Month: November 2017

Jesus is the Greater Mediator

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When God gives a gift, He gives his best. No one can out do or out give God. He tops the cake. He gives the greatest gift.

What gift could God give that would wow the world? The gift was himself.

The big idea of Hebrews from the beginning until now is that Jesus is the greatest. Above Jesus none is greater! In chapter 8, this idea continues, but focuses moves towards Jesus as the Great High Priest (v.1).

“Now the main point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by a mere human being.

Every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices, and so it was necessary for this one also to have something to offer. If he were on earth, he would not be a priest, for there are already priests who offer the gifts prescribed by the law. They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: “See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.” But in fact the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises.

For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another. But God found fault with the people and said:

“The days are coming, declares the Lord,
when I will make a new covenant
with the people of Israel
and with the people of Judah.
It will not be like the covenant
I made with their ancestors
when I took them by the hand
to lead them out of Egypt,
because they did not remain faithful to my covenant,
and I turned away from them,
declares the Lord.

This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel
after that time, declares the Lord.
I will put my laws in their minds
and write them on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.
No longer will they teach their neighbor,
or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’
because they will all know me,
from the least of them to the greatest.
For I will forgive their wickedness
and will remember their sins no more. ”

By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear.” – Hebrews 8:1-13, ESV

Think about it, at this very moment, Jesus is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. He is ministering in the true Holy of holies that the earthly tabernacle where priests ministered only represented (vs.2-5). Jesus stepped into the role of High Priest and sacrifice. A role only needed once for all.

Jesus ministers a greater covenant on greater promises (vs.6-7). Not only did Jesus minister the covenant, but he was its author, fulfiller, and mediator. The New Covenant that Jeremiah prophesied about was actualized with Jesus’ life and ministry (vs.8-12, cf. Jeremiah 31:31-34). Jesus makes the first covenant obsolete and the second one complete.

Through Jesus there is no need for another priest or covenant ever (v.13). For millennia God’s people had to access God through a middleman like a patriarch, prophet or priest. Jesus became that middleman and now we have forever access to God. What greater gift could God have given us than this?

 

Questions for Reflection:

  • What are some examples of things you’ve experienced that are “less than the best”?
  • What is a covenant? What covenant have you made? (i.e. family, work, society, etc)
  • What is the Bible’s understanding of a covenant?
  • Why is the first covenant obsolete? What does this mean for Israel?
  • What makes the New Covenant greater?
  • What do you learn about the New Covenant? (vs.8-12) What about the covenant is hard to understand?
  • Where is Jesus now? Why is that so important?
  • What is a mediator? How is Jesus a mediator?
  • Jesus is God’s Great High Priest, but is there anything that can minimize his greatness?
  • What are things you often make greater than Jesus?
  • How is God writing his law on your heart?

Jesus is Greater than Melchizedek

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In God’s providence he chose the nation of Israel carry out his purposes and plans. Part of that plan was to give Israel the law and to help them it carry out the law God chose the tribe of Levi to be the priests. The Levite priests taught the people the law and they were responsible to offer sacrifices on behalf of the entire nation. Even though the Levite priests would offer sacrifices for the sins of the people, not one of the priests was without sin himself (v.11).

“If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood—and indeed the law given to the people established that priesthood—why was there still need for another priest to come, one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron? For when the priesthood is changed, the law must be changed also. He of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe, and no one from that tribe has ever served at the altar. For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. And what we have said is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears, one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life. For it is declared: “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.”

The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless (for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God.

And it was not without an oath! Others became priests without any oath, but he became a priest with an oath when God said to him: “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: ‘You are a priest forever.’”

Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant.

Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.

Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. For the law appoints as high priests men in all their weakness; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.” – Hebrews 7:11-28, ESV

Melchizedek and Jesus show that there was the possibility of another priesthood.  Jesus changes things.  He was from a different priest than the former Levite priest of Israel.

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Jesus is unique and his priesthood is forever.  There is no need for another priest to offer sacrifices.  He stepped into the office of the priesthood though another way. When law was weak and made nothing perfect not even its priests, Jesus offers a better way of drawing near to God. Jesus is the greater hope. Jesus fulfills both the perfect priesthood and perfect sacrifice for sin. Jesus saves us forever, intercedes for us always, and offers complete salvation. This makes Jesus the Greater High Priest.

 

Questions for Reflection:

  • What was the job description of a Levite priest?
  • How was Jesus a priest? How is he a greater priest?
  • What is a covenant? How does Jesus fulfill all previous covenants?
  • How was Jesus a different priest than the Levite priest?
  • Why is it important that Jesus is a priest forever? What does that mean for you today?
  • Why do you need a high priest? How does Jesus minister to you as priest?

Jesus is a Priest in order of Melchizedek

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Have you ever met someone you’ve never met before, but you swear you know them from somewhere? There is a mystery to them. There is an example of this in the Bible when Abraham met the king priest named Melchizedek (Gen.14:17ff). They had never met, but they did have in common a fear of God.

Melchizedek has been a mystery man throughout the centuries. Even Bible scholars are stumped because there isn’t a lot said about him. Some scholars say he was either an angel-man, Christophany, or simply a human.

“This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, the name Melchizedek means “king of righteousness”; then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.” Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever.

