The Greater Journey: Jesus the Eternal High Priest (Hebrews Chs. 5 & 7) What questions will you ask God? Was there ever a unicorn & just didn’t make ark? What’s up wit the platypus? What was real purpose of Stonehenge? Where is Jimmy Hoffa? Why do men have nipples? -Seriously though: Why does sin require death? Why the Blood? Who is Melchizadek? - “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law.” Deut: 29:29

POINT: Drawing NEAR to the presence of God is the heart of our relationship with God.

Chapter 7 is the heart of the book of Hebrews: It’s the story of the perfected, finishing work of Jesus which is exchanged for the Levitical ceremonial Laws for the Jewish people –why?? To help us DRAW NEAR . . . - “Jesus did not come to abolish the Law but fulfill it” - Matthew 5:17

- “For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh.” Romans 8:3

Remember the story: The Covenant God chose a Covenant people, the sons of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to be blessed in order to be a blessing to all nations.

-God gave them the LAW to understand how to act and rightly relate to Holy God and their fellow man. -And Because of sin and broken fellowship, the sacrificial system was created to temporarily cover man’s sin. -God gave man the tabernacle, then Temple, where Holy God could come and dwell. -But because man was sinful and could not approach, Holy God, God instituted the substitutionary sacrificial death system – whereby man could be temporarily atoned for and fellowship with God restored. -Temple is where God dwelt. Sacrifices were required. Only Priests were ordained to make sacrifices.

- This goes on from Abraham until 70AD (w/the destruction of temple and diaspora of Jews/tribes) - But, the sacrificial system, the Old System actually ended in 33AD. Jesus was the permanent sacrifice, but HE was ALSO the great and superior High Priest.

READ HEB. 4:13-16 “And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. Therefore, since 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 cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Heb. 4:13-16

A. What is a High Priest?

READ HEB. 5:1-4

“For every high priest taken from among men is appointed on behalf of men in things pertaining to God, in order to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins; he can deal gently with the ignorant and misguided, since he himself also is beset with weakness; and because of it he is obligated to offer sacrifices for sins, as for the people, so also for himself. And no one takes the honor to himself, but receives it when he is called by God, even as Aaron was.

What is a High Priest? Latin: Pontifex – lit. bridge builder 1) A High Priest was to be a Man (vs. 1-2) 2) He was to be compassionate – since he was also a sinner (vs. 2-3) 3) He was chosen by God (4-6) 4) He was to learn through suffering & hardship = righteous life (vs. 7-8) 5) His role was to offer sacrifices on behalf of others and help restore fellowship between God & man (mediator) –*bells on robe and rope around leg in case high priest killed for being unholy (Ex. 28:35) Note: The Priests were to make atonement for sins of ignorance/omission – Not commission (Num.15:28-30)

B. Does Jesus Qualify as a High Priest? HEB. 7:5-10 “So also Christ did not glorify Himself so as to become a high priest, but He who said to Him, “YOU ARE MY SON, TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU”; just as He says also in another passage, “YOU ARE A PRIEST FOREVER ACCORDING TO THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK.” In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety. Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation, being designated by God as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.”

C. Who is Melchizadek? READ: HEB. 7:1-10 “For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, 2 to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth part of all the spoils, was first of all, by the translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace. 3 Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, he remains a priest perpetually. Now observe how great this man was to whom Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth of the choicest spoils. 5 And those indeed of the sons of Levi who receive the priest’s office have commandment in the Law to collect a tenth from the people, that is, from their brethren, although these are descended from Abraham. 6 But the one whose genealogy is not traced from them collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed the one who had the promises. 7 But without any dispute the lesser is blessed by the greater. 8 In this case mortal men receive tithes, but in that case one receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives on. 9 And, so to speak, through Abraham even Levi, who received tithes, paid tithes, 10 for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him.”

- Unknown Origin. King of Salem. Name MELCHIZADEK (lit. means: King of Righteousness) - High Priest who blessed Abraham - Abraham, out of thankfulness to God, gives a tithe (tenth) of his best earnings (spoils) to Melchizadek [Melchizadek represented God on the earth in Salem. Abraham tithed to Melchizadek as an offering of worship and praise to God. There was no law/requirement, but an offering of thanks to God] - He is a Type, an Old Testament symbol, a foreshadow of the actual Christ (Messiah) to come. 50Mess.types

Types of Christ: first Adam, spotless Lamb, Jesus is serpent in desert (Num. 21; Jn 3), the ark (1Pt.3)

D. How are Jesus and Melchizadek related? If Melchizadek is a typology of the Messiah - then they should have identical traits: [These two are Superior to Aaronic Levitical Priesthood] - “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” Heb. 6:19-20

1) Both were real men on the earth (Heb. 7:4; 1 Tim. 2:5) – As a man, Jesus perfectly identified with all men in weakness, temptation, & suffering: - “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.” Heb. 4:15

2) Both were High Priests (Gen. 14:18; Zech. 6:12-13) – Their priesthood was universal, not national or only for the Jewish people (God of the Most High: El Elyon vs. Covenant name of God for Israel: Yahweh) - “But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God.” Heb. 10:12. - “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.” Rom. 1:16 - As high priests, their priesthood was perpetual (7:3, 22) – not temporary

3) Both were kings: (Heb. 7:1; Zech. 6:13; Rev. 19:16) – They represented God’s Leadership to the earth (They were Royalty, not subjects)

4) Both were appointed directly by God (Heb. 7:21) – Their priesthood not based in Genealogy/Tribe

5) Both were the King of Righteousness: (Ps. 72:1-2; Is. 32:1) - “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Rom. 5:1 & the King of Peace: - “Loving-kindness and truth have met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed each other.” Ps. 85:10 You can’t have true peace without being in right relationship with God, to have tasted His righteousness. Righteousness = peace!

E. What did Jesus provide (perfect) for the Jew and Gentile? - “So much the more also Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant. The former priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers because they were prevented by death from continuing, but Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently. Therefore Jesus is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak, but the word of the oath, which came after the Law, appoints a Son, made perfect forever.” Heb. 7:22-25

What did Jesus perfect for the Jew? & for Us? 1) A New and Better Covenant – spiritual covenant (Jer. 31:31-34) 2) A New Order/Temple by which we can be restored to God & approach Holy God – His Spirit in us 3) A New High Priest – He sacrificed on our behalf 4) A New Sacrifice = permanent & eternal – He became the very sacrifice for us – in OUR place 5) A Lasting Salvation – We are secure in His work (John 10:28-29; Rom. 5:10; Phil. 1:6)

- “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” 1 Peter 1:4-5

- “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Heb. 12:2

- “Therefore God is able also to save forever, save to the uttermost, save completely those who draw near to God through Jesus, since Jesus always lives to make intercession for them.” Heb. 7:25

6) A New Promise – Our assurance of Heaven is based in His very Person (Heb. 6:13-20) 7) A New Hope – “In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” 1 Pet. 1:3

*How did a first cent. Jew truly convert to Christianity? By leaving the Levitical Ceremonial sacrificial system!

F. Now WE are priests Since we are IN Christ: – helping others find and restore their relationship with God -“You also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. . . But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.” 1 Peter 2:5,9

ARE YOU A BRIDGE BUILDER?