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Our Need for a Great High Priest
Introduction: I have often teased that I would like to preach a sermon on, “The Implications of the Melchizedek Priesthood,” just to see how many eyes glazed over. Indeed, that seems to be exactly what did happen when the Hebrew writer came to the middle of his letter and complained that his audience had become so dull that it was difficult to explain the importance of Jesus being a high priest like Melchizedek.
Have you ever wondered why God made “high priests?” Why wasn’t the story, “Jesus died for your sins…” and that’s it! He died for your sins. Instead, very early in scripture, God brought up high priests. The high priest was a critical part of tabernacle worship. In fact, without the high priest, worship would have been impossible.
Very early in the Hebrew letter, the writer introduced Jesus (who was the Creator and the very image of God), as a high priest (2:17; 3:1; 4:14-16; 5:9-11). In chapters 8-10, there is a detailed discussion of the importance the high priesthood of Jesus. It is fair to say that the entire Hebrew letter is based on the importance of Jesus being a high priest, but not just any high priest, but a high priest like Melchizedek (8:1; 10:19-21).
We need to consider the importance of Jesus as our high priest since both we, as the Hebrew Christians of the first century, have not typically recognized the impact of the work Jesus is doing.
Moses, an Acting High Priest, Exodus 32-34
Exodus 32:4-10 Would any of us even blink if God had utterly destroyed these people and raised up a new nation from Moses? The OT would have become a little longer, but who could argue with God? Less than two months had passed since Israel saw the great plagues and the deliverance across the Red Sea. Even less time had passed since they heard the voice of God from heaven and promised that they would always obey the Lord. And yet, here they are falling down before a golden calf and participating in lewdness before their idol.
In Exodus 32:11-14, there appears to be a puzzling narrative. Moses pleaded with the Lord on behalf of the people and God, “relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people.” Certainly the Lord knew the arguments Moses would make on the peoples’ behalf, so why bother to tell Moses of his intentions? Moses certainly didn’t just “convince” God that his purpose to destroy the people wasn’t a good idea!
This reminds us of when God told Abraham that he was going to destroy Sodom and Abraham nearly “talked him out of it.” Again, an all-knowing, all-wise God does not need a human being to instruct him! (“Who has known the mind of the Lord or who has been his counselor?”– Rom.11:34)
The answer is that the Lord was inviting Moses to become an intercessor. The Lord demonstrated this by listening to Moses and immediately relenting from his purpose. The message was clear: the holy God cannot and will not dwell in the midst of a rebellious people without destroying them. The peoples’ only hope was an intercessor and God was graciously allowing Moses to play that role. Later the high priest would take on this role.
Now while God allowed Moses to intercede and God did not destroy the people, we also notice that Moses was not a perfect intercessor.
In 32:32, when Moses offered himself to be blotted out in order to save the people, God quickly rejected the offer. That was not how this was going to work.
Further, in 33:3, God dropped another bomb when he said, “Go up…but I will not go up among you, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people.” In fact, the Lord completely cut off any relationship with the people (33:7), no longer allowing them to come to him through Moses in the “tent of meeting.” Moses now knew he needed to know the Lord better in order to be an effective intercessor.
Thus in 33:12-16, Moses aggressively desired to know the Lord by asking God to “show me your ways…that I might find favor in your sight.” The point is, if I don’t understand you and truly know you, how can I find favor in your sight? And, finding favor with you will only be known if you go with us. So, show me your glory! Show me your ways!
In other words, this whole “God-people experiment” isn’t going to work if you are a “distant God.” There is nothing special about that in the sight of all the nations! Therefore, if you don’t go with us, we are not going! I love this about Moses. This is about knowing you, Lord, this isn’t just being in the Promised Land!
34:5-7 The Lord listened to Moses, passed before him and proclaimed his name: “merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin…” Did you know that is who God is? Is that the God you learned about growing up?
34:8-10 Moses immediately knew the key to God: if this is who you are, “pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for your inheritance.” Boom! Just like that, the Lord forgave and renewed the covenant. From his time on, Moses will always appeal to God on the basis of who he proclaimed himself to be. And while God would destroy the rebellious, he would forgive the repentant.
