Jesus – The Great High Priest of the New Covenant – Part 1

Well, if you would, turn in your Bible to Hebrews chapter 8. I did say earlier that we will be in verses 1 to 5, but Hebrews chapter 8 verses 1 to 5. Now, I think that it is obvious that we are moving into a new chapter. We finished up chapter 7 last week. And in this new chapter, we will see that the author was continuing to explain the great high priesthood of Jesus. And he was explaining more and more about this new and better covenant. Actually, that is the breakdown that I will use for chapter 8. It's real simple. Verses 1 to 5 are all about the high priesthood of Jesus and more and more of what that looks like.

In verses 6 to 13 are about the new covenant and more about what this new and better covenant looks like. But before we get into the verses, we need to see the magnitude of these things for this original audience. Remember, we must never be disconnected from the original audience. I teach you that often. The context is king. If we disconnect from the original audience, we will get into dangerous waters. We know that this was a Jewish congregation, and we know that many were struggling to let go of their old life in Judaism and life under the old covenant.

The temple and old covenant worship at the temple was alive and well, and it was right before them. So there was a real pull. There was a real temptation to go back to that life in Judaism and to go back under the old covenant. And a part of that life was the fact that they were a covenant people. I think some of you know that. Many of you know that. Actually, the idea of being a covenant people dominated their thinking, and it dictated everything that they did in life. At the heart of who they were and how they lived was the fact that they had a special, one-of-a-kind relationship with God as a people and as a nation.

Simply, the Jewish people and the nation of Israel were God's chosen covenant people. So who they were and how they lived came out of that understanding, and it came out of that belief. Now, think about a few specifics here. You can add to this list. It's not exhaustive. The Old Testament scriptures were given to them, the Jewish people and the nation of Israel. Now, why is that the case? Why didn't God give the scriptures to those other peoples? Well, it was because they were God's covenant people. They had been given the land of Israel. Think about that. Why is that the case? Because they were God's covenant people.

Of course, we know our Bibles. We know that they struggle to keep possession of that land because of their disobedience and the judgment of God. Of course, all of that is tied to covenant as well. They also possess the temple there in Jerusalem, and they possess temple worship as prescribed by the Levitical law. Now, why was that the case? Because they were God's covenant people. Simply being God's covenant people determined who they were and how they lived. Being God's covenant people formed more than just their identity, but it was their everything. It was their everything.

Well, when the writer of Hebrews comes along and says that the Old Covenant and the Levitical law was set aside obsolete and even abolished, well, that was a very big deal to put it mildly. It was a very big deal to put it mildly for this original audience. He was actually blowing up the very thing that determined who they were and how they lived in every way he was destroying right in front of their eyes, the very thing that made them God's chosen people in their eyes and according to their understanding. What we have before us is this.

Here in this book and especially in chapter 7, 8, and 9, the author was carefully, intentionally, slowly working to correct their erroneous understanding of the Old Covenant and covenant life. He was explaining the true purpose of the Old Covenant and what the Old Covenant and Old Covenant life was actually supposed to lead them to, to simplify what he was doing and what he was saying in every way, the Old Covenant was meant to lead them to this new and this better covenant with a greater and superior high priest and priesthood. Of course, that's Jesus.

Now as we get into chapter 8, we will see that the author was explaining more truth concerning this new and better covenant. But he was not removed from, he had not moved on from completely from what he taught in chapter 7, which was all about Jesus greater than the Old Covenant priests and the priesthood. Now let me explain what I mean by that and what this looks like. Look at the first part of verse 1 with me. Look at the first part of verse 1. I'm reading from the English Standard Version, it says, "Now the point of what we are saying is this." Now the Legacy Standard Bible is a little different.

It says, "Now the main point in what is being said is this." The New American Standard is almost just like the Legacy Standard Bible. Now right here we need to see that the author is saying that what he is about to say in this new material speaks to the main point and theme of what he has been saying so far. He is saying that he has been explaining the great and high priest of Jesus and that he is the high priest of a new and better covenant. And what he is about to say next goes along with that theme, goes along with that main point. So that leads me to the title of the message.

