The Challenge Of Choosing A Perfect Priesthood-2 Series

SERIES: The Careful Considerations of Our Christian Confession

Hebrews 3:1-6; 7-17; 3:18--4:11; 4:11-13; 4:14---5:11

The Hebrews writer pressed upon his audience to deeply/profoundly consider the aspect of their Christian confession concerning Jesus as their Apostle & High Priest.

The Hebrews writer pressed upon his audience to further consider the intricacies of their Christian confession.

Christians, tempted by tradition, are encouraged toward a deeper/further consideration of their Christian confession.

What barriers/tendencies do Christians, tempted toward tradition(traditionists), face in their Christian confession?

5 Challenges traditionists must face/reckon with in their Christian confession.

A—A challenge traditionists face in their Christian confession is acceptance of a...

GREATER / LESSER STEWARDSHIP(3:1-6) Faithfulness

B—A challenge traditionists face in their Christian confession is acceptance of a...SINGULAR / DIVIDED HEART(3:7-17)

C—A challenge traditionists face in their Christian confession is acceptance of a...

PERMANENT / TEMPORARY REST(3:18--4:11)

D—A challenge traditionists face in their Christian confession is acceptance of a...

FULL DISCLOSURE / SECRECY(4:11-13)

Tiger Woods--John Edwards--Jesse James, etc.

E—A challenge traditionists face in their Christian confession is acceptance of a...PERFECT / LIMITED/Grounded/Earthly PRIESTHOOD(4:14--5:11)

Last time in Hebrews, we looked at...

D— The challenge of choosing ...

FULL DISCLOSURE vs. SECRECY(4:11-13)

Today’s Consideration is...

E— The challenge of choosing ...

PERFECTION(PRIESTHOOD) vs. IMPERFECTION(4:14—5:11)

OR

The CHALLENGE of CHOOSING a PERFECT PRIESTHOOD(Mediator)-II

—Hebrews 4:14—5:11

Attention:

Political Representatives in election years/Mudslinging campaigns/Go-betweens who fails.

Are these were reliable mediators/Effective representatives of your values?

Need:

Why would I want to choose Jesus when I can go to the church building, walk up to the pastor or priest, share my concerns with him directly, & receive his blessing? After all, he’s closer to God’ than I am or can ever be, right?

The practical aspects of Catholicism are & Protestantism can be of this genre/ilk/stripe. The religion(approaching Jesus) takes precedence over the relationship(with Jesus).

The writer to the Hebrews set before his audience a deeper/further consideration of a Perfect Priesthood.

Christians, tempted by tradition, are encouraged toward a deeper/further consideration of a Perfect Priesthood.

What challenges do Christians, tempted toward tradition(traditionists), face in the consideration of a Perfect Priesthood?

6 Challenges traditionists must face in their confession of a Perfect Priesthood.

Previously we found that The challenge of choosing a Perfect Priesthood is accepting...

1—The Priest’s PATH(:14)

2—The Priest’s TEMPTATION(:15)

3—The Priest’s THRONE(:16)

4—The Priest’s SACRIFICE(:5:1-3)

5—The challenge of choosing a Perfect Priesthood is accepting

The Priest’s PLACEMENT(5:4-6)

Explanation:(5:4-6)Appointment/Nomination

:4—“And no man takes this honor to himself, but he who is called by God, just as Aaron was.”

The office of high priest was not one chosen by one’s own initiative but was an honored designation determined by God. In this sense Aaron & the entire high priesthood was effectively “called.”

By inter-testamental times, the office of High Priest had become a political appointment. Thus a liberal theology produced ‘yes men’ acceptable in the eyes of occupying political dignitaries & government.

“Takes”—lambanw—Strong—A prolonged form of a primary verb, which is use only as an alternate in certain tenses; To take (in very many applications, literally & figuratively [properly objective or active, To get hold of; ):-- Accept, + be amazed, assay, attain, bring, X when I call, catch, come on (X unto), + forget, have, hold, obtain, receive (X after), take (away, up). Whereas decomai is rather subjective or passive: To have offered to one; while aireomai is more violent: To seize or remove].

“Honor”—timh—1) A valuing by which the price is fixed—1a) Of the price itself, 1b)Of the price paid or received for a person or thing bought or sold; 2) honor which belongs or is shown to one.

“Called”—kalew—Strong—To "call" (properly, Aloud, but used in a variety of applications, dir. or otherwise):-- Bid, call (forth), (whose, whose sur-)name (was [called]).

:5—“So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it was He who said to Him: “You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.”

In the same way that the earthly high priest does not “glorify himself” in seeking the office, likewise, Jesus “did not glorify Himself” as such, but the office found Him.

Rather it was God the Father who stated(Ps. 2:7) that Jesus was indeed His Son & that He had “begotten” Him as High Priest. When did this “Today” occur?— Before His birth...At His birth...At the cross...After the cross...At the resurrection? I tend to think the timeframe for “Today” is after the cross. It was only then that Christ had fully completed His earthly ministry/mission—having had the full potential to sin prior to His death but never succumbing to it.

“Glorify”—doxazw—Strong—To render (or esteem) glorious (in a wide application):-- (make) Glorify(-ious), full of (have) glory, honor, magnify.

“Today”—shmeron—1) This (very) day); 2) What has happened today.

:6—“As He also says in another place: “You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek”;”

Regarding the fact of Christ’s High Priesthood(which was still future), it is stated elsewhere(Ps. 110:4) that He is a “priest forever.” Thus Jesus’ priesthood is not limited to earth or mortality but reaches beyond it to eternity.