The Letter to the Hebrews
Christ Our High Priest
Hebrews 5:1-10
Let’s turn to Hebrews 5. If you need a Bible, go ahead and raise your hand and we will bring one to you. Hebrews 5 is on page 1002 in the Bibles we are passing out.
This morning we are going to study Hebrews 5:1-10. And we can see what the main point of these verses is by focusing on the first word in v.1 – the word “for,” which can also be translated “because.” That word shows that vv.1-10 are giving a reason for v.16.
So let’s remind ourselves of what the author said in Hebrews 4:16 –
Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
So the author is urging us to draw near with confidence to God’s throne of grace whenever we have needs – because when we do He will give us mercy and grace to help us. And why should we do that? V.1 – “For [or “because”]…” and then in vv.1-10 the author gives us reasons to motivate us.
So before we look at the reasons, let’s figure out if we are obeying v.16 or not. This last week, have we had times when we were in need – and we confidently drew near to God’s throne of grace to receive his mercy and grace to help?
Maybe you lost your temper with your kids and were overwhelmed with guilt; honestly – did you set everything else aside to draw near to the throne of grace and receive God’s help? Or maybe you faced a decision and didn’t know what to do – did you earnestly draw near to God’s throne of grace with prayer and God’s Word to receive God’s help? Or maybe you were feeling spiritually dull – did you draw near to God’s throne of grace just as you are – and receive help directly from Him?
My guess is that all of us did this some – but none of us did this as much as we could have or should have.
And that’s why the author has that wonderful word “for” at the beginning of ch.5 – because he wants to give us encouragement, motivation, help so we will grow in this. So let’s dig into vv.1-10 of chapter 5.
Now this is not an easy passage to understand. But I think the author is answering two crucial questions. And the first question is Why do we need a High Priest?
To answer that, he refers back to what happened in the Old Testament. The Old Testament shows us both why we need a high priest, and why the Old Testament high priests – as important as they were – did not cut it. So why do we need a high priest?
First, because sinful people need someone to represent them before God with a sacrifice for their sins. You can see that in v.1 --
1 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.
Here’s the problem. God created us so we could have the all-satisfying joy of knowing Him, worshiping Him, loving Him. But we have all turned our backs on God and pursued other things to fill and satisfy us. That’s what the Bible calls sin. And God cannot encounter sin without punishing it. So, because of our sin, we can’t come to God.
But the Old Testament pictures how a priest helps. In the Old Testament when you sinned, you would take a lamb to the temple where you would meet with the priest. The priest would have you place your hand on the lamb’s head – which is a picture of your guilt passing from you and being put on the lamb.
Then he would give you a knife and you would kill the lamb. Then the priest would bring the lamb to God -- representing you before God, and offering the lamb to God as a sacrifice paying for your sin.
You could not do this yourself. You needed someone to represent you before God with a sacrifice for your sins. So that’s the first reason we need a high priest.
Second, because sinful people need a representative who sympathizes with their weaknesses. And the Old Testament priests pictured this, as you can see in v.2 --
He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness.
If you were an Old Testament Israelite you would have loved the priest. Because he would respond to you with gentleness. He would not excuse your sin. He would see the seriousness of your sin, and you would too, as you killed the lamb. But at the same time he would say “I understand,” because he himself is beset with weaknesses. He knows how powerfully sin can pull. He knows how unbelief can control our hearts.
So we need a high priest because sinful people need a representative who sympathizes with their weaknesses.
Third, sinful people need a representative who is perfect and sinless. The Old Testament priests pictured the perfect high priest we need, but they themselves were not the perfect high priest we need – because they themselves sinned. You can see that in v.3 --
Because of this he is obligated to offer sacrifice for his own sins just as he does for those of the people.
See, if sinful people need someone to represent them before God, and if the Old Testament priests are sinful people – then it’s clear that they are not the actual priest we need. We need a representative – a priest – who is perfect and sinless.
Fourth, sinful people need a perfect high priest who is appointed by God. You can see that in v.4 --
And no one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was.
In the Old Testament no one could volunteer himself to be high priest – he had to be chosen by God.
There are four reasons we need a High Priest. So can you feel our quandary? We sinful people need someone
- to represent us before God with a sacrifice for our sins,
- who will gently and sympathetically welcome us because he understands our weaknesses,
- who will be perfectly sinless,
- and who will be appointed by God.
If we don’t have this high priest – we can never come to God. We will face punishment from God. But if we do have such a high priest – then we can confidently come to God and receive everything we need in our times of need.
So that’s why we need a High Priest. And vv.5-10 answer the question -- how is Jesus Christ the perfect High Priest?