Our Need for a Greater High Priest
When Isaiah spoke of the sins of Israel that would result in their destruction, he revealed the Lord’s dismay that there was no one to intercede:
“The Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice. He saw that there was no man, and was appalled that there was no one to intercede; then his own arm brought him salvation and his righteousness upheld him” (Isaiah 59:15-16)
It was evident that even Moses could not truly intercede since he too was a sinner. Thus God was appalled that there was no one who could save the people from his judicial wrath. Instead of allowing that to happen, the Lord used his own arm and his own righteousness to bring salvation.
So we need to get something clearly in our minds. Isaiah 59 was talking about us, not the people of Moses’s day. We are in the same condition as Israel with their golden calf. We also followed our idols and were dead in our sins. If not for an intercessor, God would rightly consume us. Even as Christians, we have no hope without an intercessor.
Therefore, when the Hebrew writer spent ten chapters on the importance of God’s own arm bringing salvation through the high priesthood of his Son, we feel the writer’s frustration over the “dullness” of his audience. They were suffering, discouraged, and on the brink of giving up. They needed endurance based on God’s promises that were anchored in a permanent high priest who was “in the presence of God on their behalf.
Please note that the reason for their dullness (5:11–6:3) was that they were mired in basic, first principles and had not moved on to the solid food that would mature them. This has been a major mistake brethren have made in my lifetime and before, which has led to not knowing God well enough (as portrayed in our 66 books) to keep us excited about God and eagerly pressing toward the goal.
So, what is it about Jesus as our high priest that makes him so much greater than Moses and the high priests under the Levitical system? How did God’s arm bring him salvation?
2:10-11 Not only is our high priest the Creator of us all (“for whom and by whom all things exist”), but he is also the “pioneer/trailblazer” (NIV, NET) of our salvation. He went through the worst suffering in order to lead the way for us to glory, even calling us brothers.
7:15-17 He is a “forever high priest.” That is the main principle to being like Melchizedek. This is important because he never stops interceding, which connects closely to 7:21-22 where we are told the Lord swore and will not change his mind: “you are a priest forever.” There is never a fear that his intercession will cease.
8:1-2 It is not just that his intercession is permanent, it is also where he makes intercession. He is seated at the right hand of God (preeminent position) and therefore does his work in the true Holy Places (not an earthly copy).
10:1-7, 14 His offering perfected us. While other high priests brought sacrifices and offerings, our high priest offered his body and brought his blood into the Most Holy Place. Therefore, “by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.”
The Wonder of the High Priesthood of Jesus
2:17-18 Since our high priest is a pioneer and was made like us in every respect, he is both a merciful and faithful high priest. He is faithful in that we can always count on him being there for us. And he is merciful in that since he suffered when tempted, “he is able to help those who are being tempted.” How often do we take advantage of this? How often, when tempted, do we plead to the Lord for help in our temptation? Oh how we neglect this!
4:14-16 He is able to sympathize with our weaknesses because he was tempted in every respect like we are, yet without sin. We might think that he can’t sympathize since he doesn’t know what it is like to fail. But the opposite is true. No one knows how strong temptation is until they truly face it and resist it successfully. “A man who gives into temptation after 5 minutes does not know what it would have been like an hour later” (C.S. Lewis). A person who always gives in has not felt the true power of Satan. No one knows the strength of an opposing army unless they actually fight. The one who surrenders is never able to prepare for the next battle.
We now have bold confidence to approach the throne of grace in time of need. The confidence comes from knowing he knows and understands our weaknesses and what it is like to be tempted in extreme ways. Therefore he will not rebuff us unsympathetically.
Notice also, the throne is not a throne of wrath, it is a throne of grace. Therefore, we are able to approach boldly, in confidence that we will really find help. No doubts should dominate our minds.
7:24-25 His intercession is complete and sure. He is able to save to the uttermost (completely and at all times), since he always lives to make intercession. Where is your high priest right now?
Remember when Moses pleaded to God on the basis of having seen God’s glory and heard God proclaim his name? “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin…”
Truly, God was appalled when there was no man to intercede for his people. Therefore, “his own arm brought him salvation and his righteousness upheld him.”
Conclusions:
Are we boldly coming before the throne to find help in time of need?
Are we loving God more deeply than ever and passionately pursuing him and laboring for him because of what he has done?