For every high priest taken from among men is appointed for me 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.  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 main theme of the Book of Hebrews is that the knowledge of the superiority of Jesus Christ as our High Priest should shore up the drifting believer in his/her Christian faith.  Hebrews was written to Jewish Christians who wanted to reverse their course to escape persecution from their countrymen.

Christ is superior over the Judaic system.  The center of Judaism was the divinely appointed priesthood.  Now Jesus Christ is the High Priest, appointed by God.  Jesus once and for all time has atoned for us through His sacrifice of blood.  He alone and forever makes intercession for us to God.

To understand the significance of this central theme of the Book of Hebrews we need a clearer understanding of the absolute holiness and majesty of God and the sinful nature and depravity of man.  This understanding is provided by the Old Testament which enables us to understand the New Testament.  The O.T. confronts us with the reality of human failures and needs while providing us with the sense of the sovereignty, majesty and power of God.  When considering these two points, the importance of sacrifices and priests emerges.  Jesus is the eternal High Priest who entered the Holy Place with His own blood.  Our High Priest fulfills the requirements of the priesthood in His work; His identification with the people as He was also true man; and His appointment by God.

If men are not sinners separated from a Holy God, then there is no need for priests.  Every Jew knew that he desperately needed a mediator between himself and God and the High Priest was that God ordained mediator.  Christianity has to do with our fundamental alienation from God because of our sins and the work of Jesus Christ who offered Himself as the perfect final sacrifice for our sins.  The whole priesthood of Jesus is to lead us boldly and joyfully to draw near to God and live in fellowship with Him.

(14) Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.  (15) For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.  (16) Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

The letter to the Hebrews was written to Jewish believers converted to Christianity who wanted to reverse their course.  The writer of Hebrews makes extensive use of the Old Testament and knowledge of Jewish liturgy and covenantal history to argue that Jesus is the Messiah. He is our great High Priest and has replaced the Levitical priesthood.  The author of Hebrews is giving the general characteristics of the priesthood of Jesus.  He has laid the foundations of the divinity and the humanity of Jesus in earlier chapters of this letter.  Now he is speaking of Jesus as passing through the heavens to the presence of God where he sits continually as our High Priest.

The office of High Priest was established by God through Moses.  The High Priest was appointed by God and functioned as the mediator between Jehovah and Israel, sacrificing and performing rituals like other priests but in addition, only the High Priest was allowed to act to offer sacrifice to expiate the sins of Israel on the annual Day of Atonement.  Now Jesus as our High Priest forever has passed through the heavenly veil once for all time to represent us.

The author of Hebrews writes that Jesus as High Priest is at one with His people:  He too was human and knows temptation and our weakness.   He has been tempted in the way we are tempted as he was fully human and has called us brethren.  The main point is that Jesus remained sinless and did not yield to temptation.  He earned his sinlessness.

Our High Priest forever entered into our human weakness and has sympathy with us.  He represents us – as High Priest – to God and represents God to us.  Jesus is our great High Priest and mediator  and because of this we are exhorted to approach God directly on his throne of grace.

(12) For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.  (13)  And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

The author of the letter to the Hebrews is unknown.  The audience of this letter seems to be Jewish Christians who had faced some persecution, probably from Jewish authorities and at the time of writing of this letter – around 64 A.D. – they faced severe persecution from Roman authorities.  The readers are being encouraged to remain steadfast in their confession of Jesus Christ as high priest and Messiah.  The readers are warned no to “shrink back” by denying Jesus as the fulfillment of the Old Testament.

The discussion in the verses of Hebrews that we are looking at today concerns the word of God and it’s capabilities.  The Word of God is scripture and the words of Jesus Christ – the only reliable guide we have in order to function properly in a broken world.  The Bible is not intended to replace human knowledge or effort but to supplement and correct this.  Exposition of the Bible is the FIRST responsibility of Church leaders.  It is also why I am writing this blog.

Hebrews draws an analogy between our soul and our spirit and the joints and marrow of our bodies as between our material/physical self and our invisible nature and spiritual self – a transition from the Word of God to God himself.  The word of God is the activity of God and also His revelation of Himself in judgment and salvation.  God is both source and fulfillment.

Nothing is hidden from God.  There is not and cannot be any part of reality which is unknown or incomprehensible to Him who is the source of all being and fount of all knowledge.  God gave us the Word so we can see the sin and unbelief in our own hearts.  Nothing is created – not a creature exists – that is concealed from His sight.  We are not only NOT hidden from His sight, we are completely exposed to Him.  We have to stand before Him and give an account.  That is our judgment, our reckoning and there is NO exception.  These powerful verses tell us that self delusion is of no matter.  God knows our intents and motivations and we must be always mindful of our choices.

(9) But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. 

(10) For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.  (11) For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren.

The author of Hebrews is unknown as is the date it was written except to place it before 64 A.D.  It is unlikely that the author was Paul as his style and use of language is different – and Paul used Greek and Hebrew sources for his Old Testament quotes but writer of this letter uses only the Greek Septuagint for a source.  Also, Paul heard the word of salvation directly from the Lord where the author of Hebrews seemingly did not.  Further, Paul also identified himself in his writings.

The original Christians were Jews, as were Jesus and His disciples, and  these Hebrews were steeped in Jewish law and the Hebrew system of sacrificial priestly rules.  This letter was written to them as tolerance was being replaced by opposition and persecution by the Gentiles and especially from Jews –  Jewish Christians needed to remain steadfast in their belief in Christ as the Messiah and the answers were not to be found in the Old Testament.  Jesus  once and for all times made the perfect sacrifice whereas the Hebrew Law was never complete.  The Hebrew Law could not actually save the believer but Christ by His sacrifice perfected for all time those who are sanctified. Hebrews addresses the supremacy of Christ.  Jesus is better than the angels, better than Moses, better than the priesthood and He is better than the Law for he mediates a better covenant.

In our present sinful state man is lower than the angels and Jesus was made man not as a ruler but as suffering servant.   His death on behalf of man, destroying the power and consequences of sin, was the motive for His incarnation and death on the Cross.  The reference to His being crowned with glory and honor is a reference to Olympic games and the victor’s crown.

Only God can satisfy the demands of God.  Jesus is not just the way, He is the only way; not just the truth but the only truth and the only eternal life.  Hebrews emphasizes the humanity of Jesus.  There was no moral imperfection in Jesus but by means of sufferings God perfected His Son in his human life and death as Redeemer and Saviour.  He stooped to conquer.  His death was sufficient for all and efficient for some and Jesus sets those sanctified and those being sanctified apart.  Those set apart are of one nature and have one destiny and He calls us brethren.