Christ Our Perfect High Priest

As always, I enjoy our worship, lots of truth, very worshipful. And as we will see, everything that we were singing really flows with what we're studying in our message this morning. So if you would take your Bible and turn back to Hebrews chapter 5, like I said, we'll be in verses 1 to 10. That might surprise some of you because I usually covered not quite as many verses, but just the way the message worked out this week. Now it has been a few weeks since we have been in our study through the book of Hebrews. I have missed it, although what we studied in looking at the structure and the function of our church blessed me.

But in this study we have been seeing all along the supremacy of Christ and the preeminence of Christ. That's where I get the title of the series. Hebrews is all about the supremacy of Christ. And as we get started in chapter 5 here, we will see more and more of the supremacy of Christ, and that is because we are really getting into the heart of the book. Specifically chapter 5 to chapter 9 are considered the heart of the book because in these chapters we see the high priesthood of Christ Jesus explained. We see the superiority of His high priesthood over and above the priesthood of the Old Testament priests.

We also see the superiority of the New Covenant over and above the Old Covenant. We see that Christ Jesus has done what the Old Testament priests and the high priests could never have accomplished. And we see that the New Covenant has accomplished what the Old Covenant never ever could have accomplished. But something we need to think about here. What is the big deal about high priests? And what is the significance of high priests? Think about it. In Christianity we don't have high priests. So what's the big deal here?

Well to understand the significance of Christ Jesus as our perfect high priest, we have to have a basic understanding of what the Old Testament priests and high priests were all about. Now in the Old Testament the priest always referred to one who offered sacrifices. Now in the very beginning every man was his own priest and he presented his own sacrifices to God and before God. And then as we progress through the Old Testament we see that it was the head of each family who performed these duties. Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Job all offered sacrifices to God.

Now the name of the first high priest mentioned in the Old Testament is that mysterious figure known as Melchizedek who was named in Genesis 1418. But under the Levitical law the office of the priesthood was limited to the tribe of Levi and only to one family of that tribe and that would be the family line of Aaron. And as we see in Leviticus 21 there were certain laws given for the qualifications of the people. The priests. Also there were laws and ordinances given for the dress of the priests. We see that in Exodus 28 and how they were to be consecrated for that office. We see that in Exodus 29. But their duties were many.

And if we study the Old Testament we can see just how great those duties were. But those duties can be explained simply by saying that they represented the people before God and they offered the various types of sacrifices to God as spelled out in the law. Now in the time of King David the priests were divided into 24 classes and that's seen in 1 Chronicles 24. And this number was kept after the Jewish people returned from captivity and we see that in Ezra 2 and Nehemiah 7. And the priests did not live just anywhere in the land of Israel but they lived in certain cities and from those cities they went up in a particular order.

They went up by turns to minister in the temple there in Jerusalem. So what was the point of the priests and the high priests? Basically and truly the priests represented the Jewish people before God and they offered the various types of sacrifices to God as spelled out in the law. John MacArthur describes what they did very well to me and I'm quoting he says the priests under the old covenant were bridge builders to God. I like that term that helps me. They were bridge builders to God continuing with the quote men could not come directly into God's presence and God therefore appointed certain men to be ushers.

I like that language ushers as it were to bring men into God's presence. The way to God was opened only as the priests offered sacrifices day in and day out year after year presenting the blood of animals to God. The priests were God's mediators. But we must understand that the entire priestly system and all the sacrifices provided by the priests could never ever take away sin. Hebrews 10 11 says and every priest stands daily at his service offering repeatedly the same sacrifices which could never take away sins. Those sacrifices only appease the wrath of God. They never took away. They never satisfied the wrath of God.

But those priests their sacrifices in the entire priestly system was never ever meant to take away sin. Those things were merely merely a shadow and promises of what was to come and did come in Jesus. In Hebrews 11 12 tells us but when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins he sat down at the right hand of God. So what does that mean? What does that mean for you and for me for us in our day? Under the new covenant there is no human priesthood nor any need for any human priesthood. In fact under the new covenant the term priest is applied to all true believers.

Peter says in 1 Peter 2 9 speaking to believers but you are a chosen race a royal priesthood a holy nation a people for his own possession and Revelation 1 6 tells us that Christ made us a kingdom priests to his God and father. So that means that all born again believers have free and unhindered access to God and into the very presence of God so as to present your our bodies as living sacrifices holy and acceptable to God which is your and our spiritual act of worship Romans 12 1 and that was made possible because Christ Jesus who was and is our perfect high priest he provided a single sacrifice for sins and then he sat down at the right hand of God which is where he is right now.