This is all about Jesus, the great high priest of the new covenant. Now this is a part 1 because we will not be able to cover all of this chapter this morning. Jesus, the great high priest of the new covenant. And we will see that the first part of the title really comes out of verses 1 to 5 and the second part of the title comes out of verses 6 to 13. It's really easy. I think you'll see it, especially when it's all unpacked for you. Now let's read our verses. I want us to read just verses 1 to 5 because of time and you can go back and read the rest of the verses. Study the chapter on your own. I encourage you to do that.

But let's look at verses 1 to 5. Now the point in what we are saying is this. We have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the majesty in heaven. A minister in the holy places in the true tent that the Lord set up not man. For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices. Thus it is necessary for the priest also to have something to offer. Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all since there are priests who offer gifts according to the law.

They serve a copy and a shadow of the heavenly things for when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God saying, "See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain." Now this is how we're going to approach our verses. Out of verses 1 to 5, in the rest of the chapter, we will see two major truths. First the author explains more of the superiority of Jesus who is our great high priest and more of what that looks like. That's out of verses 1 to 5. We'll cover all of that this morning as best we can.

Then second the author explains the superiority of this new covenant, this better covenant and more and more of what that looks like and that is in verses 6 to 13 and we'll cover that in our part 2. So let's get started really in the first point of the chapter and the first and only major point we will cover this morning. But number one, the author explains the superiority of our great high priest. This is in verses 1 to 5, the superiority of our great high priest. Now out of these verses, the author emphasizes things that speak to the superiority of Jesus in his high priesthood and we see what he's saying in three words.

The word seated, the word sanctuary and the word shadow and just like we saw in chapter 7, we're going to see some contrasts along the way. So first this word seated. The text says Jesus is seated at the right hand of God. Look at verse 1. Now the point of what we are saying is this. We have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the majesty in heaven. Now to give it this, I want us to see the meaning and the significance of Jesus being seated. Jesus is seated at the right hand of the throne of the majesty that would be God in heaven.

And then I want us to see a comparison between Jesus and the old covenant priests. Now the fact that Jesus is seated at the right hand of God speaks to two things. First that Jesus finished the work of redemption. Redemption for men and men has been made. The Father's work of redemption has been completed. So it is finished. You see this from some of the very last words Jesus spoke from the cross. In John 1930, Jesus said it is finished.

And the rest of the verse says, "And he bowed his head and gave up his spirit." So Jesus was able to be seated at the right hand of God because the work of providing redemption for men and men was and is finished. Robert Barnes says the work, long contemplated, long promised, long expected by prophets and saints is done. But then second, that Jesus was exalted to the right hand of the Father. We know that he did not stay in the grave. He was resurrected. But he did not stay on earth after the resurrection. He ascended back to heaven and back to the right hand of God the Father.

This was spoken of in the first sermon recorded in the New Testament. When Peter was preaching on the day of Pentecost as recorded in Acts chapter 2 in verses 32 to 33, Peter said, "This Jesus, God raised up and of that we are all witnesses." In other words, those apostles and those early believers saw the resurrection. And he goes on in verse 33, "Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God." So Jesus was able to be seated at the right hand of God because he was raised up and exalted.

Barnes says that Jesus was, and I'm quoting, "raised up from his condition of humiliation to the glory which he had with the Father before the world was." And Barnes goes on to say that Jesus was constituted king and Messiah in heaven. And notice how the Apostle Paul puts these two things together in the book of Philippians. Philippians 2 verses 8 and 9, those verses say, "He," that's Jesus, "humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Therefore God has exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name." So what we see here is this, because Jesus finished God's redemption plan for men and men, he was exalted. He was exalted and is seated at the right hand of the throne of the majesty in heaven. But a question here, what should we make sure that we see here? What should we make sure that we see here? We must see the fact that Jesus is at the highest, the most supreme place of honor and majesty in being seated at the right hand of God. Now let me repeat that.

