A. INTRODUCTION
1. Were you to be asked to list all the benefits you derive from your Christian faith, the following items would no doubt be included:
a. f __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ of sins
b. freedom from the old sin n __ __ __ __ __
c. escape from h __ __ __ ( Is this first on your list? )
d. an authentic personal r __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ with Almighty God Himself
(1) made possible by j __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
(2) made increasingly strong and "real" through s __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
e. all the blessings of the H __ __ __ S __ __ __ __ __'s indwelling
(1) Spiritual g __ __ __ __
(2) U __ __ __ __ with other believers
(3) c __ __ __ __ __ __ in times of trouble and difficulty
(4) I __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ from the Scriptures
f. the promise of e __ __ __ __ __ __ life in heaven
2. I wonder if your list includes two of the benefits of the Christian life which so energized and encouraged the writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews:
a. our Great H __ __ __ P __ __ __ __ __
b. the p __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ of all believers
3. Only those believers with an orthodox background know much about the office of "priest." The Reformation so distanced evangelical Christians from what were seen as the sinful excesses of the Roman church that most modern-day believers are largely ignorant of the office of the priest and the functions of the priesthood.
a. The curious development of the English word priest has contributed to this ignorance. It is identified in its origin with the word "presbyter" -- literally, "elder" -- but has become in English the word associated for the most part with the religious official whose main function is the offering up of sacrifices to God.
b. The English reformers of the 16th century retained the term in that era's Book of Common Prayer in hope that its proper meaning of "elder" would be restored. This, of course, has not happened. There is no English term to correspond with the Latin sacerdos ("one who offers up sacrifices") and, as a result, the word priest has been assigned that designation.
4. The readers of the Epistle of the Hebrews, however, were decidedly not so ignorant, particularly regarding the Levitical high priest. For centuries the descendants of A __ __ __ __ had attended to their priestly duties, first in the Tabernacle in the wilderness and finally in the great Temple at Jerusalem. Holding the highest religious office in all Judaism, they had been appointed to stand between Yahweh and His chosen people, Israel.
a. "In Israel the priest had one special function, to offer sacrifice for the sins of the people. Sin disturbs the relationship which should exist between man and God and puts up a barrier between them. The sacrifice is meant to restore that relationship and remove that barrier." - William Barclay: The Letter to the Hebrews
b. "It is the universal sinfulness of man which makes a sacrificing priesthood a necessity. The sacrifices offered up effect, or symbolize the means of effecting reconciliation between sinful man and his holy Creator. The function of the priesthood, accordingly, is a mediatorial function." - P. E. Hughes: "Priesthood," in The Evangelical Dictionary of Theology
5. The presentation of Jesus Christ as the Great High Priest of God is a central theme of Hebrews, beginning with 4:14 and continuing to run through the narrative through 10:18.
a. In addition, the writer of the epistle will consider the functions of the Levitical priesthood, the arrangement of the Tabernacle in the wilderness, and the Law itself. Each will be seen as a "type" of Christ, designed by God to point man toward the Messiah, who will again be presented in all respects superior to all things which went before Him.
b. "A type is a divinely purposed illustration or picture prefiguring something future. It is not merely an illustration but a divinely purposed illustration, something that God has deliberately made to be a pattern or illustration of something greater." - Irving L. Jensen: Hebrews: A Self-Study Guide
c. "Types are pictures, object-lessons, by which God taught His people concerning His grace and saving power. The Mosaic system was a sort of kindergarten in which God's people were trained in Divine things, by which also they were led to look for better things to come. An old writer thus expresses it: 'God in the types of the last dispensation was teaching His children their letters. In this dispensation He is teaching them to put the letters together, and they find the letters, arrange them as they will, spell Christ, and nothing but Christ.'" - William G. Moorehead: "Type," in Volume 5 of The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
B. TEXT: Hebrews 4:14 - 5:11
1. 4:14-16 reads this way in the New Living Translation:
That is why we have a great High Priest who has gone to heaven, Jesus the Son of God. Let us cling to him and never stop trusting him. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same temptations we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help when we need it.
a. In other translations this passage begins with that pesky "Therefore," which should always cause us to look back several verses in order to discover what that "therefore" is there for.
(1) 4:12-13, with which last week's sermon was concluded, is a sobering reminder that we stand fully exposed before God, completely naked and revealed openly to be the pathetic, weak creatures we really are. This truth should draw us to our merciful High Priest, who not only knows our weaknesses but can fully identify with them since He, too, lived a life in the flesh. Jesus was confronted with the same temptations which we experience but to an even more intense degree. Remember, we consistently fail to resist many temptations, so our "suffering" in this regard is limited to the point of our failure. The Bible teaches that Jesus never caved in -- not once -- and so must have experienced even greater suffering in His struggle to obey God in the flesh.
(2) Jesus Christ stands between us and God in a manner which could never have been accomplished by the Aaronic priests. When God looks at me -- naked, ashamed, always failing to measure up to His eternal standard of righteousness -- He sees, instead, the sinless perfection of the One who took upon Himself my sins and my sinfulness. It is to my great benefit to c __ __ __ __ to Him and never stop t __ __ __ __ __ __ __ Him!
b. God's gracious justification -- treating me "just as if I never sinned" -- is the result of the work of Christ on the cross; it has nothing whatsoever to do with any "goodness" which I may possess. Since my righteousness comes through faith in Christ, the perfect Lamb of God as well as the great High Priest of God, I can come b __ __ __ __ __ to the throne of our gracious God, confident that I will find there two of the most vital elements of my by- faith relationship with Him:
(1) m __ __ __ __, and
(2) g __ __ __ __ to help me in my time of need.