Now this leads me to the title of our message Christ our perfect high priest. Christ our perfect high priest. Now let's go back and read our verses and you know my habit periodically through the message when I think it's important we will go back and put our eyes on some of these verses. Verse 1 now every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.

He can deal gently with the ignorant and the wayward since he himself is beset with weakness because of this he is obligated to offer sacrifice for his own sins just as he does for those of the people and no one takes this honor for himself but only when called by God just as Aaron was. So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest but was appointed by him that would be God who said of him you are my son today I have begotten you and he says also in another place you are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

In the days of his flesh Jesus offered up prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears to him who was able to save him from death and he was heard because of his reverence. Although he was a son he learned obedience through what he suffered and being made perfect he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek. Now out of these verses I want to make two large observations.

First I want us to look at the qualifications of the Old Testament old covenant high priests that's in verses 1 to 4 and then second I want us to look at the qualifications of Christ as our perfect high priest and that's in verses 5 to 10. So number one the qualifications of those Old Testament high priests now here in verses 1 to 4 the author gives us three basic qualifications for those high priests and when we get into verses 5 to 10 we will see that Christ fulfilled these qualifications as well but he fulfilled them perfectly in every way but actually he fulfilled these qualifications in every way and more but first notice the Old Testament high priests were chosen by God we see that in verse 1.

Now here we see the very nature of the high priest's office and role the author shows us that the high priest had responsibilities to man and he had responsibilities to God. Verse 1 tells us he was chosen from men that would have been from the tribe of Levi in the family line of Aaron and he was chosen from men to act on behalf of men and he did this offering gifts and sacrifices for their sin but he was chosen by God and he related to God on behalf of others.

He brought to God the appropriate gifts and sacrifices and although these things were done on behalf of others this was all done to and for God so those Old Testament priests they were chosen by God they were chosen for God and they were chosen for others. The second we see that they were compassionate towards others now this may surprise you but look at verse 2 the English standard which I'm reading from says he can deal gently with the ignorant and the wayward. Now the King James says who can have compassion on the ignorant and on them that are out of the way. Now there is a key phrase or a key word here that we must understand.

This phrase deal gently or have compassion comes from a particular word in the original that can be hard to translate but scholars tell us this refers to dealing gently with others but while doing so taking a moderate position or a middle ground position. One scholar said this was the middle ground between anger and apathy not being angry with others but not being apathetic and non-caring while dealing gently with others. Occasionally I will quote someone because they just explain it in a way in which I can and it resonates with me but Leon Morris explains this well and he puts this in the context of those original high priests.

He says and I'm quoting a godly high priest might be tempted to feel anger and exasperation at the sins of the people but he cannot well represent them in a mood like that rather he should take the middle course reprobating the sin indeed but being compassionate to the sinner he will realize that some sin due to ignorance some also to error.

Again remember that context those Old Testament priests were expected to demonstrate compassion with others or to deal gently with those who are in sin from ignorance which means they just did not know and with those who are in sin from being wayward which means they went astray or they wondered from the right way of living. Now right here I've got a very important question to ask and I'm speaking mainly to believers here well only to believers because lost people can't deal with this. Do you get exasperated? Do you even get angry at brothers and sisters when they are in sin?

When they sin maybe in ignorance when they sin maybe because of personal weakness in personal hang ups when they sin by wondering from the right way of living the right path or even when they willfully sin do you get exasperated and even angry with them and look brothers and sisters especially the men of Grace Life Church especially the leaders of Grace Life and especially the pastor and the elders if the Jewish high priest was expected to deal gently lovingly with balance with those who are in sin because of ignorance or because of willful sin well what about us?

Look church especially any leader we will never bring a brother or a sister in Christ into a right relationship with God who is struggling with sin and weakness unless we have a very strong but patient and a long suffering ability to deal gently with them. I like what William Barclay says here he puts this in our context it resonated with me I hope it resonates with you he says and I'm quoting this means the ability to bear with people without getting irritated it means the ability to not lose one's temper with people when they are foolish and will not learn and do the same things over and over again it describes the attitude to others which does not issue in anger at the fault and which does not condone it but which to the end of the day spins itself in a gentle yet powerful sympathy which by its very patience directs a man back to the right way.

But what was the key to this for those Jewish high priests? How did they get this ability here? Look at verse 2 back at verse 2 the second part he can deal gently with the ignorant wayward sense he himself is beset with weakness it is obvious the author says since he also does the very same things and look church especially a leader that sin and that weakness that you see in a brother or a sister that frustrates you and exasperates you and even angers you well you do the same thing we do the same thing we did the same thing we continue to do the same thing and when you look into the face and into the life of a brother or a sister who exasperates you and even angers you because of their ignorance in even their wanderings away from the right way of living the first step in helping them is looking into a mirror.

