood of bulls and goats, but according to the order of Melchizedek, a priest forever, He offered His own blood which removed your sin as far from you as the east is from the west.
For you who have responded to the call of God in the obedience of faith, He has become the source of salvation for eternity.
There are no conditions stated there. The work is accomplished by your eternal High Priest, and it is an eternal provision. It is eternal salvation.
Jesus Christ, Son of God, made for a little while lower than the angels, made perfect in His role of Savior through that which He suffered, designated by the Father to be your great High Priest, able to comfort, able to lead, able in His perfection to act on your behalf in things pertaining to God, able to make you stand acceptable and accepted eternally before the Throne of Grace, ‘lost in wonder, love and praise’.
Amen.