We must see the fact that Jesus is at the highest, the most supreme place of honor and majesty in being seated at the right hand of God. But notice we actually have a great hindrance in understanding these things, because we do not live under kings and queens, we do not live under a monarchy. We can struggle to see the symbolism and the meaning that's communicated here. Under a monarchy, to stand at the right hand of the monarch, symbolized a place of honor, power, and exaltation. To stand at the right hand of a reigning monarch, whether it be a king or a queen, it symbolized and spoke of having a place of honor, power, and exaltation.

But to sit was even greater. To sit was even greater. To sit at the right hand of the monarch, symbolized, possessing a place of supreme honor, power, and exaltation. So we must see, and we must understand and strive to understand that Jesus sits at the right hand of God in the supreme place of honor, the supreme place of power, majesty, and exaltation. He is the supreme and constituted king and Messiah and high priest, and there is no one higher, none higher. Notice what this should say to our hearts. Notice what this should communicate to our minds. See and truly, notice what this should say to the very center of our beings as believers.

We should take great comfort and security and peace and hope here. We should find great comfort, great security, and great peace and hope here. We should have no worry or worries in life. There is one key word that helps unlock the door here. I believe it does for me. Look at verse 1 again. Look at verse 1 again. Now the point in what we are saying is this. Notice two words, the English Standard. We have. We have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the majesty in heaven. Now notice what we have here in this phrase, we have.

This comes from a word in the original that has great, great significance, personal significance for us. This means to have, this means to hold, this means to hold onto, to own and to possess. This reminds me of a marriage. When we come to the marriage altar and when we are bound in Christian marriage, well, we have one. We have one to hold. We have one that is our very own. We have one to possess. You see? Now my point here is this. Those of us who have savingly believed in Christ Jesus, we have, we possess, we have and we hold onto that which belongs to us.

That is, we have and we even possess a great high priest who is seated at the right hand of the majesty in heaven. Do you see that? Does it make sense? So why should we worry? Why should we not have an unshakable peace, hope, security, strength in all circumstances in life? We have and we even possess such a high priest who is seated at the right hand of God who possesses all honor, all glory, all majesty and all power. But think about this in comparison to those old covenant Levitical priests that these Jews were very familiar with now. The Levitical priests never sat down when they were on duty, never.

Hebrews 10, 11 says, "And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices which can never take away sins." And what this tells us is one thing. The job of the Levitical priests was never finished. That is because the sacrifices that he offered were never permanently effective to take away sin. Those sacrifices had to be repeated over and over, over and over, day after day, month after month, year after year. So the ministry of the old covenant priests was never done. So they never rested. They never sat down. They were always, always working. Not so with Jesus.

He was exalted and he sat down at the right hand of the throne of God and he was able to sit down because he finished the work of providing redemption for men and men. Hebrews 10, 12 says, "But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down." He sat down at the right hand of God. So the ministry of Jesus was done. So he rested and he sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high. Now notice how this applies to us in our day. Now for you to see this, we're going to have to go back to that original audience. So follow me.

In this congregation, this original audience that received this letter originally, there were some Jews who were born again. They had entered into true spiritual rest found in Christ Jesus because they had savingly believed in Jesus as the promised Messiah who they knew offered for all time a single sacrifice for sin. They had their very own high priest, one who was seated at the right hand of God. So they possessed true personal spiritual rest. And see those of us who are truly born again, we're just like those believing Jews. We possess rest. We possess peace. We possess rest, spiritual rest, because that's found in Christ Jesus.

But also in this congregation, this original congregation now, there were some Jews who were not born again. They knew of Jesus and some had even verbally and intellectually professed Christ, but they still went back to the temple to make sacrifices for sins. They did not see and accept savingly that Jesus had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sin. So they did not possess a high priest who was seated at the right hand of God. They went to those old covenant priests who worked tirelessly to offer endless animal sacrifices so they did not possess true spiritual rest. And there are people in pews and in churches today.