So the high priests were to be compassionate to others and then third they offered sacrifices for their sins and for others again look back at verse 3 because of this he is obligated to offer sacrifice for his own sins just as he does for those of the people simply the Old Testament high priests were required to make offerings for himself and for the people and on the day of atonement he was to present a bull for his own sin according to Leviticus 1611 and it was only after he had presented the appropriate sacrifice for his own sins that he was able to minister to and make sacrifices on behalf of the people.

So as far as sins and sacrifices go the high priest had to see himself just as he saw all the people he was just like all the people in that sacrifices for his sins had to be made but a question I read earlier that Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins Hebrews 10 and 12 does that mean that Christ Jesus had to offer a sacrifice for his sin like the Old Testament high priests?

No because for our sake he that's God made him that's Jesus to be sin who knew no sin Christ had no sin so that in him that's Christ we might become the righteousness of God 1st Corinthians 5 21 but back to our verses here verses 3 to 4 how could a man become a high priest the one to provide the appropriate sacrifices for the sin of the people how important was this how important was this office sin and the function of this office how could he become this man verse 4 tells us that the only way a man could become a high priest was to be appointed by God and this pattern and this standard was set in God's appointment of Aaron and we see this starting in Exodus chapter 23 or excuse me Exodus 28 verses 1 to 3 and it is very very interesting and very important to see the horrible disaster that came to any and all who set themselves up to take this position on their own look what happened to Cora in Numbers chapter 16 when he did this he died and a lot of people with him look what happened to King Saul in 1st Samuel 3 8 when he did this look what happened to Uzziah in 2nd Chronicles 26 verse 16 you see and look church there is a very very big lesson here it is a serious and deadly sin when one tries to usurp the authority that God is established in the life of the church when men and when women because women can do this too when men are women rebel against men and the office is assigned by God in the scriptures and they try to take the authority and those offices as seen in the scripture they are committing a very very serious sin and just like with those Old Testament examples it always ends up in horrible disaster for them and others sometimes it takes us a little while to see that so the Old Testament high priest offered sacrifices for their sins and the sins of others now let's take a step back and look at what we see here in verses 1 to 4 this is really a summary the author is showing us that the old covenant those Old Testament Jewish high priests were many things and they did many things they were appointed by God to minister to men for God into God they were to deal gently with the people while looking into a mirror another word seeing their own sin they offered sacrifices for their sin and the sin of the people and they did all these things because they were called by God and appointed by God to do so now right here is one is where some of you are surprised you might say pastor I didn't know that that much about those Old Testament priests would apply to us look folks when we study God's word verse by verse word by word God teaches us what we need this surprised me this week as well so out of verses 1 to 4 the qualifications of those Old Testament imperfect high priests well then number two the qualifications of Christ our perfect high priest we'll see the transition we already have seen it really easy right here in verse 5 let's read verses 5 to 10 so also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest but was appointed by him who said to him you are my son today I have begotten you and he also and he says also to another in another place you are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek in the days of his flesh that's Jesus Jesus offered up prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears to him who was able to save him from death and he was heard because of his reverence although he was a son he learned obedience through what he suffered and being made perfect he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek now here it's obvious we move from the imperfect Old Testament high priest that was a man who was a descendant of Aaron to the perfect high priest who was and is God the Son and in these verses we will see that Jesus met all those qualifications from verses 1 to 4 but he exceeded those qualifications and more but first we see that Jesus was chosen by God we see this in verses 5 to 6 here the author turns from those Old Testament high priests to Jesus to declare and to prove that he was and is chosen and qualified by God he says that Christ did not exalt himself but that he was exalted and appointed by God now notice the author quotes two Old Testament passages Psalm 2 7 and Psalm 110 verse 4 if you look at your English translation it could be footnoted it could be italicized but it's more than likely set aside showing you that he is quoting these Old Testament verses but that leads me to a question why does the author quote these passages why not simply say that Christ did not appoint himself and exalt himself why not just simply say he was appointed by God and make the message a little shorter well we need to remember that the author was writing to a Jewish congregation and these Jews certainly knew these two Old Testament passages and they knew they pertained to the promised Messiah so in quoting these passages and applying them to Jesus the author was saying and proving to these Jews that Jesus was in fact God's promised Messiah their perfect high priest and by quoting these passages he was saying two specific things about Jesus as the perfect high priest yes Jesus was appointed by God just like those whole Old Testament high priests but in quoting Psalm 2 7 the author was declaring that Jesus was better than earthly high priest because he was not only appointed by God he was the very Son of God so this tells us that Jesus was and is a better high priest because he had and has a better relationship with God than any earthly high priest he was and is the Son of God yes Jesus was appointed by God just like those Old Testament high priests but