Righteous Redeemer Receiving Recognition Series

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.