First, because He was appointed by God Himself. You can see that in v.5 –
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"…
The Old Testament showed that a high priest could not appoint himself. He had to be appointed by God the Father. That makes sense. If someone is going to represent us before God – he needs to be chosen by God.
And God the Father appointed Jesus to be the perfect High Priest for humanity.
Second, because as the Son of God Jesus is fully God. You can see that also in v.5 – in how the author quotes Psalm 2:7 –
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"…
That does not mean God the Father created God the Son. This describes how God the Son has been begotten of the Father from eternity past. But the point is that Jesus is the Son of God – which means He is fully God. Think of being represented before God the Father by Jesus who is the Son of God. That’s another reason Jesus is the perfect high priest.
Third, because God appointed Jesus to be a priest forever, as pictured in Melchizedek. You can see that in v.6 –
… as he says also in another place, "You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek."
In Genesis 14 we read about Melchizedek who pictured a different kind of priest than the priests who served in the Jewish temple. He pictures a priest who has no beginning and no end – a priest who is a priest forever.
And then in Psalm 110, which is quoted here in v.6, we read a prophecy that God will appoint the Messiah Jesus to be this priest, after the order of Melchizedek, whose priesthood lasts forever.
Fourth, because Jesus sympathizes with our weaknesses, since He battled in prayer for God’s help against sin. He does not excuse our sin. But He is sympathetic with how strong sin’s pull is, because He battled against it without ever succumbing. That’s the point of v.7 --
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.
V.7 includes what happened the night He was betrayed, as he prayed so fervently for God’s help that his sweat became like drops of blood. But I don’t think v.7 is limited to His prayer at Gethsemane.
Throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus battled in prayer for God’s help against sin, with loud cries and tears. Have you ever battled in prayer for God’s help against sin with loud cries and tears? Jesus did. And we all should.
But the author’s point is that because Jesus battled this strongly against sin, He understands the pull of sin. And so he sympathizes with us in our battle against sin. When we come to Him, He says – “I understand. I have felt the pull of sin. I know.”
Fifth, because Jesus’ sinlessness means He can represent us before God. You can see that in vv.8-10 --
8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered.
9 And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him,
10 being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.
So what does it mean that Jesus “learned obedience”? It’s not that he was not obedient and then became obedient. He has been perfectly obedient to the Father from eternity past. But in eternity past He had never experienced obedience costing Him such horrifying suffering. And He embraced the suffering – and perfectly obeyed – learning, experiencing, obedience through suffering.
And what does it mean that Jesus was “made perfect”? I think it means that from eternity past He was always perfectly God, but He could not become our perfect High Priest without becoming a man and experiencing the temptations we experienced. He experienced them all – without ever sinning – and thus became our perfect High Priest.
So the point is that Jesus is sinless – and through His temptations and suffering on earth His sinlessness was tested and displayed as perfect. So because Jesus is sinless, He can represent us before God.
So what does this mean for us? Let me picture this in a tangible way. I’ll have two people come up to help me. This person over here is God – holy, perfect, righteous – who cannot be in sin’s presence without judging and punishing it.
And here’s me and you – needy sinners. I’m feeling the guilt of losing my temper with my kids, or facing a decision and not knowing what to do, or feeling spiritually dull and lifeless.
Everything I need is in God. But because of my sin – I can’t come to God myself – because I will be judged and punished.
But there’s good news -- Jesus Christ is my perfect High Priest. So how can I attach myself to Jesus? There’s only one way. Not by trying to be good enough. Not by changing my own heart. The only way is by faith.
I set everything else aside and set my heart to trust Him. I trust Him to forgive me, change me, help me, satisfy me. If my faith is weak, I ask Him to strengthen my faith – and I will open God’s Word and pray over Scriptures – which is how faith gets stronger.
And as I turn to Jesus He sympathizes with me. He says “I understand. It’s hard. I’ve been there. I know.” And then He says – “Let’s go to the Father.” And He brings me before the Father and says – “Father I am representing Steve Fuller. Here is my body and blood which paid for His sins. He is attached to my sinlessness by faith.”
“He needs a fresh outpouring of Your forgiveness. He needs wisdom for a decision. He needs your Spirit to give Him spiritual life.”
And the Father loves Jesus the Perfect High Priest, and He sees me attached to Jesus by faith alone, and so He loves me. And He pours out assurance of forgiveness upon me. He gives me the wisdom I need. He so shows me His glory that my heart once again becomes spiritually alive.
So whenever you have a need – see Jesus as your High Priest – attach yourself to Jesus your High Priest by faith -- and draw near to the throne of grace. You will receive everything you need.