They are just like those Jews who did not savingly believe. They have no spiritual rest. Are you like those Jews? You know all about Jesus? You know all about who he is and who he was? But yet you have not savingly believed. You have not been converted to Christ. So you truly and actually do not have spiritual rest. But then second, Jesus is in the heavenly sanctuary. Here we get to that second word, sanctuary. Jesus is in the heavenly sanctuary. Now to see Jesus in the heavenly sanctuary, we will have to see another comparison. We will have to see the heavenly sanctuary in comparison to the earthly sanctuary or earthly tent or tabernacle.

And we will need to see the sacrifices and services offered up in those different sanctuaries or tabernacles. Now let's look at verses 2 to 5. A minister in the holy places in the true tent that the Lord set up, not man. For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices thus it is necessary for the priest also to have something to offer. Now with he thus Jesus were on earth, he would not be a priest at all since there are priests who offer gifts according to the law.

They serve as a copy and a shadow of the heavenly things for when Moses was about to erect or build the tent, he was instructed by God saying, "See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain." Now first off, I want us to see how the heavenly sanctuary is described right there in verse 2. The New American standard says holy places in true tent, two different phrases. The New American says sanctuary and true tabernacle. The legacy standard Bible says holy places in true tabernacle. The King James says sanctuary and true tabernacle. In this first phrase, holy places are sanctuary.

This speaks of a holy or heavenly sanctuary, the most holy place. In this second phrase, true tabernacle or true tent, this speaks of a tabernacle, literally a tent. Now what we have here is simple although it is very, very wordy in the text. The author was and is speaking of the holy place, the holy tabernacle or sanctuary in heaven where Jesus ministers while being seated at the right hand of the throne of God. You see that? Let's go back and look at verse 1 and 2 and I believe you'll see it. Now the point in what we are saying is this.

We have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne in the majesty in heaven, a minister in the holy places in the true tent that the Lord set up and not man. Now before we go any further, we have to see how this relates to the Old Testament and those Jews who were getting this letter, remember this original audience? All along in this book, the author has referenced the Israelites and their wilderness wanderings.

But here we have the very first reference to the tabernacle that was central to their worship when the Jews were wandering in the wilderness between being set free from Egyptian bondage and entering into the promised land. So the language here of the tabernacle would have certainly gotten their attention. They knew their Old Testament scripture, they knew their history. So this resonated with them. But here it is very clear that the author was saying that the true tabernacle was not the tabernacle of the wilderness wanderings, but one made by God in heaven. Now what's the point?

The Jews knew of the tabernacle that was made for worship during the wilderness wanderings of their forefathers. They knew that Moses had received specific instructions as to how to build this tabernacle. And they knew that the tabernacle was at the very heart of their worship at that time. And they knew the gifts and the sacrifices that the priests made there as well. But the author was and is saying that Jesus, while sitting at the right hand of God, is ministering in the true heavenly tabernacle not made by man but made by God.

So we have the heavenly tabernacle or the true and holy sanctuary made by God in heaven where Jesus ministers and this tabernacle was made by God not by man. Then third, notice the service in this sanctuary. This comes to the third word, the word sanctuary. Notice the service in this sanctuary. Now here in verse 3 and 4 the author is making a contrast between the service of Jesus in the heavenly sanctuary and the service of the priests in the earthly sanctuary. And basically this is what he was saying. Every high priest offered gifts and sacrifices. That was at the heart of their job and at the heart of their worship.

So it was necessary for them to have something to offer in their priestly service. But the author was and is saying something much different about Jesus and his service. This priesthood was and is in heaven in the sanctuary not made by human hands. But the author never mentions Jesus offering a sacrifice in the heavenly sanctuary like the old covenant priests. He even says in verse 4 that if he were on earth he would not have a priest to it at all since he had no offering to give as prescribed by the Levitical law. Now what does all this mean? The Bible scholar Leon Morris sorts it out well.

