Jesus the Perfect High Priest – Part 2 • 03.05.23

Nick Lees   -   March 6, 2023

Jesus the Perfect High Priest II
Hebrews 6:13-7:28

Why should we trust the unique priesthood of Jesus Christ?

1. Jesus is a sure hope in a broken world
2. Jesus is not only better, he is perfect

If you’re new, welcome! My name is Nick Lees and I serve as the senior pastor. Today I have the privilege of studying God’s Word with you as we continue our series in Hebrews.

Dismiss 4^th + 5^th graders

Ushers + Bibles (Hebrews 6; page 1190?)

Two weeks ago, Pastor Jack unpacked Hebrews 4:14-5:10 in a sermon titled Jesus the Perfect High Priest. In it he sought to answer the question, “Why should we trust the unique priesthood of Jesus Christ?” He shared how Jesus has been in our shoes, is our perfect mediator, and offers eternal salvation for all who obey him. He explained how Jesus has walked this earth and endured the sinful brokenness of our world and the temptations of the flesh. Yet he walked perfectly without sin. We heard that he was called by God to be our representative or mediator in the role of high priest. That Jesus is a sympathetic high priest who understands our weaknesses and is able and willing to help us in our time of need. He is the only One who resisted and overcame every temptation he faced! Which uniquely qualifies him to help us because he knows how to have victory over sin and death! We heard that this was God’s plan from the beginning – to call and appoint Jesus to this role.

Why am I reminding you of this today? Because this letter to the Hebrews is a sermon and the author had previously been making an important argument before he essentially pushed pause on it in Hebrews 5:10. If you were here last week, you heard why he pushed pause. He needed to stop and warn them about the danger of spiritual immaturity and the possibility of some walking away from God because they had never truly believed. They were simply “playing church”. This warning carried on from 5:11-6:12 and today we are going to see that in 6:13 he begins to transition back to his argument about Jesus’ perfect high priesthood. He wants his audience (and us) to understand what he is talking about!! This is important, life-changing stuff!

If you’re paying attention to the bulletin today, you’ll notice today’s sermon has the same title “part 2”. And the question we’re seeking to address is the same as two weeks ago. That’s because we are following the author’s argument and he has returned to this topic! We want to teach what the text says in a way that is connecting the dots from the first century to your lives today.

Are you ready to dig into God’s living and active Word? Are you willing to allow it to equip and strengthen your faith? To challenge you where you need to grow? I hope so. Let’s read God’s Word now.

Hebrews 6:13–20 (ESV)

¹³ For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, ¹⁴ saying, “Surely I will bless you and multiply you.” ¹⁵ And thus Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise. ¹⁶ For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation. ¹⁷ So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, ¹⁸ so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. ¹⁹ We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, ²⁰ where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

I found that this passage requires some real brainpower to dig into. The author is tying several things together as he progresses in his sermon. It is helpful to realize that he had just spoken about inheriting the promises of God immediately prior to this. He had exhorted them to be zealous in their faith and to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. Now he gives an example of this principle with Abraham, the great patriarch of the Israelite faith.

He is calling to mind the events of Abraham’s life in the book of Genesis, specifically chapters 12-22. God had promised Abraham that he would make a great nation out of him by giving him land, seed (descendants), and blessing. At the time of that promise, Abraham was a 75-year-old man. His wife Sarah did not give birth to Isaac until he was 100 years old. I’m not good at math, but even I can figure out that it took 25 years of waiting on the Lord to fulfill his promise. And, if you know the story of Isaac, you know that Abraham was tested after that to see if he would trust God with Isaac’s life. As a result of Abraham’s faith and obedience, God swore an oath to bless and multiply his family. An oath is a solemn promise of one’s future actions or behavior.

The author’s point is that Abraham waited many years to see the fulfillment of the promise of God, yet God was and is faithful. And an oath from God is the greatest possible commitment you could have, because he is unchanging in purpose, and he does not lie. Even our secular world understands that an oath taken in God’s name is a big deal. For many years in a court of law the practice was to swear by God that you would tell the truth. Similarly, many officials would swear by God before taking office that they would faithfully execute the duties of said office… Why did they do this? Because they know that there is no greater guarantee. God is a God of truth, who does not lie, and his purposes are unchanging. Their oath in his name was meant to communicate their intention of faithfulness.

