High Priest and Son of God

 

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. He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness. Because of this he is obligated to offer sacrifice for his own sins just as he does for those of the people. And no one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was. 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”; as he says also in another place, “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.” (Hebrews 5:1–6 ESV).

 

In our reading today we have two declarations. First, Jesus is the appointed High Priest who is the Son of God; and second, He is a priest forever “after the order of Melchizedek” (v. 6). Both are vital in our understanding. However, we will look at them separately, one today and the other tomorrow.

 

Built into the priestly system were some inadequacies. The one we see here in Hebrews 5:3 is that the high priest was himself a sinner and had to offer sacrifices for his own sins as well as the sins of the people. This meant not only that his sympathy would be imperfect and his presence in the holy place with God limited; it also meant that he would die and need to be replaced. He could never guarantee an ongoing presence with God to intervene for the people. All the inadequacies of the old priesthood will be clearer as we go forward in the book of Hebrews; however, this one is addressed with the statement that Jesus is the “Son of God.” There is no imperfection in “the only begotten Son of God” because He is fully God and fully human. There is no other like Him.

 

The whole history of Israel points to this truth. It is imperfect, inadequate, and incomplete. It all points forward to something greater, to Someone perfect and complete. It points to Jesus Christ, the Son of God, our ultimate and perfect High Priest. In fact, even the sacrifices that the high priest offers (v. 3) point to Jesus, because Jesus is such a perfect and complete fulfillment of the priesthood that he is not only the High Priest, but he is also the sacrifice that the High Priest gives (Hebrews 9:12, 25–26; 13:12).

 

Fifty years ago, C.S. Lewis imagined someone objecting here. Lewis imagined the objection that if Jesus never sinned, then he doesn’t know what temptation is like. He lived a sheltered life and is out of touch with how strong temptation can be. Here is what Lewis wrote in response to that objection:

 

A silly idea is current that good people do not know what temptation means. This is an obvious lie. Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is . . . A man who gives in to temptation after five minutes simply does not know what it would have been like an hour later. That is why bad people, in one sense know very little about badness. They have lived a sheltered life by always giving in . . . Christ, because He was the only man who never yielded to temptation, is also the only man who knows to the full what temptation means — the only complete realist.

 

We’ll see more tomorrow. Today we should recognize that Jesus is the perfect High Priest and the perfect sacrifice, willingly given, on our behalf. That brings me to the highest level of gratitude and amazes me as nothing else could!

The Great High Priest

 

Since then 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 is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 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. (Hebrews 4:14–16 ESV).

 

Many believers in their enthusiasm to understand more of Jesus have tried to skip the Old Testament. This usually results in an interpretation of Jesus within their own personal experience and context. It leads to errors that can only be avoided with the biblical-historical context and categories. This is the reason some have assigned the role of a teacher, life-coach, even a hero or trailblazer to Jesus. And, while there may be some truth in each of these, they will not be as true and deep and authoritative and helpful as the categories that the Bible itself uses.

 

In our reading today we have one of those Old Testament contexts for understanding who Jesus is and what he came to do, namely, the category of “high priest” (v. 14). This reference is a bit difficult for most of us, especially if we are new to the faith. There aren’t any high priests around today. So, this is a context for understanding Jesus that is foreign to us. But God planned centuries of history with Israel, recorded in the Old Testament, so that we would have a context for understanding this reference. This also indicates the high level of importance the writer has toward the reference. We would impoverish ourselves and swerve from the truth if we said, “Well, that’s too old-fashioned and irrelevant for today. Nobody knows what a high priest is; so, let’s just translate Jesus into one of our familiar categories, say, defense attorney.” That would be foolish indeed!

 

Instead, what we need to do before we jump to contemporary analogies is to go back to God’s context, God’s history and God’s instruction, and learn some deep and wonderful things that we might otherwise miss, even to our peril, because “high priest” does not equal “defense attorney” or any other analogy in our world. Our history is simply too limited to interpret Jesus. We need God’s history. Our culture, our society, our era in time are way too provincial to give the needed categories for grasping who Jesus is and what he came to do.

 

While we will see much more of this tomorrow, today we can know this truth of the high priest’s role in being the bridge between us and God. The high priests came from among men and were appointed on behalf of the people to offer gifts and sacrifices to God for sins. A whole world of meaning is opened up to us here. There is a God. There is sin. This sin has created a barrier between God and the people. But God has made a provision for being reconciled to the people. He has ordained that there be human priests who would be a go-between; and that these priests would offer sacrifices. There is no negotiation; there is only atonement. The high priest facilitated that act.

 

Since Jesus is the greatest High Priest, His act on our behalf is perfect and eternal. This is now a role that provides so much more depth to our relationship to Him. He reall is all we ever need to be reconciled to God!

