The High Priest We Need: Hebrews 5:1-10

Pray & Intro: 4 points today: the first and last are application to make sure you connect to the 2 truths in the middle, which are the emphasis in our text this morning.

• - Let’s get our bearing in Hebrews: We’ve entered this extended section of Hebrews explaining and applying the high priesthood of Jesus, the first major movement emphasizing his priesthood as being according to the order of Melchizedek (which is just barely introduced today), then gets interrupted by one of the preacher’s (larger) exhortations… But he comes back to it at ch. 7:1. The next major part of this will shift in ch.8 from emphasizing Christ’s superior priestly office to his superior priestly ministry (superior service).
• - Let’s get our bearing in God’s Word: In order to do that today I’m gonna go to my first point here.

1. What’s our greatest need? To know God. – A reminder of our NEED for a high priest (something we emphasized a bit last week) à First consider the glorious holiness of God against my sinful unworthiness: Isaiah 6:1-5; John 17:1-3 – WHO is our access to God? Jesus.
2. What qualifies a high priest? (solidarity and appointment)
   1. Solidarity with those for whom he intercedes (READ 1-3 and comment)
      1. Chosen from among men (his humanity)
      2. To be the go-btwn for men before God, especially thru offering gifts and sacrifices. – Sacrifices offer atonement for what we owe (and can’t rightly repay), and gifts display our gratitude (even though we know we can’t match what’s been given)
         16. The high priest holds a special responsibility, particularly on the day of atonement, to be the only one who can enter the most holy place and offer sacrifice to atone for the sins of the people. (You can find the details of this in Leviticus 16.)
         17. Not only that, but in order to do so he must first offer a special sacrifice for himself and his household so that HIS sin is covered BEFORE he tries to intercede for others.
      3. To sympathize – dealing gently with people bc he has to sacrifice for his own sins too
         1. He is beset with weakness (every spiritual leader you follow should think this way)
         2. But the positive side is that this causes him to deal gently with those like him (patient with those going astray out of ignorance)
         3. So what makes him special? Nothing, he was chosen. ;-)
      4. To be divinely appointed (in v. 1 and v. 4 this is a primary emphasis – READ v. 4) à people don’t achieve (earn) this honor, rather they are chosen, appointed, called by God
         1. Have you ever been picked for something that you knew you were completely undeserving of and possibly the least adequate choice? (God wants you there – That’s what I mean when I say sometimes that God wants his people weak, he wants us humbled. “God, what have I to offer you?”)
         2. And God delights in doing it this way: 1 Cor. 1:26-31 (in the context of “Christ the wisdom and power of God”) For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
         3. And where the cup of self-achievement is empty, there grace overflows. – Where the cup of self-achievement is empty, grace overflows.