What God plans he does. What he says he does. Abraham’s trust in God was not misplaced. Neither will be the trust of this author’s audience as they flee to him for refuge. Remember they are experiencing persecution for their faith.

The author uses this lesson to point out the hope that the people of his day have in Christ. God is still fulfilling his oath – to make a people for himself – and he is doing it through Christ. The author wants them to have confidence in Christ as their high priest, the one who represents them before God. They can persevere in the faith because God is faithful to his promises!

Why should we trust the unique priesthood of Jesus Christ?

1. Jesus is a sure hope in a broken world

When all else is falling apart, there is One who is secure and unfailing… Jesus our high priest. Let me remind you of the sure hope he provides from passages we’ve already studied in the sermon of Hebrews.

Hebrews 2:14-18 – we heard that God the Son took on flesh and dwelt among us as Jesus Christ so that he could destroy death and the devil and deliver humans from God’s wrath. He became like us in every respect so he could be our merciful and faithful high priest. He provides a sure hope.

Then in 4:14-5:10 we heard that Jesus is our sympathetic high priest who understands our weaknesses and helps us overcome them. He is ready and able to provide mercy and grace in our time of need. It was through his perfect, sinless life that he became the source of eternal salvation as our high priest. A sure hope!!

And now in 6:19-20 we are hearing that Jesus is the sure and steadfast anchor of the soul. A hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain. This is referencing the Holy of Holies from the Old Testament temple. This was the room where God’s presence dwelt on top of the Ark. Only the High Priest could enter this room and only once per year after cleansing himself from his own sin. He is saying that Jesus has entered that room, not in the temple, but in Heaven. He has gone straight to the throne room of God as our high priest, our representative, making him a sure hope in a world broken by sin!

He is a sure hope because he provides eternal salvation through the forgiveness of sins. He is a sure hope because he adopts us into his family. He is a sure hope because offers present help in time of need. The author of Hebrews is providing radical hope to his persecuted, weary audience. Though they look around and all they may see with their eyes is a sinful, broken world full of people who hurt one another… they are reminded that God has an unchanging plan to make them his people and bring them home to heaven through Christ.

Jesus is their sure hope. He will hold them fast. He is the way to salvation. By looking to him in the face of trials and temptations, they can hold fast and endure. God has a plan to make a people for himself, as he promised to Abraham, and he has not given up on that plan! As we know from the teachings of Christ and the other New Testament authors, this people is not limited to the Jews who believe, but includes Gentiles (non-Jews) who believe as well. People like you and me!

How does this realization bring hope and purpose to life today? For the Hebrews, they would have been emboldened to persevere in the face of persecution. To hold fast to their faith. Because their current trials are not meaningless. God is at work. He is producing something in them for their good and His glory.

Knowing that God is at work to accomplish his unchanging plans/purposes ought to give you great hope to face each day. Your life and the things you face are full of purpose and meaning. If you have faith in Christ, God is at work to conform you to the image of His Son and to prepare you for an eternity with him. *Pause*

In a world full of surprises and disappointments and turmoil, where do you find hope? What is the sure and steadfast anchor for your soul?

Everyone wants a source of hope. A reason to get up in the morning. Something that provides security and meaning to life.

• For some it is career success
• Others a stable bank account
• Relationships that you enjoy, peers who approve of you…
• If only my kids would obey me… if only my wife would respect me… if only my husband would love me…

These are fleeting sources of hope that will let you down. They are not meant to bear the weight of your hopes and expectations. As humans we long for a SURE hope and security for life. Where can that be found?!

The author of Hebrews tells you the answer – in Jesus Christ.

What kind of hope and security is found in Christ?

• Security of salvation – as our perfect high priest, he offers eternal life through faith in him.
  • By faith in Jesus’ finished work on the Cross and empty tomb, you are forgiven and redeemed!
• Security of your future – as our perfect high priest, he provides the hope of heaven.
  • Jesus is coming back to bring you with him to heaven (either by death or his 2^nd coming)
• Security of purpose – you can know that you are part of God’s people called to represent and reflect him! To be conformed to the image of Christ.