 

An Example to Persevere

 

Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness, where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years. Therefore I was provoked with that generation, and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart; they have not known my ways.’ As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest.’” Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. As it is said, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses? And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief. (Hebrews 3:7–19 ESV).

 

As we continue through Hebrews, the writer’s main approach is with a very serious warning of the way God worked in the past. God has always been consistent. This is seen clearly in the way He dealt with Israel after they came out of Egypt and then in spite of all that power and mercy on their behalf, they responded to God with grumbling and unbelief. The result was that he gave them up to die in the wilderness and swore that they would not enter God's rest in the promised land.

 

A refresher may be helpful here. The people of Israel are used as an example for the original readers at this point. Remember, they had been treated with great mercy as God brought them out of Egypt by signs and wonders. And these people had seen signs and wonders (cf. Hebrews 2:4). The Holy Spirit had been at work in their midst, and they had participated in his power (cf. Hebrews 6:4). They had tasted the powers of the age to come (cf. Hebrews 6:5). And for a short while they were very happy and seemingly confident in God. But it didn't last. And that is why this example is so important to the writer of Hebrews. He wants the professing Christians to last, to persevere. Because that's the only way they will prove they are truly God's house and truly share in Christ's salvation. So, he says look at Israel and don't be like them.

 

Then he continues with the warning to his readers (v. 8). The warning is clear and severe: do not harden your hearts as when they provoked me [or perhaps better, "as in the embitterment", as in the day of trial in the wilderness (v. 9), where your fathers tried me by testing me, and saw my works for forty years. And it gets worse: "They always go astray in their heart; and they did not know my ways; as I swore in my wrath, 'They shall not enter my rest.'" (v. 11).

 

The story of Israel should be an example for the professing church. Do not treat the grace of God with contempt, presuming to receive the benefits of grace without the responsibilities. Simply put, do not treat Jesus as a mere ticket to heaven. He calls us to life and the works of that life. We are indeed chosen for the continued spread of His Gospel!

 

Who Are You

 

Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son. And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope. (Hebrews 3:5-6 ESV).

 

Today’s reading is one of those difficult passages for many people. In order to understand the principle the writer is introducing here, we must look at what seems to be a random inclusion in the last verse. Look at the last part of verse six. The writer draws us into the picture. He says to his readers that they (we) are the very house of God—the house his Son made and inherits—"if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end"—"Whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end."

 

Now this "if" is a tremendously serious thing. We are his household—we are God's people, we are God's possession and inheritance, that is, we are saved—if. This "if" is so serious and so important that the rest of chapter 3 is a support and explanation of it. In fact much of the rest of this book is meant to make this "if" plain. We will be looking at this in the days to come.

 

Notice first that this condition— "'if' we hold fast to hope"— is a condition for being something now. It does not say: you will become God's house if you hold fast to your hope. It says, "We are God's house" if we hold fast to confidence and hope. It's like saying, "You are a Aggie if your typical rally cry is 'Gig ‘Em!' or if your natural greeting is 'Howdy!' Using these phrases does not make you an Aggie; it shows you are an Aggie.

 

This verse, with the support of others in Scripture, shows that "if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm to the end, we show that we are God's house." This is what defines the household of God: God's people hope in God. God's people are confident in God. They hold fast to God as their boast. That's the human trait and evidence of belonging to God's household. If you want to be assured that you are of God's household, test to see if you hope in God and have confidence in God and look to God for the security and happiness of your future and the satisfaction of your heart. It is who we are. It is not a condition for our salvation; it is a proof of our salvation. Listen to the Apostle Paul:

 

Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:3 ESV).

 

In those moments when your courage begins to fail, remember your hope is in Jesus’ work, not your courage! You are a part of the house of God!

 

Jesus is Greater than Moses

 

Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, who was faithful to him who appointed him, just as Moses also was faithful in all God’s house. For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses—as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.) Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son. And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope. (Hebrews 3:1–6 ESV).

 

The writer of Hebrews now turns his attention to the superior nature of Jesus over Moses. He has already established that Jesus is greater than the angels. He establishes this superiority several key distinctions:

 

First, he uses the image of a builder versus the house. This is the primary metaphor. Moses is described as a faithful part of "God’s house" (the people of God). Jesus is the builder of that house. Just as a builder deserves more honor than the house itself, Jesus deserves more glory than Moses because He is the creator and architect of the community Moses served.

 

Next, he uses the metaphor of the Son versus the servant. Moses was faithful in God's house as a servant, fulfilling his role by testifying to the things that would be spoken in the future. Jesus is faithful over God's house as a Son. A son holds authority and inheritance over the household, whereas a servant only carries out the owner's instructions.