in quoting Psalm 1 10 4 the author was declaring that Jesus was better than any earthly high priest because his appointment was for forever those Old Testament high priest appointments were temporary and that they died but not Christ's appointment he was and is the final the perfect the eternal high priest listen to Hebrews 10 12 but when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sin he sat down at the right hand of God and that is right where he is today so this tells us that Jesus was and is a better high priest because he is the perfect the living the eternal high priest but notice this leads us to some contrasts and in these contrasts we see an exaltation of Christ the Old Testament high priests were men appointed by God but Christ Jesus was the God man and the very Son of God appointed by God the Old Testament high priests appointment was temporary in that they died and others took their place but Christ's appointment was and is eternal because he is the eternal high priest who lives for forever the Old Testament high priests and their sacrifices were symbolic their sacrifices appease the wrath of God for sin but they were symbolic and they were a shadow of what was to come but Christ Jesus was the God man the very Son of God who offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins he sat down at the right hand of God Hebrews 10 12 therefore Christ's sacrifice was not a shadow it was not symbolic his sacrifice was actual and effectual his sacrifice actually provided an effectual sacrifice for sin and for all first John 14 says in this is love not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins propitiation meaning that Christ's sacrifice was actual it was effectual it was a sacrifice for sin and for our sin and this was once and for all according to Hebrews 10 10 to 12 but again go back to that original audience many of these Jews in this congregation were being tempted to turn back from Christ we studied this all along they were tempted to leave Christ and to go back to the old covenant priests the old covenant and those sacrifices because the temple was still there and the temple sacrifices were being performed day after day and in light of what we see here we would look at them and say how crazy inside is that why would you go back when you have Christ before you but you know some are just like them instead of trusting Christ personally instead of personally trusting in Christ for their salvation and entering into rest in Christ some today are holding on to empty and dead religion that is meant to contain Christ they do not possess Christ they just possess an empty religion with a Bible that is all about Christ and a profession that is all about Christ so people can be just as foolish today as these Jews were then so Jesus was chosen and exalted by God second he was and he is compassionate to others we see this in verses seven to eight now here the author refers to the days of his flesh now all of the English translations we use say the same thing in this phrase simply describes the fact that Jesus actually was a man flesh and bone in every way except sin in the author uses a word that really emphasizes Christ's humanity this word flesh here in the original it means flesh it means bone it means flesh it means body so the author uses this word to emphasize Christ's actual humanity so he was just like those Old Testament high priests in that he truly could sympathize with men and man in every way because he was a man he actually had and has a oneness with man because he was fully man except for sin and sinfulness and not only does the author refer to Christ's humanity and his ability to relate to man but he goes on to mention a few of his human experiences to take his oneness with man even further notice he references prayers and even prayers with loud voices and tears see that in the verses now there's some discussion about what the author is specifically referring to but most believe this is referring to Christ's prayer in his agony while he was in the garden of Gethsemane think about it if we know our Bibles we know what took place on that night on the night before he went to the cross Christ Jesus prayed in the garden his heart was broken he was in great agony his heart was broken and he was filled with great agony because he was facing the fact that he would truly be suffering the actual wrath of God for sin so he prayed to the one who was able to save him that was and is his father but a question here that we must ask was Christ praying that God would save him from going to the cross the answer is no that would have been sin because his going to the cross had been determined before time and human history and what we would see as an eternity past the cross and the suffering of the cross was the purpose for which Christ came he plainly said that in John 12 27 but his prayer was not that he would be saved from dying on the cross his prayer to be saved was a prayer that he would be delivered to the cross and to death but out of death and to life again MacArthur says he was asking not to avoid the cross but to be assured of the resurrection so by referencing his prayers and even prayers with loud voices and tears the author was revealing that Christ was dependent on God and living in complete and perfect obedience to God and in showing this part of Jesus the God man the author was showing that Christ can sympathize with man and he has this oneness with man because just like man he was dependent on God but of course this was without sin now I got a question here that might surprise you are you living a life dependent on God day by day minute by minute think about that are you purposefully intentionally living a life that is dependent on God and look folks if you are not if we are not then we believe we are better and stronger than Jesus who although he was fully God and fully man he was dependent on his father and notice that verse 8 says that Christ learned obedience and all the translations say the same thing here now there can be some confusion here but when we understand what the author is saying here it really emphasizes Christ ability to relate to man and to us but to understand what this means we must clear up any misunderstanding the author was not saying that Christ went from disobedience to obedience therefore he learned obedience that is not the case because to disobey would mean sin simply becoming a man and living on earth brought Christ into experiences and into contact with things he never knew and experienced before before his incarnation God the