Do not miss the call to wait upon him and to have your hope set in him. He is the only true source of security in this broken world. *Pause*

Now, in the argument of Jesus being our high priest, the author of Hebrews has mentioned multiple times that Jesus is a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. It came up first in chapter 5 verse 6 and 10 and it has been repeated here in 6:20. What in the world is he talking about!? Who is Melchizedek anyways? Well, that is what he unpacks next for us in chapter 7.

Hebrews 7:1–28 (ESV)

7 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, ² and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything. He is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace. ³ He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever.

Let’s pause here. He is summarizing and explaining an Old Testament event captured in Genesis 14:17-20. Melchizedek was a unique individual who only occupies these few verses of the Bible. And yet, his brief appearance is significant. The author of Hebrews points back to Melchizedek as he builds his argument for how Jesus is better! Let me do my best to summarize the argument for you.

Melchizedek was not a Jew. And yet we see him introduced as both a king and a priest of God. Somehow, someway there was a priest for Yahweh outside of the Jewish people, and he occupied two roles that were never combined in Israel, king and priest. This Melchizedek blessed Abraham and received from Abraham a tithe of their battle spoils, which would have been a vast sum by the way. This is even more incredible because he was an outsider! And here we have Abraham, the patriarch of Israel, whom the Hebrews revered, who had already been promised blessings from God, turning around and blessing this outsider. These shocking actions all point to the fact that Melchizedek is greater than Abraham. There is something different about him that is worth paying attention to. This is what the author of Hebrews wants… He also draws on the fact that we know nothing about Melchizedek’s ancestry to say that he points ahead to the Son of God who lives as a priest forever. Melchizedek is an early type of the role of eternal high priest that Jesus Christ ultimately fulfills. One of his primary purposes in Scripture, aside from blessing Abraham in God’s name, is to point ahead to Christ.

Melchizedek points us to Christ.

Let’s resume reading in verse 4:

⁴ See how great this man was to whom Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth of the spoils! ⁵ And those descendants of Levi who receive the priestly office have a commandment in the law to take tithes from the people, that is, from their brothers, though these also are descended from Abraham. ⁶ But this man who does not have his descent from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. ⁷ It is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior. ⁸ In the one case tithes are received by mortal men, but in the other case, by one of whom it is testified that he lives. ⁹ One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, ¹⁰ for he was still in the loins of his ancestor when Melchizedek met him.

We have to stop here again. Because so many of us do not spend time studying the Old Testament like the original audience would have, it would be easy to miss what is being communicated here. The Levitical priesthood came from the tribe of Levi, and they represented the entire nation of Israel to God as priests. They were the ones who conducted sacrifices and services within the temple. They were the ones who taught the people the law. They were highly honored in the Israelite society as their role was very important. But the author of Hebrews is saying that even they are inferior to priesthood of Melchizedek. As Abraham’s descendants, they effectively joined Abraham in giving the tithe to Melchizedek in Genesis 14.

Why is he taking all this time to make what appears to be a very complex argument? Because Jesus is better, and it is worth taking time to understand it. And the Old Testament texts he is using were the Scriptures they had in those days! They were living in days where only the Old Testament was written down. The New Testament was still being recorded and passed around. This is what they knew and understood.

So, the author goes on in his argument in verse 11-28. Let’s work through those now:

¹¹ Now if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek, rather than one named after the order of Aaron?

Perfection wasn’t possible under the old priesthood. A new one was necessary. An eternal priesthood after the order of Melchizedek.

¹² For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well. ¹³ For the one of whom these things are spoken belonged to another tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar. ¹⁴ For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests.

Jesus’ role as high priest changes everything. He was not a Levite, he was from the tribe of Judah, of the lineage of David. He is both priest and king. The Messiah. And with Jesus’ coming there was a change in the priesthood that meant the law was no longer the controlling factor in God’s relationship with his people. A new covenant has come.

¹⁵ This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek, ¹⁶ who has become a priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life. ¹⁷ For it is witnessed of him,

        “You are a priest forever,

after the order of Melchizedek.”

