For every high priest taken from among men is appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins.  (2) He can have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray, since he himself is also subject to weakness.  (3) Because of this he is required as for the people, so also for himself, to offer sacrifices for sins.  (4) And no man takes this honor to himself, but he who is called by God, just as Aaron was.  (5) So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become high Priest, but it was He who said to Him:

“You are My son, Today I have begotten You.”

(6) As He also says in another place:

“You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek”

The author of the letter to the Hebrews is unknown but it is believed that this letter was written to Jewish converts to Christianity who were wavering in their new faith – if they reverted to the allowed sect of Judaism they would not be subject to persecution. In reading this letter the audience needed knowledge of the Old Testament to understand what would become the New Testament.  In Judaism there was a High Priest and that person was called by God.  As no Jews were allowed into the Holy of Holies, it fell to the High Priest to intercede for men with God.  Once a year the High Priest was allowed into the Holy of Holies to meet with God and offer sacrifice for his (the priest’s)  sins and the sins of the people – to atone for their sins during that year.

Chapter 5 of Hebrews is the beginning of the major section of the book which identifies Jesus Christ as the new and forever High Priest who has been the perfect, once and for all sacrifice – to atone for our sins permanently and provide access to God.  After Jesus completed His work of salvation He entered Heaven and sat down at the right hand of God, indicating the work was finished and acceptable.

The entire Jewish sacrificial system was based on the problem of human sin.  Sinners could not approach God without appropriate sacrifice and mediation – man was alienated from God.  God has now appointed Jesus as our High Priest.  Jesus  took on human nature – He was true God and true man – and as our High Priest He can sympathize with man as He was tempted in all things – yet was without sin.  Jesus suffered yet obeyed the will of the Father even unto death, earning once and for all eternal salvation for man.  Jesus is the perfect sacrifice forever.  To return to the system of the Old Testament would be to return to a flawed and temporary system.  To abandon the High Priest God has provided and that we so desperately need would be to choose eternal darkness.

No human solution will suffice for our salvation.  We must submit our will and emotions to the will of God.  Saving faith equals obedient faith and our faith/belief in Christ as our Messiah guides our behavior.  We are saved by faith, not our works.