son was eternally with God the father but at enduring his incarnation Christ became a man so that meant that each day he had to receive instruction and God it's from his father according to Isaiah 50 verse 4 so experientially as God the son Christ learned obedience perfectly in every way and look church there is another lesson here if Christ our Lord God fully God man fully man if Christ our Lord the God man if he had to learn obedience to God then what about us who struggle with sin how much more do we need to learn obedience so he was and he is compassionate with man and one with man and then third he was offered he offered sacrifices for sins we see this in verses nine to ten now in his suffering and death on the cross which is referenced in verse seven and eight Jesus fulfilled the third requirement for a high priest in verse eight the author said that he suffered and here in verse nine the author says that Christ was made perfect and just like we can have a misunderstanding of what it means that Christ learned obedience here we can misunderstand what it means that Christ was made perfect the author was not saying that Christ had been imperfect and he was made perfect that would be saying that Christ had been imperfect which would be saying that at one time he was less than that would imply sin simply before Christ became a man he was eternally perfect but he became perfect in that he completed God's predetermined plan to die on the cross for the sin of man he became perfect in that he fulfilled all that was required to be our perfect in our eternal high priest and as a result of Christ's suffering for the redemption of men and man and being made perfect in that he fulfilled all that he was required to be he our perfect in eternal high priest the second part of verse nine says he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him now this means two things for us first salvation for man does not have to be sought after like someone's looking for the fountain of youth salvation does not have to be sought after like they're looking for a needle in a haystack why because it is found in Christ all man has to do is look to Christ all man has to do is look to Christ but on their own man can and never will look to Christ because of their utter sinfulness and then second salvation is conditional and man has a responsibility in it man is responsible to obey in the verses that salvation is for all who obey but a question what is this obedience is this obeying laws like like obeying the Ten Commandments is this obeying religious rules and regulations is this some kind of obedience which could lead towards like work salvation we'll note all of those questions this obedience is an obedience of faith in Romans 12 or excuse me in Romans 16 25 to 26 the Apostle Palm speaks of the obedience that God requires which is the obedience of faith so for those among us who may not be born again Christians who are still living in their sin I say to you that salvation is right before you it is right before you in Christ Jesus quit searching quit searching look to Christ and live look to Christ and obey look to Christ and trust for salvation and look church look at the great hope that's found here the author does not say that eternal salvation is for some who obey and believe he says that eternal salvation is for all who obey and believe now notice what happened because of Christ perfect obedience and his sacrifice for sins verse 10 says that he was designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek now what does this mean now what this means has not fully been explained that the author will come back to this in chapter 7 but what needs to be seen here is this it's rather simple the author was emphasizing the eternal perfections of Christ's high priesthood now in summary let's take a step back and look at what we have in verses 5 to 10 the author is showing us that Jesus did not appoint and exalt himself as high priest but that he was appointed and exalted by God and he was and is the very Son of God and the eternal high priest but because he was a man in every way except sin he was and is able to be one with man and to sympathize with man and to have compassion with man and man and because Christ was made perfect through his personal sacrifice on the cross he is the source for eternal salvation for men and men so what we have here is this Christ our perfect high priest that's the title of the message now I want to close by doing something I normally would do at what I would call the introduction I want to go back to the last verses we studied in this series that's chapter 4 verses 14 to 16 and I want us to read all of these verses together chapter 4 verses 14 to 16 and then chapter 5 verses 1 to 10 and then I will conclude and this will be rather short the author says since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens Jesus the Son of God let us hold fast our confession for we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weakness but one who in every way or every respect has been tempted as we are yet without sin let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in the time of need for every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins he can deal gently with the ignorant and the wayward since he himself is beset with weakness because of this he is obligated to offer sacrifice for his own sins just as he does for those the people and no one takes this honor for himself but only when called by God just as Aaron was so also Christ he did not exalt himself to be made a high priest but was appointed by him who said to him you are my son today I have begotten you and he says also in another place you are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek in the days of his flesh Jesus offered up prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears to him who was able to save him from death and he was heard because of his reverence although he was a son he learned obedience through what he suffered and being made perfect he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek now look church this is simple since we have a perfect high priest in Christ Jesus a high priest who can relate to us and who has compassion for us and since we have a perfect high priest who suffered on the cross to be our once and for all sacrifice for our sin let us draw near to our perfect high priest he is the source of our eternal salvation he is our compassionate high priest who is with us and who is for us all we have to do is draw near to him so Christ our perfect high priest