¹⁸ For on the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness ¹⁹ (for the law made nothing perfect); but on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.

²⁰ And it was not without an oath. For those who formerly became priests were made such without an oath, ²¹ but this one was made a priest with an oath by the one who said to him:

        “The Lord has sworn

and will not change his mind,

        ‘You are a priest forever.’ ”

²² This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant.

Jesus’ priesthood is not from birthright as a Levite, it is by the divine appointment of God and his perfect life. He is the sinless Son of God. The one foretold of in Psalm 110, which has been repeated multiple times in this book, who would be a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

By his coming, he fulfills the OT law which could make no one perfect. And in so doing, he introduces a better hope, salvation through faith in him to be reconciled to God. This was always the plan of God! To make a way for his people to draw near to him through faith in Christ!

In his position of high priest, Jesus is now the guarantor of the better, new covenant. I won’t touch on that topic today, as it is anticipating where the author goes next in Hebrews 8, which Jordan will cover next Sunday.

Listen to how much better Jesus is than the Levitical priests…

²³ The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, ²⁴ but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. ²⁵ Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

²⁶ For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. ²⁷ He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself. ²⁸ For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.

 Why should we trust the unique priesthood of Jesus Christ?

1. Jesus is a sure hope in a broken world
2. Jesus is not only better, he is perfect

The author has built a substantial argument to share how Jesus is better than the entire Levitical priesthood! He is elevating Jesus over the system by which Israel drew near to God for nearly as long as they had been in existence. Jesus is a better high priest over a better covenant who offers a better sacrifice!

But Jesus is more than better, he is perfect! Multiple times the idea of perfection has come up in relation to Jesus. Which is no small matter. We have a hard time understanding perfection because we cannot be perfect this side of heaven…

This is not just that Jesus is a little bit better… He is infinitely better. He is without flaw or fault. He is literally the only way for sinners like us to be rescued and redeemed. It is because he is perfect that he can be the “once-for-all” sacrifice for our sins! NO ONE ELSE COULD DO THAT. We’ll hear in Hebrews 9-10 that the Levitical priesthood had to offer the blood of goats and bulls day after day and week after week and month after month and year after year… AND IT NEVER SUFFICED TO TAKE AWAY SIN FOREVER. That’s why they had to keep being offered. Perfection was required.

That’s also why the Levitical high priests had to offer sacrifices for themselves. They were imperfect and could not go into God’s presence as sinners. They needed cleansing. BUT NOT JESUS. He was perfect in every way and had no need to offer one sacrifice for himself and another for us. He died for us and walked right into the throne room of God. And this perfect high priest lives forever! He is eternal and thereby able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him.

WHAT GOOD NEWS FOR YOU TODAY. IF YOU DRAW NEAR TO GOD THROUGH JESUS YOU WILL BE SAVED. HE LIVES TO RESCUE YOU. HE INTERCEDES OR CONTINUALLY REPRESENTS YOU BEFORE GOD.

HOW INCREDIBLE IS THIS?! The entire Levitical system was foreshadowing the perfect high priest to come. Talk about building up to the grand reveal! *Pause* What do we do with this?

One takeaway from this section of Hebrews is to appreciate the Old Testament. It is so rich and really does allow you to understand the grand redemption plan of God, especially how Christ is the culmination of that plan. Consider how Jesus opened his disciples’ minds to understand the Old Testament in relation to him. After his resurrection, he appeared to them twice in the same day to make these connections:

Luke 24:25–27 (ESV)

²⁵ And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! ²⁶ Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” ²⁷ And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

Luke 24:44–45 (ESV)

⁴⁴ Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” ⁴⁵ Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures,

For the Hebrews and those before them, the Old Testament were the entirety of the Scriptures that exposed their hearts and instructed them in the ways of life. It would be good for you to have a love and appreciation for both the Old and New Testaments.

Closely associated with this is the call again to know the Word and interpret things in context. In order to arrive at sound doctrine, you must carefully study the word. We live in a day of post-modernism where truth is considered relative and there are “many” interpretations to a text. That is patently false. Truth, by necessity, is absolute. What is opposed to truth is false. There are not many interpretations to a text of the Bible, there is God’s intended interpretation and a bunch of wrong interpretations. Our challenge is doing the hard work to arrive at God’s intended interpretation.