He says and I'm quoting, "Notice that it is his priesthood not his offering that is in heaven for his offering took place on Calvary." Warren Mursby explains this well also. He says on the cross he offered himself as the once sacrifice for sin forever. He references Hebrews 9, 24 to 28. Now this will take a little time but I want us to read those verses. It's just a page over. Hebrews 9 verses 24 to 28.

For Christ has entered not into holy places made with hands which are copies of the true things but into heaven itself now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf nor was it to offer himself repeatedly as the high priest enters the holy place every year with blood not his own. For then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

And just as it is appointed for man to die once and after that comes the judgment so Christ having been offered once to bear the sins of many will appear a second time not to deal with sin but to save those who were eagerly awaiting him. Now notice Wiersby goes on to say in other words our Lord is a living sacrifice in heaven. You see that a living sacrifice in heaven. He is not offering himself over and over because that is unnecessary. Now what does this mean? And what should we see that relates to us here? Jesus has made the perfect sacrifice for sin on the cross. He literally put away sin by the sacrifice of himself on the cross.

So those who draw near to him in repentance and faith seeking forgiveness for sin and believing by faith that he will savingly forgive them he is there at the right hand of God as the superior high priest making saving intercession between them and God for their salvation. That's what God did for me. When I came to faith in Christ back on February the 9th 1989 that's exactly what he did for me and that's what he did for you whenever you came to faith in Christ.

If you came to faith in Christ at 8 years old or 18 years old or 28 years old no matter what church or denomination you were in when you came to faith in Christ that's what he did for you on that day. For those of us who are believers we have we possess Jesus our high priest who is at the right hand of God ministering in the holy place on our behalf. He always lives to make intercession for us. What a question. Do we see this great and comforting truth that our high priest is at the right hand of God ministering on our behalf always living to make intercession for us. Do we see that?

Now we have seen the sanctuary and the service but now notice one more thing in verse 5. Fourth notice the shadow. Notice the shadow. Look at verse 5. They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things for when Moses was about to erect or build the tent he was instructed by God saying see that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain. Now this can be confusing but it doesn't need to be.

Simply the author is saying and explaining that the earthly tabernacle was a copy of the heavenly tabernacle or the heavenly sanctuary and the design and the layout of that earthly tabernacle it laid out the manner in which God's covenant people were to worship God at that time. But the earthly tabernacle was never meant to be permanent. It was always meant to be temporary and here the author says that it was a copy and a shadow of the tabernacle in heaven made by God look back at the beginning of verse 5. They what is he saying?

They the earthly tabernacle and all of the sacrifices there by those earthly priests they serve a copy and a shadow of the heavenly things. But why did the author write here as he did? Why did he say what he said? He was purposefully and directly explaining to these Jews that if they go back to the earthly temple if they went back to those earthly sacrifices they were literally going back to a shadow. His ultimate goal here was to keep them from the shadow and keep them with or move them to the substance you see? Let me repeat that.

His ultimate goal and purpose here was to keep them from the shadow and to keep them with or move them to the substance which wasn't his Jesus. That's why he called the heavenly tabernacle the true tent. It was true but not in the sense that the earthly tabernacle was false. No. The heavenly sanctuary was true in that it was and is permanent made by God. It is eternal whereas the earthly tabernacle was not true in that it was temporary and it was a shadow of the true heavenly tabernacle which was and is eternal. So notice what we have here in verses 1 to 5. The superiority of Jesus in his high priesthood.

He is superior in that he is seated at the right hand of God in the most supreme and honorable and majestic place and position. He is superior in his service to God on behalf of God's people. He is superior in that he is serving in a superior sanctuary made by God not by man and that sanctuary is forever. Now church I want you to follow me here. I'm speaking to true believers all right? These believing Jews that received this letter originally were being tempted to go back to shadows, types and promises. They were seriously being tempted to go back to the religion of shadows instead of remaining only with Jesus as their personal high priest.