2. In 5:1-4 the writer of Hebrews sets forth four necessary qualifications to serve as priest and indicates that A __ __ __ __, the first of the Levitical priests, met each one of them:
a. He must be h __ __ __ __, "selected from among men," since he "is appointed to represent them" before God ( v.1 ).
b. His ministry consists of offering "g __ __ __ __ and s __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ for s __ __ __" ( v.1 ). Note that his own sins, too, had to be atoned for.
c. He must "have c __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ on those who are I __ __ __ __ __ __ __ and going a __ __ __ __ __," and this he is able to do because of his own sense of sin and weakness (v.2 ).
(1) The Greek term translated as "have compassion" or "deal gently" in v.2 is used only here in the entire New Testament.
(2) "It is not easy to translate metriopathein. It refers to taking the middle course between apathy and anger. A true high priest is not indifferent to moral lapses; neither is he harsh. He 'is able' to take this position only because he himself shared in the same 'weakness' as the sinners on whom he has compassion. The word may denote physical or moral frailty, and the following words show that in the case of the usual run of high priests the latter is included. The earthly high priest is at one with his people in their need for atonement and forgiveness." - Leon Morris: "Hebrews," in Volume 12 of The Expositor's Bible Commentary
d. No man can take upon himself this honour. He must be "c __ __ __ __ __ of God" to the office of priest, just as Aaron was.
2. In 5:5-8 two of the priestly credentials of Christ are presented. The author makes no attempt at an exhaustive list here; other credentials have already been discussed ( 2:17 ) and will be dealt with later ( 8:3 )
a. He, too, was appointed by God the Father.
(1) The author quotes from Psalm 2:7 to support Christ's unique appointment.
(2) He quotes from Psalm 110:4 to link Christ's high priesthood not to that of Aaron, but to the mysterious Old Testament figure, M __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __. ( This is the first of eight references in Hebrews to the ancient King of Salem. )
ref: Genesis 14:13-24
(3) Of course, Christ's appointment as the great High Priest is vastly different from those in Aaron's line. In the first place, He was not of the tribe of Levi. Jesus was born into the tribe of J __ __ __ __.
(4) Secondly, He is "a priest f __ __ __ __ __ __,"
"Other priests have their day and pass away. Not Christ! His priesthood abides. He has no successor (a fact that will be brought out later). He is a priest 'of the same kind as Melchizedek' (J.C. Ward). Most translations render this 'of the order of Melchizedek,' but this is incorrect. There was no succession of priests from Melchizedek and thus no 'order.' Jesus, however, was a priest of this kind -- not like Aaron and his successors." - Leon Morris: Ibid.
b. Christ's fulfillment of the qualification of identifying with those whom He represents is presented most graphically in v.7-8 in reference to His passion in the Garden of Gethsemane prior to His crucifixion.
(1) Matthew 26:36-42
Mark 14:32-35
Luke 22:40-44
"There is a great mystery here. Jesus seems to face the experience with puzzlement and deep unrest of heart. For the first time in his ministry, he appeals to his own disciples for help, asking them to watch and pray for him. He confesses to being deeply troubled in his spirit. Each of his three prayers questions the necessity for this experience and each is addressed 'to the one who could save him from death.' Luke tells us that before the third prayer and angel was sent to strengthen him. Perhaps this is what the words of 5:7 refer to, 'He was heard because of His reverent submission.' His cry to the Father was one of such desperate need that the Father answered by strengthening him through an angel." - Ray C. Stedman: Hebrews ( Volume 15, The IVP New Testament Commentary Series )
(2) "The author implies that Jesus faced the emotional misery which sin produces: its shame, guilt and despair. He felt the iron bands of sin's enslaving power. He was oppressed by a sense of hopelessness, total discouragement and utter defeat. He is anticipating the moment on the cross when he would be forsaken of the Father, since he would then be bearing the sin of the world as though it were his own. The very thought of it crushed his heart as in a winepress. No sinner on earth has ever felt the stain and shame of sin as he did. He understood exactly the same feeling we have (in much lesser degree) when we are angry with ourselves and so filled with shame and self-loathing that we cannot believe that God can do anything but hate us for our evil. Jesus knows what that is like. He went the whole way and took the full brunt. We will never pass through a Gethsemane as tortuous as he did. He saw our sins as his own, and thus fulfilled beyond any other priest's experience the ability to deal gently with others' sins since he was so fully aware of the sense of personal defilement sin leaves." - Ray C. Stedman: Ibid.
3. In v.9-10 the writer of Hebrews takes us to the cross.
a. Having "l __ __ __ __ __ __ obedience by the things which He suffered" and "having been perfected," ( completely prepared ) He is now qualified to become at once both the sacrificial o __ __ __ __ __ __ __ and the p __ __ __ __ __ who offers it.
b. This perfect sacrifice, offered by the perfect priest, entirely supersedes Aaron and all those who followed him into the Levitical priesthood.
C. APPLICATION
1. Let us go more b __ __ __ __ __ and more f __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ to our Great High Priest to obtain m __ __ __ __ and g __ __ __ __.
2. Even as we learn to p __ __ __ as fervently as our Lord did in the Garden of Gethsemane, let us accept the way in which God h __ __ __ __ our prayers. Remember, having heard the agonizing, passionate prayers of our Lord, God the Father answered by delivering Jesus, not by causing Him to avoid the suffering.
3. Let us each one consider his / her own priesthood in the kingdom of God.
a. Let us offer up suitable sacrifices:
(1) p __ __ __ __ __,
(2) t __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __,
(3) s __ __ __ __ __ __, and
(4) works of s __ __ __ __ __ __.
b. Let us minister to one another:
(1) m __ __ __ __ and
(2) g __ __ __ __.
c. ref: 1 Peter 2:5, 9
Hebrews 13:15-16
