Introduction:
We always said this little prayer before our meals: God is great and God is good, let us thank him for our food. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
WBTU:
We have already seen the message in the book of Hebrews that Jesus is better. He is better than the angels. He is better than Moses. He is better than Joshua. He provides a better rest than was ever seen in the Promised Land.
Jesus is not only the best, he is great. Great means to be wonderful; first-rate; very good.
Our verses this morning talk about a great high priest- Jesus the Son of God.
Thesis: What makes Jesus a great high priest
For instances:
He sympathizes
Vs. 15- He sympathizes with our weaknesses, because he was tempted in every way.
Vs. 2- He deals gently with whom? Those who are ignorant and going astray.
Ignorant
Romans 11:33-34: Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?”
All of us are ignorant even if we have a good mind and many opportunities. Sin dulls our minds and our senses and we are all ignorant. If we don’t think so then Christ is not for us.
Going astray-
Isaiah 53:6: We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way
As a past preacher says, “There are just sinners here.” The Pharisees didn’t like to think of themselves as sinners. However, if we are not sinners, then we have no need for a Savior.
Mark 2:17: Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Since the beginning of the tabernacle, there were many high priests. Some were good and some were bad. Aaron is the most famous because he was the first high priest. Caiaphas is the most notorious because he helped to have Jesus crucified. In the midst of them is Eli.
Hannah wanted to have a child for her husband Elkanah. Year after year Elkanah went up from his town to worship and sacrifice to the Lord Almighty at Shiloh.
Look up and read 1 Samuel 1:9-17. We see here that Eli is faithfully ministering and is sympathetic to Hannah. Eli has seen many come and worship and sacrifice. He has ministered with many in this same state. He confronts what he sees as sin (drunkenness) and then offers comfort and is grateful that Hannah is mindful of the Lord. He gives a blessing.
Hannah was faithful to her vow when Samuel was born. We read in 1 Samuel 1:24-28.
In 1 Samuel 2:18-19 (end with “Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife”) and 1 Samuel 3:1
What a great high priest. Not so! Eli refused to correct his sons’ sins of treating the Lord’s offerings with contempt and of sexual immorality.
1 Samuel 2:29 the Lord says to Eli- Why do you honor your sons more than me by fattening yourselves on the choice parts of every offering?
We find God’s judgment coming upon Eli and his sons. We find in 1 Samuel 4:18
Eli was a sympathetic high priest, but it takes more than that. Jesus is gentle, sympathetic, but was without sin. Vs. 15.
He is submissive (Vs. 7- reverent submission)
Even when it went against everything in his human nature, he did His Father’s will.
This happened more than once but we find the greatest wrestling in prayer of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. Mark 14:32-36 and then Luke 22:42-44.
He sought relief and help in prayer. He knew what was before him. He did not look forward to the pain and agony not just physical but spiritual. He was being forsaken by the Father and on him was the sins of all time. We don’t have to know this anguish because Jesus suffered it.
“He was heard”- No he wasn’t. He didn’t receive his request. Well, he did receive an angel (Luke). He was given strength to endure the cup. After this we find him being calm to the point of frustrating his judges at his trials- he said not a word. Every true prayer that is offered to God is answered by God, though not always by granting the specific requests.
Lord Don’t Move that Mountain- Lord, here I am again, down on my knees in prayer And Lord, You promised me You would always meet me there Now there's a mountain up ahead that I can't seem to climb But I'm praying for the strength to try it one more time Lord, don't move that mountain, just give me strength to climb For if You should move each mountain I might grow weaker every time And just like your son Jesus took the cross of Calvary's hill Lord, don't move that mountain, so I may better do Your will
Why was he heard? I like how the International Children’s Bible puts it: His prayer was heard because he left it all up to God. “Thy will be done”
The New Living Translation says, “one who could deliver him out of death”. He was delivered out of death. Acts 2:24: God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.
He suffered (Vs 8- He learned obedience from what he suffered)
Did we ever stop to think that God never knew what it meant to be obedient? It is impossible to be obedient until there is a higher authority which we are required to be obedient to. Only in the incarnation was the Lord ever placed under authority. Although he was a son he learned obedience
His obedience as a Son was always perfect. However, his obedience spoken of here is the obedience in suffering. As his pain became increasing severe, and he had to renounce more and more of himself, he still obeyed.
Philippians 2:8: he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross!
Christ went step by step along this path, until the lesson was finished and the obedience was finished by his death on the cross.
I don’t know of anyone who has suffered more to be obedient to the Father’s will.
“How can Jesus know what I am going through down here?” He knows; obedience did not always come easy for Jesus. Through His suffering, Jesus certainly understands the "human condition" which qualifies Him to serve as High Priest
If suffering was fit to teach the Son of God, we must never despise it as a tool of instruction in our lives. Romans 5:3: we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance
He was made perfect or complete by what he suffered (Vs. 9).
Think of a rose bud that is perfect in beauty. Then think again of that same rose when it reaches full bloom. It is still perfect in beauty. Both the bud and the bloom are perfect but on a different level.
He is the source of salvation (Vs. 9)
Hebrews 7:27: Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself.
Our Lord Jesus Christ - our great High priest did not come to offer a sacrifice for our sins - but to BE that Sacrifice.
Conclusion and invitation:
Vs. 9- For all who obey him
Is obedience necessary for salvation? Consider this:
Jesus will bring vengeance on those who have not obeyed the gospel -2 Thessalonians 1:8-10: He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power on the day he comes to be glorified
Those who have obeyed the truth have purified their souls- 1 Peter 1:22: you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth
If obedience is necessary for salvation, are we then saved by works?
The main thought is whose works? My works or Christ’s works?
If my works then no
If Christ’s works then yes.
believing in Christ is a "work of God" - John 6:28-29: Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”
repentance and baptism are "works of God" that we must obey in order to receive salvation- Acts 2:38: Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
salvation "by grace through faith" does not eliminate the necessity of obedience to Christ.
Have you been obedient to the gospel of Christ? Mark 16:16: Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