 

Then he uses the metaphor of fulfillment versus foreshadowing. Moses delivered the Old Covenant and the Law, which served as a "shadow" or "testimony" of things to come. Jesus is the fulfillment of those promises, bringing a New Covenant established on "better promises," offering grace and truth rather than just the Law.

 

And finally, he shows Jesus to be the source of redemption. Moses led Israel out of physical slavery in Egypt but could not lead them into the ultimate "rest" of God because of their unbelief. Jesus leads a "new exodus," delivering people from the spiritual slavery of sin and providing eternal salvation and rest.

 

These comparisons were essential to his readers who were Jewish. They are essential to us today in that our nature is to be focused on earning our redemption by our works. All our works are little more than “filthy rags.” The grace of God is imparted to us through the work of Christ. Listen to the Apostle Paul:

 

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:8–10 ESV).

 

There are good works to be done, but these are the result of the “workmanship” of Christ. We get to do them! Focus on the greatness of our Savior!

 

Pay Attention to this Great Gift

 

Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will. (Hebrews 2:1–4 ESV).

 

Perhaps the most interesting feature of our reading today is its use of nautical terms. The idea given here is that of a boat that has slowly drifted out to sea. A boat that someone failed to tie to the dock, and consequently has been pulled out to sea by the undercurrent or the tide. Quickly I must say the writer is not referencing the loss of the boat (salvation); rather he is referring to the benefits of the salvation we have been given.

 

We’ve either seen it or experienced it ourselves. We grow out of, or slowly moves away from, interests, habits, and hobbies in our lives over time. An eight-year-old who loves playing with building blocks or dolls will eventually trade in their stuffed giraffes for make-up or a game console by the time they are twelve. The star high-school athlete will eventually trade their sports ambitions in for a business endeavor. People change, their interests change, they drift in and out of various likes, dislikes, and pastimes. What once was, may no longer be our primary focus. This is not necessarily bad in relation to pastimes and trivial matters.

 

However, in relation to the Gospel and the Christian faith, it can be devastating. The truth is, every Christian has or will experience spiritual drift at some point in their Christian lives. Interestingly, the believers to whom the letter of Hebrews is addressed apparently were at risk of the very same danger. For them, this message was not only timely but necessary to protect them from a terrible fate.

 

Remember the historical context of the letter. The audience of the writer was under immense persecution from the Roman government, as the letter was likely written during the reign of Emperor Nero. Due to this persecution, these believers were tempted not only to drift away from the Gospel and all that they had been taught, but were tempted to abandon their faith and lose their hope.

 

It was a warning against doubt. Listen to James, the brother of Jesus in his letter:

 

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. (James 1:5–8 ESV).

 

It is not as if Jesus has not proven His trustworthiness. If we should learn anything from our recent celebration of the resurrection, it must be that Jesus keeps His word. Don’t be careless about your faith. Grow it! Nurture it! Anchor it in the history of the Lord in your life!

 

He Upholds the Universe by His Power

 

He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”? Or again, “I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son”? And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.” Of the angels he says, “He makes his angels winds, and his ministers a flame of fire.” But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom. (Hebrews 1:3–8 ESV).

 

Our reading today presents Jesus as the supreme, divine Son of God the radiant image of God who sustains the universe, cleanses sin, and reigns eternally. He is vastly superior to angels, inheriting a superior name and throne. It is a summary of what is to come in the rest of the letter. It encourages trusting in his active power, finished work, and supreme authority. We should briefly unpack each of these declarations. They hold the essence of our continued strength for each step of our journey.

 

Jesus is the supreme sustainer of the universe. I have watched the images and reports of the NASA mission of Artemis II. They are spectacular. The mission's trajectory sets several human spaceflight records, including distance from Earth (252,757 miles); distance beyond the Moon (about 4,700 miles); and velocity (atmospheric reentry speed of about 25,000 miles per hour), and the furthest distance humans have traveled from Earth. Yet, the reports continue to affirm others who have traveled into space concerning the incomprehensible vastness of the universe. Jesus sustains it all, seen and unseen!

 

Jesus is not just a messenger; he is the "dazzling radiance" of God’s splendor and the exact representation of His nature. To know Jesus is to know God entirely. And, as God, He is currently upholding all things by the word of his power. This means he is sustaining our life right now. When we feel overwhelmed, we can look to the one who holds the universe together.

 

Jesus has also provided purification for sins. Notice the writer says, “… he then sat down”. This is a position of finished work. There is no "extra" work needed to secure salvation; we can trust in his completed sacrifice. Jesus is superior to angels, a theme highlighted to show his unmatched rank. Angels are servants, but Jesus is the Son—the rightful King whose throne is everlasting.

 

The question we should ask of ourselves is if Jesus is holding the entire universe together, can’t we trust him with the specific, chaotic details of our lives today?