Just think how great he was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder! Now the law requires the descendants of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people —that is, from their fellow Israelites—even though they also are descended from Abraham. This man, however, did not trace his descent from Levi, yet he collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. And without doubt the lesser is blessed by the greater. In the one case, the tenth is collected by people who die; but in the other case, by him who is declared to be living. One might even say that Levi, who collects the tenth, paid the tenth through Abraham, because when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was still in the body of his ancestor.” – Hebrews 7:1-10

While no one is really sure who Melchizedek was we can conclude that he was a type. A type is an Old Testament person (or practice) that had a counterpart in the New Testament in Jesus Christ. Often times a type showed what the their counterpart would be like. Melchizedek is the OT example of what the NT Jesus would look like and he does “resemble the Son of God.” (v.3)

What is clear from Hebrews 7 is that while Jesus comes from the order of the priest-king Melchizedek, he is far superior. Below are a few ways Jesus is superior (vs.1-3):

Jesus and Melchizedek Comparison

It is interesting that the author of Hebrews doesn’t interpret the story of Melchizedek, but simply shows how Jesus is a priest in his order and that he is a far superior priest to any before him or after him. Through Melchizedek and the OT there is a shadow cast that Jesus brings light to. The entire OT points to Jesus.

 

Questions for Reflection:

  • Who was Melchizedek?
  • How are Jesus and Melchizedek similar? How are they different?
  • How is Jesus superior to Melchizedek?
  • Why is Melchizedek an important Bible character? Why is he important to understanding Jesus?
  • What do you learn about Jesus’ uniqueness and his unique role from this biblical text?

Jesus is the Greater Promise

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When someone makes a promise they will often swear to keep that promised based on something like “my good name” or  “on my mother’s grave” (v.16). If they do not keep the promise then their name is on the line with the threat of their name being tarnished or trust in them diminished.

“For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, saying, “Surely I will bless you and multiply you.” And thus Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise. For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation. So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” – Hebrews 6:13-20

God is a promise keeper. When God makes a promise he swears by his own name because he himself is trustworthy and reliable (v.13, 17). He is the only one qualified to make an oath by himself because there is nothing greater to swear by than himself. He has never failed to keep a promise because he never lies or fails (v.18).

One of his most well known promises in Scripture was to given Abraham. God promised to bless Abraham’s lineage and multiply it (v.14). Abraham trusted God’s promise by doing what God asked even though the information Abraham had on hand was limited (v.15).

The promise given to Abraham finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus who was a high priest in the order of Melchizedek—a priest during Abraham’s day. Jesus is the sure and steadfast anchor for the soul (v.19). We can hope in Jesus because God has promised him to be our high priest. He has gone before us and sits at the right hand of God on high (v.20).

May you anchor your soul into the Rock called Jesus. Even in the stormy seas that batter you with doubts and despair, his promises are sure to the end. Remember, how he has been with you and has been faithful. As G. Campbell Morgan said, “I believe the promises of God enough to venture an eternity on them.”

 

Questions for Reflection:

  • What makes a promise valuable?
  • What promises did God make to Abraham? (see Genesis 12)
  • What are some promises from God that we have that Abraham didn’t?
  • What makes God and his promises so “sure and steadfast”?
  • How does the author of Hebrews describe the certainty of God’s promise— the anchor?
  • What are some of the anchors other than Jesus that people chain themselves to?
  • How can you encourage one another “to hold fast to the hope set before us”?

Jesus is the Greater Hope to the End

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With the advent of the TV, computers, spectator sports, desk jobs and early retirement, we’re sitting down more than ever before in history. Researchers calculate the average person sits 9.3 hours a day, which is more time than the average person spends sleeping (7.7 hours). So that means 17 hours a day we are on our backs or behinds.

Laziness is one of those undiscussed sins. However, the author of Hebrews unashamedly discusses it. He particularly warns against spiritual laziness. Laziness is a form of pride that says, “I don’t care what others (including God) want me to do I am going to do what I want and sit right here.” Laziness is a regression of faith.

“Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things—things that belong to salvation. For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do. And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” – Hebrews 6:9-12

A church or community of faith becomes lazy when we allow erroneous teaching to infiltrate the church and do nothing about it. While the church may have started strong, it slowly slipped into passiveness and procrastination. Spiritual laziness is not caring about the wonderful promises we have now and later through our salvation and not protecting or promoting it to the next generation.

The best way to progress in your faith and prevent spiritual regression is to serve one another. Help one another to stand, exercise your minds, and fight for truth. That takes effort, but in the long run it will guard you and the community from spiritual lethargy. Serving one another is a sure remedy, but not the sole remedy.

The author of Hebrews has no intention to scare his brothers and sisters into changing, but to assure them of the greater hope that is to come. Better things are to come. Better things for those who wait and hope in God’s promises from now until the end of time.

Jesus is a greater hope than my hope in leisure, ease, or unmet desires. Jesus not only redeems our souls from the pit, he also redeems all aspects of our lives—our time, our attitude, and our work ethic. Look to Christ and invite him to redeem your life and to redeem your time.

 

Questions for Reflection:

  • What are some ways Christians have become faith-lazy today? What are some examples of spiritual regression you’ve witnessed in the church?
  • What are the marks of spiritual “progression?
  • What can lead one to lack patience or lose assurance of hope until the end?
  • What “better things” or promises we will inherit in the end?
  • Who are some biblical examples worth imitating and that encourage you to have faith and patience to the end?
  • How does serving one another often remedy spiritual laziness?