• How does Jesus meet and exceed those qualifications? (for the office of high priest) – “So also Christ” (from OT universals about high priestly office to their particular manifestation in Jesus, God the Son) –READ vv. 5-6
  1. Jesus was appointed – the Son was made high priest by the Father’s appointment (that’s the point of the two quotes – that the divine Son was appointed by the Father to be a better, a perfect, an eternal priest) à The first quote reiterates the Christ’s relationship in the Holy Trinity, and the quote from Psalm 110:4 (the 2^nd) is introduced as evidence for the Father bestowing on the Son the honor of priesthood
  2. Jesus further fulfills the role of high priest in solidarity with man and sympathy with our neediness… which were previously established: his solidarity (2:17) & sympathy (4:15)
     1. Jesus was a person à The quote from Psalm 2:7 is a reminder of his full deity and full humanity (quoted also in 1:5)
     2. Here too he made intercession – He interceded (while on earth) for himself and for others (like a good priest should do) à interesting here to bring up his prayer life while in the flesh as further proof of his solidarity and sympathy: READ v. 7
  3. With that said, Christ’s appointment and intercession and sympathy is similar but unique, taking on a whole ‘nother level (which leads to our next point) – Jesus not only fulfills but exceeds the qualifications for high priesthood… (he’s the better, the complete version of what these others are merely shadows of) à READ vv. 8-10
  4. What makes HIS high priesthood unique and better? (as is the usual framework in Hebrews, it is a comparison to show “similar but better” – his priesthood ) à Jesus is a better priest just as his sacrifice is better.
     1. For the emphasis being expressed here, See also Heb. 7:27-28 à Instead of atoning first for his own sin, he perfected human obedience to BECOME our atoning sacrifice when he let them put him to death, shedding his blood as the remission for our sins.
     2. Melchizedeken priesthood
  5. How do we participate in what the Great High Priest has accomplished? (v. 9)
     1. Foundationally we participate in salvation by faith, in baptism by immersion (following his example and displaying our death, burial, and resurrection with him to new life), in (the ordinances) partaking the Lord’s Table remembrance… We participate with him his mission to make disciples and to mature those disciples so that they too will make disciples… We participate with him in obedience to the will of the Father out of love and reverence and fear… And the author of Hebrews makes it clear (as does the Apostle Paul), that if we endure the suffering of this life while still holding fast to faith in Christ, we will not only reap the benefit of intimacy with Him, but we will also participate one day in the resurrection from the dead and entering into God’s final and perfect rest.
     2. Again, He is the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him
        1. In faith for salvation (obedience of faith, Rom. 1:5, Acts 5:32, 1 Peter 1:2,22, 4:17 (& 2 Thess 1:8) – Even though we are obeying, we don’t get credit… He does: Eph. 2:8-10 context = you were dead in your trespasses and sins, but GOD being rich in mercy…) 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
        2. [Saving faith is obeying, and it’s obedience for which we can’t take credit.] Obedience is clearly also the outworking of faith—continued faith (trusting submission) in Him for growth in godliness – Can you deal with sin on your own? (Could you ever and can you now?) à It is in fact our duty and privilege as his sons and daughters to put to death the deeds of our sinful flesh (Rom. 8 & Col. 3) by walking in the way of His Holy Spirit… but can we do that in our strength? That’s why we must remain in trusting submission to Him (faith) so that he works in us.
     3. And remember, the warning in Hebrews is consistently this: a pattern of disobedience reveals unbelief, disobedient faith is not saving faith (Heb. 3:18-19, 4:6,11) à The sign out front is right—Jesus IS Lord. “Those who truly believe in Jesus as Savior live in obedience to him as Lord.” (Cole)
     4. So too you are encouraged to participate in prayer like our Lord and through our Lord… to help our obedience – Because he has interceded for us, and continues as our mediator, we can draw near to the throne of grace to seek help! And we definitely NEED help. (Sin doesn’t reign any more over God’s people, but it still influences us in this life. à Having once acquired a taste for sin, even though we know it is terribly hazardous to our health, we sometimes crave it, like a dog foolishly returning to its vomit.)
     5. Remember these things also in your prayers:
        1. God loving you doesn’t mean no suffering and trials, “your best life now” – It does mean that he sees your need (your weakness) and is there for your need through our GHP
        2. Emotions are normal human reactions, but they should submit to God’s will
        3. Expect God’s answer to your prayer to be better than you ask (or know how to) – Eph. 3:20-21 – Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

COMMUNION

CLOSING: Because of our Great High Priest who satisfies our need, we are able to confidently draw near to God and intimately plead for help in our continued need. And because of this new and growing relationship, we are joined to Christ to participate with him in the responsibility and privilege of carrying on his mission. (My prayer for you is that you are getting a better and deeper understanding of your position in Christ and the powerful and practical outworking of that for your life today.)

The High Priest We Need: Hebrews 5:1-10

WHAT’S OUR GREATEST NEED? – To know God.

• Isaiah 6:1-5 – The glory and holiness of God against our sin and unworthiness
• John 17:1-3 – Who is our access to knowing God? Jesus.

WHAT QUALIFIES A HIGH PRIEST?

• Solidarity/sympathy with those for whom he intercedes (vv. 1-3)

• Divine Appointment (vv. 1&4)

HOW DOES JESUS MEET AND EXCEED THOSE QUALIFICATIONS?

• His appointment (vv. 5-6)

• His solidarity/sympathy with humanity (v. 7)

• His uniqueness to become the atoning sacrifice (vv. 8-10)

HOW DO WE PARTICIPATE IN WHAT THE GREAT HIGH PRIEST HAS ACCOMPLISHED?

• In obedience of faith (v. 9)

• In prayer for help (v. 7 & 4:16)

Take It Home: (for further discussion and reflection)

• In what way is faith itself obedience to God? And who gets credit for faith that saves you?
• As those who endure in faith, list as many privileges and responsibilities as you can think of that you get to (and are expected to) participate in with Christ.
• Do you continue to live out your faith as one who is desperately needy? Explain.
• If you had to pick one thing that God is drilling into your head (or giving you a fresh look at) so far from studying Hebrews (about Christ and your faith in Him), what would that be?