Scholars tell us there were some Jews who were genuinely born again. They felt that tug, that pull, that temptation. Scholars tell us that some of these Jews professed Christ but they were not born again and they were tempted to go back and some were going back. And a very similar temptation, a very similar trap, a very similar pit is here for us today. We can believe that being good at our religious efforts, our theology and doctrine and service in the church is the same as fellowshiping and loving only Jesus as our personal high priest.

We can equate being good at our religious effort, being good at our theology and doctrine and being good at being faithful in the service of our church as the same as fellowshiping and loving only Jesus as our personal high priest when truthfully we can be good at our religious efforts, we can be good at our study of doctrine and theology, we can be good at serving in the church and all at the same time our personal intimate relationship and walk with Jesus as our high priest is dry, stale and almost non-existent. Brother, sister, listen close to your pastor.

Do not make the mistake of believing that being good at religious works, knowing and studying your theology and doctrine in the word of God which is good and service in the church which is good is the same as walking closely, daily, intimately in every area of life with Jesus. Do you see it? Do you see it? And look church, I believe that countless true believers have fallen into this pit. Well what do we do if this is us? Well a good example we can relate to, if we are having a struggle in our marriage, well it is personal. It's personal. It is personal.

And to work out that struggle we communicate personally with our spouse and we set straight anything that is wrong between our spouse and then we spend time with our spouse, it's personal. Well, it is the same in our personal relationship with our high priest who sits at the right hand of God. It is personal. If we have sin and sinfulness we work that out between us and our high priest. We set that straight. It is personal. So we see the superiority of our great high priest. Now take note of what we have been digging into this morning from verses 1 to 5.

We have seen the superiority of our great and personal high priest and we have, we have such a great high priest. And next time from verses 6 to 13 we will see the superiority of the new and better covenant in which Jesus is our mediator and the covenant he mediates is better. So notice the title of the message. It goes with all 13 verses. Jesus the great high priest of the new covenant. Now I want to close by pointing out four things about what we are seeing in verses 1 to 5 and what we will see in the remainder of the chapter. First this word personal. First this word personal.

I have repeated and emphasized this point but I want us to see and know that as believers we personally possess and have such a high priest. So let's not make the mistake of thinking that as Jesus is seated at the right hand of the throne of the majesty on high that he is somehow distant, impersonal and unattainable and unreachable. In fact he is near. Second this word intercessory. Intercessory. We saw last week and I touched on this some this morning but Jesus is seated at the right hand of God and he lives always to make intercession for us his people.

So let's make sure that we understand that Jesus is constant and unceasing in his intercession for us. He is unceasing and bringing our case, our cause, all that we are, all that we need to be, all of our needs to God, even our sins and shortcomings. And third this word mediation. Mediation. We will see that Jesus is our mediator and the mediator of a better covenant and he ever lives to mediate between his people and God, between God and his people, which means he is our go-between. So let's make sure that we come to understand fully that Jesus is our mediator.

He stands between us and God, between God and us and he mediates the disputes and the conflicts and the problems that are between us and God. Now who has all the problems? Not God. Second fourth, this word perfect. We have seen that Jesus is our perfect salvation. The salvation that he has provided is perfect. It's not temporary, it's not fading, it's not partial. So let's make sure that we grasp the fact that our salvation is perfect, although we have not yet been perfected on earth, he has perfected a perfect salvation for us. And one day that will be perfected when we leave this earth and we go to be with him.

So as always, let's pray and let's commit what we've been studying here to the work of the Spirit because we need the Spirit of God to teach us here, to guide us into all truth, to correct us, even rebuke us, and we need the Spirit to work and help us in our sanctification according to all of these things. So let's pray, commit these things to the Lord and then we will sing a closing song of worship.