The approach that I take when studying and preaching God’s word is a grammatical-historical approach. This approach seeks to discover the intended meaning from the original author of the text. It understands that there is a specific meaning intended when it was written. That is the whole point of communication – to say something specific and intelligible. Our job is not to read our own meanings back into the text but to understand the author’s intent, and behind that author is God himself. In fact, there is much to learn from the author of Hebrews as we see how he studies and explains the Old Testament in this manner.

There is a reason I encourage you to get a good study Bible or commentary set that approaches the text in this way. It will help you arrive at the right interpretation of the Word. It is worth the effort to dig into God’s Word to this level.

It’s incredibly important to give thought to how you approach the Christian faith. Be careful about the sources you turn to for help in interpreting God’s Word. You need to figure out whether they’re interpreting things correctly! Don’t be led astray by anyone, always come back to the Scriptures.

Study God’s word in context, allow Scripture to interpret Scripture, and constantly ask, “what does this teaches me about Christ and God’s grand redemption plan?” This is the kind of methodology we see on display in Hebrews 7.

Christianity is a thinking person’s faith. It requires you to engage your brain and your heart. Deep, rich faith that drives your daily life helps you endure to the end.

Is this your approach to your faith? Are you determined to put the hard work in to arriving at a right understanding of the text? The beauty of God’s Word is that there are always riches to be mined out of it. Theology that changes your life. No matter how long you’ve been walking with Christ, there is always more to learn. And even those who are new to the faith can mine riches out of the Word. God the Holy Spirit will make sure of that! He is our Helper who gives us understanding.

Here’s the beautiful thing about the way God’s designed it… As you live this way you will demonstrate the sure hope you have in our broken world. Living this way will draw attention and you will have opportunities to testify that Jesus is not only better, he is perfect! As people ask you…

• How do you have such joy in the midst of trials?
• How can you have certainty about what is after this life?
• How are you able to be so kind to someone who is so mean to you?
• Why didn’t you give that person what they had coming?
• How do you have such a great relationship with your spouse and kids?

And so on… This is an opportunity to live out 1 Peter 3:15…

1 Peter 3:15 (ESV)

¹⁵ but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,

Not only should you appreciate the Old Testament, you should also consider that Jesus’ eternal priesthood means he will always be the ONLY way to God. Any other “revelation” that contradicts this (Mormons, Jehovah’s Witness, Islam, etc.,) is false. We need to lovingly call people out of these destructive lies.

On top of that, as you consider these incredible truths about Jesus, allow it to drive you to your knees in humble adoration and awe.

Consider how the 1^st century audience would have received this message about the implications for their relationship with God as a result of Christ’s finished work! Allow the same reality to strike you afresh. You can come to GOD. You, a sinner, redeemed by grace through faith in Jesus, can enter into God’s presence for all eternity. You can relate to him here and now through prayer and study of his word. You can know that your sins are forgiven permanently and there is no more wrath left for you. The beautiful truth of Christ’s ongoing intercession for our sins for our salvation calls to mind Paul’s swelling questions in Romans 8.

Romans 8:31–35 (ESV)

³¹ What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³² He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? ³³ Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. ³⁴ Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. ³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?

The assumed answer to these questions is “No one, no one, no one, no one, none!” In fact, that is how he ends this section:

Romans 8:38–39 (ESV)

³⁸ For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

This is the level of certainty that you can have in Christ. He is a sure hope, a steadfast anchor for the soul. He is your perfect high priest, who makes a way to God. Allow these truths to cause your soul to hope and trust in God’s promises. He is unchanging in his purpose, and he does not lie. He will accomplish it.

Hebrews 7 reveals that God has gone to great lengths to accomplish his grand redemption plan. He has always desired a people for himself and to be in relationship with his people. Do not squander this wonderful reality with a lukewarm, “ho-hum” response to Him. Let us agree with Paul and the author of Hebrews that Jesus is worthy of our adoration and worship and give it to him this week!

Let’s pray.